Soldering station recomdation - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: JohnyCgiant
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 01, 2019, 01:13:21 am
content: Hi ,i need help .I want to buy a new soldering station .Im a hobbyist looking for cheap but good and versatily for the price.I found 2 station1 .BAKU 110V 2 in 1 Original Design Dual LED Digital Displays SMD Rework Soldering Station Iron Welder Hot Air Gun (BK-878L2)https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01KNWFDOW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vb4UDbY653WH02.FX888D-29BY Digital Soldering Station (FX888, FX-888D)https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00NF2Q8N8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Mk4UDbGWHANB8So i know that the hakko is better but its more expensive but the other one give me a hot air gun .So i need you judgment to telle me could be the best to hobby aroundThanksPs: i want to please have a list of your pros and cons

author: totalnoob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2019, 02:19:39 am
content: Did you see these threads?https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/(tip)-best-budgetcheap-soldering-stations-and-tools/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/hakko-still-the-best-option-for-a-hobbyist-soldering-station/I don't solder very often and its rarely electronics, mainly soldering wires to motor tabs or similar operations, but am looking at upgrading to a soldering station and personally am leaning toward the KSGER T12 clone for the inexpensive cost and the fact that its compatible with a known brand which means consumables will be available for the foreseeable future, etc., but if you want/need a hot air gun like in the first link you included, you would need to add that in separately, which increases the price. The other plus is that the T12 clones generally get good reviews, although they are known to be lacking adequate grounding. The second link I put above starts out well, but then bogs down in a two person argument over whether the T12 clone is better than a genuine Hakko F888 (I think that's the model), so you do have to sift through the chaff to get out the wheat.Perhaps the recent interest in soldering stations will prompt Dave to do a shootout.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2019, 04:14:24 pm
content: Left out AGAIN is anything from Xytronic. Are these just not available anywhere but the US or something? I've had mine for AGES and it works quite well, and it's their cheapest model, at the time I bought it, it was under $50 USD. The closest current replacement model is actually a 50 watt unit (mine's 40) which is under $60USD most places. They have fancier ones. Mine's not even digital, it just has a knob to adjust temperature. No readouts. All the newer ones have a display and all that. Tips are readily available, though while I did buy a selection of sizes and shapes, I'm still using the one that came with it. At my hobbyist level of use, that original tip has lasted something like 12 years now.In addition to soldering electronic components and PCBs, I use it to solder HO scale model railroad rail, which it handles with ease, so I don't think it has much problem maintaining heat flow into the tip, even being rated at only 40 watts. It does fail miserably trying to solder #12 stranded wire, but I have a more appropriate tool for that.

author: jfiresto
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2019, 05:15:26 pm
content: Quote from: rrinker on November 01, 2019, 04:14:24 pmJameco Electronicscarries them. I bought an LF-3000 high frequency soldering station, the predecessor to the LF-3200, and quite like it. The tip sleeves have modest enough thermal mass that I can swap tips, bare handed, to match them to what I am soldering as I go along.