What is the best soldering iron out there?

[Afrotechmods]

Hello EEVBloggers,

My trusty WES51 is going on 10 years now and I'd like to treat myself to a new soldering station. I am looking for suggestions on the absolute top of the line, money-is-no-object models.

I'm looking for something that will play well with TQFPs, 0402s, as well as bigger joints like soldering 12 gauge wire. As such, I am interested in hearing recommendations on what specific tips to get too. I already have a hot air station and don't need any fancy nitrogen functionality.

I've read a lot of good things about Metcal and JBC stations but it's hard to decide what is going to offer the best user experience from just looking at spec sheets.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Metcal (MX5000) or JBC. Nothing else comes close. (OK, Thermaltronics, but that's just a Metcal clone)
And lots of tips, including some wide blades.
I've never used a JBC, but have had Metcals for 15yrs & hate using anything else.
For fine work the very short tip to (cold) handle distance is a big plus, as is the ability to switch to a big tip & be soldering to groundplanes in a few seconds.

The Metcal desoldering tool is also awesome, but needs a compressed air supply.

[digsys]

This has been discussed many times over the last couple months, so there's plenty to read.
I've got 1 Metcal and several JBCs. Only 1 engineer we had preferred the Metcal (so we killed him :-)). The JBC have a HUGE
range of affordable tips and holders, from micro-tweezers to tips for soldering gutters :-) .. all with quick change.
Agree that Metcal and JBC are the only options.

[robrenz]

Definitely JBC  adjustable temp and equal or better thermal response than Metcal. Even Dave has given in to its power

[Smokey]

+1 to metcal. 
You can get the MX500 on ebay for pretty cheap.  Get two hand pieces for two tips to really take advantage of it.  Don't take our word for it, go to any assembly house and you will see tables lined with these things.

[cyr]

I would say JBC for home/lab use, perhaps metcal for production use.
JBC is very flexible, metcal is simple and reliable.
Both have amazing performance compared to anything else I've ever tried.

[nanofrog]

Another vote for JBC. 

Far more options and versatility for home/lab use IMHO.

I realize you also asked about tips, but without specifics, it's hard to make specific recommendations other than the usual "get a few different sized chisels" to start with. One alteration/addition I would suggest, is a spoon for drag soldering (easier to use than a chisel in my experience as it holds a ball of solder under the tip) for working with TQFP sorts of packages.

[djsb]

I've got a Pace MBT350 station at home

http://www.paceworldwide.com/products/conductive-rework-systems/mbt-350/mbt-350-with-td100-mt100-and-sx100

and use a Metcal MX5000 at work.

Both very good equipment.

David.

[mikgntl-2013]

JBC without any doubts, for the following reasons:
- Reliability. I've used one of their stations for years and never had a problem.
- Exceptional thermal stability
- Sleep function and 3 seconds thermal recovery
- Huge range of tips and accessories.

[KJDS]

Metcal, JBC, Ersa, Pace, all capable tools. I've got both JBC and metcal and use the Metcal mostly because tips are a lot cheaper, so i can afford to have a lot of different tips. Not sure i'd want to shell out on 20 tips for JBC. I have labs in two rooms, two irons in each lab so the requirements soon add up,

[vzoole]

I collect solder irons and stations so I can compare many type.

Winner is... JBC T245 handpiece (this is the most common) with any station.
2nd is draw: Metcal or Hakko FM series
3rd: Weller WMRP

(it's my opinion)

[nctnico]

Metcal (MX5000) or JBC. Nothing else comes close. (OK, Thermaltronics, but that's just a Metcal clone)
And lots of tips, including some wide blades.
I've never used a JBC, but have had Metcals for 15yrs & hate using anything else.

How can your recommend JBC if you never used it?  I have used a JBC soldering iron a lot and I didn't like it. The tips wear out very quickly which make soldering hard.

