Anyone Interested in donating a decent soldering kit? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: MrOmnos
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2015, 09:03:55 pm
content: I am an Engineering student. It's my second year. I have been doing projects for a while now. I was more into development boards and programming which required minimum level of soldering. But for past six months I have been doing quite a lot of soldering work and last night I decided enough is enough. I've been using this crappy 60 watt iron without temp control, which is the only kind of iron you can find in my country. It doesn't even have a ground wire ffs. The tip doesn't heat, and I have to solder with the fat upper part of the tip and it makes a huge mess. I have to change the tip every second day doesn't matter how much I take care of them. So I decided it was time to spend some cash and buy a branded iron online. So, I did some research wanted to get a Hakko FX888D. Did some looking around on ebay and I couldn't find a single 220v version. WTF?? I found several on aliexpress but who the hell trusts aliexpress? I looked into Australian online shops and turns out the price of a 220v version is twice that of a 110v version. Why???That's just ridiculous. And I don't want to buy the cheap Chinese ones. Cause I figured spending 30-40$ on shipping a used branded iron is far better deal than getting a Chinese 40$ iron. So, I was wonder if any of you is looking to replace their soldering kits with a new one or if you have one laying around which is in good condition and you are not using it, would you mind giving it to me??

author: nbritton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 12:48:06 am
content: What kind of solder are you using? Good quality small diameter solder can go a long ways towards making a bad iron usable. I recommend Kester 44 #66-core Sn63Pb37 .020" diameter. You also need a wire sponge like the Hakko 599B-02 to keep the tip clean.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/hakko-fx-888d-220v-where-to-buy/

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 06:07:59 am
content: You can also put a light dimmer on the soldering iron cable to change its temperature. Crude, but it's cheap and works.Example (no affiliation):http://www.bustatech.com/adjustable-soldering-iron/

author: SteveLy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 07:33:24 am
content: I bought this one recently; it does the job well and came with a 1 year warranty (in Australia). "Cheap Chinese" are catching up:

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 03:57:49 pm
content: Even the "cheap Chinese ones", the 936-style, will be far better than what you have. Parts are compatible with the real Hakkos so it's a good upgrade path too.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 04:15:02 pm
content: Quote from: crispy_tofu on November 22, 2015, 06:07:59 amWell, I disagree - IMO even the cheapest, crappiest temperature controlled iron (which is possibly this $7 one:http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Professional-220V-Heat-Gun-Welding-Adjustable-Electric-Soldering-Iron-60W-/291538672420) is better than the best non-controlled iron.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 05:27:16 pm
content: Quote from: MrOmnos on November 21, 2015, 09:03:55 pmHakko are one of the most backward companies on earth and drive their re-sellers round the bend. They ban the sale of their stuff on ebay so any 220/240V ones may well be fake, I'm not sure about the 110V ones. They seem to be overpriced and eventually people will get fed up with them. I tried asking to be a reseller but they refused and said they have 2 and are happy with that. One of the current UK resellers got the franchise after their former employer broke their stringent agreement with Hakko. You will need to get one from a local reseller if there is one or get a 110V one and hope it's real. Frankly I don't see the craze over their irons. I'm using some junk from Tenma which is adequate.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 05:31:31 pm
content: I was going to get one until I read the T&C's of one of the UK official resellers. Sounded like a nightmare so I never bothered.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 01:34:10 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on November 23, 2015, 12:54:27 amThe neckstrap is free with the camera - seems a little silly to pay for a plain one

author: Mephitus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 04:39:34 pm
content: If you can budget for it, I am absolutely in-love with my Metcal PS2E-01. I have seen a glut of them (and similar models) on ebay lately that can be found around $40-65 pretty easily. They can be a bit pricey for an initial buy-in, but since its a serious piece of industrial equipment, it will definately perform through whatever you throw at it. Especially considering the vast tip selection and function.I will openly admit that the only reason I was able to afford mine was extreme luck in my local classifieds ($15). But if it's outside your budget, I think that the userLinux-worksmight still have some old new stock Hakko 936 he might be willing to give you a deal on.

author: MrOmnos
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 01:04:54 am
content: Thanks for the replies everyone. I have decided to go for a Chinese station and give it a try. May be in future I will get a replacement hakko iron and build my own Hakko 963 regulator as the schematics are available online and seems like a great project for the future.

author: Halford
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 09:17:19 am
content: I bought this one 2 years ago, a copy of the Hakko.Still work no issues at all and I even use real Hakko tips with it.It does the job fine and heat up fast enough for mehttp://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__19241__Soldering_Station_with_Adjustable_Heat_Range_with_EU_Plug.html

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 11:01:11 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on November 23, 2015, 12:54:27 amYou're not much of a photographer, are you?Aside from the fact that the branded straps are included for free, as edavid already said, this is a VERY poor example of unjustified brand loyalty. In the film days, what made the biggest difference in image quality was the lens and the film stock. The body really just held those together. But today, it's the lens and the sensor data processing that makes the difference, and frankly, not every camera maker is good at the latter. Nikon and Canon a) make absolutely spectacular lenses, better than most, thanks to their experience in making high-tech lenses for semiconductor manufacturing, spy satellites, microscopes, etc. and b) have top-notch processing. Sony, for example, isn't as good at either, but fails especially at the latter. (As evidenced by mounting a good Canon or Nikon lens on a Sony and producing far inferior results.) This despite the fact that Sony is exceptionally good at making the sensors themselves, with Sony sensors used in a huge percentage of camera brands and smartphones. Leica is as expensive as it gets, but has absolutely wretched processing. (FWIW, many photographers think Apple has some of the very best in-camera processing, at least for full automatic modes.)Additionally, once a photographer has decided on a brand, switching to another is very expensive, since it requires re-buying all the stuff you already own. It's far more pragmatic to stick with the brand you have. (And with the sole exception of Tokina, third-party lenses make no sense: They're cheaper, but not as good, and with FAR, FAR lower resale value than original brand, making the TCO worse in the end.)So yeah, SLRs are, if anything, an example of where brand loyalty is very much justified and pragmatic, not the "brand loyalty" of the kind seen in clothing, for example.

author: n0b
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2015, 06:29:19 pm
content: I bought an Aoyue 469 for $35 back in April. It works great to this day and you can use Hakko 900m tips for it. Here is a link on Amazon. It has prime shipping, but you can find it on other websites.http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Variable-Soldering-Station-Removable/dp/B00MCVCHJM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1448562198&sr=8-4&keywords=soldering+stationAlso you could buy a digital one, pretty much the same as the 469, for slightly more money. Honestly I wish I would have know about this when I bought a soldering station.http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-937-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B000I30QBWYou can also buy the 469 in a deluxe kit which comes with a ton of stuff.