shiro
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Post by shiro on Aug 8, 2016 19:05:22 GMT
Not sure if this is the correct part of the forum, please excuse I'm still finding my way here. But with an admin named Solderdude I figured this might be the place I learned to solder a long time ago, and back then I had a relatively cheap Weller analog soldering station. I haven't been doing any electronics DIY for a very long time, and whenever a wire needed resoldering, I just used a small Ersa iron. The projects here have caught my attention and I'd like to try some out. However, for a good soldering job and smd work I would like a better iron, but also not break the bank. Weller seems to be extremely expensive these days, and there are lots of cheap chinese brands on the market that don't really inspire confidence. Browsing Amazon, I found a few Ersa soldering stations that get decent reviews and have a good selection of tips available. More specifically the Ersa Analog 60, the iCon 80 Pico and Nano. Price varies from 120-200 EUR and I'm hoping a decent station can be gotten for no more. I'd very much like to hear from you experts, who're using this gear probably on a daily basis, as amateurs or professionals. Analog or Digital? Are the Ersa's a good choice? Anything I should really pay attention to? Anything better on the market at reasonable cost? Please help me make my first DIY Audio Heaven project a success! Thanks!
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solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
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Post by solderdude on Aug 8, 2016 20:45:29 GMT
I have always used Weller soldering stations (the ones with variable temp control). These work best for me. Had some cheapo's Chinese thingies at work and they didn't even last 1 year with moderate usage. Ersa is a good and cheaper alternative. Jeremy got me a Chinese soldering station which I use at home. Reasons being it heats up very fast and works well. www.circuitspecialists.eu/bk-3000lf-70w-blackjack-solderwerks-lf-digital-solder-station/There are different types of tips available as well. Cheap, works reasonably well, heats up fast. For good soldering work at least 50W is needed but must be temperature controlled. Works much better than those smaller (not controlled) 25W and 35W irons.
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Post by videoguy on Aug 8, 2016 21:08:21 GMT
I can highly recommend the Hako soldering station. I have the model 936; this has been superceeded by a new model. The temperature control is very good; in addition to replaceable tips of many sizes, the handle w heater unplugs & replacements are available. I have had mine since 1996 & bought four of them for the electronic lab at the co. I worked for.
My personal preference is not the Weller product, that's my 2 cents on the matter.
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Post by chinook9 on Aug 9, 2016 12:18:58 GMT
I had a problem with the Chinese station I had and so I bought a Hako FX88D which is the later version of videoguy's 936. The Hako is better in all ways and has made soldering much easier for me. It helped that I was able to get it on sale for $75.
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shiro
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Post by shiro on Aug 9, 2016 12:29:14 GMT
Frans, thanks for the pointer to the chinese BK3000, I'll see if I can find it here. Is the cable to the iron flexible? I had to work with some stations that had really stiff cables, each time I moved it swept parts of the workbench... As for the Hakko endorsements, I'll look into these also, if I can find it cheap enough here, and when I'm sure it's not a fake. Thanks for the tips! Although the first time I saw a Hakko it looked more like a Fischer Price toy - their color scheme is kinda unexpected.
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Crispy
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Madrigal music is playing - Voices can faintly be heard, "Please leave this patient undisturbed."
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Post by Crispy on Aug 9, 2016 15:12:37 GMT
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solderdude
Administrator
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Post by solderdude on Aug 9, 2016 17:09:15 GMT
I'll see if I can find it here. Is the cable to the iron flexible? I had to work with some stations that had really stiff cables. Flexible and soft somewhat similar to the more expensive Wellers.
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Post by chinook9 on Aug 9, 2016 17:22:20 GMT
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juke
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Posts: 396
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Post by juke on Aug 9, 2016 22:28:12 GMT
I'm not trying to argue which iron is better but my soldering staion which I have had for 16 years or so is currently in the loft on an ongoing project so as a temporary substitute to save me going aloft for every little job I bought an Antex T48JJ70 TCS Digital 50W Temperature Controlled Iron Item Number 85-0555 from Rapid Electronics. It cost £48 incl. VAT and is temperature controlled to 450. I've been amazed at how handy it is to use and elsewhere I saw them on sale at between £69 and £120.
It has the silicone flexible soft lead.
Just mentioning it in case others aren't available.
Syd
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shiro
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Post by shiro on Aug 10, 2016 9:37:52 GMT
Thanks all for the tips! Lots of good choices it seems. I did read some unpleasant reviews of big brands like Weller and Hakko on Amazon. Seems support may be an issue. If that's the case, it's not really a reason to choose one of those brands (because parts and support are easily available) over the lesser known brands such as Frans' BK3000. That in turn does not make the choice easier What a headache just for a soldering station Question: how important is ESD? For instance, the only difference between the Ersa Pico and Nano is that the Nano is ESD protected, but there's a huge price difference. For building some of Frans' projects with SMDs, is ESD protection necessary?
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shiro
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Post by shiro on Aug 10, 2016 9:45:13 GMT
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shiro
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Posts: 109
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Post by shiro on Aug 12, 2016 15:46:13 GMT
With no further additions, I guess I'll close this off by saying I have finalised my list to the Hakko, Ersa Nano, bk-3000lf. I'm still looking into reviews of the Circuit Specialists one too, but it is rather expensive (incl. shipping to me) for a Chinese copy and with just one foreign company providing support and parts... Since I'm unexpectedly fresh out of a job price will be more of an issue too. Thanks all for your help!
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juke
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Post by juke on Aug 12, 2016 18:54:18 GMT
If I had known about the one that Frans suggested, that's the one I would have bought, looks like my Ersa 2000 with a good stand.
Syd
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shiro
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Post by shiro on Aug 12, 2016 20:56:33 GMT
The reviews I found for the BlackJack are sofar reasonably positive. It seems it's a copy of the AOYUE 2900. A user named SparkyBG from Bulgaria has one, seems to like it so much he gutted it and build his own controller board, that can handle stuff from all brands: dangerousprototypes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=7218Thing that worries me with all these 'smaller' brands is I have to order from the UK, and with the looming brexit, I don't know what impact this will have on ordering tips, spare parts etc. Now if circuitspecialists opened a EU store on the mainland...
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shiro
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Posts: 109
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Post by shiro on Aug 17, 2016 20:15:15 GMT
Well I tossed the Ersa from my list. Hard to read display and a penny-pinching way to attach the iron to the base station makes it less pleasant to use.
I was about to order the Blackjack and happily clicked away in the store adding some tips, but was in for an unpleasant suprise in the checkout page. Didn't order (yet). Tips are more than double the cost of the Hakko's.
The Hakko tips are just that, hollow tips which you slip over the heating element. The Blackjack tips are the full lenght of the iron, basically replacing everything except the handle. They include a heating element, which is probably why they're so expensive.
Is there any advantage of one system over the other that would make the higher cost worthwhile?
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