Author Topic: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)  (Read 29307 times)

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Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« on: May 01, 2015, 06:07:22 pm »
Hi guys
i need some advice
i'm looking for Soldering Station

I had ERSA i-CON Nano for few days but i sendt it back becouse it was broken or shitty

here are my requirments:
ESD safe
230v unit (i'll explain more later)
Brand Name (something popular would be good)
soldering station NOT desoldering iron or heat gun
it should last at least 5years

i have 180€ on Hand paying more than 200€ can be Problem i Need Station and some tips

i have seen on German Ebay Hakko fx888D but the onl Problem is that there are only 110/120v Units :(
i Need something testet and not something you THINK will be good
i can't spend 400€ on JBC like Dave has but i think for 200€ i can get something good or very good

i wont buy again Ersa i-con NANO and i'm Kind of scared buying ERSA again ...
and if i can get it on German Amazon it would be brilliant

i hate gettig things from outside EU becouse Zoll (costumers) always force me to pay that stupid 19% when i get something Little bit pricer

i have googled and i didn't find much

any ideas?
 

Offline Rasz

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2015, 06:21:32 pm »
Would be easier if you described your problems with ersa, its a solid station.
Hakko fx888 will be at least 2x worse.
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Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2015, 06:45:52 pm »
Would be easier if you described your problems with ersa, its a solid station.
Hakko fx888 will be at least 2x worse.

OK

what i like:
it is really light
avesome iron holder
you can set every 1°C (most Irons can set 10°C)

what i dont like
you Need this stupid sd Card and Software ....and it stics out
no rubber feet ....i
weird iron connecter under Station
plastic...plastic....uhh

what i think was broken:
low thermal capacity in my opinion
on Energy 1 (for SMD) when iron sits in holder temp was +/- 5°C and when i started to solder it was +/- 20°C
the iron itself (PLASTIC) Thing what you hold...was hot i couldn't hold it Long it was to hot for me
my 5€ iron has tip 350-400° and the plastic is cold like it should ...



broken or normal?
« Last Edit: May 01, 2015, 06:47:55 pm by Luckymat »
 

Offline ThomasDK

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2015, 06:49:24 pm »
I have had the ersa nano for a few months, and so far it has been great...

Heats up in a couple of seconds, plenty of tips to choose from and great thermal capacity. Tested this by removing a couple of caps from an old computer motherboard, worked a treat.

What was the problem with your nano?

Edit: Just saw your post

You don't have to use the sd card (I have never had one in mine). My handle doesn't heat up, but I have heard the Pico does... Maybe you got the wrong handpiece by mistake?
« Last Edit: May 01, 2015, 06:54:54 pm by ThomasDK »
 

Offline PSR B1257

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2015, 06:54:30 pm »
Quote
it should last at least 5years
Well, how often do you operate the station?
For daily work you should consider a brand name like Ersa or Weller. (No idea, what went wrong with your Ersa-unit...)

Otherwise I'm happy with my XYTronic LF1600. It's under 100€ and you get severel different tips for a little budget.
The performance is good as well (of course, otherwise I would't reccomend it  ;) ). It heats up very rapit and you can solder (with a large chisel tip) parts with high thermal mass without any problems.

I'm not sure wether or not this unit last >5 years. I got my unit since at least 5 years or there about, but use it not that often (couple hours per month), therfore 5 years working time is not a big deal.
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.
 

Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2015, 07:39:29 pm »
Quote
it should last at least 5years
Well, how often do you operate the station?
For daily work you should consider a brand name like Ersa or Weller. (No idea, what went wrong with your Ersa-unit...)

Otherwise I'm happy with my XYTronic LF1600. It's under 100€ and you get severel different tips for a little budget.
The performance is good as well (of course, otherwise I would't reccomend it  ;) ). It heats up very rapit and you can solder (with a large chisel tip) parts with high thermal mass without any problems.

I'm not sure wether or not this unit last >5 years. I got my unit since at least 5 years or there about, but use it not that often (couple hours per month), therfore 5 years working time is not a big deal.

hmm

Electronics is my Hobby and i will solder like 1/2 h daily (like Weekends and hollydays few h a day and other days 5 min to solder a wire or connector i breake

i'll just put it on my list to check it out in some time
 

Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2015, 07:45:23 pm »
You don't have to use the sd card (I have never had one in mine). My handle doesn't heat up, but I have heard the Pico does... Maybe you got the wrong handpiece by mistake?

i don't think so i' 99% sure it was nano

more Irons pls?

i won't be happy if i buy ersa nano again and i have the same Problems again :(

ideas?
 

Offline Sigmoid

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2015, 08:02:51 pm »
I have a Weller WS51, which is just a bit above 200 EUR. It's a very nice, minimal and well-built device. All the old radio amateurs and electronics engineers I know own a similar Weller that's probably lasted a decade or more.

