How to set up temperature for Hakko FX 888 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Erdem
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 20, 2013, 10:51:52 pm
content: Hi there.I am new to electronics. I recently purchased a Hakko FX 888 soldering station as my first temperature controlled soldering station. I am looking for recommendations on best default temperature to use when soldering and how to set the temperature of the Hakko FX 888 station.I am using mainly 1.0 mm 63/37 solder on through hole components.According to instruction manual:QuoteThis confused me a bit. If I want to change the temperature of the soldering station should I lock the knob every time after setting the temperature.Should I use it without locking the temperature control knob?I bought a spare T18 series soldering iron tip. (T18-D16) I think it is compatible with lead-free solder. I wonder what is the default tip which comes with soldering station.Also is it ok to use same soldering tip for both lead-free and normal soldering work.Any help would be appreciated.Thanks.

author: Donny M. Carter
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 21, 2013, 02:07:16 am
content: Here's a great video for you! Be sure to watch all three!

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2013, 02:18:57 am
content: You don't need to lock the knob as a home user. The locking feature is intended for production environments where the soldering temperature should be kept fixed and not disturbed accidentally.(This feature is weird actually, since production environments should be using higher grade stations from further up the model range. Hakko seems to be catering to penny-pinching managers in cost cutting organizations where quality comes second to cost. You shouldn't be using an FX-888 for 8 hours a day on a production line.)As to the actual temperature setting, I leave mine set around the 350 C/650 F mark when I am using tin/lead solder.The solder tips almost certainly come pre-tinned with lead free solder, but that does not matter to a home user. Just tin the tips thoroughly before first use and wipe them clean on the damp sponge, then remember which tips have been used with which kind of solder and don't mix them up afterwards.

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2013, 02:28:30 am
content: Poke the solder wire on the heated tip, does it melt?Yes - reduce temperatureNo - increase temperatureIf you are having a hard time melting solder when working with heavy copper PCB, either change to a larger tip or dial up the temperature. The idea here is to maintain the balance between wear due to heat and functionality.If there's any monkeys in your lab then the lock is useful especially some Hakkos are like banana yellow.Its best not to mix lead and lead free stuff, I don't know what happens when different composition of metals is mixed. There's no warning on solder rolls that you should not mix them but plenty of people repair lead free stuff with leaded solder. In my naive opinion, remove as much solder as possible from the tip by wiping should be ok when switching solder type.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2013, 05:15:03 pm
content: Rinsing solder (tin, wipe, & repeat several times) works well for hobbyist use in my experience. Ideally, you can use separate sets of tips, but this can get confusing if you've no way to mark them (and quite expensive for some irons).Otherwise, you can get some really strange alloys on your joints that have unknown/undesirable characteristics. IMHO, since rinsing is both easy and inexpensive, why take the risk and associated hassle/aggravation that comes with not doing so.

author: Erdem
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 21, 2013, 06:50:41 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on July 21, 2013, 02:18:57 amThank you all for providing good answers. Especially this one.They really helped a lot