How Long Have Your Cheap "Hakklone" Soldering Tips Lasted?

[iamdarkyoshi]

Because my favorite tip, the giant chisel tip (don't know the correct name) has been used for over a year now, sometimes on rather high temps (>450 degrees) and even occasional plastic melting, which I'm well aware is not good for them.

Anyway, after wrapping the heater in foil for better themal transfer, this iron is astounding, at 450 degrees it can solder onto 1.5mm sheet metal.

Here is the condition of mine after a year, and yes, I'm aware that my camera's focusing mechanism has ADHD, like me.



I'm not sure about you, but for an insanely cheap tip (it came with the station) to last a year through some rather abusive soldering sessions, I'm very impressed. Dave has said that the cheap stuff isn't worth dealing with, but I honestly have to disagree.

[tautech]

That's what Hakko call their K knife tip but I think it's better called a skew, just like a skew woodturning chisel.
Great for SMD passives as you can hit both pads at once.

Yep, I'm guilty too of using one for welding broken plastics together.

https://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/series_900m.html#type_k

[iamdarkyoshi]

That's what Hakko call their K knife tip but I think it's better called a skew, just like a skew woodturning chisel.
Great for SMD passives as you can hit both pads at once.

Yep, I'm guilty too of using one for welding broken plastics together.

https://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/series_900m.html#type_k

I actually use mine for nearly everything, using the tip, you can do small joints, using the large edge you can do SMD stuff or 3 pin devices all at once, and using the flat side, you can use it to easily tin wires. I haven't switched it out for anything else yet.

[tautech]

That's what Hakko call their K knife tip but I think it's better called a skew, just like a skew woodturning chisel.
Great for SMD passives as you can hit both pads at once.

Yep, I'm guilty too of using one for welding broken plastics together.

https://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/series_900m.html#type_k

I actually use mine for nearly everything, using the tip, you can do small joints, using the large edge you can do SMD stuff or 3 pin devices all at once, and using the flat side, you can use it to easily tin wires. I haven't switched it out for anything else yet.

Do get into a habit of removing tips occasionally before they get tight on the element, some cheapies I got with my station have a steel insert and are prone to seizing on so I yank them off or spin them on the element periodically.

[iamdarkyoshi]

That's what Hakko call their K knife tip but I think it's better called a skew, just like a skew woodturning chisel.
Great for SMD passives as you can hit both pads at once.

Yep, I'm guilty too of using one for welding broken plastics together.

https://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/series_900m.html#type_k

I actually use mine for nearly everything, using the tip, you can do small joints, using the large edge you can do SMD stuff or 3 pin devices all at once, and using the flat side, you can use it to easily tin wires. I haven't switched it out for anything else yet.

Do get into a habit of removing tips occasionally before they get tight on the element, some cheapies I got with my station have a steel insert and are prone to seizing on so I yank them off or spin them on the element periodically.

I've had mine apart a couple times, mainly to reseat the handpiece's strain relief. These tips are usually a super loose fit, I've gotten just the right amount of aluminium foil inside so it can still come off.