Ersatz Hakko FX-951

[pfrcom]

http://www.banggood.com/HAKKO-FX-951-Style-230V-AU-Plug-Solder-Soldering-Iron-Station-p-932704.html

Anyone have any experience with these ?

I'm very tempted - FWIW, has a couple of positive reviews - and it includes a tip 

[Rasz]

its a poor quality fake

chinese T12 cartridges are fine on its own, but chinese fake stations tend to have shit controllers that lie about temperature

[John Coloccia]

Wow, they've gotten bold with these copies, haven't they? They don't even pretend it's real anymore. Very sleazy.

[GreyWoolfe]

Wow, they've gotten bold with these copies, haven't they? They don't even pretend it's real anymore. Very sleazy.

I agree with John, very sleazy.  If you really want a Hakko FX-951, buy the real thing.  I know it's expensive but it is worth the money.  If you haven't seen it, here is a review I did when I got mine:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/hakko-fx-951-review/

[continuo]

But how can they get away with that? It seems Hakko is doing shit to stop the counterfeiters, no wonder they are copied that much 

[John Coloccia]

What can they do? Go to war with China? They're really powerless, though I did notice that they put a counterfeit notice on their website. Unless China steps up and works to stop the counterfeiting, there's really very little a country like Japan could do. I'm not even sure the US has enough influence to do anything. Counterfeit aircraft hardware is big business, and a big problem. Very dangerous, and we can't even manage to stop that. Believe me, aircraft hardware is documented far better than a stupid soldering iron, but somehow counterfeits keep showing up.

[continuo]

I've always wondered that. Is it really perfectly legal in China to do such obvious counterfeiting? Aren't there any laws against that? 

[thefamilyman]

I recently got a whole bunch of T12 tips from Banggood (something like 10 tips for the same price as one genuine T12 tip).
Unfortunately for me that none of them work in my genuine Hakko FX-950, the LED just flashes and the tip wont heat up.
I contacted Banggood and they in turn contacted the supplier; turns out that the tips will only work in their "hakko" copy and not a genuine hakko (they mentioned something about a feedback sensor).
Got a refund quick smart, still like Banggood.

[GreyWoolfe]

I really want to know what it is about Hakko that everyone wants to copy it.  You don't see other models being copied-OK, Thermaltronics is a legit company making their own products based on Metcal expired patents.  That's not blatant copy.  Time and time again, I have read here people having issues with copied/cloned Hakko something or other.

I've always wondered that. Is it really perfectly legal in China to do such obvious counterfeiting? Aren't there any laws against that? 

If not legal, the gov't is probably getting their share from taxing the companies doing the cloning.  Money talks so they will continue to turn the blind eye.  The only thing that will fix that is if we as the consumers stop buying the cheap copied/cloned crap.  I don't see that happening because too many are concerned only with price not total cost of ownership.  I understand times are hard, I have had to sell off stuff to get my real 951 and MX-500.  In the age of instant gratification, patience truly is a virtue and those who want it now as cheap as possible, get what they ask for.  Everyone has to remember the golden rule-cheap, fast or good-pick 2.

[Fat]

Hakko has filed suit on some of them, but there are so many they can't keep up.  They did get a judgement on one that I know of, and a stop order for using Hakko branding.  That's about worthless in China, but is pretty enforceable in other countries if someone sets up a sales center to sell them.

We don't help matters when we refer to them as clones.  They are not clones, but a different animal designed to look like the original. Performance will vary by maker and date of production as moving a product is more important than quality control for most of them.

Fat

[continuo]

I really want to know what it is about Hakko that everyone wants to copy it.

It's the Ikea colors, they look so cute   

[GreyWoolfe]

I really want to know what it is about Hakko that everyone wants to copy it.

It's the Ikea colors, they look so cute   

It IS the most colorful thing on my workbench 

[nukie]

But how can they get away with that? It seems Hakko is doing shit to stop the counterfeiters, no wonder they are copied that much 

Check out Hakko website they are in court with counterfeits very actively and won most cases in China.