ITTSB.EU Blog Forum
Soldering tools | Miscellaneous hand tools | Bench top tools => Soldering station, Rework station, relative accessories => Topic started by: Kiriakos GR on October 03, 2013, 05:20:41 PM
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Just repaired my 17 years old soldering station, which goes up to 330C which is not enough today.
I do need a better one and looking for recommendations - suggestions.
I am not willing to go for JBC Ersa or Weller.
Even so this TELE SL-30 it has a proven robustness.
Just replaced all three electrolytic in it, and a broken ADJ pot on the PCB (not the main Knob one).
It took me some time to readjust (calibrate) the display circuitry to present the true temperature of the hot iron tip.
But now is good as new. ;)
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In company where I am work, I have a weller wmd-03 soldering station with many features. You can find more informations here http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/7209.pdf
I am very satisfied working with it. But the main disadvantage is the huge cost of spare parts, especially heating elements.
In my home lab i havent a soldering station yet, I have only two antex xs25 soldering irons and i am very satisfied from them too. Im planning to buy a weller soldering station (WS80 or WSD 80) as i have already a new soldering iron weller (WSP80) full compatible with WS80/WSD80.
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Also in company we have soldering stations like this one Kyriakos has too. Good value for money, repairable too. The only disadvatage i think, is the tighting system of the tip. It has a metal ring for fastener but with small surface to reach it with your fingers, so its better to use a plier to grab and fasten it.
Anyway in about ten years that i am in the company , the only trouble with them, was only a potentiometer cleanning and some dry joints.
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I am currently researching for a new soldering iron, and one hot-air rework station.
I did come down in selecting which models work best for me ( as I am not in favor of all in one solutions).
The major problem looks to be the availability in Europe of products and spare parts.
Regarding hot-air I have narrowed the candidates to Aoyue 852 or YIHUA 8508D+.
About soldering station with Hakko hot iron, the most powerful is 70W which is not that powerful for my taste.
At 80W / 90W / 100W / 150W those hot irons does not have spare parts widely available.
Even one source in China which have them on eBay, they say we do not ship in Greece.
This narrowed availability it can lead in to a trap.
Therefore this decisions are not easy.
The YIHUA 8508D+ claims 28L/Sec pump compared to all others with 24L/Sec air flow.
(http://wildanger-digital.de/ebay/aoyue/852/90852-1.jpg)
(http://www.amonstar.com/photo/yh8508/d1.jpg)
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Sure the most important in a soldering station purchase, is the availability of spare parts also the cost of them.
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The cost is another story or better said adventure.
What is priced at 44$ in USA - it is priced 100Euro in Germany, this is why I am not willing to buy anything branded as Aoyue.
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:-) Hi guys,
I own the JBC CD-2BC (Very nice but expensive) , the Hakko 936 with both handles and a Weller 80w never bothered with the model.. For hot Air I use the Atten 858+ does the job.
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Hi mate,
Since today, I am the owner of the Asian response to JBC CD-2BC ;)
Before 5 hours they were 5 items, now are four.
In a week I am expecting it to arrive.
I got also one transparent Breadboard. :)
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congratulations mate. I hope is up to the job. I am waiting for your review once you get it..
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This will be a long lasting review. hahahaha
Thanks mate.
About this new station I have made one special topic just for it here.
http://www.ittsb.eu/forum/index.php?topic=646.0 (http://www.ittsb.eu/forum/index.php?topic=646.0)
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At the personal lab the ERSA iCon2 - a lot of technology and expansion capabilities. Direct import from Germany. Way overkill for hobby use, although it has some very useful features like the overshoot control and auto standby. It can control a fume extractor or IR heating plate and can support a second tool, be it a soldering iron or a chip tool. The common tips are not expensive considering how long they last. A 1.6mm chisel point is £7. I've done batch production (leaded solder) using this tip for nearly 3 years and it is still going strong. The 150W heating element is about £32, never had to change it.
