IRONS!

[ilikepez]

Hakko FX-888 arrived today. Nice iron, I spent about 2 hours catching up on all the little soldering jobs I have been putting off. It heat up so quickly I thought there was a problem at first, but I checked the temp and it was right on the money.

Its well built and solid feeling. I like the stand which is probably one of the more stable stands I've ever used. I wasn't soldering anything huge of course but it kept its temp just fine.  Much better then the Radioshack plug in ones I've used over the last couple years.

The only thing that didn't feel completely solid was the plug for the iron. It was a little loose. Not that you yank it much or even plug and unplug it that often, but its the first place I would check if it suddenly stops working.

Over all I think the Hakko was a good buy for the 100 usd I payed after tax and shipping.

[shadowless]

I am using the FX888, generally there is not much design to these industrial tools but i really like the design thoughts put into this iron.  The layout of the base station is really neat and clear. The smaller footprint is ideal for me to store away as i do not have a permanent bench. The metal stand is well made with the cleaning sponge and brass shaving integrated and easily removable for clearing the solder debris. The stand is design specifically for the iron so that it slot right in at the collar and does not move around.  It is a very good piece of industrial design and it makes soldering a joy.

It heats up fast and maintain temperature well. Turns on and off by a mechanical switch at the base station on the side which i always do when i stop to prepare the parts in between solder.

I am looking to get some tip tinner, any advice on which brand to get?

[Trigger]

I went with the FX-951 because the heating element and sensor is part of the tip and the sleeves allow for quick changes since I'll usually end up using a few different tips as I work through a board for different components.

[reagle]

I've been waiting for a good deal on a Metcal on ebay for quite a while, until it finally hit me that for my home use a brand new Hakko FX-888 setup is a better deal than a used Metcal with unknown life left in the power supply and pretty expensive tips. Should see my Hakko in a few days

[insurgent]

I went with the FX-951 because the heating element and sensor is part of the tip and the sleeves allow for quick changes since I'll usually end up using a few different tips as I work through a board for different components.

Hey Trigger,

I have an FX-951 as well that I purchased off of ebay. Do you have the "sleep" cable that runs from the base to the handpiece stand? If so, would you please check continuity on it and let me know how it's wired? I know the stand switch is working but I tried a standard audio cable but it didn't seem to work and was wondering if theirs was wired different so they could sell a $0.10 cable for $10.00

[reagle]

Got my Hakko FX-888. Awesome quality, even has a signature of the designer on a little tag on the bottom. That's attention to details!

[Trigger]

I went with the FX-951 because the heating element and sensor is part of the tip and the sleeves allow for quick changes since I'll usually end up using a few different tips as I work through a board for different components.

Hey Trigger,

I have an FX-951 as well that I purchased off of ebay. Do you have the "sleep" cable that runs from the base to the handpiece stand? If so, would you please check continuity on it and let me know how it's wired? I know the stand switch is working but I tried a standard audio cable but it didn't seem to work and was wondering if theirs was wired different so they could sell a $0.10 cable for $10.00

It's wired straight through tip-tip, mid-mid, base-base

[RCMR]

I know everyone's going to say "don't skimp" but I was wondering whether any of those myriad of soldering stations you see on the Chinese websites are worth the money.

I was going to buy the reflow gun that Dave reviewed recently -- until I saw all the other bad aspects raised in the forums so I've decided to give that a miss -- which leads me to also ask - are any of the low cost (ie: <$120) Chinese hot air rework stations worth the money?

Right now I get buy with an uncontrolled 25W iron that I run through a light dimmer (to set the temp -- but without regulation) and it's working just fine but I'd like to get something a little more sophsticated :-))

[nukie]

If you know how to fix stuff then it's really bang for buck. Treat them as a kit that requires disassembly then re-assembly. Add some heatshrink, do some rework on the shitty soldering and wiring then you are done. The plastics, metal pieces, electronic components are manufactured so the quality can be considered consistent. It's the workmanship that counts.

[insurgent]

It's wired straight through tip-tip, mid-mid, base-base

Thanks Trigger. The standard cable works fine. What's strange is that I tried it before and I didn't work at all which is what made me ohm out the switch. I just tried it again and the sleep function works fine. Must have has a bad connection the first time.

[ilikepez]

Somehow I ended up ordering the Hakko FX-901 battery operated iron. I think it snuck into my cart with some books I was buying online. Anyway I got it and it actually works alright. 4 AA batteries give it power for about 60 minutes. Enough to do a bit of soldering anyway. It heats up to a good temp and solders well, but it doesn't seem to recover very quickly. Which of course it wouldn't, its only a 7W iron.

Anyway, for doing a few small soldering tasks out in the field I would recommend it. But if I was going to spend more then fifteen minutes soldering I would seriously think about going back to the shop.

Its pretty well built. Good solid feeling plastic. The switch is a bit cheap buts its only a $30 iron. It does end up being cheaper then the butane powered alternatives, so I'm keeping it.  I can post a video of it sometime if people are interested.

[insurgent]

Hi ilikepez,
Thanks for the info. I, for one, would be interested in seeing a video or pic review of this unit.

[Ronnie]

My next review will be the FX-888

When will this be? I bought a FX-888 last Jan 2011 from Hakko Philippines.

[shadowless]

I think it is part of the recent soldering review video.