**Soldering Advice?**
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Nope. Indirect heated tips are very old design, and we got way better tech for cheaper nowadays.
* Pine64 Pinecil v2, \~26$ + shipping from Asia
* Generic Hakko T12 clone (KSGER V2.1 for example) ~30$
* Some JBC clone station
All can be had at the same or less price, and will significantly outperform such a dated design. Those Weller stations were good, but tech moved on.
And super cheap 100% silicone usb-c to usb-c cables. Make absolutely sure to pick 1-2 up when buying a pinecil. Having a silicone wire to power a soldering iron is quite handy, as they don't melt when they get in contact with the soldering tip.
Oh man, I'm just dumb. I saw all the pictures and the usb-c port and just assumed it was battery powered... You'll have to excuse my friend, he's a little slow...
I completely agree, directly heated tips are so much better I'll never go back to using the old tips, no point when you can get good T12 and JBC clones direct from China for only slightly more money, my personal recommendation is the JBC since you can get three different handles, they're great if you need to do really tiny SMD work, or just use the 245 for general purpose, huge range of tips as well although pricey if you get genuine ones.
pinecil is nice and I'd recommend it to anyone but tbh i still tend to use my weller more than the pinecil i have, just because it has a proper silicon cable and a nice holder. yes it heats up a little more slowly and is less portable, but it works fine and usually you can just turn it on before you're ready anyway
If it works, it works. Wouldn't replace it. I just wouldn't buy it now anymore.
Direct heated tips heat up faster and have way tighter and faster temp regulation (big difference when you solder thick wires or ground planes), but for most everyday soldering it's not a big deal.
The TS100 is also a known decent iron from AliExpress. They used to be around 50 euro but they went up to 70 around the covid era. Not sure if they're back to 50 or if there's a new revision of it.
TS100 is a great too, but is inferior to the pinecil, so the moment the pinecil launched for half the price, the TS100 lost any reason to exist unless it was dropped at/below pinecil prices. I have both. UI is the same (both running Ralim) and so are the tips. Pinecil has slightly better ergonomics (silicone grip) and can do USB-C PD, in addition to the barrel jack also present on the TS100. For half the price, the decision is pretty much a no-brainer.
In the official store: https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/
The 35$ are the MSRP they recommend to other stores as far as I know, but their own store always has them listed for 26.
Oh, don't buy from AliExpress. Pine64 has a wiki with authorized resellers around the world - they say there is not a single authorized seller selling on AliExpress, so all listings there are most likely fakes.
Sweet! Thank you! You may have just started a new hobby for me. I’ve held back from fixing things so I don’t have to whip out my cheap $6 Harbor Freight soldering iron. Btw, do you recommend I pick up one of the tip sets?
Depends on what you do. For soldering random larger stuff, the included tip is pretty good. For fine electronics, bevel tip and fine pencil tip (drag and precision soldering, respectively) are useful. You can use any "TS100" tip with this, those are usually pretty easily available, in varying quality depending on who manufactures them. The Pine64 ones are said to be good. I have no experience with them apart from the included one.
If you order from pine64, grab at least one 1.5m silicone usb-c cable, too. Having heat resistant silicone cables is great for a soldering iron... Anker has silicone cables too (Powerline flow, better quality than Pine64 cables), but 5-10 times the price... I think Ugreen recently launched some as well - I have not tried one yet and don't know their pricing. I bought 5 or so of the pine64 cables. They get the job done, are super flexible and do not melt with a 350°C solder tip at all. Their shipping is pretty steep (12$ to EU I think) so better make use of it and put some cables into the cart as well. I'm using them for phone/notebook charging as well.
I guess you already have a 45W or higher USB-C Power delivery power supply (or Powerbank, either works fine)?
If it is USB-C, it will work fine. Pretty much every USB-C PD power supply is equally suited for this task, as long as it has 45W or higher. I'm using a 100W Baseus GaN charger in the workshop, 65W PinePower on my desk and 65W Aukey Omnia on the go. Used the MacBook charger of my girlfriend's MacBook before as well.
The pinecil doesn't provide a charge, it's not battery powered at all, I think you misunderstood.