[EEVblog]

I am very impressed by my JBC CD-2BB
http://www.jbctools.com/cd-b-soldering-station-product-505.html

For lab use I would not touch anything that is not temperature controlled. Paying top dollar and getting an iron that is not temp adjustable is just silly IMO.
The Metcals are better suited as production irons.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Metcal (MX5000) or JBC. Nothing else comes close. (OK, Thermaltronics, but that's just a Metcal clone)
And lots of tips, including some wide blades.
I've never used a JBC, but have had Metcals for 15yrs & hate using anything else.

How can your recommend JBC if you never used it?  I have used a JBC soldering iron a lot and I didn't like it. The tips wear out very quickly which make soldering hard.

Beceause I've seen enough other opinions (not just here) that it is in the same class as Metcal.

[EEVblog]

I'm looking for something that will play well with TQFPs, 0402s, as well as bigger joints like soldering 12 gauge wire. As such, I am interested in hearing recommendations on what specific tips to get too.

You don't need many. Two sizes of basic chisel tips (small and wide) will do most jobs.
A very fine conical for needle point hack work can also be handy.

[digsys]

Just to answer 2 comments made -
We have SEVERAL JBCs used in production - from heavy transformers to SMC.  I replaced all sorts of other brands, that were
going through tips and heaters by the boxfull. We get incredible LONG life from ALL the tips. Our 1-4 weekly repair / replace / clean
labour / cost has been reduced dramatically. And MOST tips are NOT the long life type ! In MY experience, and I HAVE ACTUALLY used
both, MUCH longer than the Metcals as well. So I 100% recommend them for production !

[Fsck]

JBCs for your unlimited budget.
I do prefer the JBCs to my metcal, but just can't justify the 2-3x the price. I haven't used ersas or paces though, so can't comment there.
I'll stick to my previously owned metcal though, performance/price on them can't be touched.

[EEVblog]

JBCs for your unlimited budget.
I do prefer the JBCs to my metcal, but just can't justify the 2-3x the price.

The JBC CD-2BB iron I have is about AU$450, and has enough thermal capacity to melt an engine block. I can't imagine any regular human needing any more capacity for general electronics work.
Metcals are mostly more expensive than JBC! (at least here in oz, and I think the US too)
The cheapest Metcal here is about the same price
http://www.mektronics.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=4296&category_id=212&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=57

Absolutely no contest there. JBC is the clear winner.

I haven't used ersas or paces though, so can't comment there.

I've used both, and they are quality brands. Pace is very old skool
I do like the tiny Ersa irons, great handling for fine SMD stuff.

[KJDS]

JBCs for your unlimited budget.
I do prefer the JBCs to my metcal, but just can't justify the 2-3x the price.

The JBC CD-2BB iron I have is about AU$450, and has enough thermal capacity to melt an engine block. I can't imagine any regular human needing any more capacity for general electronics work.
Metcals are mostly more expensive than JBC! (at least here in oz, and I think the US too)
The cheapest Metcal here is about the same price
http://www.mektronics.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=4296&category_id=212&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=57

Absolutely no contest there. JBC is the clear winner.

I haven't used ersas or paces though, so can't comment there.

I've used both, and they are quality brands. Pace is very old skool
I do like the tiny Ersa irons, great handling for fine SMD stuff.

In the UK, second hand you'll pay more for a JBC than a Metcal and the tips are twice the price.

[Fsck]

I got my used metcal for 150$, tips are 7$ each. (including shipping)
ebay has some used jbc's for 300$ (first ones I've ever seen on there), and tips are like 20$ a pop.

[KD0CAC John]

One of these days if I have the extra funds , I'ld like to play with a JBC .
But I have Weller wand and an older big-gun like 2-3 hundred watt , as a spare or loaner now .
My 1st choice is my Metcal , I have an older unit just before the MX , 500 , smart heat , with the desoldering gun - using shop air makes for almost never breaking down .
I bought the power station , holder , wand and tips then later bought the gun , holder , 2 position holder holder with switch .
I have about $200 into all .
If I could find a JBC used , I may consider .
Also have hacko or Hakko copy hot air station , going to put together a toaster oven & homebrew controller some time .

