New soldering station advice

[erupter]

Hello fellow electronichers

My thrusted Lafayette diyed on me the other day so I need a new iron.

I know I know: the most repeated soldering station advice is "get the Hakko FX888".
But unfortunately I can't source it at reasonable prices.
I live in Europe, specifically Italy, and this product I can only find on Ebay coming from china or the states (making a total shipped price of more than 100€ before any import taxes!).
I looked on Farnell and RS and the only economically viable option I found was on Farnell:
Duratool -> LINK for 74€.

After this things escalate pretty quickly to the first 119€ Weller.
So I had a look on Ebay and found the Atten AT8586 which looks a lot more bang for the bucks!
Also given I read of lots of you using Atten scopes, I think I can go that route.

But I had no luck sourcing tips and parts, does anyone have any experience with Atten soldering stations?
Any European that can give useful advices?

Keep in mind I'm not an electronics noob: I'm 10 years in the job, more on mixed-signal/digital crcuits than pure analog, so I'm delving with microcontrollers and some smds (although not the 0402 unless needed, I tend to preserve my eyesight )

[amyk]

If you don't need hot air, you can find the various 936-style clones for a lot cheaper (Atten isn't the only maker of that style station), and while they're probably not as good as the real thing, can be a much better value.

[erupter]

If you don't need hot air, you can find the various 936-style clones for a lot cheaper (Atten isn't the only maker of that style station), and while they're probably not as good as the real thing, can be a much better value.

Ok but then again:what about tips?
What tips can these mount? where do I find them?

[electronics-geek]

Hi,

interesting discussion, in europe Hakko seems be hard to get, certainly if you need some spare parts 
I also looked at weller. The pices seem to be much lower in the States, for example the WX2.
Does anyone know if these weller units (like the WX1 and the WX2) can handle both 120 and 240V  mains input? I could not confrim this in any manual...
I know these wellers are expensive bit I like the possibility to be able to combine a temperature controlled 200 watt iron (for the heavy duty stuff) and the lower wattage irons for even smd soldering...

EG   

[madires]

What about an Ersa i-Con pico or i-Con nano? Tips and stuff should be availiable even in 20 years. And there's no problem to buy Ersa products in the EU.

[erupter]

What about an Ersa i-Con pico or i-Con nano? Tips and stuff should be availiable even in 20 years. And there's no problem to buy Ersa products in the EU.

At prices well above 100€ they are out of my budget.
I was aiming at about 80€ or less.

Swiped on my Optimus2X with Tapas

[madires]

Does anyone know if these weller units (like the WX1 and the WX2) can handle both 120 and 240V  mains input? I could not confrim this in any manual...
I know these wellers are expensive bit I like the possibility to be able to combine a temperature controlled 200 watt iron (for the heavy duty stuff) and the lower wattage irons for even smd soldering...

Either 240VAC or 110VAC. The Ersa high end soldering stations are a little bit less expensive but also really great.

[madires]

At prices well above 100€ they are out of my budget.
I was aiming at about 80€ or less.

Maybe a XYTRONIC LF-2000 (80€) then. There's also a SMD-tweezers tool (50€) for that soldering station and tips are cheap (3€). Another solution, which I used for a long time, is to get two hand soldering irons, one with 15W and the other one with 25W (Ersa Multitip for example).
The 15W iron will heat up to about 350°C and the 25W iron will do about 450°C. That combination can handle most common soldering jobs and costs only about 60€.

[erupter]

At prices well above 100€ they are out of my budget.
I was aiming at about 80€ or less.

Maybe a XYTRONIC LF-2000 (80€) then. There's also a SMD-tweezers tool (50€) for that soldering station and tips are cheap (3€). Another solution, which I used for a long time, is to get two hand soldering irons, one with 15W and the other one with 25W (Ersa Multitip for example).
The 15W iron will heat up to about 350°C and the 25W iron will do about 450°C. That combination can handle most common soldering jobs and costs only about 60€.

The multi tool solution isn't for me.

About the xytronic:a rapid search on Ebay gave me just one uk seller, selling it for more than 200 shipped.
Can you give me a link selling it for 80 as you mentioned?


Swiped on my Optimus2X with Tapas

[madires]

About the xytronic:a rapid search on Ebay gave me just one uk seller, selling it for more than 200 shipped.
Can you give me a link selling it for 80 as you mentioned?

Sure :-)

http://www.reichelt.de/XYTRONIC-Loetstationen/STATION-LF-2000/3/index.html?;ACTION=3;LA=2;ARTICLE=89344;GROUPID=4543;artnr=STATION+LF-2000

[erupter]

Sure :-)

http://www.reichelt.de/XYTRONIC-Loetstationen/STATION-LF-2000/3/index.html?;ACTION=3;LA=2;ARTICLE=89344;GROUPID=4543;artnr=STATION+LF-2000

Thanks, that's feasible.
Do you know if the tips advertised for the LF2000 are good for the LF1600 too?

[madires]

Thanks, that's feasible.
Do you know if the tips advertised for the LF2000 are good for the LF1600 too?

You're welcome :-)
Just checked the accessory recommendations. LF1600 needs another type of tips (a little bit more expensive at 4€).

[erupter]

You're welcome :-)
Just checked the accessory recommendations. LF1600 needs another type of tips (a little bit more expensive at 4€).

Feeling a bit stupid there, but if I check out this page and select accessories

for soldering/desoldering station LF-1600/LF-853D

the only thing shown is a replacement iron for the station.
No tips at all.
Also there is no reference to accessories for the 108ESD (the soldering iron for the LF1600 station).

How did you find them?

[madires]

Feeling a bit stupid there, but if I check out this page and select accessories

for soldering/desoldering station LF-1600/LF-853D

the only thing shown is a replacement iron for the station.
No tips at all.
Also there is no reference to accessories for the 108ESD (the soldering iron for the LF1600 station).

How did you find them?

When viewing the page of the soldering station itself you'll find "Additional and alternative products:" just below the product description. Then scroll that area to the right and you got the tips.

[T4P]

The duratool is a bad weller clone and recently weller's been going down ...
How about some 936 CLONES?

[erupter]

The duratool is a bad weller clone and recently weller's been going down ...
How about some 936 CLONES?

Problem is sourcing them at reasonable pricing together with tips possibly.
Can you provide any EU located reseller?

[T4P]

The duratool is a bad weller clone and recently weller's been going down ...
How about some 936 CLONES?

Problem is sourcing them at reasonable pricing together with tips possibly.
Can you provide any EU located reseller?

CircuitSpecialists EU ... Tips are cheap as chips when it comes to clones

[Polossatik]

I ordered this Yihua 898BD+ solde by william and i'm quite happy with it. it's 85£ http://www.labtronix.co.uk/drupal/shop/soldering