/diy/, is spending 100 on a hakko iron thatll probably last a while more worth than buying a cheap station like the Aoyue 469? I plan on building the mcHF as the first project with the iron, so being able to do smd soldering well is necessary.
Hakko FX888-D is a damn good iron for the price. If you're doing lots of SMD or lots of small and precise stuff, it's a very worthy investment.
>>984035
do they last forever if taken care of? im currently a college student, and if it would last me for a lifetime i think ill just spend the extra money
The Hakko is great, but if you've got a few extra bucks to spend and plan on doing lots of SMD, maybe have a look at Aoyue 968, you get hot air with that one.
>>984036
With proper cleaning with flux core solder and the included brass brush, the tips pretty much last forever. Remember to tin it after you're done using it so it doesn't oxidize.
I've been using the same tip for almost 2 years now pretty frequently and it's still going strong.
They are cheap to replace as well (less than $10 USD each) if you ever need to.
>>984040
Hakko>any Chinese station.
Been there done that. Chinese stations don't have silicone cords so there stiff to work with, plating on tips is terrible, I would get about 1 month of good use out of one. Heating element fitment is sloppy so poor heat transfer to tip. Plastic screw colar on the hand piece keeps popping off. Heating element burned out in 6 months.
I picked up that hakko about a year ago and tip is still good. Much nicer to work with. Worth every penny.
>>984049
That's because you didn't get an AOYUE 2901.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLXhrfJEnYo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-N-GK5DJ_g
>>984049
The main issue with Chinks are the tips really.
I got a pair of 25€ gas soldering irons that are absolute shit stock, but I had some left over weller tips from my Pyropen and they actually fit.
And suddenly they turned from useless garbage to pretty good/10.
I'm only mentioning Aoyue 968 because we used them in school. For it to take abuse from dumb school boys and still work perfectly is fairly impressive.
>>984042
I've always wondered what /diy/ thought on tips. I use my soldering iron pretty much for motorcycle/car tier wiring and its a craptastic 10 dollar iron. [using NASA approved splicing of course]. and I just buy copper electrical wire from the hardware store. and shove it into the end of my soldering iron, and use a large file to shape it to a point. plug it in. and keep touching the tip until the solder flows over it.
beside the flux eating the tip over time. I mean, its cheap AF. for like 5 feet of wire its like 4 bucks or something. lmao pretty much unlimited tips.
i [unknowingly] struggled with $5 pos radioshack irons my whole life
turns out, the trick to good solder joints, is a good soldering station
love my hakko
Also, if I have to solder a component with the leads tucked under the chip, can I use an iron, or do I need air reflow?
>>984062
I prefer to solder those with paste and an oven. Hard to blow hot air under the chip without cooking it.
>>984025
>>984060
The digital interface sucks tho. Why couldn't they just put a knob on the front?
>>984083
The one complaint i see is about the digital interface and how its kind of cumbersome. Wish there was still a knob option
>>984083
About the digital interface:
The first day or so you will have to learn how to set it up, which is a little tricky.
After that it's easy.
The unit features "presets" so you can setup what you like, and then just switch between them.
Most people will not be using all of the advanced features all the time, so you probably won't need
to refer to the instructions much after the initial programming of the unit.
>>984052
Or even a 937, had this beast for years.
>>984083
there was a mod on hackaday.com to convert an fx888d to knob type, but it's rough. if your going to spend that kind of moneyt then just put up with it.
Hakko's are great but I vote for Xytronic
I have LF-1600 and I'm extremely happy with it.
We've had the 888d on sale at frys electronics for $80 every few weeks lately. I don't mean to be a shill but keep your eye out and we might do it again. Its a really good deal at that price
>>984036
The [non-fake] ones last forever, yes. The tips also last longer than just about any other brand I've used. On irons I use daily (with good care) I replace them every few years.
[That said, I use a sleep-mode holder that idles the iron so the tips don't oxidize as fast]
>>986174
I use both, hakko at home and weller in the lab. Basically the only difference is that weller has a knob and hakko has a brass sponge in it's holder. Functionally they are pretty much the same. Both are amazing irons.
>>986174
They're both good. Hakko's buttons are a little weird to operate but their holder and heater unit have a slightly smaller footprint. Plus the ability to move around the holder where ever is handy, not that you couldn't get a separate holder for the Weller.
>>984944
Can't find it. Link pls?
I bought a hakko station FX-951 to replace my simple JBC 25w iron. No regret, this is an excellent station. I don't trust shitnese stuff but rigol is not bad. If you want something good that will last and to do a good job, buy something made in USA, Europe or Japan.
Better buy a high end station, it is expensive but it is the first stone. You don't want to buy a new iron every 3 years, me nether.
I never regret a hakko, wera, or linstrom product. The only cheap product I have is a Rigol DS1054 Scope (agilent DSO are fucking expensives).
Go for a FX888!
If you want some help about material look on EEVblog they are nice for this.
