Author Topic: Low cost iron shootout  (Read 11502 times)

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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Low cost iron shootout
« on: January 20, 2018, 10:11:01 am »
Is in the planning.
I have some of these already:
FX-888 at US$100
New Weller WE-1010 at US$135
Quick 3104 at US$140
Ersa Pico at US$155 (Amazon price, much more elsewhere, so maybe not a good choice?)

Any others? (maybe one more possible, don't want too many)
Say US$150 tops.

The new Pace one looks nice but it's $250.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2018, 10:15:06 am by EEVblog »
 

Offline kalel

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2018, 10:19:03 am »
What about that famous TS-100?

Of course, low cost is relative, but this one has been recommended on this forum to beginners so frequently, that I would like to see it featured with the "big names" you mentioned.
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2018, 10:31:50 am »
What about that famous TS-100?

Nope, mains stations only.
 

Offline Gyro

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2018, 10:52:19 am »
That's shame given the availability of suitable laptop bricks. It would have been good to see a decent comparison of thermal performance against the others,  :-\ ... but it's your shootout, your rules.
Best Regards, Chris
 

Offline Muttley Snickers

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2018, 11:21:40 am »
Rhino Tools in Sydney currently have a 60 watt soldering station on special for $70 down from $110, it looks similar to the desoldering station you reviewed years back, anyway it might be worth a look.

Rhino Tools.
https://www.rhinotools.com.au

 

Offline rea5245

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2018, 01:09:17 pm »
I get by just fine with the Weller WLC100 for US$40. I set the dial to 3 for most soldering or to 5 when I'm soldering onto a ground fill. I  can do SMT down to 0.5mm pitch. Maybe the WLC100, without a digital temperature display, is beneath contempt ( ;) ) and maybe I'm clueless, but I honestly don't know why I'd need a more expensive iron.

- Bob
 

Offline kalel

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2018, 01:30:02 pm »
I get by just fine with the Weller WLC100 for US$40. I set the dial to 3 for most soldering or to 5 when I'm soldering onto a ground fill. I  can do SMT down to 0.5mm pitch. Maybe the WLC100, without a digital temperature display, is beneath contempt ( ;) ) and maybe I'm clueless, but I honestly don't know why I'd need a more expensive iron.

- Bob

Good quality solder probably makes a bigger difference than the iron, but if all else is equal, some might be handier than others (beside temp control and display stuff, different handle shape, etc) - but that still doesn't have to mean you'll prefer a more expensive one (I never tried one with any kind of real price to it).

In fact, this shootout might show us some reasons why one can be better than another.
 

Offline cdev

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2018, 01:34:05 pm »
I'm pleased with the FX-888D so far. No need to keep riding the temp settings like I had to before. Which is nice. And it came with a basic chisel tip, not a conical which is also good because its my most often used tip.

I actually got the Fx-888D for $89 with free shipping from a big West Coast chain.

For that I really couldn't say no.  Going to spend some quality time melting solder later today, I hope.
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away."
 

Online wraper

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2018, 01:39:52 pm »
What about that famous TS-100?

Nope, mains stations only.
Why wouldn't it fall under "mains station" description? It just requires PSU to be bought separately. It has the same power rating as FX-888D
« Last Edit: January 20, 2018, 01:47:10 pm by wraper »
 

Offline lem_ix

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2018, 02:40:15 pm »
The Ersa Pico costs about 165 euro here, cheapest Weller being the WHS40 ~ 125 euro and about 140 for the digital one. No Hakko distributor here so those are the cheapest big brand stations you can get. Only suggestion that comes to mind but is hard to find is Jovy iSolder 40. It's been mentioned around the forum a few times. I've seen a price of 120 euro or so.

http://www.jovy-systems.com/en/products/solder-stations/isolder-40.html
 

Offline asmi

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2018, 03:26:01 pm »
I use cheap-ass 852D+ combined iron+hot air gun station for over 2 years now with both leaded and lead-free solder. It's not just iron, but it's about $60 for the whole thing, so it fits the bill price-wise.

Offline Dan Moos

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2018, 03:51:52 pm »
A ton of of us use the Weller WES51. I for one would love to see it included so that I might see a direct comparison to those other irons do that I might know what, if anything, I'm missing out on.

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Offline lmaokore

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2018, 04:06:09 pm »
A ton of of us use the Weller WES51. I for one would love to see it included so that I might see a direct comparison to those other irons do that I might know what, if anything, I'm missing out on.

Sent from my E6830 using Tapatalk

The Weller WES51 is being phased out and being replaced by the WE-1010. The new Weller has much more power.
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2018, 04:07:40 pm »
Quicko T12 on aliexpress. Quite frankly shits on my weller.
 

Offline Dan Moos

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2018, 04:50:10 pm »
If Dave included the old Weller, the direct comparison with the new (and the others) would help me and other owners decide whether it's worth upgrading.

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Offline asmi

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #15 on: January 20, 2018, 06:07:46 pm »
If Dave included the old Weller, the direct comparison with the new (and the others) would help me and other owners decide whether it's worth upgrading.
What's the point of upgrading? It's an iron. Either it works, or it doesn't. Higher power means the iron will heat up a bit faster. Like 2 seconds faster. Is it worth fretting over?

