Recommendation for T12 clone soldering station, safe for use  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Newbie12
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 25, 2024, 10:37:10 am
content: Hello guys, I'm looking for a T12 soldering station. As I checked online, there were some safety concerns about the kseger, quicko but I don't really know what to believe.Do you have experience with a brand and you liked how it performed? I will buy it from Aliexpress.

author: I wanted a rude username
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2024, 08:53:02 pm
content: Sequre MSS12 (the mini, not the Pro). Works well, is tiny, and runs off a USB C PD power supply ... safe and convenient.I use it with genuine Hakko tips ... two tips cost more than the soldering iron!

author: donlisms
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2024, 10:38:04 am
content: The tip of a soldering iron is as important as the tires on a racing car. Get good ones.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2024, 12:35:55 pm
content: I was interested in the T80 when it first arrived on the market, but there are not many tip sizes for them, and I do not really need the very small form factor.Then I thought about the T12 for a long time. There are quite a lot of different handles, and they differ in quality, so do not just buy the cheapest. And then I read a recommendation for a C245, and one or two years later I bougt it.I bought the KSGER-C245-C210 very recently, and only have a few days of experience with it. At the moment it performs wonderfully. I was surprised by the small size (and total length) of the tips, but it's a pleasant surprise. The tips are close to the handle, and this gives you more control during soldering. I believe the T12 tips are much longer, and extend much further (both in and outside of the handle).I also really love it's fast start up time. Power switch on to solder temperature is less then 5s. It's solder stand is also very nice. It's obviously not as nice as an original JBC, but it does have a relatively big aluminum mass which holds the metal ring on the iron in it's place, and this keeps the handle cool while it's in it's stand. This metal on metal contact is also used as the switch to go to standby temperature for the iron.The V-grooves in the solder stand also make for very easy and quick change of soldering tips. You just wedge the tip in a V slot, pull, and push the iron on another tip. Then you use one of the smaller holes and push again to make sure the tip is well seated. JBC put a lot of thought into that long ago.I don't really trust the power supply of the KSGER. I first wanted to buy separate parts, and use a genuine Meanwell power supply, but you pay a higher price when you buy all the parts separately, so I just bought a whole set in the end (with both C245 and C210 handles (C210 is even tinier)).C245 also has more power then T12 (one of the reasons I bought the C245).I agree that tip quality matters, but having a bunch of different tips is also an advantage. My recommendation is to buy a bunch of the cheap tips, and then add one or more genuine tips for the models you use the most. My old weller station did not go below 150 degrees centigrade, and that was too hot for melting / welding plastic. The KGSER I have goes down to 50 degrees centigrade, so that is plenty cold enough. I've read complaints on bad quality tips, and others write the cheap chinese tips are quite reasonable for their price. I am almost certain that there are different chinese factories who make these tips, and some of the factories make better tips then others. But most don't print a factory name on the tips, and it's hard to know what you buy.Aliexpress is getting very annoying lately. It's becoming very difficult to know in which shop you buy something on Aliexpress. I guess it's what that communist party does to the land.I'm not so sure about the longevity of the OLED display, and I've seen too many complaints about those chinese irons break after a year (or two). I'm thinking of buying one or two spare controllers. This also gives flexibility with playing with alternative software from github (one more reason I bought a chinese station), but I have not yet done this.