Monday, December 11, 2006

Documentation

My $5.00 bargain-basement soldering iron finally gave up the ghost on Saturday, so I went over to Radio Shack to buy a replacement. I went a little bit overboard and bought a fancy digital model.

While the product itself works well, I'm a bit worried about using it. Page one of the manual includes the text:

The soldering iron has a built-in temperature sensor that allows you to set the temperature from 350°F to a maximum of 840°F.
But page two includes the text:
Do not use the soldering iron at temperatures above 320°F.
I'm not sure if this was an editorial oversight, or an overly agressive lawyer ("But, your honor, he used the product, clearly ignoring the safety instructions!")