Soldering iron/station

[Frank_fjs]

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=24790

They have them in the USA warehouse but are out of stock at the moment, they've been selling damn fast. Compatible with Hakko tips.

Word is that they're not junk. A dozen or so people from an Australian arcade forum I frequent purchased them (at $25 delivered who could resist) and they've all said that they perform brilliantly. I'll be getting one myself once they get stock back in to the Aussie warehouse.

[Chuplayer]

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=24790

They have them in the USA warehouse but are out of stock at the moment, they've been selling damn fast. Compatible with Hakko tips.

Word is that they're not junk. A dozen or so people from an Australian arcade forum I frequent purchased them (at $25 delivered who could resist) and they've all said that they perform brilliantly. I'll be getting one myself once they get stock back in to the Aussie warehouse.

That's a bootleg Hakko 936.

[broken]

It might be a bootleg/clone of a 936, but i wonder how well it performs?

I need to replace my worn out cheapo Stahl tools station, and was planning on a FX-888, but this might be a decent cheapo replacement.

[fraggore]

yea that can be a problem with cheaper irons always found that with the cheap plug in irons some times wont heat the solder, good tip is to melt a bit of solder on the tip first to help heat transfer.

[broken]

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=24790

They have them in the USA warehouse but are out of stock at the moment, they've been selling damn fast. Compatible with Hakko tips.

Word is that they're not junk. A dozen or so people from an Australian arcade forum I frequent purchased them (at $25 delivered who could resist) and they've all said that they perform brilliantly. I'll be getting one myself once they get stock back in to the Aussie warehouse.

Once the US warehouse has them back in stock, I think I am going to snag one (or maybe 2) of these.
After reading some reviews of this Yihua 936 station, it looks to be a very high quality clone of the Hakko 936.

[vxbinaca]

yea that can be a problem with cheaper irons always found that with the cheap plug in irons some times wont heat the solder, good tip is to melt a bit of solder on the tip first to help heat transfer.

You shouldn't have to do that with a quality iron. It's also begging for cold joints. Just get an FX-888, do it right the first time, the extra money is worth it. Don't buy bootleg stations *or* tips. Got mine from Adafruit for $100 shipped, best money I've spent on an EE tool.

[thesteve]

even a boot can be a good iron.
the official one is made cheaply, just has a high profit margin.
that said, a boot could be crap as well.
someone should buy and test/inspect it.
i have a weller and dont need a replacement

[fraggore]

my weller ws80 is the best iron i have used well worth the cash for it.

[xelement5x]

Well I wanted something better than my old radio shacker so I put a watch on that boot hakko as well, hopefully get an email when they're in stock again.  Does HobbyKing normally restock relatively fast?

[thesteve]

wow an old radio shack iron.
all my RS irons died young

[xelement5x]

wow an old radio shack iron.
all my RS irons died young

Hehe, this is actually my second old Radio Shack iron so I'm sure that's indicative of the quality.  I've been looking for an upgrade for awhile and this seems to be a pretty nice option.

[vxbinaca]

the official one is made cheaply, just has a high profit margin.

Funniest thing I've heard all week.


Take bench grinders or heat guns, you don't need to buy a Milwaukee when Riyobi and a hair driver (for heat shrink) works well, but for soldering irons it's different. A decent Weller station or legit FX-888 should be considered the starting point, and nothing less (bootlegs included) should even be considered. Something with commonly available tips, not for replacement but for upgrade/change out.

If OP takes care of his tips, they'll last him decades or more. In terms of tip care, the FX-888 comes with everything you need.

[thesteve]

i agree the tips and heater need to be quality, but the rest is just a simple controller
had a new high end one fail at work due to shoddy assembly.
you do need tip compatibility.
i have had my weller for over 10 years, and the funny thing is the base is just a transformer
the temp controller is in the handle

[goombakid]

I just saw that Fry's has the FX-888 for $69.99. If I had the scratch, I'd pick it up when I saw it.

I've been using my Radio Shack soldering iron forever. I'm thinking it's time to retire it and go with everyone's suggestion. 

[broken]

I picked up a Sparkfun 937b at Microcenter yesterday for $40.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/396467/Variable_Temperature_Soldering_Iron_-_50_Watt

It's a Hakko 936 clone. Even directly uses Hakko tips.

Includes a nice fine point tip. Soft, flexible cable on the iron to the base.

Heats up mad fast.

I have only briefly had a chance to use it, but so far seems pretty nice.