Another "is this ebay Hakko 936 real?" thread, the listing edition

So I've been meaning to get into soldering since these cables weren't going to get fixed/shortened themselves, and was looking for a cheap iron to start it off. I was thinking about buying that CSI Hakko clone or perhaps one of those bargain bin stations I've seen online, but then I realized that maybe I should try my luck on ebay for the real thing. A couple of listings passed, and then I saw this auction ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380357530770&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123 ) by these guys ( http://myworld.ebay.com/cool-lynx/?_trksid=p4340.l2559 ). I google searched for any further info on them, and they appear to be an honest to goodness manufacturing company ( http://cpmlynx.com/pages/1/index.htm ) electronics manufacturing company, perhaps trying to hawk off some of their old equipment.

Well I made a bid, and apparently today I won it for 25 bucks shipped as you can see there. This listing has no pictures (probably should have asked for them!), and I'm gonna have to see if I can't get tips in in time to test on my end before the 7 day period is up. I'm about to make the payment, as to my mind I doubt an actual company using this equipment to make products is going to buy fakes, but before I do, what do you think? Am I just being a little silly waiting before I pay as I've already done all the work and there's really no looking back before I pull out, or is there actually something I should worry about besides the obvious in this moderately risky maneuver? From what I can see, I think I'd make out well if it's fake or real for that price anyway, as the price is low enough that it's below the price of a new clone if it's in decent working order, which the seller claims to be. Am I preparing myself for disappointment anyway though?

Edit: Wow, I've forgotten how finicky this current version of the forum software was about linking. Parentheses for now I guess.

Actually...meh, just paid for it. No point in not doing it I guess. :p

That's what I'm thinking, plus I committed myself to this so I might as well see it through.

I think I need to buy a stand though...wait, if this thing turns out to be a real Hakko after all, what would happen if I bought a fake stand for it past maybe Jesus weeping?

Truth be told it's the return period that really concerns me, don't know if I can get a tip in before my 7 days are up

I guess I could try online from Frys.

As for chances of it being a real Hakko, I'd think they're pretty good. I don't really see why an actual electronics fabrication business would use fake equipment for a living, assuming I'm right and they're just pawning off their retired gear.

That's the plan!

I'll post pics when it comes in.

I've heard of that one yeah, but I saw this as a bit of a gamble to get the genuine article and leapt on it.

Anyways, while I'm at ordering tips and stuff, what's a good tip to use on a 907 iron for cable reterminations//shortening/alterations in general? I'd like to move on to bigger and better things in the future(always wanted to try my hand at making some DIY amps and the like), but that's kinda what I wanna do in the immediate future and of course there seems to be tons of tips for whatever purpose you want to use your iron for. No doubt I'll grab more as I potentially move onto more ambitious projects, but that's what I want to start with.

While we're at it, what about solder? I've heard good things about Cardas solder, and it seems to be available for a pretty **** good price online.

It's just that from some research online into the subject told me that the chisel tip was what I wanted, although I don't recall what exactly for. I suppose I could pick up either at Frys on economy shipping, but currently I'm waffling between the choices.

Getting into solder is something almost new to me. I come from the computer hardware world and of course I see mentions of it a lot of course, sometimes in creative ways like "baking" GPUs to reflow solder to fix them, but I haven't heard much specifically about the stuff besides the fact that the lead-free solder wasn't the best to use in video cards back in 2006 or so. Actually, I think most people don't like lead free solder, apparently the "regular" type is better in some way(melts better I think?) but I'm a little hazy on the why and such.

Then again, if I'm just buying for brief testing, maybe I can just fudge it well enough for now. Just need a sponge until I can get one of those copper tip cleaners in and I'd be set I think.

I had thought I updated this, but here goes.

Anyways, I decided to be boring this time around and just get the small chisel tip, which seems to be what most people use. Got it from Fry's last midweek and was surprised when it came in today, faster than I expected. As for solder, I was going to buy some cheap stuff for testing, but I put a self imposed deadline of sometime this week on when I wanted that to come in, and it turns out when it was all said and done I could get Cardas Quad for not much more than the Kester stuff I was looking at, so I got 20 feet of that(it was 10 ft but they ran out of those before I decided to order, go figure).

Now I just need to get a sponge and/or stand and I ought to be ready.