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Soldering Iron/stations

Asm0deusAsm0deus Member EpicPosts: 4,605

So back in the day I used to do radio/tv and vcr repairs and back then we used simple weller stations with temp control. Worked great and never had much trouble tinning the tips or having tips go to crap on us.

I haven't worked electronics for a long time and haven't really done any soldering in a long while but have been doing some hobbyist projects lately that need me to do some soldering and while I have my old desoldering pump and a few other knick knacks my soldering station is nowhere to be found.

That said I have been looking into buying a new one but though I might ask for some advice since things can change in 10 or 15 years.

Was looking at this weller wes51 analog but I am seeing some really bad reviews both on the amazon site and elsewhere with claims that they are made in mexico now and quality has gone down the drain.

I am also seeing lots of peeps suggesting to check out the hakko FX 888 which apparently has been replaced by the fx 888d which is a digital version.

Is hakko any good and any reason to go digital?

Lots of these new model stations seem gimmicky with auto shut off and temp locks which seem to me mean more chance of these station having problems down the line.

Ideally I would like an analog station with temp control knob that uses good tips that wont corrode after low usage and will not have any tinning issues.

Any advice from peeps still using these on a day to day basis?

Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.





Comments

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Good question.

    I'd be interested to hear what you end up trying and how you like it.

  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,385

    Something like that might be great if you do a lot of soldering.  For hobbies and occasional repairs, I use a butane soldering iron from Radio Shack.  It heats up fast and is much more agile than the corded soldering irons.  You can also change the tip for a mini-torch tip.  The only downside I've found is it doesn't get hot enough to melt lead-free solder.

    http://www.radioshack.com/mini-butane-gas-powered-iron/6402188.html

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