[ecat]

I picked up my old school JBC AD2700 for £70 on ebay, there was a spate of them around this time last year. It came with a used tip which looked quite a mess but a careful wipe and it was good as new.

On ebay UK JBC tips start around £9 UK shipped - the seller may be splitting multi-packs. There are occasional deals from Eastern Europe at around £7 last time I looked.
 

[Kibi]

Another vote for JBC.
Reasonably priced tips can be found on eBay from time to time.
Used stations also come up on eBay for sensible money. The new stations have fancy displays and stuff, but they are only there for production facilities who want to lock temperatures and other settings. A used AD2700 with a 2245 hand piece would perform just as well.

[Afrotechmods]

JBC CD-1BC it is! Thank you everyone who responded, you guys kick so much ass I have no words 

[Fsck]

If you have a free budget, why not grab the DD unit and grab the desoldering attachment as well (with it's own pump, not the one requiring shop air)?

[Kibi]

JBC CD-1BC it is! Thank you everyone who responded, you guys kick so much ass I have no words 

Congratulations! You have made a good choice, will not be sorry. 

[Smokey]

Congratulations! You have made a good choice, will not be sorry. 

..... until you use a Metcal   I'm just kidding.  Happy soldering!

[KJDS]

If I had to only use a JBC, or only use a Metcal, I'd be happy enough. Whilst both have advantages they both meet the needs of almost all electronic soldering requirements.

[SeanB]

Just bought a slightly well used pair of Weller magnastat irons, and all they need is a clean up ( coming soon) and a new set of tips, which I went out and bought at a local shop. Were actually cheaper there than online. One is the 50W soldering station with the transformer, and the other is the 35W 12V unit, with a set of 4mm plugs to be used on a 12V battery supply. All that is missing is the holders, but I have some around in a box.

[EV]

I have always used Weller irons. I have no experience about others.

[EEVblog]

Weller contacted me and asked if I wanted to review their new $14.99 to $27.99 consumer iron coming out shortly, available from a good department store near you.

[ddavidebor]

Nice!

[Emil]

Weller contacted me and asked if I wanted to review their new $14.99 to $27.99 consumer iron coming out shortly, available from a good department store near you.

How about a review of the JBC?

[ron]

If Weller has the guts to ask for a review, maybe you should give em one.  probably have a greater audience that esoteric Stanford Research stuff.  Besides, you can always say "what a heaping pile of ..."

[neslekkim]

I haven't used ersas or paces though, so can't comment there.

I've used both, and they are quality brands. Pace is very old skool
I do like the tiny Ersa irons, great handling for fine SMD stuff.

I bought this 2bb also, absolutely amazing tool (even after using the fx888d for couple of months).

but regarding tiny ersa, the 2bb can use the t210 handle, have you tried those?, I havent found any review or comparision yet, it would have been nice to see how those are for small work.

[Emil]

If Weller has the guts to ask for a review, maybe you should give em one.  probably have a greater audience that esoteric Stanford Research stuff.  Besides, you can always say "what a heaping pile of ..."

Agree.

I think a video comparing a low end, an mid range (Hakko FX-888) and a high end (JBC?) soldering station would be very interesting. It could include a comparison of the features and explanation of what you get at each price point that you don't get with the lower cost soldering stations.

[ben_r_]

Same here. Dave we need a soldering iron shoot out!

Ive been a Hakko and Metcal fan for around 15 year now. Had the ever well known 936 and loved it for that long. I also have a single port Metcal which is no longer available but has always been awesome:

[Dave]

I have had the chance to test Ersa I-Con 1 soldering station and I couldn't find a single flaw on it. Temperature adjustment is simple and intuitive, it heats up in a matter of seconds (from ambient to over 300°C), the temperature regulation and heat delivery are absolutely amazing. Ersa also has a very wide variety of tips to select from. I am determined to pick it up, when I find the right price. Our official Ersa distributer puts out a promotion every once in a while, where they sell these stations for about 300€ (tax included). The last one of these promotions was in december and I missed it, currently waiting for a new one.

