Need a new Hakko, but...

[daz]

They don't make the 936 anymore. All there is floating around are counterfeit handles and stations. They have the newer 888 but it looks a bit cheezy and i'm wondering how good it is. I'm also worried about the cable, as the 936 has this soft neoprene type jacket thats very flexible and doesn't get tangled up and stays straight. I've been using hakko for years and before that used various wellers and always had problems, so i will NOT go that direction. I'd like to stick with Hakko but i need feedback on the 888 or other ideas. If i could get a new iron for my 936 i would, but i recently bought one that is obviously fake and the cable is stiff and it just doesn't work near as well or heat up quick. Found a few real Hakko irons (supposedly) but they want double than i paid for the station and till i get one i can't b sure it IS real.

Any thoughts and suggestions or opinions on the 888 would be helpful. Thanks.

[soundguruman]

Buy Weller WD1. I don't think a more versatile station has ever been made.
I am so glad I picked that Weller, it won't quit. I fixed hundreds of amps with it, and it just keeps on cranking.
I would buy another one without hesitation.
Pace is also good.

[daz]

I mentioned my dislike of weller to ward off recommendations of them. I just don't want to turn this into a "i like XXX best" thread and weller is the last one i'd buy. I'm sure yours has been good, but after what i went thru with them i'm as done as done can be with weller. I'm sticking with Hakko if i can. I also don't want to spend much. The hakko 888 is under $100. There are possible issues with it for me tho....don't like the up/down switches. I MUCH prefer a knob. I like to store the holder/iron on top of it for space reasons, but doesn't look like thats gonna happen with the 888. But if i have to compromise i guess i will. I'm kicking myself for not buying several 936's when i bought mine for $59 !

[big_teee]

I like weller stations too.
I have an older WTCPT station, I bought used from BMI, and it works great.
Some of the best money I've spent.
T
**Disregard if you like, I was already typing this.

[ReadyTeddy]

Every now and then even the best company in the world will produce a lemon. I knew someone who had a Honda Civic that was nothing but trouble and he bad-mouthed Hondas and said he's never going to buy a Honda again. However, his car was an anomaly. The data prove it. My wife and I have had 4 Hondas and they've been insanely reliable. I've worked in companies in which there were probably 50 Weller WTCPT irons. They were on 10 hours a day every working day of the year, and they were bullet proof. I have 2 in my home shop--one is an older style and is ancient. They're not as slick as fancier irons with temp-control knobs or switches, but they sure do work. The other brands I would recommend are Hakko and Pace. Also, if you can spend the money, a hot-air rework station for desoldering is might nice.

[daz]

I had no less than 4 wellers that broke on me long before they ever got near as old as my hakko. Thats all i will say ion the subject aside form again, i'm just not ever going back there.

I tried this once before and the thread turned into a "buy a weller" thread too. I guess theres no way to ask this question...

[yankeerob]

I use two Taiyo-Goot RX-802AS stations - they're not cheap but they're pretty good - if you really want the nuts then go for a JCB CD-S or CD-B... the S has the smaller, higher precision T-210 handpiece and the B the larger T-245... I also have and use a CD base station with both a T-210 and T-245 handpieces (that are interchangeable - also you can get small tips for the T-245... I only switch to the T-210 for really fine work..)

Any of this stuff is industrial grade but the JBC is a cut above... I've stopped using Wellers a long time ago when their QC went down the pan - there's nothing more annoying than needing to do an electronics job quickly and having an unreliable tool to do it... I'm afraid Weller TCP's are not what they may have once been and of course.... you get what you pay for :@)

All the best...

Rob

[g1]

I don't think it's in the asking of the question but perhaps the reading of it .
Is there a place to get "NOS" solder irons? Sounds like you need an NOS Hakko.
If my old beat up never fail w-word station gives up the ghost in my time, I doubt a new product will be as reliable either.

[big_teee]

It sounds like you know what you want.
Do the research and buy what you like.
Here's some.
Hakko Soldering Equipment on sale at TEquipment.NET | TEquipment.NET
** Here is some used hakko gear.
http://teamequip.com/search.php?sear...ations&Search=

[dwmorrin]

Daz,
My repair shop bought me a Hakko FX888 when they first came out, and that's been my iron for about 2 years now with no problems.
Previously, all the irons in the shop were Hakko 936, and we were disappointed to find out they were discontinued as well.

