I was thinking about getting a new soldering iron based on the T12 tips because of the lighter weight handpiece and the faster tip temperature regulation.
Is the faster temperature regulation really noticeable or more of a marketing feature ?
The genuine tips from Hakko are the T15 series for the US & EU markets, and the T12 series is for Japan, Oceania, Asia & Other countries. Not sure what the differences are.
Yes, faster recovery is quite noticeable.
- Are there any major differences between the genuine and fake ones(except for the auto sleep feature) ? Like actual power, regulation speed, etc.
- Is there a big difference in genuine vs fake tips ?
- Any noticeable differences in the fake vs genuine handpiece ?
1. There are definitely differences internally, and I'd bet it would be revealed in a head-to-head comparison, particularly when pushed hard.
2. Yes. The plating on the genuine tips are thicker and last longer.
3. ? Not sure if they get too uncomfortable to hold or not during prolonged periods of use.
Also, does anyone know of a non-button-based version of a T12 soldering station ( I don't like clicking to set temperature ). The DIY kit is like that, it has a rotary encoder.
Hakko FX-950 is an analog version of the FX-951, with fewer features as well (not available in the US though).