[gaboo]

I couldn't resist it. From a Hakko techical note: "Lead particles will transfer themselves from the solder to the skin; that is why soap was invented."

 

[Talonz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnewman They're manufactured by the same OEM as the Hakko, and are exactly identical to the Hakko 936-12 ESD SAFE soldering station. They do not seem to come with a warranty, but I just popped mine open and it's actually well put together. The guts are pretty simple, and if anything inside did burn out anyone who knows enough to own a soldering station (instead of just an iron) should be able to replace it just fine. Plus, if it does die completely, you can buy a second one and still not have spent as much as on a branded Hakko 936-12. Jimmy

Trouble is, it's tough to fix if it's your only soldering iron

 

[gaboo]

I cannot find any warranty information on hakko's site. Maybe the original comes w/o warranty as well... So the lack of warranty is cloned too.

 

[gaboo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talonz Trouble is, it's tough to fix if it's your only soldering iron

Slaps forehead: that's why you need to buy the 2nd one!

 

[kloan]

I just got one of these... for those who have them and have used them for a while, what temperature would you recommend?

 

[aeroes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kloan I just got one of these... for those who have them and have used them for a while, what temperature would you recommend?

It generally depends on what type of solder/lead you use with. Assuming the lead is 63/37 or any high melting point 20watts-30watts is adequate. Usually I use 30watts, 20watts when soldering SOIC, I was too afraid to burn the chips.

 

[JRjr]

Did anyone else besides me recieve a different (cheaper) stand with this station than the one they show in the pictures?Mine was a cheaper solder holder/iron holder combo.It doesnt do either very well.I also noticed the calibration screw was missing(broken).Since it was only 35 bucks I may take it apart to see what happened to the screw.The temp. seems to be off about 150F from the setting on the dial,according to my kinda cheap Craftsman DMM.I usually solder at around 500F so I just adjust my temp. to make up for this difference.The iron itself does work well and it has more choices for tips than my other station(a Tenma).I can't complain considering the price.

 

[patricklang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kloan I just got one of these... for those who have them and have used them for a while, what temperature would you recommend?

I tend to use small gauge solder (kester 'electronics' 68/30/2 I think). For surface mount, I use just under 500, its very fast and I haven't destroyed anything. When I'm doing panel mount or through hole, I use 550-600 depending on the size of the junction. Most of my pcb work is at 550, 600 is more for my 18 ga wire to pot connections. I tend to use thick copper rather than going for expensive silver wires, etc.

 

[kloan]

Cool, thanks.. that's the info I was looking for. I'll start with 500, or maybe a little lower, and see how that goes..

As far as solder goes, there's some silver solder at Radio Shack a friend and I used for modding an Xbox. It was 0.6mm and released very little smoke.. but it also required a lot of solder to get a good joint... is that stuff ok or should I use something else? I'd prefer if it's something I can buy locally.. I'm getting tired of having to order stuff online all the time..

 

[jcollins]

Does the 35$ CSI station come with a replacement heating element?

 

[patricklang]

Mine came with an extra heating element.

That solder should be fine for general work. Silver solders are typically thinner such as that one so that they melt easier. The kester I use is almost identical to the radio shack, in fact I use both interchangably. The only downside to those thin solders is that you may need to feed a lot of solder for panel mount joints.

 

[jerb]

dude you have the cleanest work bench i have ever seen! i like the iron, starting a fund for it (radshack aint cutting it)

 

[damonpip]

Could someone that has this station take a close-up picture of the connector on the iron for me? I have a Hakko 929 and I'd like to know if the connector is the same.

 

[vbmechanic]

For Canadians, Lee's Electronics in Vancouver also has a Hakko knockoff with the exact same specs for $55 CDN:

http://www.leeselectronic.com/Soldering%20Equipment.htm

 

[kloan]

awwww!! it's available in white! man, i could've got it to match my iPod.. hahaha... j/k