Ersa vs JBC for first soldering station

[hellzakk]

Hi all, im seeking opinion about the comparison between Ersa i-Con 1V (0IC1100V) and JBC CD-2BE
This will be my first station (i have sometimes soldered before with a very low low low cost one) but id like to buy something better and this 2 are in my price range.
Thanks you all for your opinions

[drakke]

I'm a beginner too and just bought a Hakko FX-888D. You can get it for less than the two models you are considering from http://www.batterfly.com.

The only problem is that there are many very, very good fakes out there and if you don't buy from a reputable seller there is a good chance you will get one.

Dave did a teardown video of a genuine and a fake. Search youtube for 'eevblog + hakko'.

[wilhelm]

I like my JBC CD-2D

Hakko is not that easy to find in Europe.

[KD0CAC John]

I have not used the Ersa but I do have multiples of JBC , Metcal , Hakko , Hakko copy .
Most of those used very good prices , even found great prices on new in the box - desoldering station NIB for $420 ,
the used stuff for not more than $150 .
Most of that on ebay , even the new JBC desoldering station .

[AndyC_772]

Assuming the JBC you're looking at is similar to my CD-2D, it's an excellent iron and will undoubtedly serve you well provided you choose appropriate tips for the job you're doing.

I'm firmly of the opinion that beginners benefit from excellent tools to the same, or even a greater, degree than people who are more experienced. The last thing you want when you're learning a skill is to also have to cope with the limitations of bad equipment.

[4cx10000]

I have three old Ersa MS 6000 from the 80's and have never ever replaced any element. Funnily enough, they have been in use for nearly 24 hours/day during the 90's and still in use. Can not speak for the later models though, but I think they would not be a bad choice. As drakke wrote, the clones or fakes are not that bad. The one I use most of time is a Weller WX 2, but may not be a first buy choice for a soldering station.

[eKretz]

I have had both Ersa and JBC modern stations. Both are outstanding. My personal preference is for Ersa but it was mainly due to ergonomics. I also like the fact that I can choose the aggressiveness of the PID profile to get either very low overshoot or super aggressive power (good for removing stubborn caps from multilayer boards with large ground planes). Both stations are very high quality and do a great job.

[cowana]

Having used both Ersa and JBC stations, I went with an Ersa I-Con for my personal station.

Reasons:

• Very cheap tips mean you can have a wide selection
• Amazing tip life - I found the plating on JBCs would wear out fairly quickly, whereas I've only ever worn out one Ersa tip in 10 years
• Very small tip-to-grip distance on the iTool iron gives nicer ergonomics and more control in my opinion
• Built in accelerometer in iron for sleep detection is a very neat feature for using it for a long durations, without having to have the stand plugged into the station (as JBCs do)

[hellzakk]

Thank you all for the feedback, im still confused but the cost of the tips is a good point... about 4 to 1 for the ersa, and the ergonomic is another good one...

[wilhelm]

JBC CD-2 has the stand integrated.

http://www.jbctools.com/cd-b-soldering-station-product-505-category-1-menu-1.html

[hellzakk]

whats the difference between the stand alone and the integrated?

[nanofrog]

whats the difference between the stand alone and the integrated?

Integrated is more compact but is meant to be used with the tool that it came with only, while the stand-alone configurations give the option of multiple tools and more freedom as to the station's physical placement.

[Dago]

Definitely go with JBC, Ersas we have at work are like childrens toys compared to JBC. Literally no one uses them anymore due to having other irons available so they were retired to the wire assembly stations.

[cowana]

Definitely go with JBC, Ersas we have at work are like childrens toys compared to JBC. Literally no one uses them anymore due to having other irons available so they were retired to the wire assembly stations.

I'd be interested to know in what regard that is?

On my work's production line, we have a mixture of Ersa's, Metcal's and JBCs. To be honest, it's a fairly even mix of the three - they're all excellent irons, and it really comes down to personal preference. Ersas tend to be slightly more used for development/R&D due to the flexibility in tips and control of temperature, and Metcals slightly more for production as there is are no adjustments on the base, so they 'just work'.

[Dago]

Definitely go with JBC, Ersas we have at work are like childrens toys compared to JBC. Literally no one uses them anymore due to having other irons available so they were retired to the wire assembly stations.

I'd be interested to know in what regard that is?

On my work's production line, we have a mixture of Ersa's, Metcal's and JBCs. To be honest, it's a fairly even mix of the three - they're all excellent irons, and it really comes down to personal preference. Ersas tend to be slightly more used for development/R&D due to the flexibility in tips and control of temperature, and Metcals slightly more for production as there is are no adjustments on the base, so they 'just work'.

We have i-CON 1s at least and they just seem very cheap, made of cheap looking plastic (well, there is a thin piece of aluminum glued to the front plate), handle stand doesn't seem to fit the handle (handle wobbles like 40 degrees in there), changing tips is very cumbersome (have to unscrew), handle is rather uncomfortable due to being just two pieces of hard plastic.

[hellzakk]

Thank you all for your fedback, finally i've bought the ersa i-con1v + 0.7 1.2 2.4 and 3.2 tips