JBC Soldering stations - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: kelemvor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 01:20:55 pm
content: I have been using a HAKKO FX-888D for roughly a year. Recently picked up a TS100 iron and found that it does a significantly better job than the HAKKO iron. Unfortunately, the ergonomics suck on the TS100. I constantly drop the thing or knock it out of the hakko stand since there isn't a stand really designed for TS100. Thick cable from a 24v10a power supply isn't very flexible and isn't high temp silicone etc.. I do most of my soldering under a microscope (chinesium trinocular) if that matters.So I was considering buying a JBC. Probably CD-1BQE. Ergonomics appear good. Love the tip selection. However... I was shocked to find that none of the electronics resellers I normally use sell JBC products (mouser, digikey, etc)! Is JBC not really a big/good name in irons? I'd hate to spend so much on a station to find that it wasn't a good product or that the company was some Chinese fly by night shop that will be gone in a year. Further disheartened to find that they have "coming soon" products that apparently have been coming soon for at least 3 years now...I can only find them for sale on Amazon and a couple iffy resellers I find on the internet. Well, technically it's Sold by Kimco Distributing Corp and Fulfilled by Amazon.What's the scoop on JBC stations? Money well spent or money wasted? Should I be looking at something else?

author: shangaoren
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 01:57:13 pm
content: You can shop their products directly on their shophttps://www.jbctools.com/index.html, when i need tips i order athttps://eleshop.eu/They are here for some years now as far as i know, if my memory is good the stylus which i bought directly from them was comming from spain

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 02:10:59 pm
content: I have bought several over many years, and still have a few, with dozens of all sorts of tips. They are one of the best, and very well regarded. JBC spain don't like having too many distributors, I guess they like to keep "control", but they should have at least one accredited distributor in USA? I'd be surprised if not.

author: KingSolomon
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 02:44:12 pm
content: It looks like they have several official distributors around the U.S., such as Kimco and Testequity.https://www.jbctools.com/distributors-america-united-states.html

author: kelemvor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 02:44:32 pm
content: I took a leap of faith and ordered from their websitehttps://www.jbctools.comSo far, things continue to look shifty. I cannot login to the account that I created during the purchase process (email not recognized) and the only email I got about the transaction came from paypal. Nothing from JBC directly.Hopefully I don't end up having to dispute the transaction with paypal.. I guess time will tell.675.12 for the station and some tips. I think it was 5, but as I can't login to look at the order I'm not exactly sure. Kind of excited about the wide blade tip that should allow me to heat the entire side of a chip at once!If JBC really is legit, they desperately need to do something about their sales channel. If they prefer selling directly, their ordering system needs a complete revamp.

author: kelemvor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 02:47:36 pm
content: Quote from: KingSolomon on May 20, 2020, 02:44:12 pmI wish I'd seen that before ordering. I see one company on there that I know and trust; techni-tool. I've bought the odd tool from them over the years and have always been treated fairly. Kimco is on the list; they're the one selling through Amazon. The station was slightly cheaper on Amazon but there were only a few tips available. None of the tips on Amazon were tips that I wanted so I would have had to order tips somewhere else anyway.Seeing at least one distributor that I know gives me a much better feeling about the situation.Do you guys know if you can attach the T210 handle onto the station (comes with T245)? That would be a nice option, if possible.

author: bodger
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 02:48:26 pm
content: Might be worth looking at the Pace ADS200 soldering station seeing as you're in the US, you get the benefit of a direct heat element, local customer support and competitive pricing.

author: kelemvor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 03:18:30 pm
content: Eventually I got an order confirmation from JBC. They must be manually processing orders.C245156E Cartridge Bisel Ø 2.4mm-45º EL 1 $36.00C245150 Cartridge Chip 2.2 S2 1 $38.00C245001 Cartridge Conical Ø0.6 1 $32.00C245766 Cartridge Bevel Ø5 1 $32.00C245945 Cartridge Bevel Ø 2.2 1 $32.00CD-1BQE Compact Soldering St.120V n/c 1 $461.00

