Author Topic: Electronics workbench talk (was "Hakko 888D") (Read 25387 times)

harveybirdman · « **Reply #80 on:** October 09, 2015, 02:43:12 pm »

Well I did sign up for Fry's to tell me when they're selling 888D's for the discount again....

But yeah, that's not the one I'm buying and I've seen the knocks for the one that I am. For a gorilla handed hack like me, I doubt the quality of my work would be much better with a nicer station, but your point is well taken.

Slippyblade · « **Reply #81 on:** October 09, 2015, 04:30:28 pm »

Don't get me wrong. I looooooove my Hakko. First time I fired it up it was almost a religious experience compared to what I was used to. They're just a lot more money than I am used to paying. The money I spent on it was well worth it, no doubt. I just wish I'd been able to pay a little less.

menace · « **Reply #82 on:** October 10, 2015, 08:18:33 am »

I'm embarassed about how long I have been using my crappy pencil for soldering and bulb-type solder sucker for desoldering $:-\$ Its time for a change!

What would you guys recommend for a decent all in one solder/desolder station?

edit:
this seems interesting..

http://www.amazon.ca/Aoyue-Function-Soldering-Desoldering-Absorber/dp/B009Q5ZH58

Oh and ditch the sponges and get the brass cleaner--works very well..

http://www.amazon.ca/Aoyue-Soldering-Cleaner-Sponge-Needed/dp/B005C789EU/ref=pd_sim_60_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0KGMZJWH9RZXGK3YG1J6

lilshawn · « **Reply #83 on:** October 10, 2015, 11:21:29 am »

again, just a hakko ripoff of the 701

https://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_701.html

hakko IS the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, all the other want to BE it...but end up BEING ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.

jennifer · « **Reply #84 on:** October 10, 2015, 02:13:41 pm »

Quote from: lilshawn on October 10, 2015, 11:21:29 am

again, just a hakko ripoff of the 701

https://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_701.html

hakko IS the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, all the other want to BE it...but end up BEING ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.

I find amusment in your reveiw

... I haven't pulled the trigger on one yet, Still lovin" my Weller.

pbj · « **Reply #85 on:** October 10, 2015, 02:59:25 pm »

Yeah, I've had a Weller for 15 years and it was well used when I got it. I've had to replace a couple of tips and one $10 heating element. Once I left the damn thing on for weeks and it was fine. No complaints.

Slippyblade · « **Reply #86 on:** October 10, 2015, 03:20:31 pm »

From the reviews I've read Weller and Hakko are about nose to nose in the quality department. I got the Hakko over the Weller to due it being, for some reason, on sale at Fry's.

menace · « **Reply #87 on:** October 10, 2015, 08:13:47 pm »

Am I missing something but isn't the hakko version like 10x the cost? I get that they are the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- but I do have somewhat of a budget...

Slippyblade · « **Reply #88 on:** October 10, 2015, 08:17:03 pm »

Not at all. I bought the Hakko 888D. It's normally about $100, I picked it up for $70 on special at Fry's Electronics. Totally worth the $100, which means $70 was a damn steal.

yotsuya · « **Reply #89 on:** October 10, 2015, 09:40:23 pm »

I have a cheap $10 soldering iron I picked up off the internet, and then I have my Hakko. I'll never look back. You may think it's 10 times the cost of that cheap soldering iron, but it's 100 times more easier to use.

lilshawn · « **Reply #90 on:** October 10, 2015, 09:57:51 pm »

hakko is one of the top producers. i have yet to use a bad hakko product. hakko is tailoring to the professional and the price kind of reflects it.

Weller is a close second. weller has been around for donkey's years and i've used a pile of their products. they make some great products as well, but they also make some crummy junk.

actually i wouldn't say weller is a second, it's neck and neck.

MonMotha · « **Reply #91 on:** October 11, 2015, 12:26:01 am »

Metcal master race.

Unless of course you don't enjoy spending $1000 on a soldering iron, in which case you should probably get a Weller or Hakko. I've yet to find anything that really compares though I must admit to being out of the market for several years.

menace · « **Reply #92 on:** October 21, 2015, 06:56:58 am »

I just received my Aoyue 701A++ station last night

so I'll do a full review if anyone is interested..

As an aside--the Hakko701 seems to go for about $1,400 and I got this one for $185+taxes and shipping (which is about a gillion dollars canadian...)

so we'll see...

knave · « **Reply #93 on:** October 21, 2015, 12:17:19 pm »

I am very interested.

lilshawn · « **Reply #94 on:** October 21, 2015, 12:27:40 pm »

+1

I realize it's a fancy rip off, but I'm interested to see how the de-soldering part performs...especially with heavy traces like ground planes and power planes like some motherboard caps.

pbj · « **Reply #95 on:** October 21, 2015, 12:31:12 pm »

Sometimes, just for the hell of it, I'll solder with a cigarette lighter. Works pretty well for junk like tinning wire.

menace · « **Reply #96 on:** October 21, 2015, 12:49:38 pm »

Ok so I had the morning off and decided to put the Aoyue 701A++ (plus plus) through some paces...

