Can anyone give me some recommendation on a good soldering station brand/model to buy.
Looking for easy to use, good heat control to solder electronic components onto boards, without ruining the tracers, components, fast heat up, the normal stuff.
Thanks!
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Enter Hakko in search box. Lotz of good thoughts there.
Second the Hakko - Best one I have ever used
The Hakko FX-888D, it's around $100 and is one of the best soldering stations I've used over 50+ years. I also have the FG-100 calibrator, but I got it when there were cheap Chinese clones, I don't see them nowadays. Wait, just found the calibrator, eBay: 174302506362
Hakko FP101, I think. The tip and the heater are one element, and the base regulates the tip to one of four temperatures. You can buy different tips for what you are soldering. Gets to temperature within 15 seconds. The FP101 has probably been replaced by now with a newer model. I went in with Charlie Tucek (sp?) on a two-for-one special.
I see the Hakko's on Ebay. Are these the real thing or knock off's. I don't wanna buy a fake.
Agree with everything Michael and others said above about Hakko.
Two points Sean.
First, your still pretty young and an investment in a better tool now will pay off for you with a better experience for a longer time.
Second, I know Michael and John are electronics guys who have used other brands and still recommend Hakko. Speaking for myself, I was a "Weller" guy and thought how much could a different soldering iron/station make? Boy was I wrong. Ignorance is no reason to ignore the advise above.
I do have and use the FP-101, but I am sure it is now discontinued, so take a look at the other Hakko recommendations.
Charlie
Reliable source. I buy for home and work from these guys.
https://www.tequipment.net/Hak...ions/?b=y&v=7765
Pete
What PETE stated. I have one. Great price too.
I had a Weller soldering station for many years before the Hakko. It was fine, but when I needed better temperature control for a lot more surface mount stuff, I picked up the Hakko, and I have never regretted it.
The calibrator I referenced is for sure a Chinese knockoff, but it's pretty accurate. Truthfully, I have never quite understood the $200 price for the Hakko FG-100 or FG-101 calibrator, it's just a K-type thermocouple and a display! Many years ago I designed aircraft engine instruments with the K-type thermocouple, I know how simple the measurement circuit is. There's no magic in the design, and even for a brand name it should be in the $30-40 range, not $200! If it costs more than $10 max to build, they're doing it wrong. It's twice the price of the soldering iron, that's crazy!
One soldering tool will not do everything. A Weller gun is still king of track soldering--no exceptions. Get one of the higher-wattage units if you can.
For electronics, I use 2 soldering stations. One of them is no longer made. The other is from Circuit Specialists called Blackjack Solderwerks. It is my go-to tool for electronics. And they are cheap enough to keep two--one on the bench and one at the layout. Check them out here: https://www.circuitspecialists...lackjack-solderwerks
If I am in for a long session, I just dig out an old 40 watt or so soldering iron and keep it hot all day.
Don't ignore flux. Good flux is worth every penny. The best I have found is SRA--reviewed here: https://www.amazon.com/pcr/Bes...x-Reviews/8107037011
Soldering is taken for granted. It's a "gimme" skill....I mean who can't solder? Anyone can, right? But soldering is a task that rewards attention to detail. Doing it right isn't hard--true. But every connection requires just a touch of concentration. If you are distracted, the whole thing can get messy.
Good luck!
Don Merz
I have the Weller 100/140, the old one with the nuts and not the troublesome set screws. It has never failed to provide plenty of heat for anything I've needed to do. I use the Deoxit Rosin flux when flux is called for.
I suppose the cheap soldering station is OK for working around the layout and casual wiring. However, I would strongly recommend against cutting corners if you're doing PCB work, good temperature control a must. The Hakko has really excellent temperature control and 70 watts on tap to maintain the proper temperature. When you're soldering a tiny FET to a $200 PCB, not lifting the traces and ruining the board will convince you that the extra $60 you paid for the Hakko was a good investment. 
I have a Weller 100 watt soldering gun that is 62 years old and works fine. This one has built, when a teenager, many Knight (Allied Radio) 10 in 1 radio transmitter, amp etc. and other things with tubes.
I also have a few of the newer Weller 100/140 watt soldering guns picked up at garage sales over the years at garage sales for $5 or less each. Most people do not use them much and they were like new, some with cases. I have one in the shop, garage and train room. I keep spare soldering tips as they are only thing that wears out. Tips attach by way of a two nuts. Love them.
