recommend me a good budget soldering station - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: aruna1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 10:06:22 am
content: hiI'm looking to buy my first soldering station and looking for a decent soldering station under $40.i found these two (they both look same)http://www.dealextreme.com/p/best-938-mini-soldering-station-set-1-18-w-ac-220-v-55930http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Soldering-Station-BK-938-Welding-Equipment-Soldering-iron-tool-Station-/221095814964?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337a566734#ht_9011wt_1273can someone suggest me a station.thanks

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 11:46:58 am
content: Just get a 936 clone. Why would you want anything to do with that light dimmer-esque stationhttp://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm/524720490-free-shipping-ESD-safe-220V-HAKKO-936-Soldering-Station-907-soldering-handle-A1321-heating-element-HAKKO936-wholesalers.html

author: Astroplio
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 12:06:57 pm
content: Hello,I don't own a soldering station yet and I can't recommend one, but I would strongly advise you against a cheap product like those you link above.And the reason is because a soldering station is an instrument that you want to depend on to work reliably and flawlessly for a long time.You want to have excellent temperature control and create beautiful joints all the time.The last thing you want when soldering your board is to make cold joints or solder blobs, yikes!Take your time and watch a couple of videos from this EEVblog relevant playlist here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2862BF3631A5C1AAAlso I have seen relevant topics on the forum, you should review them, lots of good advice in there!Buying a good quality soldering station is not just an investment, it is a necessity if you want to be proud of your craftsmanship of the finished product.To use an analogy, if you choose to buy a cheap tool, it would be like if you are a carpenter with a blunt chisel... Yes, it will "do" the job but with more effort and the workpiece will look like crap afterwardsGeorge

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 12:32:31 pm
content: A cheap soldering station will haunt you forever. Spend a bit more on an Ersa soldering station and tips with different sizes.I have cheap Ayoue SMD tweezers and compared to Ersa the tips are complete and utter crap.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 12:36:22 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on August 18, 2012, 12:32:31 pmWell1) Ersa's not cheap2) Some of their "cheaper" stuff is coming from china. Not a good way to bank on reliability if you ask3) BECAUSE YOU ARE USING 1$ SHIT TIPS buy the real ones from hakko themselves you will know what i mean

author: aruna1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 01:09:09 pm
content: well i cant spend lot of money for the station.so what is the cheapest station you guys recommend?I use station for hobby works only.thank you

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 03:07:44 pm
content: Quote from: aruna1 on August 18, 2012, 01:09:09 pmHobby? What sort of hobby?the 936 is still a good bet

author: aruna1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 03:10:38 pm
content: well i make circuits as a hobby. nothing specific, just little projects that comes in to my mind.i watched daves video about hakko 888. he says no point of spending more than 80 bucks for station, but i couldnt find hakko 888 for less than $100

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 03:16:51 pm
content: Quote from: aruna1 on August 18, 2012, 03:10:38 pmIf you aren't in the states that is. On amazon ? 100$But yeah, 936 clone would do you goodThese are the ones i havePlus you can use actual Hakko 900M-T tips

author: aruna1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 03:34:55 pm
content: are these clones good as original hakko?and i have seen 936 from different venders such as best, atten etc.so if I'm to go for a clone which brand do you recommend?thank youps:and what about this stationhttp://www.dealextreme.com/p/kada-936d-digital-soldering-station-with-english-manual-60w-24v-ac-1874?item=10

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 04:46:02 pm
content: Of course they are never as good and the kada in the DX is only 35W actually, go back and look at the aliexpress one

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2012, 11:09:07 pm
content: Like others, I'd recommend spending the funds on a decent station to begin with, as it will give better results and is cheaper in the long run.Assuming you're in Europe, you might want to look for an Ersa Analog 60 (eBay.de might be a good place to get one; spotted one for 145EUR). The RDS80 might be worth looking at, though it's not ESD rated ( ~139EUR new). There is at least one used Analog 60 available as well on the eBay.de site (100EUR when I checked).JBC makes excellent stations as well, but would probably be too expensive (hard to find used it seems, though I only checked the UK and DE sites).

author: aruna1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2012, 05:36:49 am
content: i'm from sri lanka

author: M. András
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2012, 11:21:12 am
content: first of all whats the budget for the station? analog wellers upto 5-60watts there are some ersa analog but not so much more there is the icon station from them, still better to buy once a better one then spend few times cheap and your total will be more then a decent one. just for safety if those are really a light dimmer controlled ones i would not want to touch the iron, better to be safe then sorry. with a 24 volt station like most of the temp controlled ones i cant think of possible electrocution, im using a weller wrmp pencil which has aluminum handle it wouldnt be a good thing if that thing would run on 240volts. even of the handle itself earthed in this case

author: krish2487
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2012, 12:28:01 pm
content: As a neighbour (I m from india) :-Di can only sympathize with you...and yes, reiterate what others have spoken.Having a top-of-the-line $$$$ iron is not a necessity.But having a decent one is a MUST.936/937 clones and the hakko 888 are still the benchmarks for entry level hobbyists.Of course, shipping to this part of asia pacific will negate the entire cost benifits.But its is a one time investment and definitely not something you ll regret. I own a 937 clone, made in india, near my workplace.I bought the iron here and ordered a bunch of the tips from ebay.Do not scrimp when it comes to tools.You ll probably have to shell out about 150 - 175 dollars for the station (including shipping to Sri Lanka).For that kind of money, i d rather you pick up a FX 888 instead of a 936/937 clone.You ll not require another iron for quite a long time..

author: aruna1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2012, 02:40:21 pm
content: hikrishdoes that indian place you brought the station sell items to other countries?