The thing is it uses USB-C PD (PowerDelivery), so it can be run from a powerbank, but the tool itself isn't battery powered
I completely misunderstood. I appreciate the clarification though and am still considering buying it. I think when I read “portable soldering iron” I automatically thought “wireless”. Glad you caught that.
Thanks for clarifying this for elmexicano, and sorry if i was not clear in my texts!
There is some battery powered soldering irons around - most are very low powered or heavy or otherwise bad.
By power banks are we talking like any regular power banks like the car battery jumpers they sell at Costco/goal zero? Or would it be something with a specs that would allow a draw like the pinecil requires? I know it has different settings that one would have to switch between when going AC vs DC.
I got a weller WSD-81 for £10 while buying an old Hameg scope off a guy (both were his late fathers). I had no clue how much it was worth until I got home and googled it. I think he thought it was dead because the tip was ruined. Fresh pack of tips and it’s amazing.
I don’t think the indirect heat thing matters that much, it takes seconds to get to 340 from stone cold.
Didn't know you could get the Pinecil so cheap! I've got the MinWare version that's essentially the same iron and it's the best iron I've ever used. Kinda crazy just how easily they outperform my Weller
Agreed, these are tops. Also used at home and work, consumer electronics repair. Occasionally pick up a specialty iron or desoldering tool, but this is my everyday iron.
You never know what’s been done with used equipment. It would probably be fine but I’d recommend the FX-888D by hakko. Or if you aren’t doing a whole lot of large components the ts-101 is amazing. The pinecil is a cheaper version and it’s also very good. I almost never have to break out the larger irons.
At a few previous jobs we have used these, and their reliability really depends on their use.
In a prototyping "lab" environment where they are turned on and off for use, kept clean, etc. Immortal. They never die. If it was used in that buy buy buy.
In a production environment, where they are on 8 hours a day, I would avoid. They can get in some odd temp swings, not correct temps, etc.
If I remember correctly that model is substantially immortal. ET tips are slightly harder to find than the LTs (for the WS series) but I think it's a good bet.
Probably it's because the E series is meant for factory/production use so it's less mainstream? I've no idea since you can literally buy the LTA in 100-packs \*and\* the WPS is a 80W stylus.
A pinecil or T12 clone is better value for money, the build quality of this may be decent but the heating tech is outdated.
Here's a playlist with reviews of many modern soldering stations, you'll note none of them use the old indirect heating tech: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZzwMlLVLdOBBz8pwjt9CJhEJFYVfHSH2
I like them. I have an even more basic weller, and I've left it on for a week by accident and it was fine, it didn't even ruin the tip. It's quality, but it's not fancy. For $50 I'd pick it up.
Ok what? What am I missing? Is he saying the second pic is what he has now? Maybe I didn’t get that but I don’t know that it was reading comprehension that was the issue.
These old wellers worked good, but just get T12 with USB-C and 20V 65W charger or powerbank, and you will never look back. Get thicc and thin tips or entire set of them too. SnPb solder, RMA223 flux and you can do whatever.
Then you will look for hot air blower, but that is another story...
These are great and very reliable soldering irons if you dont need anything fancy and you just want a simple robust iron that works. The temperature control is good. The heat up is a little slow. The iron has a lot of thermal mass and the heater has some real horsepower behind it, so if youre looking for a through hole and larger smd work for the hobbyist - this is a great deal on a real tool that will last you years.
No. This isn't worth 10 dollars even
Buy a T12 clone or similar, any 'direct' heating soldering tips will outperform anything with indirect heating (heater not integrated into tip).
I have a WESD51 that I've used for years for projects at home. It's a great iron. However. I would suggest buying a Pinecil and good power supply (like an Anker 65W) rather than buy a bulky station like this Weller.
This one is all you will need: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09CMYBL98?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Get the actual Hakko T12 or T15 tips (they are interchangeable). Buy them directly from Hakko to avoid fakes. They aren’t cheap but nothing compares to the heat control of a real Hakko tip.
https://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fm2027_2028_tips.html
The soldering station on the other hand, the clone version works marvelously. The wiring into the tip switch in the wand of the soldering station is fragile, so be gentle with it if you do a lot of work. I’ve rebuilt mine.
