Hakko FX-888D High Temperatures

[zker666]

Hi all,

I've owned a Hakko 888d at home for personal projects, repair and occasional rework about 4 or so years back, and I have gotten along great with it. I don't mind the funky interface and have gotten use to using my preset temp programs. Physically, I hate the power switch on the side, I might move it to the top or front, but that aside.. I don't mind the thing overall. I know this model has been reviewed at nauseum, however I haven't found a review that compares tip actual temp to displayed temp...(i might be wrong)? Iron/themocouple temps are in Fahrenheit for this yank.

Thermally, it has a bit to be desired with heat-up time, which I've found can be remedied with a pinch of graphite powder between the ceramic element and the tip. Not usually a problem for what I do. However, I got curious after a few cold ones and decided to whip out the thermocouple and probe the actual tip temperature for kicks. To my surprise, the tip (1.6mm Chisel Tip T18-D16 for anyone playing along) measured a very consistent +60-80°F (~15-26°C) difference in temperature from the thermocouple to the displayed temperature on the unit over several ranges. I was wondering if this is a known issue for these irons, I went back through Dave's 888D reviews and a few others and can't seem to find a mention of this. This is just a cheapy thermocouple but I've confirmed with another TC (Type K).

What prompted this thought? My company just paid for me and another fellow EE to become IPC-A-610/J-STD-001/IPC-7711 Hand Soldering certified last week through a full week course which got me thinking about all aspects of my soldering techniques and tools in my professional and personal areas. I would highly recommend you guys to convince your boss(s) to get paid to learn to become a certified soldering guru as well!! The course was taught using the newest and best JBC rework stations and now I am ruined forever lol....but got me thinking of auditing my own equipment. This temperature differential is quite a bit out and could be detrimental if doing something process-critical where lifting a pad or burning a component - by not realizing that you're a good 10% hotter than you thought you were. Just curious as to what other people's experiences are, or if my probing method/tools is/are flawed.

I'll leave some pictures here. Running 63/37 here, but sometimes use up old 60/40- not too important. Let me know your thoughts 

[zker666]

640F Reading 709F

[zker666]

550F Reading 621F

[Veteran68]

The Hakko 888D is a solid entry-level iron but as you discovered with the JBC station, the old school separate tip and heater design has major drawbacks, not the least of which are heating times and accurate heat regulation. Even cheap $50 KSGER/Handskrit T12 clone stations will outperform it easily with their modern cartridge tips.

I used a 888D for several years, and while it was certainly better than the ancient "firesticks" I grew up with and learned on, I still felt like something was missing (or else I must just suck at soldering), until I first used a cartridge based iron. Now I have a Pace ADS200 and I could never go back. It makes soldering almost effortless. My 888D sits on a shelf collecting dust, and I have several portable USB powered T12-type irons for portable use that work so much better too.

I'd say do yourself a favor and graduate to a better cartridge based station. While they're wonderful, you don't have to spend a lot on a Pace, JBC, or Metcal either -- as I said there are a bounty of cheap Chinese T12 and JBC clones out there that work well (there are some that suck too, so do some research here and on YouTube to pick a good one).

[zker666]

Changed Probe angle to a more realistic angle during use, roughly 30-40 degrees downwards. Seems a bit more accurate, however still a bit high.

[zker666]

Thanks for the reply! My intuition was correct. I will be upgrading to an integrated-element system soon. As you had mentioned, I don't think I can ever go back to a traditional iron even for a home system.

Thanks again!

The Hakko 888D is a solid entry-level iron but as you discovered with the JBC station, the old school separate tip and heater design has major drawbacks, not the least of which are heating times and accurate heat regulation. Even cheap $50 KSGER/Handskrit T12 clone stations will outperform it easily with their modern cartridge tips.

I used a 888D for several years, and while it was certainly better than the ancient "firesticks" I grew up with and learned on, I still felt like something was missing (or else I must just suck at soldering), until I first used a cartridge based iron. Now I have a Pace ADS2000 and I could never go back. It makes soldering almost effortless. My 888D sits on a shelf collecting dust, and I have several portable USB powered T12-type irons for portable use that work so much better too.

I'd say do yourself a favor and graduate to a better cartridge based station. While they're wonderful, you don't have to spend a lot on a Pace, JBC, or Metcal either -- as I said there are a bounty of cheap Chinese T12 and JBC clones out there that work well (there are some that suck too, so do some research here and on YouTube to pick a good one).