Hakko FX951 advice needed - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: matts-uk
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2019, 10:21:25 am
content: I currently have a Hakko FX888D which I purchased a few years ago for hobby use and I am very happy with it. Word has gotten out locally that I am a little handy with a soldering iron and there has been a slow stream of people bringing devices to me for simple repairs. A lot of these jobs involve replacing connectors, either power jacks or SMT headers connected to ground planes, which the 888 is not really up to. I have been getting by with a cheap gas iron but really would like something more consistent and capable.Reading and watching the reviews the The FX951 looks like a candidate but I have never spent quite so much on a soldering iron before and I am a little nervousI would really appreciate some honest answers from anyone with practical experience with the FX951 iron.1. Is FX951 up to the use I am intending.2. What would be a suitable Hakko tip number - Small enough for SMT but with a bit of thermal mass behind it.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2019, 10:36:12 am
content: Thru hole power jacks with internal ground planes... These are sometimes not even possible to remove with any iron.QuoteWell, if you want to remove SMD connectors... with an iron... you would want a really huge tip to hit all the pins at the same time, no? Do they make tips TOO big? (Maybe the spatula, lol). So you probably want more than 1 tip!I don't think the 951 will do much more than an 888 will, but that's just a guess based on power ratings and what I have experienced with clone T12 stations. Tip selection is more important.I'd suggest you buy a hot air station and some chipquik bismuth alloy before you "upgrade" your soldering iron. And if you have a lot of these challenges, you might consider a preheater (Or with some ingenuity, you can come up with an adjustable stand for a regular adjustable heat gun to use as a preheater).

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2019, 06:08:49 pm
content: Consider the Pace ADS200 over the Hakko FX951, here are a few reasons.Faster heating and higher power delivery, station is up to 120W.No tip calibration required when swapping tips! No need to purchase tip sleeves!Both standard and high mass tips on the one iron, from ultra fine smd to huge tips.High quality tips half the price of Hakko. Superior tip working distance.Iron is designed cool running (even at high heat), lightweight solid and great ergonomics.Station, iron and stand are all aluminum construction (rather than plastic).Easy to use interface, with fast responsive display.The Pace has significant advantages over the Hakko, it's been out a year and steadily gaining popularity, I was an early adopter as I'm familiar with their previous models. There is little reason to buy a Hakko FX-951 anymore.Here is a video showing how fast the Pace is warming up from cold.

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2019, 07:33:28 pm
content: If you are looking for soldering irons that can handle large thermal masses, you cannot beat Metcal/OKI or Thermatronics. They use rf to pump energy to the tip. Temperature regulation is done by Currie effect.The heat is generate by the transition between the core and the plating. The end effect is that heat is delivered where the tip temperature drops below the set point (Currie effect), ie straight to where you are soldering. No conventional iron can match the heat delivery!http://www.okinternational.com/metcal/english/globalnavigation/applications/hand-soldering/what-is-smartheatI have a old Weller TCP.I have used JBC at work.My old Metcal sp900 nocks spots off them.I have a choice of JBC or Metcal at work. I always use the Metcal.Only disadvatage is no variable temperature.Old SP-900 can be picked up on ebay.The OKI PS900 is available from RS or Farnell, maybe Rapidonline.MFR1160 rework station is low priced

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2019, 02:53:57 am
content: Here is my comparison of Pace ADS200, JBC CDBQ, Metcal 5210 (with their respective default irons).Power - Pace 120W (single channel), JBC 130W (single channel), Metcal 125W (80W into single channel).The Pace and JBC are very close in power. While the Metcal is lower (80W on paper), due to heating efficiency I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and call it equal to the others. Under normal soldering these stations aren't going to see anywhere near their peak power output for any length of time.Speed - Metcal wins on heating efficiency. Pace and JBC seem to have similar performance at ~80% of set temp. As they approach set temp the JBC overshoots before settling, the Pace undershoots before settling (both by design). Since the profiles and tip plating are different between the two stations/irons the JBC appears to have a slight edge. All three stations are fast comparatively (2-4 seconds on low mass tips).Value - Pace $240, JBC $420, Metcal $740.Tips - Pace ~$11-$13, Metcal and JBC ~$25-$30.Durability - Pace and Metcal both have aluminum stations, irons and durable tips. JBC has a plastic all in one approach and less plating on tips, probably by design to enhance performance.Accuracy - Pace is the most temperature accurate station with minimal overshoot and no calibration. Metcal has no overshoot, no calibration, but tips have wide inherent tolerances. JBC has good accuracy but on the maximum performance profile overshoots.Note: Prices were from tequipment.net in USD (excluding discount) at the time of writing. This is an observational comparison so there might have been something I've missed, but I call it how I see it until proved wrong. I'm a Pace/Metcal guy by design but I prefer temperature adjustable stations and low cost consumables, as long as there is no compromise on quality of course.

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2019, 07:23:36 am
content: The 3 models of Metcal/OKI are much lower in price than the 5210 that you used in your comparison.I used Farnell for price search.Both the OKI ps900 and MFR1160 are below £300 when I checked.I picked up my SP900 For £50 fromm ebay but it took a while and I was lucky.

author: GregDunn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2019, 03:58:43 pm
content: I watched the used market for a while before buying and found a dealer who goes to hamfests frequently; he typically has FX-951 units rebuilt with factory warranty for US$150 and brand new tips for $10-15. So I was able to get one with several new tips for under $200. He also had spare handles for much less than list price. I've been using it for a year now and it's been great.My advice - check for refurbished units from a reliable retailer once you've decided. There's hardly anything to wear out on these units except for the tips, and if they have a warranty you're really not taking any chances buying one.

author: matts-uk
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2019, 01:23:08 pm
content: Quote from: KL27x on July 09, 2019, 10:36:12 amNo. Cut out and deal with the remains one at a time.QuoteWant, yes. Need, don't know. A long time ago I spent a few years doing piece work PCB assembly - Every bit change was one less beer at the end of the week. Quite amusing to listen to the design guys explaining how the job could not be done without a particular tip, then do whatever it was for them as soon as they wandered off to stand in line at the storesQuoteAlready have a cheap hot air station bought for hobby use. Stripping boards out would make the repairs unviable. I do not advertise hardware repairs and warn people it is a last resort before the skip. Even so, I have been surprised both by the numbers wishing to take a punt, and by the number of devices saved from land-fill by a quick prod with an iron.Thankyou so much for the pointer towards LMP solder. Didn't know that was available. After trying out a Chipquik kit I've been really impressed how well it works.I would like to thank everyone who responded. Really useful information to ponder on. The plan now is to wait until the business needs to shed some profit, take the 888D back to the home lab and buy a more powerful replacement.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2019, 10:35:02 pm
content: Quote from: matts-uk on July 19, 2019, 01:23:08 pmI forgot to mention before that there is only a small difference in power between the Hakko FX-888 to the FX-951. Though the FX-951 is faster the tips are relativity low mass in comparison. So this is a more lateral move than purchasing the Pace JBC or Metcal stations which have both a power delivery and speed edge over the Hakko FX-951.Really for modern soldering of SMD you do need multiple tips. For soldering and rework - a knife, hook, chisel, drag soldering and high thermal mass tip make a good start. The knife is by far the most versatile as it can be used as a pseudo replacement for those other tips but really best to become proficient in all.