What to look for in a good soldering station?

[drZoidberg]

Hi guys!

I've been doing electronics some years now (at school and as a hobby) and I've always been using cheap soldering stations.
Now I'm running an electronics lab at my school and I want to buy some quality soldering stations  

What do I look for in a quality soldering station?
What is an acceptable heating time?
What kind of tip should I get. And should I buy a ton of spare tips?
How much does the power rating affect the performance?
Should I go for a well known manufacturer or are there some cheaper options that will also work well?
What brand names are decent?

If you have any other experiences, good or bad, please share

I want to spend something like $300 - $400.

I recently tried some that I really liked, but they are quite expensive
The ones that I tried were some Weller soldering stations: https://www.elfaelektronikk.no/elfa3~no_en/elfa/init.do?item=82-258-05&toc=19658  
(prices are in Norwegian kroner ~$1000)

I really liked the soldering "tweezers" of the Weller station.
The tip of the pen had a mini-jack on the back and was quick to hot-swap.


We are soon getting a cnc mill, so we'll be doing a lot of smd work.
We already have an Atten 858D hot air station, so the station doesn't need hot air (or does it?).

Link to Dave's review of the hot air station: http://www.eevblog.com/2011/04/25/eevblog-167-atten-858d-hot-air-rework-review/

Thanks =)
DrZoidberg

[sacherjj]

I would look into tip prices as a factor.  Once you get at the $100 soldering level, you have a decent iron.  For a school situation, I imagine you have the possibility of going through more tips than someone who is experienced at soldering.  So $7 vs $20 for a tip might start to add up.

After getting the hot air station, I found that it is so much easier than a tweezers iron for soldering or removing SMD.   

[saturation]

There's quite a number of archived discussions on the forum, just check those.  For home use, you can't go wrong with a Hakko FX888, Dave did a mini-review some time in the past.  Unlike Weller, you can be sure its still made with high quality and consistency, as they are made in Japan.  Hakko gives very good support, has many accessories, and the predecessor Hakko 936 was so copied it tells you how well accepted it was.

The key qualities are it heat up in seconds, holds temperature as set and tip lasts long.  The cord is soft and supple so you don't wrestle with it while soldering, and the iron is lightweight and pen like rather than holding a short broom stick. 

[img]

How is your lab setup going? Have you made any decisions?
Perhaps you'd want to tell more about it?

[Psi]

Some have a tube that runs down the length of the iron and provides suction to remove fumes.
It's works well to remove fumes but makes the iron a bit weird to hold since it's not round in shape like a normal iron.

I'd recommend checking if you like the feel before getting one like that.

[Ronnie]

For home use, you can't go wrong with a Hakko FX888, Dave did a mini-review some time in the past.  Unlike Weller, you can be sure its still made with high quality and consistency, as they are made in Japan.

FX-888 is made in Malaysia I bought one from Hakko Philippines.
Feature I'm want in a good station is a universal power supply that operates from 100 V - 240 V 50/60 Hz so I can bring it anywhere I go.

[saturation]

Yes, that would be a plus, so many PC and laptop PSU are universal, but IIRC most soldering stations are either 120 or 240VAC because they use linear supply designs over SMPS.

BTW, reports on an equivalent Weller station WES51 are good today.

Hakko management seems to know well what it does, so making in anywhere in the world would not matter, IMHO.  Weller OTAH, must have had issues moving manufacturing to China, but the newer WES51 and others stations are made in Mexico.  It certainly confusing for buyers.

If the OP has the option, take a look at Xytronic stations, they are established Taiwan based company, ODM for other lesser named solder stations, and have stations similar to Hakko for 1/2 its list price.  There are no complaints on the low end soldering stations they make and they are uniquely designed.

Lastly, beware of Hakko counterfeit, its all over the place.  I haven't seen any outright 888, but there are 936 counterfeits and that includes spare parts.  Hakko FX 888 tips have stamp serial numbers but as extra caution get them from authorized distributors to remove the risk of counterfeit; the difference is only often $1-2,  and in the USA Hakko may ship product for free from their web store, so you can get it direct from them.

For home use, you can't go wrong with a Hakko FX888, Dave did a mini-review some time in the past.  Unlike Weller, you can be sure its still made with high quality and consistency, as they are made in Japan.

FX-888 is made in Malaysia I bought one from Hakko Philippines.
Feature I'm want in a good station is a universal power supply that operates from 100 V - 240 V 50/60 Hz so I can bring it anywhere I go.

[Smoking]

Hi drZoidberg,

ATTEN has some nice solder stations : http://www.atten.eu/solder-rework.html
There is a nice 3mm solder tip extra for free now if you send a email.