Overall the base station is heavy with rubber feet to keep it in place and the digital read out on both sides seems fairly accurate. The stands for the soldering and de-soldering side are also fairly heavy duty and keep things in place--I love the little spool attachment for the solder wire. I didn't use the sponge but instead use an aoyue brass coil cleaner--works way better in my opinion.

The soldering side heats up in under a minute (0-350) and the vacuum system works well to keep the fumes away--my old soldering stick was absolute shite compared to this thing so I'm happy--if you are coming from a weller or Hakko, it may not be as impressive to you. But its got a ceramic heater and seems solid enough.

The de-soldering side is a bit less awesome (but still waaaayyyy better than my old radio shack solder sucker bulb thingy) The parts don't quite line up on the gun, leaving seams--It doesn't seem to hurt performance but it does look cheap. The filter pads that come in the kit are garbage--they basically cut sponges to the right dia. and stuck them in the gun. Fortunately Hakko part A1033 seems to be a proper replacement.

Performance wise, I pulled 3 chips off a missile command board and it had no trouble at all (set to 420) with most of them. The solder attached to ground planes didn't get all sucked out--even after adding new solder to make it liquid so i had to keep the heat on a squeak out the part.

My only complaint so far is that the vacuum system can either be hooked up to the solder side OR the desolder side--which makes removing and installing the little tube a pain--I'm sure I'll come up with a Y-fitting and a quick selector valve soon enough.

Overall I'm happy with it and since its soo much faster than my old stuff, I feel like I got good value for my money. It would be interesting to compare the Hakko version on a side by side but I don't have thousands to spend for that sort of thing...

chopperthedog · « **Reply #97 on:** October 27, 2015, 06:39:05 pm »

Got an amazon gift card from work about a month ago and ordered the same unit as above. Very happy with it. @menace I have the same complaint and have been meaning to stop at a pet store to pick up an air splitter valve of some sort.

good day.

menace · « **Reply #98 on:** October 29, 2015, 02:24:39 pm »

My next beef is that I want the vacuum on the solder side to only work when I solder. I'm debating wiring up a trigger like on the desolder side. I get annoyed with it buzzing away. Although I much appreciate not having to blow solder fumes out of my face (that can't be good for you..lead-free or otherwise...)

pbj · « **Reply #99 on:** November 10, 2015, 10:00:02 am »

Got handed this thing. I guess it's for having a pool of melted solder handy:

My undying respect and admiration for anyone that comes up with a use for it.

Vigo · « **Reply #100 on:** November 10, 2015, 11:03:03 am »

You mean besides tinning 30 wires simultaneously? Eh I would probably find a use for it melting lead up. I've poured lead in stuff to weigh it down, where I live there are still people who melt down metal l to make their own fishing lures and bullets and stuff. They probably use lead and are slowly killing themselves.

jennifer · « **Reply #101 on:** November 10, 2015, 12:33:50 pm »

A observation of Jenns was few people wash there hands (or do it correctly) after using the bathroom, Carry this over to people who work with boards, and consequently lead and other toxic substances, Yes, Vigo your most likely are correct, They are ingesting the stuff... As for Jims solder pot, SCORE!

lilshawn · « **Reply #102 on:** November 10, 2015, 03:08:33 pm »

Quote from: pbj on November 10, 2015, 10:00:02 am

Got handed this thing. I guess it's for having a pool of melted solder handy:

My undying respect and admiration for anyone that comes up with a use for it.

if it gets hot enough, a guy could pre-tin wires with it. really only useful if you had a whole pile of wires you need to pre-tin.

maybe use it to melt wax and make your own candles?

but still, if you find a use for it, it will come in super hady when you do.

knave · « **Reply #103 on:** November 10, 2015, 04:38:10 pm »

While we are talking about electronics workbench tools...

Where is the best place to order tips for a radio shack 40W iron? (I've looked several times and I just don't know what is competitive.)

lilshawn · « **Reply #104 on:** November 10, 2015, 08:13:26 pm »

is radioshack even around anymore??? I know they've all but closed up shop in canada.

It may be beneficial to simply purchase a new iron for what it's worth. I'd recommend a name brand like weller or Hakko. the Weller WM120 is probably pretty close your ratshack iron and can be had for under 50 bucks.

Slippyblade · « **Reply #105 on:** November 10, 2015, 08:17:50 pm »

Quote from: lilshawn on November 10, 2015, 08:13:26 pm

is radioshack even around anymore??? I know they've all but closed up shop in canada.

They filed bankruptcy earlier this year and were bought up by Sprint. 2/3s of the stores were closed up and liquidated. There are still a handful around (3 in the Phoenix, AZ area for example) but they are basically dead. The writing was on the wall for over a decade. When they shifted their focus from DIY to "consumer goods" and cell phones, they basically signed the companies death warrant. Why would anybody shop for consumer electronics from Radio Shack when better quality and cheaper prices were to be had a mile down the road?