(http://s16.postimg.org/y2ynw1ww5/2013_10_22_00_01_20.jpg)
At several other establishments, research labs, university labs, companies I have been, I have not noticed a model that is more frequently used; anything from £3 electrocution irons to Metcal, Ersa, Weller JBC and Antex. The class that Kyriakos showed seems a popular throw-around iron. Hakko doesn't seem to have penetrated the market at its full potential yet. What is common though is tip neglect and misuse.
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I do not make discounts when I am buying heavy duty hand tools, when you add crazy force to unscrew a large bolt or nut and the tool break in your hands you will be injured 100%.
German chrome vanadium is all that I trust.
But when it comes down to soldering stations I am less demanding in the regard of complexity. :)
If ATTEN managed to deliver the performance of those Weller WSD80 ( 10S 20-350C) by adding smart features,
as for example temperature presets and sleep mode.
Then my dream machine of 90W is ready to serve me for 140 EUR Shipped.
Some products is also Way overkill even for professional use, therefore its one weights his true needs and moves ahead.
( Got my DHL tracking today)
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The purchasing decision process is very complex and varies greatly from person to person.
Personally I do enjoy the experience of using overly-polished equipment, even if the basic function is the same. I look for the luxurious experience too when making a purchase and I'm willing to pay for it. I think a lot of it has to do with my early years, when I had a 25W fixed temp Antex without a stand for more than 15 years. Then coming out of that old lab and into the ones with £800k logic analysers run by people with the 'let's buy both to see which fits better' mentality, you can see why I am spoiled.
However, technical specifications will always come first. Quick example is the Dremel vs Proxxon rotary hand tools. The Dremel is prettier and popular, but the Proxxon is mechanically superior. I have the Proxxon.
Reflecting upon my purchasing decisions, extracting the most value for money is not as important for me as having a tool that I can rely on for many years. The more mature the technology is, the more likely I am to spend more money on something. You could say that I consider my tools as investments. Having said that, I won't buy a GHz scope for audio. So there is some realism in my decisions. Also, I do read the manuals extensively and maintain my tools. My Fluke 289 still has the screen protection film on since 2007.
You mentioned a perfect example of this, screwdrivers. A screw is a screw and the screwdriver will not become obsolete during our lifetimes. So you can spend more on quality heat treated alloys. There is absolutely nothing that I find more annoying than trying to work on something using malfunctioning equipment. I bought a 40-pin ZIF socket from ebay the other day and tried to solder it. The plating on the pins was poor, and the solder did not wet. Frustrated, I threw the socket in the bin feeling great satisfaction. I am also notorious for literally throwing away in the bin the £5 multimeters of my colleagues when I am helping. I say, 'There, now we can be sure this bad measurement and future ones are not due to the multimeter'.
There you go, my buyer's profile.
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I will share a photo story so to both smile and relax. :)
The gun soldering iron is inheritance from my father (cars electrician) at 1985 ( I was sixteen years old).
I always believed that is a 200W as there was one red sticker label on it which were lost .
Manufacturing date unknown but it is made in Chicago USA.
From the other three the huge monster must be 400W label lost too.
And the smaller ones are easily recognizable and their production date must be beginning of 90s.
In conclusion an electrician needs multiple weapons LOL , the modern stations is just one of them. ;)
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@ Kiriakos GR, I own a Metcal soldering station. It has got multiple tips, reaches the required temperature in around 5s, it has a maximum temperature range of 500C, which is a lot for me. I have been using this for the last two years in my lab and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the soldering station. It was an investment that gave me a lot of profit and is still working.
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Hi @dergi,
Features and product pricing are both essential factors, in some parts of this world you have different options due the pricing mostly.
I am happy that you are happy with your tool, and I am also very satisfied with my own, with the force of 90W I can remove capacitors from 5 layers( or more) motherboards with out using hot-air at all.
This dynamic heat up of my soldering station helps also with soldering of large cable over large transformers.
Therefore for my own multiple applications it does the trick. :)