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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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398215 No.398215 [Reply] [Original]

Best bang for your buck soldering station?

Needs to be variable temp.

>> No.398217

http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FX888-FX-888-Soldering-Station/dp/B004M3U0VU

5 Seconds in google. Try not to burn your face off with it.

>> No.398219

>>398217
I think op is looking for someone's experience with a product so that they can confirm that it is good. There are probably plenty of cheap soldering stations, but which ones are 'good'.

Myself, I have a budget of about 200 bucks for a temperature controlled iron. Hopefully something that will last for a lifetime. No idea what I will be getting. Monitoring this thread.

>> No.398232

I have the Hakko fx888...works quite well, was under $90 Canadian...

>> No.398233

>>398219

The Hakko FX 888 *is* a good soldering station, regardless of the price. Its better than many pricier stations and is a steal at $90 USD. It does look like a toy, why they use those colorers I'll never know.

>> No.398264

>>398233
>>398217
Why does this look like it's made by Fisher Price?

>> No.398307

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

>>398233
>It does look like a toy, why they use those colorers I'll never know

>> No.398314

JBC DIT

I was going to get a hakko but I refuse to buy something that looks so retarded. Plus the JBC can do 20-350c in under two seconds.

I regularly use a hakko 888 at work and it performs well for its cost. The thermal response is lacking when doing heavy soldering since the temperature measurement is so far from the tip.

IMO there is nothing better than the hakko for less than 300$. Few people would be able to tell the difference anyways. There is a reason it is universally considered the most price effective soldering station.

>> No.398316

>>398314
Should also mention that good solder can make just as much of a difference as the soldering station.

Get at least two diameters of name brand solder. Preferably 63/37. Also flux.

>> No.398317

>>398314
Isn't there a Weller that's comparable?

>> No.398327

>>398317
I hate weller. Probably because they have wellers in all the university labs and students just dick around and trash them. I've seen more broken than working wes51's.

I've used a wesd51 and it was okay, but not twice as good as a hakko.

>> No.398336

>>398314
Not op, btw
Anyone have a suggested machine in the $40 range? I don't need hot air, just a fast heating iron with some durability.

>> No.398337

>>398316
What are examples of a name-brand solder? I've got a roll from Radio Shack, but I don't think that constitutes as a brand.

>> No.398353

>>398337
Kester, Multicore/Ultracore are well known brands. Generally anything with a name on it that isn't from china will be decent.

The radio shack 62/36/2 solder is pretty good.

Stay away from lead-free.

>> No.398358

How does /diy/ feel about ColdHeat for simple wiring jobs like soldering a fan to a motherboard? I know it's not as good as an actual soldering gun, but it's all I have.

>> No.398361

>>398358


total bullshit. coldjoints is more like it.

Also, Metcal master-race reporting it.

VIVA SURPLUS AUCTIONS!

>> No.398363

>>398361
So in other words it's better to buy an actual soldering gun. What makes it so bad?

>> No.398366

>>398363
>>398363

You'd be better of with a 9 dollar radioshack iron, my friend.

Look at the Amazon reviews for some lols, also youtube videos of how shitty the joints are. I couldn't even get half-decent non-cold joints out of the piece of shit, and I've been doing this a looonnnggg time.

>> No.398368

>>398366
Well then I guess that's what I'll have to get then, thanks for the heads up.

>> No.398370

>>398368

Yessir, as for the topic of the thread, Hakko/Weller for under 200 bones will do you fine unless you're REAL serious. I dogged my Hakko, and my Weller out with six hour days of constantly being on.

I bought a Metcal after the Weller shit out, they were both GREAT irons, though. The Metcal is just a different world.

>> No.398371

>>398370
I've never had the need to solder before, but based on this thread, I'm gonna order a Hakko 888. You can never have enough quality tools, am I right?

>> No.398491

>>398370
You have to compare like with like - Weller's WD/WX are comparable to Metcal. WS and WTCP are more hobbyist/midrange stations.

>> No.398547

>>398371
I think you should order a hakko and also buy a shitty plug-in 40w iron. Play around with the shitty one and see how many decent solders you can get, THEN use the Hakko to do the same thing.

>> No.398790

Single pole dimmer switch
http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-SureSlide-Single-Dimmer-611-6621I/dp/B00004YUP6
Soldering iron
http://www.amazon.com/60-Watts-Soldering-Iron-listed/dp/B0006NGZK0
Iron holder (optional)
http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Soldering-Iron-Holder/dp/B0002LLWEU/ref=sr_1_11?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1360966269&sr=1-11&keywords=soldering+station

>> No.399119

>>398491
>>398491

Metcal is kind of in a world of it's own due to that Smartheat technology...

>> No.399140
File: 211 KB, 1600x1200, hakko 936.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
399140

>>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...

>> No.399144

>>398358

ColdHeat forces an electrical current through whatever it's soldering.

That's how it heats the joint. Consider that when using it on electronics.