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2020, 05:32:37 pm
content: Don't forget that many companies are still "working at home" or running reduced staffing due to the virus. JBC has been around long enough that I don't believe they are fly by night. However like many small companies they don't understand the value of well designed web sites. In some cases I actually believe that they would prefer you do business through their distributors.Quote from: kelemvor on May 20, 2020, 03:18:30 pm

author: Cliff Matthews
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 01:18:46 am
content: The Pace ADS200 is a better value - just ask Sagan!https://youtu.be/lamL392NJRM?t=534Power is similar, tips are 1/2 the cost, last longer, and our host has both (preferring Pace as his daily driver).https://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufacture/newest-pace-ads200-production-station-(a-jbc-killer-at-$239)/msg3043460/#msg3043460

author: kelemvor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 01:30:52 pm
content: I guess I shouldn't have been in such a hurry! Oh well, hopefully the JBC will be great even if I could have saved money and gone with pace.

author: Johnny10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 02:02:27 pm
content: Why are you second guessing after you made the purchase?JBC has been around many many years.They have a professional website.https://www.jbctools.com/Lots of Products, lots of Tips, powerful stations, 90 years of experience.I've never worn out a tip in 4 years.New tips come up on eBay often for reduced prices.What more could you want?

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 02:28:04 pm
content: EXACTLY !! (as above). You'll neverregretowning one. Better value isopinion... there'll always be users who prefer other makes / models.I've installed many in production environments, often replacing other bigname brands, and always had a MUCH better outcome / longevity.

author: Elasia
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 05:10:37 pm
content: Both are just as good, I use the newer pace ads200 myself with both the regular iron and the tweezers in my home labAlso, no matter which brand, tequipment sells them both and the blog discount is 6% therehttps://www.tequipment.net/JBC/

author: kelemvor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2020, 06:15:34 pm
content: It looks like Dave did a detailed review of the Pace ADS200 and concluded that it has some significant shortcomings compared to the JBC. So.. I'm glad I went with the JBC. Would be nice if he also compared the Pace ADS200 to the Hakko FX-951. Those seem closer in specs and price to my amateur eyes... I don't own either.As an aside, the title of the video proves once again that Betteridge's Law of Headlines is accurate.JBC shipped the iron from Barcelona, Spain. I assumed they'd have shipped from their US location. I guess it doesn't really matter since they don't charge for shipping.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2020, 07:27:00 pm
content: Repeat mode enabled...It wasn't shown in the test but the JBC is likely running hotter than the set temp while regulating, the Pace is regulating up to set temp. Therefore they are soldering at two different temps when on the PCB. The firmware is also old now the current version 1.4 prevents the display bounce and has single digit resolution and temp accuracy.The Pace is a fair bit faster heating and 120W vs the Hakko FX951 75W. The Pace supports tweezers which neither the JBC CD series or the Hakko FX951 support. The Pace is an all metal station, stand and handpiece those other two stations are plastic. The Pace has slightly better tip working distance than both those models as well.Price wise, cartridge tips on the Pace are about $13 at the moment. When the Pace ADS200 station came out a few years ago it was $206 in the US for the non setback version, currently the cheapest is about $245 (price went up in Jan 2020).Personally I prefer the Pace, better tip life and cheaper to run but I also like that it's a bit more serviceable and kind of like the industrial vibe it has going on. Prior to the Pace ADS200 I had already passed on further Hakko gear and I find Metcal more appealing than JBC.

author: kelemvor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2020, 12:43:38 am
content: The station and 3 of the tips arrived... 2 of the tips weren't in the order. JBC is taking care of it, but I'm a little disappointed they didn't get it right the first time. The tips I ordered were a bit bigger than I expected so I guess I'll order some smaller ones from tequipment since that's the forum darling.

author: rfbroadband
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 29, 2020, 05:02:57 am
content: I can highly recommend JBC stations, go get one.

author: kelemvor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2020, 01:34:26 pm
content: Well, I still can't compare it to Pace ADS200 as I don't own one. However I must say that I love using this JBC station. It's definitely much better than the Hakko FX-888D and the TS100. I think it's a combination of the easier to manage thin cord, short distance between grip and tip, and higher power. That's my best guess about what makes this station so nice to use. My solder joints seem to instantly look much better and things just move along much quicker in a project.I'm glad I bought the unit. Maybe Pace could have saved me money and been similar in terms of performance/ergonomics. I'll probably never know for sure. What I do know is that this station is GREAT! I wish I'd layed out the cash for this thing sooner.Thanks to everyone who contributed to informing me in this thread. I really appreciate it!