Charlie
Hakko is the only way to go. Take it form a Electronic/Avionics Tech who uses one every day with no issues. Watch Electronics experts on Youtube, they all use Hakko.
GRJ, what briefly are the temperatures that you use for not lifting a trace...I don't lift them often but I have lifted an isolated solder via in the past. I generally use a pretty hot weller iron set to around 650-700 and get on and off in about 2 seconds or less. Seems like hot is faster and less likely to heat up the chip or component. But maybe I'm sometimes too hot.
In your experience do the 100 dollar weller irons with knob and pointer to temperature numbers overshoot, or are just inaccurate? In other words, was the hysteresis too great? I've been temped to buy a Hakko when I can ever get over having a fortune in Weller replacement tips.
I haven't owned a new Weller, so I can't comment on those. However, for soldering SMT stuff, I use 500F (measured at the tip), and for bigger stuff like D-Pak FET packages, I'll crank it up to 550F. If I'm doing larger components on thru-hole boards, sometimes I use 600F for quick soldering.
Soldering temperatures for SMT parts range in the 260C to 300C (500F to 572F) range for ten seconds maximum. Since I like my stuff not to be abused, I try to stick to those ratings. The D-Pak stuff normally has the higher 300C soldering rating.
IMO, 650F-700F is too hot. I used to do that, but when I lost a couple of parts, I started paying more attention to the actual component ratings. When I was doing mostly thru-hole stuff, the temperature wasn't nearly as critical. Other than some diodes, LED's, and other sensitive parts, you'd probably get away with 650F for a long time if you are only doing thru-hole work. When I was building my flickering firebox modules with four thru-hole LED's, I was losing a lot of them working at 600F, I dropped it to 500F, and I haven't lost one since.
Thank you. Good info and I'll try to follow it. I think I'll test my weller with the thermocouple I bought awhile ago just to see. But I'm leaning toward a digital display Hakko.
Once you have the Hakko, it'll be hard to go back to the old iron.
Kind of like "Hard to keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree'", eh?
@gunrunnerjohn posted:The Hakko FX-888D, it's around $100 and is one of the best soldering stations I've used over 50+ years. I also have the FG-100 calibrator, but I got it when there were cheap Chinese clones, I don't see them nowadays. Wait, just found the calibrator, eBay: 174302506362
This is the one I was looking at. Sounds like the one to go with for a pretty good price. I repair and refurbish a lot of old Video games systems computers and on some of these old boards it is so easy to lift a trace with my crappy iron.
Is the temp set on unit accurate to what the actual temp tip is?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...24-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee
@Sean's Train Depot posted:Is the temp set on unit accurate to what the actual temp tip is?
That's what the tip Calibrator is for. eBay: 174302506362, $13.59. If you change the tip or handle, the calibration can be off. Of course, the feature I like about the Hakko is I can calibrate the tip temperature and know that it's on. For the models with an analog knob, or no calibration capability, who knows what the actual tip temperature is? I'm also guessing the calibration capability is why so many people in industry are using the Hakko soldering stations.
Every month or so I dig mine out and calibrate the tip.
Not to hijack the thread, but I always see lots about how important a temperature-controlled iron is, and very little about WHAT temperatures should be used for different applications and different kinds of solder!
Well, if you don't have a temperature controlled iron, you don't have to worry about the temperatures you should be using! 
I think I just posted suggested temperatures. I should have added that I use strictly Kester 63/37 Rosin core solder in several sizes. .020 for PCB work, and .031 for general soldering.
I would look at your needs before making decision. If you may want to do more in the future like chip repairs and so I would look at something more robust and there plenty of nice choices since everything is from china.
I bought one off of the ones on Amazon that is adjustable. I believe it is a Sealody. Eric's Trains did an awesome review on Youtube. Check it out.
Joe Gozzo
@Shawn_Chronister posted:I would look at your needs before making decision. If you may want to do more in the future like chip repairs and so I would look at something more robust and there plenty of nice choices since everything is from china.
How much more robust do you need than the Hakko FX-888D? It's widely used in industry for things like PCB work, it's truly an industry standard. Why go for an unknown when you can get a very capable workstation with a long and proven track record?