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #106 on:** November 10, 2015, 10:30:46 pm »

Not quite.

RadioShack failed when they attempted to be a cell phone store, failed, and then tried to shift their focus back to DIY, which was a nice sentiment except now we have the internet, so nobody is going to get conned into buying a 5 dollar resistor, especially when you only have two packets in stock.

In the 70's and 80's they didn't make their money as a DIY store, but rather the spencer gifts for nerds. They sold computers, r/c cars, robots, experiment kits and more, all under Radio Shack branding and all exclusive to the store. Yes they also kept the tinkerers satisfied, but that wasn't their main source of revenue since the early 70's. They had sense enough to know that both were essential to the business model though as they didn't seem legit without the isles of parts and cb equipment.

The fact that the phone company that, in our neck of the woods at least, was always directly beside RadioShack in any mall/shopping center was who bought them is particularly sad. It's like the CEOs never saw one of their stores out in the wild or something.

yotsuya · « **Reply #107 on:** November 10, 2015, 11:51:36 pm »

Quote from: pbj on November 10, 2015, 10:00:02 am

Got handed this thing. I guess it's for having a pool of melted solder handy:

My undying respect and admiration for anyone that comes up with a use for it.

PBJ Personal Fondue Pot?

vwalbridge · « **Reply #108 on:** November 11, 2015, 11:15:00 am »

More like fon-don't...

...sorry, I'll show myself out.

pbj · « **Reply #109 on:** November 11, 2015, 02:30:59 pm »

That thing holds one chip's worth of queso, tops.

harveybirdman · « **Reply #110 on:** April 05, 2016, 04:12:05 pm »

Couple of new arrivals or soon to be arrivals.

If I had it to do over again I would have bought the knock off Hot Air/Soldering Station Combo instead of buying them independently.... But I'm super stoked about the Panavise, can't wait to do some work on my Fighting Hawk.

lilshawn · « **Reply #111 on:** April 05, 2016, 05:04:33 pm »

Don't turn it on, take it apart... and make sure it's not messed up inside.

harveybirdman · « **Reply #112 on:** April 05, 2016, 05:15:41 pm »

Quote from: lilshawn on April 05, 2016, 05:04:33 pm

Don't turn it on, take it apart... and make sure it's not messed up inside.

thanks man I'll give it a look.

ChadTower · « **Reply #113 on:** June 10, 2016, 10:53:14 am »

Just catching up on some threads I haven't seen before.

I have two workbenches. One is in the basement next to my gameroom and is basically a dumping station for random objects. I haven't seen the table surface in a year and you cannot walk past it. It is the bench Howard described earlier in the thread.

I also have a shed out back that I do work in and this is the workbench there. I make a real effort to keep that one neat or else I cannot do any work at all. My equipment is pretty basic as you can see. An analog Weller station, a soldapult, and there's a fairly big Panavise holding station under the bench that I rarely take out. I find with those basic tools I can do pretty much anything I need short of real mini stuff or small surface mount.

lilshawn · « **Reply #114 on:** June 10, 2016, 11:57:35 am »

I use the Weller WES51 at home too. got it for free. so

Been thinking about getting one of those rework stations from china for the increased amount of SMD stuff i've been having to fix in the last few years.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/311511049853?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

not so much for the soldering iron... (basically a hakko ripooff) but mainly for the hot air. pretty hard to screw up hot air i think. and having an adjustable power supply on the bench for quick testing would be handy. I'd of course actually check the power supply and see if it's accurate and safe. But for 175 shipped, it's probably worth it just to try it out.

Slippyblade · « **Reply #115 on:** June 10, 2016, 12:45:23 pm »

Nice to see this thread is still alive! Loving my Hakko still, I use it on a near weekly basis. Really wishing I had a good de-soldering station though. That is on the list for next major purchase, that and an O-scope.

ChadTower · « **Reply #116 on:** June 10, 2016, 12:49:36 pm »

I thought about that for a long time too in regard to a desoldering station. Then eventually I realized that unless I was going to do serious volume desoldering it just wasn't necessary. I mean, we can do volume soldering, but volume desoldering is rare. Build up the skill with the soldapult and you'll be fine. I've seen truly skilled workers quickly swap out a whole row of large sockets with a soldapult. It can be done.

Slippyblade · « **Reply #117 on:** June 10, 2016, 12:52:35 pm »

My biggest problem with a soldapult is that I either use it to soon, thus melting the tip, or to late and the solder has cooled. I LOVE braid though, too bad it's so expensive.

ChadTower · « **Reply #118 on:** June 10, 2016, 01:11:32 pm »

Yeah, been there. That's just skill level. Practice more on things you don't care about. Get an old VCR and go to town on it over and over again until you stop doing that.

vwalbridge · « **Reply #119 on:** June 10, 2016, 01:15:21 pm »

You can make fun of me all you want but for $16, this Vacuum Desoldering Iron makes life pretty easy.

I love Hakko and own own the FX88D but their Desoldering gun is too expensive if you don't desolder very often.


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