However, I also had a guitar shop I work at part time get a FX888 for me, and the female connector is now in need of repair (cuts out intermittently). The guitar shop people are very concerned that the soldering iron will burn the shop down, so they unplug both the power and the iron cables after each use. Perhaps all that plugging in and out shortened its life unfairly. That, and the guitar repair guy likes to use it to heat up frets, so maybe he damaged it (dropped it, etc) and I am unaware.

But it still works great otherwise, and the bad connection will probably be easily fixed whenever I get around to opening the thing.

Another tech in the shop just got a FX888D, the new one with the buttons instead of the knob, and he is satisfied with it so far.

I too would prefer the knob version... I think there are still the plain FX888 models out there, but they too have been discontinued for sometime.

[Rhodesplyr]

I used to like Weller irons till I bought my last one in 2008. It quickly fell apart, so I got a Hakko, and I love it.

[daz]

Daz,

Another tech in the shop just got a FX888D, the new one with the buttons instead of the knob, and he is satisfied with it so far.

Wow, i didn't know they made one with a knob ! Thats one of the issues i have with them. So i looked and i found some with knobs but they are almost all from china with huge shipping costs. ($60 !) And they are likely fakes too. I found one or 2 here but they were asking stupidly inflated prices.

[John_H]

I'm about in the same boat. My old Hakko 926 is held together with glue, and 10 mil tape. It still works fine, but looks like it spent a few years in battle. The prices on ebay are outrageous for these old things.

[daz]

I thought I'd update this and tell you I bought the FX888 and how it compares to my former 936. This is the 2nd gen of the 888 with the digital readout and program buttons instead of knob. That part of it i don't like at all. It's just a PITA compared to my 936 with a knob. To change to a different temp you have to hold a button for a couple seconds till the first number of the 3 digit temp flashes then use the up button to change the number. it only goes up so if you want to say change a 7 to 6 you have to scroll thru past 9 to 1 and up from there. Then press enter then do the same with the 2nd digit then the 3rd ! Utterly stupid. Whoever decided to put this in place of a knob is himself a knob. Geez ! You can also program 5 different temps and choose those tho which is probably easier. But it defaults to 750 degrees which seems to work well so i'm just leaving it there unless i really need to change which isn't too often. You can also change the default. But certainly an idiotic design.

The rest is pretty good with a few small niggles. The only thing i will miss besides the knob vs buttons is the ability to stack the iron holder on top of the unit because the top is rounded and too small anyways. The iron's cord is about the same length as the 936, which i always wished was longer because the A/C cord was also very short and often i would need to get an extension cord to work where i want due to lack of unused sockets around here. But the 888's A/C cord is longer and that issue is no more. The unit and the iron holder appear very solid and nicely made contrary to the pictures with make them look like plastic and very cheezy. They are both all metal with some sort of coating that seems more like ceramic than paint. Very nice actually. There is also a steel wool holder and it comes with both that and a sponge which i'm finding is very nice. The only other issue i can think of, and it's a fairly bothersome one, is that the sponge is proprietary. That is to say, it's shaped like a 1/2 circle as is the tray it fits in. So you'd either have to use thier sponge or buy a regular square one and cut it to shape. This bothers me a bit, but there are other things in life more important so i'll live with it. As for warm up, from reviews i read i was led to believe it would melt solder quicker then the 936, but unfortunately thats not the case. But still better than wellers i had in the past just like the 936. Finally, the worse thing i *think* (we'll see in time) is the iron's plug is a simple DIN plug while the 936's DIN was a screw on type. I know this is going to be a pain for me because it will unplug if i have to stretch to the cord's limit which happens fairly often. The A/C cable's length will help to keep that from happening as often but no doubt it still will. Plus i imagine the fact it isn't a screw on means it will wiggle in the socket eventually causing it to fail or go intermittent. I am going to remove the socket and plug from my 936 and save it for the day that happens and install them on the 888 if at all possible.

All in all i would say the 936 was definitely the better unit, and the only things i can say are better with the 888 is the build quality and the wire wool holder. So if i had the choice of another 936 i would have chosen that. The only real flaw i think is the plug, but hopefully that will hold up and if not hopefully the 936's plug and socket will work on this. This experience leaves me with the same question i seem to always have these days when buying a newer version of most anything....why can't they leave well enough alone ! In any case, the 636 is a hard act to follow, so while not as good as the old one, it's still a nice station I'd still recommend unless you change temps a lot, in which case you may be better off with anything that has a knob.

[big_teee]

So what did you have to pay for the 888?
If you said, I missed it.
Kind of Spacey looking.
T