Solder Station with Hot Air - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Roque
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 12:00:58 am
content: Hello,I am planning on buying a solder station for around 100€ with hot air and soldering iron. Is there any model/brand you advise?Thank you very much for any opinion!If this isn't the right sections, mods, please, forgive me and move the thread.Best regards,

author: lapm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 12:32:03 am
content: Good hot air station cost more then 100$ already, so question really is how much use you have on them? So does cheap Chinese knockoff be enough or do you need real quality tool...

author: Roque
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 12:44:49 am
content: Thanks for the reply! I don't need expensive tools, a good chinese copy will be enough. It will be used to rework some SMD's, solder others, and so on.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 07:17:28 am
content: Chinese ones will be hit and miss, I bought one for £40 and I'm happy with it. but my use is sporadic

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 07:57:13 am
content: Chinese stations tend to be a bad investment once you consider the cost of repairs and faster consumption of consumables. Then there's the aggravation factor to be considered (quits working when you need it, stiff cables between the iron and station, handle gets too hot to hold, ... sorts of things). There can also be safety issues that may need to be addressed before ever turning it on, such as with it's mains wiring. Tons of information on this if you search ("solder station" for thread titles will turn up plenty of threads regarding what station to get).FWIW, a quality entry level station will solve these problems (proper QC so it's safe and reliable, attention to details such as silicone wire to the iron for flexibility, and things such as thicker tip plating so they last for years if properly cared for), and not for drastically more money initially. Long term, it's actually cheaper (i.e. won't need to replace the entire station every year or two).There are instances where compromises must be made of course, particularly with hot air. But it's not advisable with a soldering station IMHO, as it gets used a lot more. Batterfly offers genuine Hakko FX-888D stations for 95EUR (blue & yellowor insilver).For hot air, the858D+would be an example of an inexpensive compromise.

author: Roque
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 11:25:22 am
content: Thank you all for the replies! The problem is that I have to order it from a store near me, because I need it in the next weekend. the website is this one (already on the right section and sorted for price):http://www.castroelectronica.pt/loja-virtual/estaes/order/pvp/sort/ascI was considering these, what opinions do you have on them?-http://www.castroelectronica.pt/product/estao-soldadura-digital-ar-quente-http://www.castroelectronica.pt/product/estacao-soldadura-ar-quente-ferro-soldar-c-lcd-1-http://www.castroelectronica.pt/product/estacao-soldadura-ar-quente-ferro-soldar-c-lcd-http://www.castroelectronica.pt/product/estacao-soldadura-digital-c-ar-quente--proftcHave you ever heard of this? What are your opinion? Sorry for the website being in Portuguese! Is any of these brands good enough?

author: GEuser
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 11:51:02 am
content: Any of those look ok , get the one you would like imo ..

author: GEuser
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 11:52:21 am
content: Quote from: Simon on November 08, 2014, 07:17:28 amMischelaneous , even sounds drunk !

author: RobertHolcombe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 12:26:15 pm
content: Nanofrog has some great pointsFor my own daily use I would never skimp on the soldering station, at least get a decent entry level from a reputable brand, as suggested.For hot air I use an 858D+, it has not missed a beat with approximately 60 hours use over ~2 years, its been great value

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 02:13:16 pm
content: I will echo Nanofrog and the others. At the least, get a Hakko FX888D and the hot air Nano suggested. I don't do a huge amount of soldering, but my Hakko 936 is about 6 years old, works when I turn it on and I still have all my original tips. Don't scrimp, you will regret it. Everyone is so concerned about price, but you have to look at total cost of ownership. Cheap tips wear out much faster costing more in the long run. What is the value of your time and aggravation when you turn your cheap unit on and it doesn't work, requiring troubleshooting and a soldering iron to fix-oh wait it's your soldering iron that stopped working. I originally bought the Hakko to repair Dell and Elo LCD monitors for the company. I fixed quite a few and was never not able to get the repairs done on time because of issues with my iron. Seriously consider coming up with with additional coin of the realm and get something of better quality.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2014, 04:25:07 pm
content: Quote from: Roque on November 08, 2014, 11:25:22 amAssuming this deadline is genuine need, you could consider one of the following:1. Buy a cheap Chinese station to do whatever it is you must have it for by your deadline and buy the better station later (essentially money wasted, so get the cheapest you can find). Skipping a unit with hot air tends to help keep the price down.2. Pay for faster shipping on a decent station and be done with it. More expensive than had you bought earlier to allow for slower shipping, but you avoid the aggravation at a minimum.Pick whichever works and is the least expensive option in the long term.Also, don't forget to purchase a selection of tips (a few chisels can do quite a lot). The cheap tip packs can be a way to see other shapes you like using (personal preference definitely comes into play here).