I know this is an old thread, but the Antex TCS50 I ordered in August 2016 has just gone bang in my hand. The silicone cable flexes too much near the exit from the iron and the conductors broke, so I took the iron to pieces and resoldered the slightly shorter lead (Thanks to the Antex iron I bought in 1978). I must have overheated something as it worked for a while, before filling the inside of the handle with black whiffle dust.