Usually thermal capacity is more than enough, the one time it was struggling involved a huge, thick copper backplate screwed on with a 4mm bolt, and a solder flooded ground plane.
 

Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2015, 08:11:10 pm »
Usually thermal capacity is more than enough, the one time it was struggling involved a huge, thick copper backplate screwed on with a 4mm bolt, and a solder flooded ground plane.
i hate These cases too

I have a Weller WS51, which is just a bit above 200 EUR. It's a very nice, minimal and well-built device. All the old radio amateurs and electronics engineers I know own a similar Weller that's probably lasted a decade or more.

i have looked it up and i found it on german Amazon it costs 250€
i'll put in on list
but i have to give it thumbs down for stand it dosen't have much funcionality :( but hey it is on Amazon
 

Offline Rasz

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2015, 09:03:59 pm »
low thermal capacity in my opinion
on Energy 1 (for SMD) when iron sits in holder temp was +/- 5°C and when i started to solder it was +/- 20°C
the iron itself (PLASTIC) Thing what you hold...was hot i couldn't hold it Long it was to hot for me
my 5€ iron has tip 350-400° and the plastic is cold like it should ...

broken or normal?

yes, sounds like bad tip or handle
you can look at hakko 951, xytronic lf-3000, or get replacement ersa (probably better than those)
Weller WS51 is nice, but its 30 year old design sold at ridiculous premium due to brand recognition and iconic fanboy status. WD1000 would be another story, but its 360 euro
« Last Edit: May 01, 2015, 09:08:11 pm by Rasz »
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Offline nanofrog

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2015, 10:51:21 pm »
You don't have to use the sd card (I have never had one in mine). My handle doesn't heat up, but I have heard the Pico does... Maybe you got the wrong handpiece by mistake?

i don't think so i' 99% sure it was nano

more Irons pls?

i won't be happy if i buy ersa nano again and i have the same Problems again :(

ideas?
The Nano is a top quality station, so I'd say you got a dud (or possibly a Pico; they look identical from the exterior). I'd recommend sending it in for a refund, NOT a replacement if you purchased from Amazon, as they've a nasty habit of putting returned products back on the shelf and resold as new, including defective items:palm:

You can get it here for 198EUR (incl. VAT).

The Weller WS 81 or WD1002 would be closer to the Ersa I-Con Nano performance wise, but based on Amazon's prices, are more expensive in Europe. Ersa actually has the edge on tip quality (Weller's tip QC has been sporadic IME).

I understand the fear given your experience, but do understand, Ersa really isn't garbage.
 

Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2015, 11:24:16 pm »
You don't have to use the sd card (I have never had one in mine). My handle doesn't heat up, but I have heard the Pico does... Maybe you got the wrong handpiece by mistake?

i don't think so i' 99% sure it was nano

more Irons pls?

i won't be happy if i buy ersa nano again and i have the same Problems again :(

ideas?
The Nano is a top quality station, so I'd say you got a dud (or possibly a Pico; they look identical from the exterior). I'd recommend sending it in for a refund, NOT a replacement if you purchased from Amazon, as they've a nasty habit of putting returned products back on the shelf and resold as new, including defective items:palm:

You can get it here for 198EUR (incl. VAT).

The Weller WS 81 or WD1002 would be closer to the Ersa I-Con Nano performance wise, but based on Amazon's prices, are more expensive in Europe. Ersa actually has the edge on tip quality (Weller's tip QC has been sporadic IME).

I understand the fear given your experience, but do understand, Ersa really isn't garbage.

hmm you got me thinking

i did so they did give me cash back

when i got my Station is seemed (my english sucks) that it was used ! i was thinking it was production testing but what you said makes sense!



so everybody says that ersa is really good... if i bought it from that site i would pay 205€ instead of 177€
can i be sure that i get Geniue ersa and not "Kind of" broken shit like Amazon did sell me?
 

Offline nanofrog

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2015, 11:56:26 pm »
when i got my Station is seemed (my english sucks) that it was used ! i was thinking it was production testing but what you said makes sense!
It wouldn't look used from any production testing, and that would be done first before sealing it in any packaging. So when you see non-factory applied tape, you can be sure it was opened for whatever reason.

so everybody says that ersa is really good... if i bought it from that site i would pay 205€ instead of 177€
can i be sure that i get Geniue ersa and not "Kind of" broken shit like Amazon did sell me?
AFAIK, Yes. But you can call or email Ersa and see if they're truly authorized retailers or not.

FWIW, there have been other members that have bought from them before without any issues.

____________________________________

Another alternative, would be contact another member, TopLoser (located in the UK). He sells major brands such as Ersa, JBC, and Weller (Pace too IIRC), and at a notable discount (so you could get a lot more station for your budget, or same/similar to the i-Con Nano for less). A number of other members have purchased from him and all have been happy with their experiences.

