Solder stations…

[JackBootedThug]

Me and japetus are looking for best bang for the buck soldering stations. What do you guys recommend? I have come to the conclusion that my issues are from shit equipment. Iron not getting hot enough etc…. But neither one of us are looking for anything super expensive either… thanks!

 

[Geo]

Either Weller or Hakko, any of them would make you happy.

 

[Chase42147]

I have a Weller soldering station, it's been great. I got it on sale for pretty cheap. Having variable temperature is such a nice feature. Easy to switch between tips too

 

[rsm]

when my son was a child I got a "learn to solder kit". Comes with kits to learn, with more difficulty along the way.

Not pro by any means, but it works to swap pickups. Comes with everything you need, including a stand with clips to hold pieces and wires, and a magnifying glass. It was around $30 IIRC.

If you plan on doing a lot of soldering you may want something better.


I only used it to change pickups in one guitar, and it worked great. A set of DiMarzio D-Activator X, changed the black controls and pickup switch to white and chrome respectively too.

 

[Rottweiler]

I've done my own electronics since 1989. I am no expert, but there are a few fundamentals. Keep the work and tip clean. Makes for great heat transfer. The dirtier it is, the longer you have to heat, the more chance something will burn. Oxides are bad, most sandpaper is Al oxide. You will be loading the surfaces with oxides if you use it.

I have an old radio shack with a low/high switch that I transplanted a Weller pencil style onto. Works great. Butane works great too but has a bigger heat affected zone. Ive used that a lot on my roof for Ham radio solder joints.

A lot of the stuff we do is very low voltage (like pickups) so any lousy joints will affect the sound

 

[LightenUpFrancis]

Either Weller or Hakko, any of them would make you happy.

If for some reason my Hakko went down, I'd get another. Ate the cost once and haven't been let down since.

 

[Geo]

If for some reason my Hakko went down, I'd get another. Ate the cost once and haven't been let down since.

Hakko is better quality IMO, but more expensive.

 

[70 Mach 1]

Im still using a late 70s radio shack 30 watt iron.
Plus the roll of solder i stole from my electric shop in the navy in 1983.
I use a brick as stand.
Why waste money

You can get a 30 watt iron at any box store.
You'll get a lifetime out of it

 

[ChurchHill]

After fighting for years with various irons, I finally broke down and got a Hakko FX-888DX. It's been one of the best investments I've made. Not cheap, but really wasn't that expensive, either, and the time and hassle it's saved me has more than returned my investment. Worth every penny and then some.

 

[311boogieman]

I have come to the conclusion that my issues are from shit equipment. Iron not getting hot enough etc….

same
in

 

[ericb]

I'm one of the few where the Hakko DID go down. All of a sudden once day it barely put out any heat . It was less than a year old. I replaced it wituh a Weller which has been perfect. Initially I liked the Hakko the most, but unfortunately reliability with solder stations/irons is the key thing! I still have a bunch of Radio Shack ancient ones too. I guess it's time to start throwing stuff away

 

[Rottweiler]

Im still using a late 70s radio shack 30 watt iron.
Plus the roll of solder i stole from my electric shop in the navy in 1983.
I use a brick as stand.
Why waste money

You can get a 30 watt iron at any box store.
You'll get a lifetime out

Thanks for your service. Were you an ET? My son was an ET

 

[japetus]

Thanks guys, my old shitty one broke and me and JBT were talking about both just investing in a good one, thanks for the recs

 

[FourT6and2]

Hakko FX-888 if you're on a budget. FX-100 if you want the best.

Been using mine for 12 YEARS without any issues. And if you watch tours of any of the well-known boutique builders (and non-boutique builders as well), you generally see Hakko stations on all the benches for a reason.

If my FX-100 broke today, I would 100% buy another one. In 12 years I have not found another soldering station that I'd rather have.

 

[Music&Chaos]

Hakko FX-888 if you're on a budget. FX-100 if you want the best.

Been using mine for 12 YEARS without any issues. And if you watch tours of any of the well-known boutique builders (and non-boutique builders as well), you generally see Hakko stations on all the benches for a reason.

If my FX-100 broke today, I would 100% buy another one. In 12 years I have not found another soldering station that I'd rather have.

I second the Hakko. Mine has been an absolute game changer and some of the best money spent. Very reasonably priced. FX-888.

I also have the filter fan. Literally a life saver.

 

[schnarf]

I second the Hakko. Mine has been an absolute game changer and some of the best money spent. Very reasonably priced. FX-888.

I also have the filter fan. Literally a life saver.

Third the Hakko -- I've been loving using it. I switched recently and can't believe I had been using a cheap Weller for so long. Temperature control is so useful and I just love the ergonomics of the whole sponge/scrubbing pad setup and the way the soldering iron sits in it.

 

[BeZo]

I bought an Aoyue soldering station a while back for cheap and it has lasted me forever. Here's the link. It's like $40.
https://www.microcenter.com/product/659409/60_Watt_Soldering_Station?storeID=051

 

[FallingSunrise]

If you think you will solder for more than one thing.. buy nice. Buy once.

Temp control is important. It makes a world of difference. I have soldered cables and multiple 196 pt patchbays in my life.

A good iron makes a world of difference.

I regret every shit iron I have ever used

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

I’ve been using one of these for about 5y. It works. It’s inexpensive and it has a variable heat setting. https://a.co/d/05BApApb