[EEVblog]

but regarding tiny ersa, the 2bb can use the t210 handle, have you tried those?, I havent found any review or comparision yet, it would have been nice to see how those are for small work.

No, haven't tried it. JBC only sent me the stock iron.

[cwalex]

I have a JBC CD2BB and it is magic! I was previously using for 15 years a hakko 936 which I loved but I didn't know what I was missing until I bought the JBC. With the JBC you can solder nearly anything, it heats up gnd and pwr planes almost immediately if you have good thermal contact with the tip and you don't have to turn the temp up to solder really large parts/PCB. The distance from your hand to the end of the tip is really nice, much closer than other irons and I find it gives better control in general so now I'm definitely a JBC fanboy.

I also bought a thermaltronics TMT-9000DS-2 http://thermaltronics.com.au/index.php/soldering-systems/62-soldering-stations/191-tmt-9000ds-2
I haven't used the thermaltronics very much since I only bought it recently but I find that it is just as comfortable to use as the JBC, the distance from hand to end of the tip is about the same as the JBC. It heats up in seconds and in the small amount of use I have I like to use it just as much as the JBC so far, it is basically the same as the Metcal stations as far as I know, they claim it performs better. I haven't had a chance to try the desoldering tool yet, I still have to get around to buying the correct fittings for my air compressor but I expect it will perform well, I'll update when I have had some experience with the desoldering tool.

[Corporate666]

I've had a bunch over the years.  About 8 or 9 years ago I splurged on a Metal MX-500 with the desoldering gun.  It started to get flaky some years ago, so I bought a Pace Heatwise (I think HW-100 or something).  Honestly, I actually prefer the Pace over the Metal.  The things I didn't like about the Metcal were that the tips were really expensive ($20+ each), and they didn't last long at all.  It really got old spending $100 on tips every few months whereas the Pace tips are something like $7/each and I still have the original ones I bought about 5-6 years back and they work good as new.  The Metcal tips seem to get compromised somehow and as soon as that happens, they just disintegrate and need replaced.

I've tried a bunch of Weller irons over the years, but they always just seemed hobby-level to me.  One thing I don't know if most people appreciate is the awesomeness of a pencil sized handpiece.  I hold it just like a pencil and it's super accurate.  I could never go back to some kind of bulky $30 Weller ever again, or even a Hakko unless it had a super tiny pencil grip tip.  In this case, size (smaller is better) is everything.

[cwalex]

I've tried a bunch of Weller irons over the years, but they always just seemed hobby-level to me.  One thing I don't know if most people appreciate is the awesomeness of a pencil sized handpiece.  I hold it just like a pencil and it's super accurate.  I could never go back to some kind of bulky $30 Weller ever again, or even a Hakko unless it had a super tiny pencil grip tip.  In this case, size (smaller is better) is everything.

I didn't know what I was missing until I got the JBC. I thought my hakko 936 was the ducks guts

I would love to try out a Pace and an Ersa station at some time just to compare but from my experience with the thermaltronics and the JBC there just isn't anything in it. I like them both. I think the JBC would be better in really thermally demanding situations though just because it has more watts up it's sleeve than the thermaltronics.

I have noticed with both of them that the hand piece gets quite warm when you have been soldering for a long time, it isn't uncomfortably warm but more than with a hakko 936 for instance, I guess some people might not like that, I hope it isn't something wrong with mine but I assume not since it happens with both of mine. Probably due to the much smaller size of the hand pieces or something.

Maybe some other users could comment if they experience the same thing with hand piece getting warmish.

[free_electron]

The best soldering iron is the one that gets the job done that you need doing.

Sometimes you need a 500 watt cannon and sometimes you ned a surgical instrument....