Online wraper

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #16 on: January 20, 2018, 06:16:44 pm »
If Dave included the old Weller, the direct comparison with the new (and the others) would help me and other owners decide whether it's worth upgrading.
What's the point of upgrading? It's an iron. Either it works, or it doesn't. Higher power means the iron will heat up a bit faster. Like 2 seconds faster. Is it worth fretting over?
Power as such does not mean that much by itself alone, and higher power does not mean faster heat-up time. 2 irons may have same power but performance different like day and night, and 10 times different heat up time.
Quote
It's an iron. Either it works, or it doesn't.
:palm:
« Last Edit: January 20, 2018, 06:18:16 pm by wraper »
 

Offline xygor

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #17 on: January 20, 2018, 06:17:09 pm »
I would love to see how these two fare in the lineup:
Edsyn 951SXE Soldering Station with Analog Display (US $145)
Aoyue 2930 Programmable Digital Soldering Station (US $72)
« Last Edit: January 20, 2018, 06:18:53 pm by xygor »
 

Offline Dan Moos

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #18 on: January 20, 2018, 06:25:24 pm »
I would love to see how these two fare in the lineup:
Edsyn 951SXE Soldering Station with Analog Display
Aoyue 2930 Programmable Digital Soldering Station
Wraper, anyone who has done any amount of soldiering knows "either it works it it doesn't" is a gross simplification. If that were the case, what's the point of the shootout, and thus why would you even care to comment?

I have an iron (WES51) that I am mostly happy with. That said I was mostly happy with it's preticesor, a 60 watt pencil iron from radio shack. I didn't realize what I was missing until I got the Weller. The RatShack iron "worked", so by your assessment, a desire to see it compared to something similar but better would be pointless. It clearly isn't.

Dave can do whatever he wants, but i'd love to see an iron that half the hobbiest here possess compared to the current crop of similarly priced tools. It would help me know if the grass is greener on the other side, or not.

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Offline Dan Moos

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #19 on: January 20, 2018, 06:26:38 pm »
I would love to see how these two fare in the lineup:
Edsyn 951SXE Soldering Station with Analog Display
Aoyue 2930 Programmable Digital Soldering Station
Wraper, anyone who has done any amount of soldiering knows "either it works it it doesn't" is a gross simplification. If that were the case, what's the point of the shootout, and thus why would you even care to comment?

I have an iron (WES51) that I am mostly happy with. That said I was mostly happy with it's preticesor, a 60 watt pencil iron from radio shack. I didn't realize what I was missing until I got the Weller. The RatShack iron "worked", so by your assessment, a desire to see it compared to something similar but better would be pointless. It clearly isn't.

Dave can do whatever he wants, but i'd love to see an iron that half the hobbiest here possess compared to the current crop of similarly priced tools. It would help me know if the grass is greener on the other side, or not.

Sent from my E6830 using Tapatalk
Sorry for quoting the wrong post here. Tapatalk on  my phone is not one of my better skills!

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Online wraper

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #20 on: January 20, 2018, 06:29:51 pm »
Wraper, anyone who has done any amount of soldiering knows "either it works it it doesn't" is a gross simplification. If that were the case, what's the point of the shootout, and thus why would you even care to comment?
Didn't you mean asmi?
 

Offline Dan Moos

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #21 on: January 20, 2018, 06:31:17 pm »
Wraper, anyone who has done any amount of soldiering knows "either it works it it doesn't" is a gross simplification. If that were the case, what's the point of the shootout, and thus why would you even care to comment?
Didn't you mean asmi?
Oops. Yup. Sorry!

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Online David Hess

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #22 on: January 20, 2018, 11:11:36 pm »
A ton of of us use the Weller WES51. I for one would love to see it included so that I might see a direct comparison to those other irons do that I might know what, if anything, I'm missing out on.

The Weller WES51 is being phased out and being replaced by the WE-1010. The new Weller has much more power.

I was going to say the same thing about including the WES51/WESD51 but if the WE1010 is replacing them, then that answers that.

Wraper, anyone who has done any amount of soldiering knows "either it works it it doesn't" is a gross simplification. If that were the case, what's the point of the shootout, and thus why would you even care to comment?

I have an iron (WES51) that I am mostly happy with. That said I was mostly happy with it's preticesor, a 60 watt pencil iron from radio shack. I didn't realize what I was missing until I got the Weller. The RatShack iron "worked", so by your assessment, a desire to see it compared to something similar but better would be pointless. It clearly isn't.

There is a huge difference between a non-temperature controlled iron and a temperature controlled iron.  But the difference between a 50 watt WES51/WESD51 and 70 watt WE-1010 is going to require a fine test to discern if they use the same tips which appears to be the case.
 

Offline asmi

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #23 on: January 21, 2018, 03:17:46 am »
anyone who has done any amount of soldiering knows "either it works it it doesn't" is a gross simplification. If that were the case, what's the point of the shootout, and thus why would you even care to comment?
How is it so? If your existing iron works for you, what's the point to change it?

Offline sreeb

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Re: Low cost iron shootout
« Reply #24 on: January 21, 2018, 04:24:46 am »
If you have access to amazon and want cheap then this:

https://smile.amazon.com/Weberdisplays-Soldering-Sigma-850-Calibration/dp/B01DSB2A96/ref=cm_wl_huc_item

Updated:  This has digital control, uses Hakko T12 cartridges, and costs US $25 with amazon prime delivery.
« Last Edit: January 21, 2018, 05:47:09 pm by sreeb »
 


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