I'm looking to order a soldering station tonight.
So far I'm thinking of the Hakko FX888D.
Thoughts?
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00K9XGC64
>>51690069
If you want a good adjustable station for half the price (albeit wtihout a fancy temperature display), the WLC100 Soldering Station is a good choice.
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449277372&sr=8-1&keywords=wlc100
I wish I had one of these a long time ago.
Get a butane soldering iron
They are so much more effective
Seriously
Though if you just want to tin then I suggest getting a cheap $20 well
>>51690113
I need it for soldering microcontrollers, as well as larger pieces.
>>51690132
Then yes, get butane
They don't require cables, are adjustable just by twisting, and if you need to clean a solder joint, you just take the soldering tip off and you have a jet of 2400F fire
Reed manlets
>>51690159
Btw, don't get the Amazon ones, there is a great one at Lowe's for $20 for a full set
>>51690259
link?
>>51690159
This is terrible advice.
>>51690159
>>51690113
butane is a bastard gas
>>51690132
Hey.
I actually worked with PCB manufacture and lots of with removing SMT parts.
If you're going to be doing it a lot, get a used Pace MBT station with a vacuum to assist with removal.
I would disregard any suggestion of a butane torch, you're more likely to wreck your board.
If you're not going to do a whole lot, or don't want to spend the coin, buy that Hakko and then order a set of square / rectangle removal tips from somewhere like Arbell.
>>51690109
That's just a $10 station with the Weller label on it
It's ok for beginners though
>>51690402
Do you sell propane and propane accessories?
That's a great soldering station but I prefer the analog version myself. They've been discontinued though unfortunately.
>>51690159
butane soldering irons are massive pain in the ass. Just don't.
Just get the 888D, its solid, we sell plenty of them and people love them. The digital version replaced the analog one, but its still the same station. Also you can find it cheaper than that amazon link at other stores.
>>51690723
I like the analog, it feels warmer
>>51690418
I never knew 10 dollars could be stretched so far. I'd vouch for this soldering station any day.
>>51690109
Seconding this.
Have one sitting on my desk next to me.
Nothing fancy, no second dock. Everything in one piece. Get's the job done.
>>51690069
good iron
>comes with headphones
wtf?
OP, I have both the Hakko FX-951 and the FX888 at different locations. The 951 is a much better iron. Extremely fast temperature control (tip sensor). Very nice. The FX888 is also good, but obviously slower to warm up and the tips are not the same type of temperature sensing as 951. Either one of these will work good for almost any work. The main reason I'm responding though... do not listen to the guy trying to get you to buy butane if you are trying to do any kind of precision soldering.... very very bad advice. If you want to solder leadless parts, you should also look at a hot air gun. Sparkfun sells some that are inexpensive.. I'm sure you can find similar things elsewhere these days as well.
>>51690069
I've got one. I've got no complaints with it.
>>51691184
Well, to be precise I picked mine up for $16
It broke after a year or two though
You definitely need a temperature controlled tip, but it doesn't really need to be the kind with the heating element and temperature sensor embedded into the tip like the newer Hakkos. My Aoyue 937 has worked fine for the past few years though it does take a minute to warm up, and tips aren't $30 each.
Butane's only good for doing automotive wiring in the middle of a junkyard. the temperature of the tip runs away no matter how far you've adjusted it down.
>>51690069
I have that unit and I really have no complaints.
>>51690069
http://amzn.com/B00OSM27T8
same one but no earbids ~7USD cheeper
>>51691350
If you want to solder (not rework) leadfree, you probably want to consider paste and a hotplate. An iron is the all-purpose tool, but for assembly the hot plate method is much easier and faster.
>>51690069
Check out Louis Rossmann on Youtube he does reviews on soldering stations and he does motherboard repair for a living.
His autism is on pair with ours so he will yo tell everything about it.
>>51690069
I have the 888D and it's great. My retard brother knocked it off the table a few times and it still works great.
>>51690113
I had a butane one before and it sucked. Tip gets super hot -> tip oxidizes - shitty heat transfer. Also the jet of hot air that comes out the side is really inconvenient to work with, ends up accidentally reflowing stuff/melting connector wires. I'd imagine that dude's just a poorfag trying to justify it.
>>51692750
I've tried everything over the years anon. Nothing beats a soldering iron, tweezers, and hot air gun for getting the job done unless you are lucky enough to have an assembly lineup. Let me be more precise if you want to use hot-plate reflow:
1) you have to obtain a paste mask
2) you have to obtain paste with very limited life span
3) you have to apply paste with mask correctly
4) you still have to place all the parts by hand
5) you have to do touch-up on all the parts that didn't settle proper during reflow.
AmIRite? If not, then please provide some proof with video or something demonstrating your technique. I Would be interested.
Anyone care to share their workshop or workshop folder. I'm about to build one and need some inspo
>>51690069
fx888d appreciation thread, be sure to get chisel tip if you go for it op.
>>51690109
Just got one of these cause I'd been using them at school for the past year.
Things are great for basic electronic shittery, highly recommend for anyone getting into hobby electronics
>>51692837
i knew there was a reason i was subed to him
>>51693015
Wording this desu senpai.
Hakkos are GOAT and chisel tip is the best.
>>51692906
>1) you have to obtain a paste mask
No, you don't. I've never used stencils because I only do small assembly quantities (10-100). I used to just use a hand syringe, now I use a pneumatic syringe to place paste dots.
>2) you have to obtain paste with very limited life span
Meh, relatively limited. It won't last years. I don't even bother to keep it refrigerated and my preferred ChipQuik easily lasts 6mos to a year.
>3) you have to apply paste with mask correctly
See 1. If your soldermask is correct, you don't need to be precise.
>4) you still have to place all the parts by hand
That you do. But you just need to get them close, surface tension will pull the parts onto the pads during reflow.
>5) you have to do touch-up on all the parts that didn't settle proper during reflow.
Eh, I'll have a single capacitor tombstone on one of five boards or so. The iron is more likely to drag things around inadvertantly and cause collateral damage.
I can place and hotplate 20-30 boards in a day where I used to be able to do 2 or 3 by iron.
What can I even use my soldering iron for? My grandfather gave me one years ago and its still in its package because I've never had to actually use it for anything but I want to.
>>51693334
That is very interesting anon. Thanks for replying in detail to my post. I will consider trying this method again, but I am still skeptical for now. Can you give some part# for the syringe and paste? I had horrible time with these methods in the past.
>>51693557
I don't have any vids of my own, but my experience is pretty close to this guy, and his review of the Chinese pneumatic paste dispenser is what convinced me to get one (I got a cheaper model than the one he reviews, I just wanted 'works' not 'fancy'):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3-y1RjxD1E
>>51693686
As for paste I just use standard ChipQuik SMD leadfree, I think it's #291.
>>51693504
fixing electronics
if you don't have parts;
>start collecting old/broken shit
>buy in high quantity (3-7x needed)
Make sure to inhale the fumes. They smell good.
>>51694277
You act as if I even want to live past 25. Fukkit if the fumes don't kill me I'll off myself anyway. Only the more years on this fucking planet
I have done a bit of soldering on keyboards with mine. Works great so far. Only like 2 and a half hours invested in using it though.
Do NOT listen to the idiots recommending butane. They are shit. That is all.
>>51690069
Beware of counterfeits.
>>51695957
Then you don't know how to properly use one
So many times I've seen idiots put it ON full blast, put it in the light position and leave it there and complain it's not hot enough
After lighting you release it and clamp it to its low position, the combustion then occurs in the head instead of a jet and it heats properly
If you get oxide you turn down the gas