That's why i have 9 soldering irons...
I have thermal tweezers, a small hot air gun , two wmd80 , one with a broad flat tip , one with a conical big tip , a desoldering gun, two microtouch stations with a whole collection of tips, frim microscopically small to big heads to desolder plcc , so , tqfp . A big hot air gun.

Depending on what i do ipick one or another..

It's that simple.

You can pick up used weller base stations on ebay for 50$. Slap on a WMD-80 pencil and you are set for life.

I scored a wrs3000 for 200$... Mt1500 microtouch basestations can be had for 80$.. The pencils are mega$$$ though. 250 to300$. For the handpiece. Tips are also expensive, but they last very long if you treat em right and there are maybe 60 different ones.

[Corporate666]

I've tried a bunch of Weller irons over the years, but they always just seemed hobby-level to me.  One thing I don't know if most people appreciate is the awesomeness of a pencil sized handpiece.  I hold it just like a pencil and it's super accurate.  I could never go back to some kind of bulky $30 Weller ever again, or even a Hakko unless it had a super tiny pencil grip tip.  In this case, size (smaller is better) is everything.

I didn't know what I was missing until I got the JBC. I thought my hakko 936 was the ducks guts

I would love to try out a Pace and an Ersa station at some time just to compare but from my experience with the thermaltronics and the JBC there just isn't anything in it. I like them both. I think the JBC would be better in really thermally demanding situations though just because it has more watts up it's sleeve than the thermaltronics.

I have noticed with both of them that the hand piece gets quite warm when you have been soldering for a long time, it isn't uncomfortably warm but more than with a hakko 936 for instance, I guess some people might not like that, I hope it isn't something wrong with mine but I assume not since it happens with both of mine. Probably due to the much smaller size of the hand pieces or something.

Maybe some other users could comment if they experience the same thing with hand piece getting warmish.

Interesting... what exactly do you like about the JBC, especially compared to the Hakko? 

I think most (maybe all?) of these irons use bakelite handpieces which is pretty resistant to heating up, but my Pace definitely heats up the handpiece quite a bit if I use it for a long time.  It's not uncomfortable but maybes slightly so if you try to grip it right near the end of the handpiece. 

The thing I don't like about the Pace is that it uses STUPID plug-in "heat modules" which are just 1/8" headphone jacks with a resistor inside.  On the other hand, I hated the Metal way even more, where the temp level was built into the actual tip, and if you want hotter, you gotta change tips.  I absolutely HATE the fact that my hot air rework station starts from 90 degrees every time you start it up, and you need to hold the button down for a few seconds before it starts to quickly scroll the temperature.  Can't understand why these guys don't put a rotary knob on the heat control - an encoder that increases temp quicker the faster you turn it.  I hate pressing buttons to adjust heat.

[cwalex]

Interesting... what exactly do you like about the JBC, especially compared to the Hakko? 

I think most (maybe all?) of these irons use bakelite handpieces which is pretty resistant to heating up, but my Pace definitely heats up the handpiece quite a bit if I use it for a long time.  It's not uncomfortable but maybes slightly so if you try to grip it right near the end of the handpiece. 

The thing I don't like about the Pace is that it uses STUPID plug-in "heat modules" which are just 1/8" headphone jacks with a resistor inside.  On the other hand, I hated the Metal way even more, where the temp level was built into the actual tip, and if you want hotter, you gotta change tips.  I absolutely HATE the fact that my hot air rework station starts from 90 degrees every time you start it up, and you need to hold the button down for a few seconds before it starts to quickly scroll the temperature.  Can't understand why these guys don't put a rotary knob on the heat control - an encoder that increases temp quicker the faster you turn it.  I hate pressing buttons to adjust heat.

Gee.. where to start...

The JBC heats up from cold to soldering temp in about 6 seconds, when you put the hand piece in the stand it goes into sleep mode where the temp drops to about 200degC (this is adjustable) so it drops to below the melting point of the solder on the tip which reduces oxidation while you aren't using it, when you lift the hand piece from the stand it gets to ready to solder temp in about 2 seconds, less time than it takes you to get ready to start soldering, this extends the tip life substantially.

