Quality - unrelated

[phoenix2013]

I like quality products, always have. Whether it's something I own, use or, design. So after years of "retirement" and using same ol' stuff to solder the Jackalopee boards,

I went on a "search" for something better.

This will mean something for those in "electronics", in order for the Jackalopee boards to be more robust and carry the current the relays are rated for, the PCBs have extra wide traces, doubled on the back side and the the copper cladding on both sides is not the standard 1 oz thickness, but 2 oz thickness (you use this thickness in electronics generating lots of current, power supplies, amplifiers, etc.).

I haven't bought new iron in over 20 years and being an engineer I wanted to know what's out there now.  Hot damn, it turned into a week long research project. The old Wellers are still out there but the technology has bypassed them years ago. I never owned a $250 soldering iron in my life, but said what the hell, will have to build few more Jackalopees.

 

Hakko model FX-951. Amazing iron, the specs and features go on forever, the iron heating is DC and the same tip solders the surface mount parts as well as the big tabs into 2 oz. copper ground plane. They also have a $450 model, but I said, "OK Phoenix, don' go stupid, you don't need it and besides, that's too many Jackalopees". The tip goes cold (into "sleep") when in the holder but comes up to temperature in few seconds when you pick it up.

These are so good there is an "industry" that makes counterfeit units, and there is an information out there how to spot fakes (different microprocessors, other internal difference, etc.). 

Check out Hakko website and the equipment they have for the electronic manufacturing industry.

[Jack Mayer]

SWEET!!

[Pat & Pete]

Hey , my Weller ( it's gotta be going on 40 years old ) does everything I need it to do , albeit maybe a bit more hamfistedly than that spankin' new Hakko of your's .

I'm just jealous . 

[phoenix2013]

30 minutes ago, Pat & Pete said:

Hey , my Weller ( it's gotta be going on 40 years old ) does everything I need it to do , albeit maybe a bit more hamfistedly than that spankin' new Hakko of your's .

I'm just jealous . 

That's a 30 year old Weller sitting in the "basket" in the first picture.

[Pat & Pete]

9 minutes ago, phoenix2013 said:

That's a 30 year old Weller sitting in the "basket" in the first picture.

I have / had one similar ... Haven't seen it in a while . It's probably in one of the 'I'll use that someday' boxes . Maybe an heirloom .

[Nuke-E]

When I first used a Hakko soldering station, I was sold.  Mine isn't as fancy, and is probably about 5 years old, but it's head and shoulders above anything you could ever buy at Radio Shack, Sears, etc...

[jkennell]

You are gonna love it.   I have Weller soldering stations, and simply could not believe how much better they worked than the old irons.   

[phoenix2013]

The only fly in the ointment is the fact that it "didn't like" the T15-DL32 tip. Hakko makes ton tips and this is the heavier duty one. The T15-D16 is more of a "standard size" tip which I also bought. Incidentally, tips are sold separately and are "not included" with the station, they run between $10-20 each (ceramic internal heater, direct temperature sensing, etc., etc), as I said "quality costs".

I inserted the heavy duty one (spade DL-32) and the station came up with a tip error (S-5), screwing around with it and settings didn't help. Inserted the D-16 (small tip profile) and it worked fine. Phone call to Hakko is in order.

I wanted to the heavier tip to solder the spade connectors onto the board, particularly the ground ones going into the ground plane, currently I use the "monstrosity" you see in the picture to do those. I was surprised that the tiny tip would solder these with Hakko, just takes little more time.

But I will pursue it, I bought it "for quality and I expect the quality to deliver"!

[Nuke-E]

FYI--I replace tips on the Hakko FAR, FAR, less often than I did with my cheap iron.  I think the one I use now has been in there for at least 2 years.

[Steve from SoCal]

The Hakko stations are nice, I still like my Weller EC2002 for heavy duty soldering.    I seem to recall that the Hakko stations don't have the watt density of the Weller stations.   They work very well on small delicate applications but, aren't ideal for larger work.

I was fortunate to have a low volume mil-spec job shop do my boards when I manufactured control modules for Mercedes cars.    The prototypes I soldered with the EC2002, having the boards stuffed and wave soldered on added 7 or 8 bucks to the cost if I recall.  

 

Steve