Sometimes it's demonstrators, but he tells you and makes sure it's all there if it is (or tells you exactly what is missing if not), and that it works before he ships it. Link is to his user profile above, so send him a PM, and see what he can do before buying anywhere.   ;) Definitely worth the effort.  :-+

Total brain fart for not mentioning this beforehand.  :-[
 

Offline nanofrog

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #13 on: May 02, 2015, 12:09:31 am »
BTW, take a look at the following thread by JoeBean, who just bought that station from TopLoser (shipped to CAN).  ;)

Got my Ersa i-Con Vario 4!
« Last Edit: May 02, 2015, 12:14:22 am by nanofrog »
 

Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2015, 09:22:12 am »
when i got my Station is seemed (my english sucks) that it was used ! i was thinking it was production testing but what you said makes sense!
It wouldn't look used from any production testing, and that would be done first before sealing it in any packaging. So when you see non-factory applied tape, you can be sure it was opened for whatever reason.

so everybody says that ersa is really good... if i bought it from that site i would pay 205€ instead of 177€
can i be sure that i get Geniue ersa and not "Kind of" broken shit like Amazon did sell me?
AFAIK, Yes. But you can call or email Ersa and see if they're truly authorized retailers or not.

FWIW, there have been other members that have bought from them before without any issues.

____________________________________

Another alternative, would be contact another member, TopLoser (located in the UK). He sells major brands such as Ersa, JBC, and Weller (Pace too IIRC), and at a notable discount (so you could get a lot more station for your budget, or same/similar to the i-Con Nano for less). A number of other members have purchased from him and all have been happy with their experiences.

Sometimes it's demonstrators, but he tells you and makes sure it's all there if it is (or tells you exactly what is missing if not), and that it works before he ships it. Link is to his user profile above, so send him a PM, and see what he can do before buying anywhere.   ;) Definitely worth the effort.  :-+

Total brain fart for not mentioning this beforehand.  :-[


it had no tape on ersa bo...only on Amazon box

i may do so but it is Kind of bad idea...beouse costumers (Zoll) may Charge me and shipping can be pricy...but i think i will contact him

BTW, take a look at the following thread by JoeBean, who just bought that station from TopLoser (shipped to CAN).  ;)

Got my Ersa i-Con Vario 4!

Looks pretty PRO and HQ

 

Offline nanofrog

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #15 on: May 02, 2015, 09:26:27 am »
it had no tape on ersa bo...only on Amazon box
Definitely gives me the impression it was a defective unit that had already been returned.  |O

i may do so but it is Kind of bad idea...beouse costumers (Zoll) may Charge me and shipping can be pricy...but i think i will contact him
I'm under the impression that there's no customs fees between EU members.  :-//
 

Online wraper

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #16 on: May 02, 2015, 10:04:32 am »
Did it have grounded power plug or just tiny 2 pin thing? If it was like on the picture, it was Pico, not Nano.

 

Online wraper

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #17 on: May 02, 2015, 10:20:18 am »
Low thermal capacity in my opinion
on Energy 1 (for SMD) when iron sits in holder temp was +/- 5°C and when i started to solder it was +/- 20°C
Because Ersa shows you a real temperature of the tip, unlike lesser stations which do not have so good heat transfer from the heater/tight temperature control. In I-con soldering stations, temperature sensor is just about 6-7mm away from end of the tip.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2015, 10:26:25 am by wraper »
 

Offline jay

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #18 on: May 02, 2015, 11:44:46 am »
I have to defend the cheap Ersa soldering stations.. I have used i-con pico for an year in hobby use. I use almost daily high end JBCs at work so I have something to compare with. I-con is far from the JBC level but considering the price it's great. The stand sucks. The first unit was dead when it arrived, but it was obviously replaced by the shop and the second unit has been trouble free. So they might have quality issues so get your iron from a reputable place with warranty. For serious use or if money is cheap for you - get a JBC.
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Offline Rasz

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #19 on: May 02, 2015, 12:00:26 pm »
this is in germany and looks legit (no idea of they are tho) http://www.ersa-shop.com/
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Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #20 on: May 02, 2015, 12:26:39 pm »
It was Nano is had normal plug on it not this shitty 2terminal one

JBC you say?

I have 180€ on hand getting 200€ more will be really hard...what model you preffer ? Maybe something in ersa nano range ?

If all you say ersa nano or any ersa or weller or hakko is piece of shit and i should get 400€ JBC or whatever else i will try to get that money
BUT
I have to buy some cheapie 5-10! € one to use and getting 100€ will take me like 3-5 months to get (parents should give me more cash xd)

I'm not pro or so but i need quality
Now.i'm soldering through hole but i will solder smd soon and i won't buy any more iron ...