Greetings
J Rijnders

[ciccio]

Hakko management seems to know well what it does, so making in anywhere in the world would not matter, IMHO.  Weller OTAH, must have had issues moving manufacturing to China, but the newer WES51 and others stations are made in Mexico.  It certainly confusing for buyers.

Well,  my Weller WS81 stations were both made in Germany, and they work like a charm without any problems.
I've never seen a Weller made in China, but those WES51 sold in USA are different (especially the hand-piece)  from the ones that were sold in Europe before Weller discontinued them.
Maybe there is some Ungar ancestry in them?

In any case, the better soldering stations I ever used are the new JBC. 
They are sold in Italy at the same price level than equivalent Weller, and are a lot better.
They combine the power of the Metcal with adjustable temperature.

[saturation]

That's very interesting, in the USA, many Weller's were made in the USA, now many high quality components are Germany, tips from Japan, medium grade stations are Mexico, intermediate ones from Taiwan, and the low ends are China, increasingly dissappearing from the listing, see below.

Maybe I should restate that it probably isn't made in China, but OEM from factories there.  But the reputation of Weller suffered because of these products bearing its name.  Its better now, but Hakko never went through such a transition, even if the FX888 is made in Malaysia.

Given how many countries Weller sources parts from, QA can be a problem.

If you use this website of a reputable US dealer, check products under 'technical info' and look for country of origin and it will show were they are made.

http://www.all-spec.com/products/Weller/Soldering_and_Rework|Portable_Soldering_Equipment|SOL-27/BP10.html

http://www.all-spec.com/products/Weller/Soldering_and_Rework|Soldering.Rework_Equipment|SOL-10/WESD51.html

http://www.all-spec.com/products/Weller/Soldering_and_Rework|Portable_Soldering_Equipment|SOL-26/BP860MP.html

JBC is a great station, I know it by reputation, its from a Spanish company, I think.

Hakko management seems to know well what it does, so making in anywhere in the world would not matter, IMHO.  Weller OTAH, must have had issues moving manufacturing to China, but the newer WES51 and others stations are made in Mexico.  It certainly confusing for buyers.

Well,  my Weller WS81 stations were both made in Germany, and they work like a charm without any problems.
I've never seen a Weller made in China, but those WES51 sold in USA are different (especially the hand-piece)  from the ones that were sold in Europe before Weller discontinued them.
Maybe there is some Ungar ancestry in them?

In any case, the better soldering stations I ever used are the new JBC. 
They are sold in Italy at the same price level than equivalent Weller, and are a lot better.
They combine the power of the Metcal with adjustable temperature.

[SgtRock]

Dear Dr. Z:
--I have two Hakko 936s (latest equivalent 888) sitting one atop the other on my bench. One has a 907 wand converted for 908 tips, and has the largest chisel tip installed. I use this one for desoldering. The second 936 has a standard 907 wand with the standard issue chisel tip. Both have been modified to include the green "Power On LED". The red LED only only lights up when the heater is on, and can cause one to leave the unit on all night, not good. I use the Hakko brass wool tip cleaner, to avoid the thermal shock of the wet sponge treatment. And, I always make sure the tips have a nice shiny coat of solder on them. I recycle a lot of old electronic equipment and have put the heavy tip through pure hell for a year. It barely shows a scratch. I do not think there is a variable temp soldering station, that has a chance against the Hakko in a hundred dollar shoot out. I love my Fluke 87s and my Hakko 936s. When I look at Dave's bench I can see that Dave feels the same way. My Fluke 87s and my Hakko 936s do most of the hard work where the rubber meets the road. No I have not given them individual names like ol' yeller and blackie---yet. Good Luck
Clear Ether

[saturation]

SgtRock,

A good testimony of how reliable and solid the Hakkos are; its a reason they are counterfeited and copied heavily in China.  I've used Weller's before, but not the $100+ stations, those low end unregulated and 'light dimmer' irons are no better than no-name brands.

Did you ever use any thermally controlled Weller's before the Hakko?  If so, what's your impression?

Dear Dr. Z:
--I have two Hakko 936s (latest equivalent 888) ..

[SgtRock]

Dear saturation:
--No, I have not used the Weller Temperature Controlled Stations. I hear a lot of good things about the old ones, and less good things about the newer ones. I do, however swear by Weller Soldering Guns. I have the Weller D650 Industrial Soldering Gun. At full trigger it produces 200 watts, at half trigger it produces 300 watts. It is extremely well made and has 2 lights. This gun should melt nearly anything encountered in electronics. If it will not, I will use two of them or get a blow torch. The only negative attribute that I can see is the cycle time of one minute on and 4 minutes off, which does not seem all that industrial, come to think of it.
Clear Ether