The distance between your hand and the board you are soldering is way less, the soldering hand peice is so small and light that if feels better in your hand and you have much better control.

You can change the tip with one hand in a matter of seconds without turning off the station and the newly fitted tip reaches soldering temp in seconds, I think this feature makes having multiple irons fitted with different tips unnecessary.

It has so much thermal power it is just amazing, it heats up gnd and pwr planes in seconds so you don't need to turn the temp up you have less chance of damaging traces, pads and components while the job is just so much easier.

I'm sure I could think of more if spend more time thinking about it. It is worth every penny IMO. The hakko 936 isn't in the same league, same with the 888, don't know about the hakko FX951 though, never used one but the hand pieces look delicate and over complicated from what I have seen.

[RCMR]

Weller contacted me and asked if I wanted to review their new $14.99 to $27.99 consumer iron coming out shortly, available from a good department store near you.

Why not review it?

Remember that there will be a lot of people out there who are looking for a budget iron and are not at all interested in spending more than $30 to get one so a review based on "value" rather than outright performance or suitability for electronic work might be a good idea.

Remember there may be some kids getting into the hobby who don't have $100+ to blow on a soldering station so for them, gear like this is the only affordable option -- it might be nice to help them make an "informed" decision.

And for those who perhaps already have a "dumb" iron in this range, you could do a comparison of several offerings, spanning the range from $20 through $450.  That'd let people better decide how much coin *they* ought to be dropping on their soldering iron.

That's the way I look at the reviews I do.  Some of the stuff I review is really budget stuff that I know *I* would never buy - but I appreciate that some folk have lower expectations and less stringent needs than myself -- so I try to help them with information and objective reviews as well.

[SLJ]

+1   Remember Dave we all (or most of us) had to use entry level tools and equipment at one point.

[wraper]

I have ERSA ICON-2 with 2 i-tool soldering irons. Best soldering station I've used so far, yet for a crazy price. But I don't regret I paid for it. Solder irons are very small but powerful, 150W peak. Temperature sensor is on end of the heater. It's less than 1 cm from the end of the tip. Also I like movement sensor in iron, temperature goes down after timeout when iron isn't moved, so all my tips are in good shape, not burned. With same iron I've done repairs from 01005 SMD (that was tough ) to some heavy shielding like a charm. And tip can be changed in 5 seconds very easily.

[Zad]

Maybe it is a cultural difference, but a lot of engineers here in the UK still use relatively cheap Antex and Weller irons for through-hole and larger SMD packages. Amazingly, we still seem to be able to produce well soldered and robust connections.

[nanofrog]

Maybe it is a cultural difference, but a lot of engineers here in the UK still use relatively cheap Antex and Weller irons for through-hole and larger SMD packages. Amazingly, we still seem to be able to produce well soldered and robust connections.

Assuming you mean the US, I'd think it's more about cost than culture, given the cost of an FX-888/D is under $100USD vs. a bit over double (135GBP converted to $209.01 using xe) before shipping and taxes. Quite a bit less expensive in the US than in Europe, which makes it much more attainable for a hobbyist.

As it happens, I learned how to solder using a fire stick iron as well (RadioShack). And although it wasn't comfortable to use (handle would get too hot to touch), it could make decent joints. Just had to unplug it often to let it cool down.

[robrenz]

Maybe it is a cultural difference, but a lot of engineers here in the UK still use relatively cheap Antex and Weller irons for through-hole and larger SMD packages. Amazingly, we still seem to be able to produce well soldered and robust connections.

Before my conversion (JBC) I used a Weller wtcpl station with the magnastat tips and it did and still does work great. And you are correct that you can do very nice solder work with it that would be indistinguishable from a joint done with the JBC. But I do a lot of heavy industrial solder cup style connectors with a lot of thermal mass that took a long time (ten seconds or more) for the Weller to flow.  The JBC flows these in 2 to 3 seconds which is a huge time savings when I am doing a bunch of those connectors. Part of that is the vast array of tip shapes available. I use a bent screwdriver style tip that I can get a lot of tip surface onto the closely spaced solder cups. Also once you get used to a feather light pencil handpiece that stays cool and the tip is much closer to the handle, you just dont want to solder with anything else unless you have to.

