Soldering station wear

[daz]

I have a Hakko 936 i've had for 10 years and it no longer heats up as fast as it once did. Nor does it seem to work as well in general as it originally did. I'm on my second pencil with it as of maybe 3 years ago, so i don't think it's that or i'd have noticed a big improvement. Do the stations themselves wear out, and if so, any components that could be replaced to renew them? If not, how do these new 888 models hold up to the 936 ? Just trying to decide if i can renew this one or if not get a new one and be sure i won't be disappointed.

[soundguruman]

Amazon.com: Weller WD1002 95w/120v Digital Soldering Station with WP80 Pencil: Home Improvement
See that? That's what you really want. That Weller hits full temp in 8 seconds!
And if you forget, it shuts itself off.
10 years? It's time to graduate. Buy something great for a change.
Not only am I totally stoked that I bought the Weller, it's cranked every time for 7 years, without fail. And I use it a lot a lot.
Of course every soldering station is going to wear out sometime.

I like Pace quite a bit too. But after they discontinue the model, they raise the price of the tips sky high. Like, $20 each.
Overall, for features, reliability, price and parts, it's the Weller.

[bkahuna]

I used a Hakko 929 for 10 years with little to no maintenance. After I left that employer I bought a 936 because I didn't really require the digital readout. I've had it for 6 years with no issues. There's no question, they are great products.

With that said, it can get pretty costly, pretty quickly to start replacing components on them if you aren't sure where the problem is. If you could get access to another unit, it would make things easier to troubleshoot.

Heaters usually either work or they don't, but the thermal sensor embedded in the heater might go flaky. Connections from the station to the cord might be flaky, or the wiring in the handle itself. You might check that the station is putting out the correct voltage. Mine puts out about 29vac unloaded.
This would be across pins 2 and 4, and 1 and 4 on this image. Pretend the image I posted is the front of the base station(but upside-down), and ignore the other designations for speaker and ground.

I have tried 2 or 3 936 clones from MCM to use as a backup iron, but all failed in a short period of time, and I gave up on them. If I buy another iron it will be one of the new Hakkos.

Good Luck!

[daz]

At one point i had a box of failed wellers, some that were stupid expensive. I'm not going to argue about it so anyone who wants to change my mind on that you're wasting your time. My next will be a Hakko. My only question is which. But i did notice a long thread at a RC forum on a insanely cheap ($16) hakko clone with a few dozen posts and every one positive. many saying they replaced thier hakko with it. The site is out of stock constantly tho and they say the only way to get one is go on thier mailing list and when you get the in stock notification buy it immediately. they actually cost about $30 because the shipping is about the same as the unit. Still dirt cheap if it's as good as they say. So i'm contemplating one.

[bkahuna]

At one point i had a box of failed wellers,

Yep. Same here.

Let us know if you find a bargain that works well.

[daz]

Yep. Same here.

Let us know if you find a bargain that works well.

Check this out and let me know if it's one of the clones that failed you. The reviews seem to indicate it's as good as the hakko, but then who knows about longevity. At that price you could buy a few. $15 Hakko 936 soldering station clone - RC Groups

[JoeM]

That's the basically the same iron I have. Not too bad for the money, but the temp pot wasnt even soldered to the board on mine. Easy fix, but doesnt speak well as to QC.

[daz]

That's the basically the same iron I have. Not too bad for the money, but the temp pot wasnt even soldered to the board on mine. Easy fix, but doesnt speak well as to QC.

I bought a Nady wireless once like that. Always wondered why it made noise like a loose jack or such till i opened it and found the power switch wasn't soldered to the board ! But back on topic, how well does it work aside from that factory mistake? have you owned a hakko to compare it to?

[JoeM]

I've never owned a Hakko. Used either an Ungar or an old Weller for many years. This one seems OK. Heats up much faster than my other irons. The stock tip on mine is a little bit light if your're working on eyelets or turrets. (OK for PCB) There's a pretty decent selection of heavier tips available.

[big_teee]

Anyone got any experience with the Weller WTCPT soldering station.
I have nearly bought one a few times.
I have a whole box of spare tips that fit that station, but no Station.
They have come down some lately in price.
It is 60 Watts and would probably do for most of what I do.
I have some big industrial irons for heavier work.
Weller WTCPT + WTCPTD Temperature Controlled Soldering Station, Weller WTCPT WTCPTD - at the Test Equipment Depot
T

[Tom Phillips]

big_teee,
Just tossing out some ideas here.
I use a Weller TC-202 with a 201 iron. I picked it out of a junk pile about 15 years ago and it was beat up looking then. It just keeps on working for me needing only tip replacement now and then. There is an example at https://www.bmius.com/p-31672-weller...ring-iron.aspx
Maybe the Weller quality was better back when the 202 was in production.
Tom

[T9c]

That WTCPT isn't adjustable, unless you consider changing out tips adjusting.

For years I swore by Weller, but never had a temp controlled unit and was never happy with their prices. So, when I went adjustable I got the Hakko FX888, for yep..$88 at Fry's. It has a temperature dial on it and that's kinda old fashioned, maybe even analog, better than the same priced Weller WES51 with a numbered dial. I like the stand much better than the Weller too. I can get tips and parts at Fry's down the street. Anyway, I really like it and the price is right.

[big_teee]

The only reason I was Looking at the WTCPT was the Box full of tips that I have.
They are in different shapes, and I think most are 700 degree.
Anyway If I find one cheap enough, I think it would be perfect for most of what I do.
A lot more sophisticated than what I'm using at the present!
T

[km6xz]

For 40 years I used almost nothing but Weller so had spare parts because the thermal switches in the hand pieced would get pitted contacts and become intermittent or stop heating. Never had one of their digital control type. I could not find one here for less than $230 so I went shopping for a Chinese clone and got a copy of the Hakko 936 called a Ya Xun 936. It looks identical, works really well and for 2 years has been reliable. For $50 here, or there probably $25, it would be a good bet.
The Weller's were part of my life so long that I felt a little guilty for abandoning an old friend. I did not bring any of mine from the US because they are all 120Volt versions and I only brought gear that would work on 230 by switch or internal wiring/jumper changes so all the HP and Tektronix and Sound Technology test gear made the grade.

The Hakko 936 that is not heating correctly is easy to repair. The controller needs calibration periodically anyway.
Here is a PDF of a nice schematic and has additional info on them created by a ham radio operator:
http://www.n0ss.net/hakko_936_schem-pcb_&_mod_v1r7.pdf

It is working but just not getting hot enough the most reasonable guess is the reference calibration adjustment needs adjustment which they all need periodically. If it is not that, almost anything else would cause the heater to get overly hot or not heat all all.

You can calibrate the tip temperature using a standard K-Thermocouple and a low voltage reading digital meter since that type of thermocouple has a 41 µV/°C voltage it generates across its junction. The K-type has a Currie point of 350C so it should be used below that temperature for best accuracy.

[bkahuna]

Check this out and let me know if it's one of the clones that failed you. The reviews seem to indicate it's as good as the hakko, but then who knows about longevity. At that price you could buy a few. $15 Hakko 936 soldering station clone - RC Groups

No. That wasn't it. The one I tried was a Tenma unit from MCM. I just tried looking for it, but they don't stock it anymore. They have another one that is even more of a clone, now. The one I had, had vent holes in the barrel of the iron. First one failed after 2 weeks, the replacement failed after 1 month. That's probably why they stopped carrying it.

Looking at the one you posted is tempting me to try another....must.....resist!