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Well, if you don't have a temperature controlled iron, you don't have to worry about the temperatures you should be using!
I think I just posted suggested temperatures. I should have added that I use strictly Kester 63/37 Rosin core solder in several sizes. .020 for PCB work, and .031 for general soldering.
So you did John, missed it!
For through-hole, Adafruit (a popular maker company) recommends 700F for 60/40 and 750F for lead-free.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:How much more robust do you need than the Hakko FX-888D? It's widely used in industry for things like PCB work, it's truly an industry standard. Why go for an unknown when you can get a very capable workstation with a long and proven track record?
If you need to do surface mount work component work its better to have blower heat around the component and get and even heat to move them. I use this one its nice works well Soldering rework station
I have the Xtonic 3020 soldering station and I like it a lot however the next one I buy will be the Hakko.
@Shawn_Chronister posted:If you need to do surface mount work component work its better to have blower heat around the component and get and even heat to move them.
Sure, but that's not what most people have on their workbench. To really do the hot air right, you need a zillion tips to just heat the leads and not the chip, gets expensive. 
I have a hot air tool, but I don't have a lot of the fancy tips for larger chips, at $20-30 a pop, you could have a lot of money tied up in soldering equipment.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:That's what the tip Calibrator is for. eBay: 174302506362, $13.59. If you change the tip or handle, the calibration can be off. Of course, the feature I like about the Hakko is I can calibrate the tip temperature and know that it's on. For the models with an analog knob, or no calibration capability, who knows what the actual tip temperature is? I'm also guessing the calibration capability is why so many people in industry are using the Hakko soldering stations.
Every month or so I dig mine out and calibrate the tip.
I measured my Weller WES50 and it came out at 705 F when set at 750 F on the knob. So off 45 F. I would rather have the FG-100 that reads F...wonder if there is some switch inside since the boot screen shows C and F boot.
Seems like I took the FG-100 apart once and had a hard time getting the spring loaded push knob back where it belongs. I see the new ones have a different control panel and even talk about accessories that plug in...but I don't see pictures of the back and sides to see if it's got a port.
@cjack posted:I would rather have the FG-100 that reads F...wonder if there is some switch inside since the boot screen shows C and F boot.
No, the Chinese knockoffs only read in C, I've never seen one that reads in F for less than close to $200! For the difference between $15 and $200, I think I can do the conversion for the few times I use this.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:No, the Chinese knockoffs only read in C, I've never seen one that reads in F for less than close to $200! For the difference between $15 and $200, I think I can do the conversion for the few times I use this.
Yes times 9/5 ths and add 32. I took it apart and there is nothing inside that makes any sense to me to change. Five screws to remove to turn over the PCB removing it from the display. All surface mount and lots of chances to short out stuff you shouldn't with jumpers...and now I remember how the springy stuff jumped out on the bench and wasted about 30 minutes of my life before I remembered that last time I clamped a vise grip the on the moveable post to hold stuff in place while I replaced the back.
Thanks for all the info. I am going to give the Hakko FX888D a try!
I don't think you'll be sorry Sean. I made one small mod to mine to fix an omission in the design.
One thing that's frequently mentioned in the reviews is the fact that they didn't label the CAL and SET options on the buttons. In order to do a calibration or set a temperature, you hold down one of these buttons for several seconds. That's great, but if you forget which is which, you screw up the temperature calibration instead of setting the temperature. After doing that a couple of times, I decided that a design adjustment for the panel legends was needed. Haven't had the problem since.
I have been using a nice compact Circuit Specialists station (when away from home) for the last few years, and it works great. I forget the model number, but it cost about 70 bucks, fully digital, 3 selectable auto settings, automatic time out shut off, etc. Plus it uses the same tip design as the Hakko so they are fully interchangeable. Great little rig.
Rod
No doubt there are other decent soldering stations Rod, I just go with one I have personal experience with. I've used a number of them over the years, a few Chinese knock-offs, several Weller stations, and the best of the lot has been the Hakko.
I received my Hakko FX888D this morning and plugged it in. Looks great. I set it to 575 deg F and the Hakko FG 100 reads 572 deg F (calculated from Celsius of course). Gad, so which one is wrong? I'm going with 573.5 deg F
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