...Typically these winter storms are about 12 – 18 hours max. This one is predicted to be around for over 24 hours. Could raise the snow totals significantly.
More.....I have one of these coming probably next week. A Hakko FM-203 valued at over $570 USD. My Brother is the lead maintenance tech for a device placement company. Their soldering stations tried out these Hakko's for a while but decided to go with Metcal's instead. So the Hakko's became surplus. I'm getting one for the cost of shipping. I thought about bringing it back with me from Colorado but I have only carry on luggage and I doubt the Hakko would have made it through security. Mnem...you can now stop bitching about the cheap POS soldering station I bought recently. This Hakko will replace it.
Rant mode on.....I thought we had a Gentleman's agreement to keep political posts out of this thread. I seem to recall asking an innocent question once of the UK folks of their opinion of Boris and I got a quick and terse reply of “Don't go there”. OK, fine. The last few days I've been reading diatribes on here about the London terrorist shooting and whether it was justified or not. Isn't that a “Don't go there” or is that for some reason acceptable? I think not. So is political in or out? And I really don't think you'd much like to hear the opinion of a right to bear and does own a gun Yankee. Rant mode off.
Aside from the utterly infuriating firmware & UI of the thing, I loved my FX-951 until it spontaneously combusted and tried to take half my bench with it in an all-consuming fireball. My 2465 still has soot marks on the bottom from the event.
You WILL love the feel of the FM-2027 handset. But you'll have to get used to the foamie grip getting grubby-looking; it's unavoidable, and frequent cleaning with alcohol works, but makes it look ratty quickly. Fortunately, the whole grip assembly is sortof a consumable supply; the intended usage is to get one for each of your T12/T18 cartridges, so you swap them together grip and all. This is in contrast to using the silicone "potholder" pad they include with the FX-9501 handset.
Also make sure you get the "lockout" card with it. On the 951 it was located in literally the most "in the fucking way possible" place on the front of the unit, and you can't change the temp without it in place. Looks like yours has it more out of the way, which is good. I just hope the firmware isn't the same as the FX-951... that was the most gawd-awful, ANTI-CONVENIENT fucking piece of binary shit ever created. Every time you go to do ANYTHING with it... even once you get to where you know how it's fucking bipolar peeweeny little brain is supposed to work... it will kick you in the balls at least twice before you get it set the way you want it.
Of course, that may be the reason your brother's company decided to go Metcal... which does have a pretty closed ecosystem, but everything they make is pretty much "it just fucking works" mentality.
As for "politics"... Like Spec said; as long as it's just a quick vent, and not trolling... and we continue to successfully self-police... I feel it's entirely appropriate. There are VERY FEW things I personally have a zero-tolerance policy on; but generally speaking, zero-tolerance policy itself is one of those things. Remember, I am ALSO a gun-owning Yankee, born & bred. I have a VERY restrictive attitude towards the whole "right to bear" thing, especially as the concept has been very clearly perverted in the US, both socially and legally.mnem
*woops... I 4got 2 post this like... 8 hours ago*