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2012, 03:03:17 pm
content: Don't forget the tips, a quality tip that fits your iron is a real benefit. The clones can do this, I have several irons and while the cheaper ones are not the best when outfitted with a proper tip it can get the job done.Sticking to a known clone can also help with parts replacement....mike

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2012, 03:52:23 pm
content: I already told him the 936 clone .... Why deviate the topic?

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2012, 05:44:10 pm
content: Quote from: aruna1 on August 19, 2012, 05:36:49 amSaw 230V + hard to get, and erroneously thought somewhere in Europe. Oops.But if you're in Sri Lanka, why is it difficult to find a Hakko?I ask, as I did spot a distributor for Sri Lanka, another for India, and there's a couple in Malaysia (where they're made), that might also be a reasonably priced source.http://www.hakko.com/world_network.htmlMight be worth inquiring anyway...

author: krish2487
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2012, 07:15:33 pm
content: @arunaNope.Only for local requirements.You can contact them if they ll make an exception for youhttp://www.plutostations.com/index.php@nanofrogMost of the distributors for hakko in india charge more than 200% premium.I was forced to get a clone of the hakko and not the original because the "dealer" quoted a price of 360$ for the hakko 937I told him to shove it..And yes, he is an official dealer for hakko.Most of the dealers for the well known companies like hakko, ersa, metcal and jbc are interested in big fish. They are least bit hobbyist friendly in india.Of course, I burnt my hands professionally with coilcraft for a relatively large requirement of DO3316 SMT inductors ( 4000 Nos).They did not respond back in time, neither were they interested in negotiations. Ultimately i chose wurth because they supported in terms of delivery schedule and prices.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2012, 04:36:07 am
content: Quote from: krish2487 on August 19, 2012, 07:15:33 pmYikes! I don't blame you one bit.What about ordering from outside of India?Given the markup there (Sri Lanka only has a single Hakko Distributor as well, so it may be the same/similar situation for the OP), perhaps the shipping + US pricing would still be cheaper (no idea on duties levied at home though). I know some distributors can't ship outside of their territory due to their contract conditions with the manufacturer, but it might be possible to find an independent seller that's not bound by those conditions or isn't too picky on details so long as they get paid.Might be worth inquiring about anyway if you find something you need outside of India. For example, janelonline.com offers JBC stations in both 120V and 230V, assuming they'd sell it outside of the US (don't know, and couldn't find whether or not they do international shipping on their site).Just a thought anyway...

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2012, 07:46:46 am
content: Well for one his budget is small ...

author: krish2487
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2012, 09:58:30 am
content: @nanofrogPrecisely my point!!!!Thanks for the link.Excluding shipping, a general purpose entry level JBC soldering station is listed at 385$!!!!!I tried on fleabay... but 230V versions are hard to come by....The situation has drastically improved in the last 6 months since i bought my 937 clone..Its just plain insane for a couple of things in india...Labour is cheap, equipment is expensive..:-I@T4PI am assuming you meant the OP...:-D

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2012, 05:38:29 pm
content: Quote from: T4P on August 20, 2012, 07:46:46 amAssuming you mean the OP, I do wonder if buying from Malaysia would be a better alternative cost wise in this particular case (Hakko has more than a single distributor listed there, and it happens to be where the FX-888 is manufactured according to those that have one).Quote from: krish2487 on August 20, 2012, 09:58:30 amAssuming you'd actually be able to buy one from the Distributor in India, what would that same JBC station run locally?I brought up janel due to the markup you related about Hakko in India, as I assume it's likely not much different for other major brands on equipment like this. So if someone there really wanted one, a US source might be the way go if they'll ship it (worst case, assuming station + shipping + step down transformer = cheaper than local sources, as most found here would only offer the 120V versions).I only recall JBC and Ersa selling 230V here in the US, and Ersa seems harder to find the correct voltage than JBC. Neither brand is inexpensive equipment to begin with, which is why I'm wondering if buying outside of India is truly a viable alternative (still have no idea on shipping and customs duties that would be applied).Of course, there is the possibility of having it sent to a friend in the US, then have them re-ship to the intended recipient, but that may not be possible (don't know anyone, or not well enough to ask of them something like this).

author: JBC Tools
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 27, 2012, 07:05:37 am
content: Quote from: Astroplio on August 18, 2012, 12:06:57 pmCompletely agree with George!We kindly invite Aruna1 to test our products for free just clicking on our home page: "Ask for a demo". The best way to know if something is useful is testing it... Our technology ensures the fastest temperature recovery (350ºC in 2 seconds) and our tips last 5 times longer than other brands. Regarding to the price think if it could be an investment.By the way, here you will find the contact of our distributors in Asia.http://www.jbctools.com/distributors-asia-india.htmlHave a good soldering! We try to make your job easier.

author: M. András
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2012, 07:26:44 pm
content: do you have any comparsion between your tools and the weller wrmp pencils?. i would love to see some key parameter differences. its hard to know the actual wattage of the jbc products expect the base stations

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2012, 11:05:09 pm
content: From my own hands-on experience I know that Ersa tips are much better. If I leave an Ersa iron on all day the tip will be fine. If I do the same with a JBC tip then the JBC tip will need at least thourough cleaning but its more likely to enter the bin. Ofcourse both situations with the same temperature setting. IMHO JBC's tips are equally bad as Weller's.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2012, 03:08:02 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on August 27, 2012, 11:05:09 pmuh oh.Looks like if i go professional Ersa is the choice