Hakko FX-888 compatible with 900M tips? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: AZImmortal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2012, 07:13:00 am
content: Hi all, I bought an FX-888 and I'm trying to decide on which tips to buy, and I was wondering if 900M tips are compatible with it. I know that the T18 series is a drop-in replacement for the 900M series, so I'm assuming that the FX-888 should be compatible with 900M tips, but I just want to make sure. Thanks.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 26, 2012, 07:59:06 am
content: I remember reading somewhere that Hakko officially sad they weren't, but can't find the reference.I find the old 926/936 tips fit just fine.Dave.

author: Kilroy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2012, 01:48:04 pm
content: The 900M tips work...it's just the T18 tips work a bit better.Unless you have a bunch of 900M tips, I would just get the newer ones. Whatever Hakko have done, the newer tips seem to hold and recover heat a little better, and I'm using them in the older 936 stations.As an aside...Hakko totally blew it with the FX-888 when they did not carry over the bench space saving stacking feature of the 936 station. I can think of no conceivable logic for that....although one might also say the same of the new shape, as well.

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2012, 02:43:58 pm
content: The old tips are 60 watts. the new ones are 65w... or something like that. So the old tips may heat faster or die sooner - in reality I doubt 5 watts makes so much difference, especially if you don't keep the knob at the maximum temperature setting.They may also be a few mm longer or shorter, so as they're further away or closer from heating element, there may be a few degrees of temperature difference when it comes to calibration and so on.Their website says for the Hakko 936 tips that a lot of them are discontinued and some tips suggested there have the same code as the ones for Hakko 888 so if you can use the new tips on old Hakko 936, you can probably go the other way as well.

author: AZImmortal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2012, 09:10:38 pm
content: Thanks for all of the replies. I didn't know that the T18 tips are supposed to be better than the 900M tips (I thought they were just newer). The reason that I'm asking about 900M tips is because they're significantly cheaper on Ebay than T18 tips. As far as performance goes, is there a significant difference?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 26, 2012, 09:15:15 pm
content: Quote from: AZImmortal on January 26, 2012, 09:10:38 pmMaybe a small difference if you actually wanted to measure it? But I don't notice it in practical use.Maybe just a tip life thing like mariush said.Beware of fake Hakko tips though, ebay is full of them.Dave.

author: AZImmortal
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2012, 12:03:40 am
content: Thanks for the warning about fakes, I hadn't considered that. A local store carries 900M tips for not much more than Ebay (they don't carry T18 tips) so I'll probably end up buying my tips there.

author: doctorman
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 10, 2016, 01:18:40 am
content: Quote from: AZImmortal on January 27, 2012, 12:03:40 amsorry to post in an old thread but I was wondering if you ended up getting the 900M tips for your FX888DI just bought the FX888D and excited to get some cool tips for itdestroyed an ipod touch in repair due to bad solder so I decided to learn all about itMoving away from Antex 30W and lead free .8mm solder to>Solder 63/37 .3mm with resin coreFlux pengreat Hakko solderdesoldering pumphope I get it right this time. I almost bought the fake chinese brand hot air and soldering station kit for 50$ but figured it is better to have one quality solder than 2 crap solder and hot air.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2016, 01:52:46 am
content: There are some tip styles made in 900M that aren't available in T18. I use 900M in this case, and it works fine.The T18 are slightly thicker in the base where it slips over the ceramic heater, which should provide better thermal transfer and less lag in response to the temp probe. That's the only difference.What little use I have made of fake tips, they seem to be made perfectly fine. I even cut one in half, and this particular one would probably last 30 years, the iron was so thick. But the tips I use 99% of the time, I have never seen in fakes, where you get hmm, basically, straight conical, standard large bevels, and chisels, and a knife, and that's about it. Well, that's actually a pretty good variety for most people, lol.In my experience so far, the cost of genuine tips is not a realistic concern. It will be multiple $20.00 rolls of solder before I wear out a Hakko tip. But the fakes I have seen would probably last just as long.

author: doctorman
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 10, 2016, 02:33:55 am
content: Quote from: KL27x on March 10, 2016, 01:52:46 amThanks ordered a set of 12 tips for under 5$we will see how it goes