[eKretz]

I have an Ersa iCon 1 and I absolutely love it. I would probably feel the same way about a JBC I'd guess. Two things I like better about the Ersa are the iron/handpiece is much nicer and more ergonomic, IMO, and the lo med hi heating ramps to make the PID more or less aggressive. On low there is pretty much zero overshoot on recovery, and on hi it matches the JBC for heating up time, although also for overshoot. The Ersa i-Tool iron is 80W continuous and 150W peak, very similar to the JBC (80 and 140, I believe). It was not easy to find in the U.S. though.

[Corporate666]

Maybe it is a cultural difference, but a lot of engineers here in the UK still use relatively cheap Antex and Weller irons for through-hole and larger SMD packages. Amazingly, we still seem to be able to produce well soldered and robust connections.

I don't think it is so much what the soldering iron can do or the quality of its results, but rather how nice it is to use.  A Ford Fiesta will get you where you need to go, but it's much nicer to get there in a Mercedes CL55!

[ecat]

I have an Ersa iCon 1 and I absolutely love it. I would probably feel the same way about a JBC I'd guess. Two things I like better about the Ersa are the iron/handpiece is much nicer and more ergonomic, IMO, and the lo med hi heating ramps to make the PID more or less aggressive. On low there is pretty much zero overshoot on recovery, and on hi it matches the JBC for heating up time, although also for overshoot. The Ersa i-Tool iron is 80W continuous and 150W peak, very similar to the JBC (80 and 140, I believe). It was not easy to find in the U.S. though.

You may find this interesting...

http://youtu.be/vIT4ra6Mo0s?t=12m14s

An excellent video all told, though a little slow and low-key for whichever advanced decade we're currently in. Thanks to mariush for posting it.

[eKretz]

Yeah I watched that from his original post. It's interesting and makes sense, but it's still nice to have a high wattage iron for quick heat up and ability to go into standby and quickly recover temp. The different ramps do allow some leeway in using a smaller tip to do the same job as a larger one...don't forget that the video was made long before irons could heat as fast as the ersa and JBC, so the tip's thermal inertia, if you will, was far more important then.

[PaulAm]

I just put together a Metcal  MX-500p with a DSX-1 desoldering gun and rm3 handpiece.  That is just an awesome setup.  It's a little bit of a pain to require shop air for the desoldering venturi, but the results are amazing.  I found a cheapy little 3gal oilless compressor good for 100psi for the air supply and that works very well.  Also gives me an air supply to blow out the dust on the junk I'm always fixing.

[ben_r_]

Damn it... All this JBC talk has me really curious now... Sooooo if I were to be replacing a Hakko 936, what JBC model should I be looking at? And who's got the best prices USA/USD?

[robrenz]

Janel is usually the cheapest but this thread is a sale from howard electronics that is very cheap.

[nanofrog]

Damn it... All this JBC talk has me really curious now... Sooooo if I were to be replacing a Hakko 936, what JBC model should I be looking at? And who's got the best prices USA/USD?

Assuming you're after the lowest cost (not separates or more ports), the Compact model is the least expensive way to go.

Howard Electronics is selling the older model (CD-1BB) for $350.00.
http://www.howardelectronics.com/jbc/CD-1BB.html

Janel is selling the newer one (CD-1BC) for $428.75.
http://www.janelonline.com/jbc-tools-soldering-station-cd-1bc-p/jbc-tools-cd-1bc.htm

Newer model has a USB port (features), but I suspect the USB isn't critical (i.e. process monitoring for QC reasons), and you'd be happy with either.
Besides, the $78.25 difference can buy you a few tips. 

