Metcal Soldering Tip Pathology

[moby]

I use a couple of Metcal MX-500 solder stations. These use the STTC style tips. The tips are hellish expensive, especially the non standard ones.
I'm  not getting very good life out of the tips. Long before the plating has eroded away, the tips simply stop working. I can make them limp on a little longer by tapping them sharply before use, but once this stage is reached, the end is nigh.
The tips have a few turns of wire around a core, and the coil does not appear broken on dead tips, they show continuity.
Q: Anyone know what is going wrong in these tips?.
M

[mikeselectricstuff]

IME this is the normal failure mode of tips, but I typically get good lifetime before it happens - well over a year of near-daily use.

I don't know if it's still the case, but Metcal used to replace any tip whose heater failed before the tip plating, so may be worth getting in touch with them.
 
These days I tend to use Thermaltronics tips - don't think I've ever seen a heater failure on those

[Someone]

These days I tend to use Thermaltronics tips - don't think I've ever seen a heater failure on those

I have a good mixture of tips, and the plating has gone prematurely on a few Thermaltronics tips so they might just be erring more on that side for long term failures.

[Smokey]

I've always seen super long life from all my tips.  Even the ones I've abused.

These days when I buy them new, I'm using easybraid brand tips.  They are pretty damn good.
http://www.easybraidco.com/cross-references.php?competitor=4

[KE5FX]

Pro tip: always plenty of these for sale on eBay.  Don't buy them at retail.

[moby]

Pro tip: always plenty of these for sale on eBay.  Don't buy them at retail.

Ebay used to be my happy hunting ground for Metcal tips - not so good these days, have seen them close to retail and when you factor in the Ebay global shipping rort, the gloss goes off the deal entirely. There are even used tips being offered there (about as appealing as used comdoms). The occasional great deal does pop up however - especially from a bloke in Israel.
M

[VK3DRB]

I have a better tip. Invest in a JBC CD-2E and a couple of different tip styles. I have used Metcal before (they are good and I never had tips not heat up), but the JBCs are a whole new ball game IMO. I have also used Pace (great), Hakko (crap), Weller (good), Royel (who?), and a range of Chinese made ripoffs (all crap).

An engineering friend who bought one of these JBCs reckoned the irons and the tips are an order of magnitude better than anything else. I was a little sceptical of his claims but I bought one for work. I was so impressed I then bought one for home. Never looked back. (In Australia, Mektronics and Oritech have them on special occasionally and to seal the deal from one of these suppliers, I asked for and received an extra free tip and free delivery on top of the special price.)

Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. I wish I had this mindset over the last 30 years as I collected a plethora of cheapo low quality spanners and sockets - a big mistake. Recently I spat the dummy after a socket stripped when I was replacing my car's brake shoes. So I invested in comprehensive set of quality sockets and spanners at a one-day 50% off sale around Christmas. Cost me a few hundred dollars which hurt the hip pocket nerve. They were so beautifully engineered, I even confessed to the wife what I had bought without approval. As I use then, I realise what I was missing out on over the last 30 years. Soldering irons are similar to quality mechanics or carpenters tools - invest in the best upfront and reap the long term benefits.

My old iron at home is a Weller which I bought 38 years ago. I used Weller and my wife used Wella. These days, I use JBC but the wife still prefers Wella.

Top quality tools are worth the extra money, IMO.

[ConKbot]

Nix the JBCs, I replaced all the JBC irons at work with metcals after the base stations kept breaking, and tips kept burning up the plating when the crap stand wouldn't detect the iron right. The foam on the handpiece goes to crap also.

Only JBC that didn't get retired was an old one that was actually built with quality, and is still trucking on after many of the new model ones had failed. It had proven itself and it got to stay. The newer JBC just couldn't hold up to daily use.