/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>429055

It's a fantastic iron for the money, despite the appearance.

Even though it looks silly, it performs better than the old model it replaced.

Pic related.

>>407691

Details... I love me my station. It's tops in my book.

>>398264
>Why does this look like it's made by Fisher Price?

Marketing got drunk at the Christmas party? Who knows. All their new equipment shares the same appearance, though you can get black/grey colored units instead if you know where to look.

Hakko's equipment traditionally looked like pic related. The FX-888 is the direct replacement for this model 936.

Despite appearances the FX-888 does perform a bit better. Faster heat-up, better heat retention, little bit more power, etc...

>>364507

Welcome to the wonderful world of dermal scarring.

>>364752

You can probably score a Hakko 936 for under $50 now that the FX-888 is phasing it out. Tips are compatible and the product is still fully supported so parts continue to be available.

>>326717
>it has some warning symbols, "environmentally unsafe" and "irritating"

You done goofed. That's acidic metal flux and it remain acidic even after it cools, ruining your electronics.

Get some colophony flux. AKA pine resin. AKA rosin.

You can even make that shit yourself by buying a brick of pine resin (guitar stores usually carry it in this form) and dissolving some in rubbing alcohol.

>>259708

The FX-888 is amazing. We have one at work.

At home I have its predecessor, a 936-12.

>>187695

It's just the new ones that look like that. I don't understand the aesthetic direction they took any more than you do, but they're still fantastic to work with.

To start off, you did good getting a soldering station. There are better ones, but a WLC100 is still worlds easier to handle than a pencil iron.

Hakko 936-12 here.

I recommend tip cleaning wool rather than sponges for cleaning an iron tip. They don't thermally shock it like a wet sponge does.

>>176031
>to strip wires melt the ends then scrape off

Shouldn't need to be said but don't use your iron to do this. Use a lighter or something. And ventilate.

>>170166
>I'm sure it's utter crapola

It's doesn't look any worse than any other basic holder, even manufactured ones.

Well I mean it LOOKS works, but doesn't look like it functions any worse.

I'm glad I don't use a wall socket pencil iron like that anymore though.

You can get replacement tips for those shitty pencil irons on ebay. The irons that that hold the tip in with a screw on the side of the shroud are especially easy to find replacements for.

But it isn't worth it.

It looks like you've already found what you're looking for.

I have a 736-12, which is the immediate predecessor of that FX-888, and it's awesome. Aside from the cosmetic changes, the new one has a bit more power & faster heatup, and comes standard with tip cleaning wool, which I prefer to wet sponge since it doesn't thermally shock the iron's tip.

Skip the pencil iron and just get a decent soldering station. Easier to learn on and just easier to use all around.

>>127041

.036" is fine for through-hole work, though it could get frustrating if you try to use it for any SMT components. Yours is a through-hole kit so that's more of a future concern, in which case you'll probably have gotten new spools of solder by then.

>don't have tons of money to sink into a new hobby

Soldering is relatively inexpensive. Investing in a quality soldering station and materials will be your biggest expense and for hobby use this shouldn't cost more than $200 even for the good stuff like a quality Hakko.

I'd also recommend some clamps or "helping hand" devices as soldering is a three-handed job.

It has already been said but it bears repeating: Skip the shitty pencil iron and get a small soldering station. Pencil irons are harder and more frustrating to use, so not really great for beginners either.

You can pick up a Hakko 936 pretty cheap these days and Hakko will continue to make tips and parts for it for a long time.

>>34676

Tip cleaning wool IS the metal curl stuff. It works great and doesn't thermally shock your tip since there's no water involved. You sort of just stab the iron into it with a slight twisting motion and the tip will come out with just a light tinning of solder on it.

Look for a Hakko 936 if you want to save some money. It's almost as good as the FX-888 that replaced it and goes for under $50 since it's discontinued. And don't let that fact discourage you, since Hakko is awesome about product support. They'll continue to make repair parts and the the FX-888 tips are backwards-compatible with the 936.

Get a decent soldering station. It'll pay for itself quickly in terms of time saved & fewer damaged components as you learn.

>>31090

The 936 is cheap as fuck now that the FX-888 is out to replace it. You can find them under $50 now.

Don't worry about support for it; Hakko will still honor their warranty and still makes replacement parts for them.

I like where this board is going.