JBC or ERSA or HAKKO ?
 

Offline JackP

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #21 on: May 02, 2015, 12:42:31 pm »
I'm just gonna put it out there - do you NEED quality? I understand about buying something that will last, and ignore me if you do a lot (most days, hours per day) of soldering, but I solder ~3/4 days a week with a Hakko 936 clone; I do a little SMD, for which it is fine, but day-to-day through hole. It cost me £20, but it offers temp. control and decent power. Obviously, if you have to precisely control the temp, and solder low gauge wires often, then get a JBC or Metcal. I'd recommend Hakko fx-888d if you were in the USA as a middlemean, BTW.

  It sounds to me like you really want an Ersa or JBC or Hakko station, which is fine (believe me, I want one as well), but you have to think for a moment about practicality - if it takes you half a year to get £100 together, and have £200 on hand, then there are other things to think about. I would prefer to have a Rigol DS1054z + a Fluke DMM + Hakko clone (I don't BTW), than a quality soldering station. Why?, because that would be more practical for me, and the clone works fine. I could spend everything I have on an Agilent entry scope, or a JBC, but I don't because I prefer to have that money for when I NEED it.

  Think about your needs. If you are dead set on a good station, fair play, we all want different things in life. And please don't moan at me for this suggestion, it's just another way of looking at it.
 

Offline jay

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #22 on: May 02, 2015, 02:25:49 pm »
My handle doesn't heat up, but I have heard the Pico does... Maybe you got the wrong handpiece by mistake?

Isn't it the same handle in both pico and nano? I have noticed that the handle heats up when the iron is not placed properly (carefully) in the stand. The tip easily touches the metal "spring" of the Pico stand, so it's heating at full power to keep the tip hot. The stand simply sucks.
SW engineer trying to design HW because it's more fun.
 

Online wraper

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #23 on: May 02, 2015, 03:40:11 pm »
My handle doesn't heat up, but I have heard the Pico does... Maybe you got the wrong handpiece by mistake?

Isn't it the same handle in both pico and nano? I have noticed that the handle heats up when the iron is not placed properly (carefully) in the stand. The tip easily touches the metal "spring" of the Pico stand, so it's heating at full power to keep the tip hot. The stand simply sucks.
They have the same dimensions but they are different. As well as heating elements. Nano has the same heating element as more expensive I-CON soldering stations, while pico uses cheaper one.
 

Offline LuckymatTopic starter

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Re: Soldering Station for <200€ (EU)
« Reply #24 on: May 02, 2015, 04:46:30 pm »
I'm just gonna put it out there - do you NEED quality? I understand about buying something that will last, and ignore me if you do a lot (most days, hours per day) of soldering, but I solder ~3/4 days a week with a Hakko 936 clone; I do a little SMD, for which it is fine, but day-to-day through hole. It cost me £20, but it offers temp. control and decent power. Obviously, if you have to precisely control the temp, and solder low gauge wires often, then get a JBC or Metcal. I'd recommend Hakko fx-888d if you were in the USA as a middlemean, BTW.

  It sounds to me like you really want an Ersa or JBC or Hakko station, which is fine (believe me, I want one as well), but you have to think for a moment about practicality - if it takes you half a year to get £100 together, and have £200 on hand, then there are other things to think about. I would prefer to have a Rigol DS1054z + a Fluke DMM + Hakko clone (I don't BTW), than a quality soldering station. Why?, because that would be more practical for me, and the clone works fine. I could spend everything I have on an Agilent entry scope, or a JBC, but I don't because I prefer to have that money for when I NEED it.

  Think about your needs. If you are dead set on a good station, fair play, we all want different things in life. And please don't moan at me for this suggestion, it's just another way of looking at it.

good Point good way but

i have DMM ist BM257
i Need scope but i must wait
i could buy 2nd DMM but i have time i also could buy PSU but i don't Need it soon (LM317 does fine!)

if i bought scope i would pay 200-500 €
and i my case i Need iron NOW

i have lendt already 100€ becouse i did have 30 and i got 50 for easter
if i saved and bought nothing else i could get 100€ every 2 months but i spend like 5-15€ on other stuff and 5-30€ on components

i my case i Need good iron for few years and scope i will buy in some time

My handle doesn't heat up, but I have heard the Pico does... Maybe you got the wrong handpiece by mistake?

Isn't it the same handle in both pico and nano? I have noticed that the handle heats up when the iron is not placed properly (carefully) in the stand. The tip easily touches the metal "spring" of the Pico stand, so it's heating at full power to keep the tip hot. The stand simply sucks.

hmm could be it but i liked nano stand it was not awesome but good enaugh
« Last Edit: May 02, 2015, 04:49:12 pm by Luckymat »
 


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