[digsys]

Damn it... All this JBC talk has me really curious now... Sooooo if I were to be replacing a Hakko 936, what JBC model should I be looking at? And who's got the best prices USA/USD? 

LOL. The main thing you need to ask is - will I want to add Tools/Stands in the future? ie Tweezers, De-Soldering, HD
The Compact line is limited BUT - it is cheaper and you then have separate stations. The CD will take 2 size Irons though.
If you go with the Modular line - You can usually buy the DUAL Base Station for $50 more than the single ! Worth it.
Expansion capability is now quite huge. Or if you want bloody serious power -
The HD is fricking awesome. You can solder Earth straps on 10KG Transformers, then S/Mount resistors / SOICs on 8oz copper with a
quick tip change. We have a few set up doing just that !! The master product list should be available on their website.

[mikgntl-2013]

Damn it... All this JBC talk has me really curious now... Sooooo if I were to be replacing a Hakko 936, what JBC model should I be looking at? And who's got the best prices USA/USD?

It's all about price vs expandability.
If you can afford it then buy a premium kit like the DIT-1B or just the control unit DI-1B (1 tool + suction module) and the tools you need.
Otherwise if you want to use multiple tools at the same time, a control unit like the DD-1B  (2 tools + suction module) would be the right choice.
Said that, the offer from Howard electronics for a JBC CD-1BB at $350.00 seems really good.

[ben_r_]

Damn it... All this JBC talk has me really curious now... Sooooo if I were to be replacing a Hakko 936, what JBC model should I be looking at? And who's got the best prices USA/USD?

Assuming you're after the lowest cost (not separates or more ports), the Compact model is the least expensive way to go.

Howard Electronics is selling the older model (CD-1BB) for $350.00.
http://www.howardelectronics.com/jbc/CD-1BB.html

Janel is selling the newer one (CD-1BC) for $428.75.
http://www.janelonline.com/jbc-tools-soldering-station-cd-1bc-p/jbc-tools-cd-1bc.htm

Newer model has a USB port (features), but I suspect the USB isn't critical (i.e. process monitoring for QC reasons), and you'd be happy with either.
Besides, the $78.25 difference can buy you a few tips. 

USB port on a soldering iron?! Pretty sure I dont need/want that. That being said, is that the only difference between the newer and the older version?

[nanofrog]

USB port on a soldering iron?! Pretty sure I dont need/want that. That being said, is that the only difference between the newer and the older version?

USB port is it from what I was able to determine.

If you want to be absolutely sure, you could go to JBC's site, and download the manuals to make a comparison.

[neslekkim]

I checked myself before I bought the BB, and yes, only the usb port, the firmware is even the same on these

[jamesp15]

Can anyone with a CD-1BB or BC tell me its measurements?  (height width depth)   to top of highest part of the iron holder, not the cord-management thing.
With the iron holder set to as close to horizontal as possible and also with it at around the 45 degree angle area.

I cannot seem to find it in the manual or any online docs at www.jbctools.com (or im just missing it entirely.)

Metric or Inches, doesnt matter. 

[jamesp15]

Just in case anyone else needs to know, it is approx 160mm high with the holder at a small angle (~30degree) and just over 140mm high when the holder is horizontal.

Had to change my workbench layout around a bit to get it to fit.

So far I am really liking it, no more waiting forever when re-capping boards with large ground planes like with my old Hakko 888 (which was much faster than  my older irons).   A bit pricey, but I figure I can get 1 more repair in a day with the time saved so it will pay for itself fast.  I am liking it more than than the Metcals they give us at work.

[chhrisedwards]

If you want an updated and slightly cheaper alternative to the MX-500P-11, then I would recommend the OKI MFR-1110. It’s smaller, lighter and more of a current model.

[cowana]

Another vote for the Ersa iCon irons from me.

I came from a JBC to Ersa - I much prefer the flexibility of the cable, small size of the iron, and amazing durability and low cost of the the tips.

[MosherIV]

 
This tread was last replied to in 2013.