I have this Weller WE 1010 since a few weeks, and what disturbs me is that there is no visual indication that the power is on, other than the LCD, which because it has no backlight, is not visible in darkness, so if I go out of my room, turn off the room light then I don't notice that the soldering iron is on, so I may forget to switch it off. While the WE1010 goes into sleep mode, I don't want to have it on during the night. I think it is a poor design decision not to have any other visual indication, so I decided to do something about this. Adding backlight to the LCD was my first idea, but then I went for something else, I added a high intensity green LED inside the box. This way I don't need to drill a hole, the light shines through the gaps at the bottom. Please watch this video to see how I did this simple modification. In the video you will also see how to open and close the soldering iron box.
A few words of warning...
I did not expect so many views and comments, several people saying that they will do this modification, or something similar. Generally speaking, the way I did it is a very simple and non-intrusive modification, with very low risks involved, but of course, technically speaking, the warranty is void as soon as you open the casing, even without modifying anything. Be careful and be aware of that. Also, it is quite easy to brick your soldering station if you make a mistake, so unless you have the knowledge, don't even think about it. My video is not intended to be seen as an instruction video, even if it is quite detailed. I can not be held liable if something goes wrong with your soldering station. Also be aware that there are live and very dangerous wires and connections inside unless you disconnect it from the power. Do NOT open it unless you know what you are doing. The soldering station is a very nice one as it is also, this mod is just added feature, not improving the soldering station functionality.