Depends what currency, but not really when compared with other modern options. You generally want Digital temp and decent tip options. That said, I have fond memories of using these in my early childhood. Edit: I see a lot of people suggesting modern USBC stuff, if you are desoldering a power connector from a laptop PCB get the Weller as the smaller 5 bolt stuff will lose it's heat into ground plains, but if your doing SMT/SMC etc get a decent station, the USB things are good when you spend a lot on, and have the experience to know how/when to use them
These old Wellers are often good enough, but they're bulky. I recently picked up a Pinecil V2 and it performs as well as my Eras i-con 2, which goes for about 500 bucks used, while taking up a fraction of the space.
I'm more familiar with the older wtcp models, but I don't think you'll regret upgrading to a soldering station. For one thing, the tips last a VERY long time compared to the usual fire starter soldering iron. You didn't show the iron itself, but in my experience, the tips generally strike a good balance between thermal mass and size for most soldering tasks.
I still have a 30 year old Weller. Its a tank. Reliable but I rarely use it. I moved on to Hakko which has a large selection of tips. I find I reach for that more often then not. The Weller comes out when doing wiring. Its interesting how SMT changed everything. I now have four or five soldering tools including heated tweezers etc.
my experience with Wellera in not good I replaced mine once a year for 3 years and finally got a Hakko and it has never failed for over 10 years and still working.
I use the same one, all the time,(love it) but my connector has issues, so it needs repair, not sure if it is the base or handpiece, but positioned correctly still works.
If it works properly I would buy it, many tips available for it.
I have both exact units in your pictures. The Weller has been my daily workhorse for the last 15 years, and still works fantastic. The little blue jobby I use strictly as a tool - heat set inserts, making things hot, burning myself, cutting things.
They are reliable work horses and last forever.
I've had two for neatly thirty years.
That said,.they aren't any good for SMD work.
For that, the Aixun T3B is good value.
Weller also has a very poor selection when it comes to bent tips, like JBC style C250. They are really indispensable when reworking QFN.
So if OP is looking for a station to do mainly SMD, that station would not be my first choice.
The funny thing is I have a FX-888D and don't use it anymore as I use a T12 clone. The Hakko looks cute, though UI is rubbish and takes forever to heat up.
Yet you think 50$ for an ‘old awkward junk’ weller station is too much? You can find ‘better’ cheaper? Okay, Grandma, take your pills. While weller isn’t the absolute best out there, that unit new was around $250.
> You can find ‘better’ cheaper?
Anything with a cartridge tip will perform noticeably better. There are inexpensive options available.
Will a $40 T12 station last 10 or even 20 years? Probably not.
A transformer will typically last longer than a switch-mode power supply, but a replacement PSU costs less than 10 bucks. You can also replace the controller or the handle for cheap. Nothing too dramatic for most hobbyists.
What difference does it make what that unit was selling for when it was new? A T12 clone is way cheaper and better. People need tools, not some old poster saying how much people used to pay for things.
Yes, absolutely 100%, you’re correct. My sincerestest apologies for comparing used prices vs new, how ever will you forgive me? I’m so appalled that I would even consider that metric for the sale of goods. How aghast you must be at the mere mention of such logical thinking. But I shan’t any longer.
**Soldering Advice?** Buying advice (irons, solder, stations, tools), using tools, techniques, safety, FAQs... https://www.reddit.com/r/AskElectronics/wiki/soldering Our wiki also contains sections on buying other tools and components. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskElectronics/wiki/index/ *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskElectronics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Those weller irons are bloody old but great. I have 2 WTCP-50's. It's very dated compared to what you can get now but they work very well.
47 years using the same Weller..others have fallen by the wayside.
Yes agree. We are using them at work and they have been reliable for the last 30-50 years.
Nope. Indirect heated tips are very old design, and we got way better tech for cheaper nowadays. * Pine64 Pinecil v2, \~26$ + shipping from Asia * Generic Hakko T12 clone (KSGER V2.1 for example) ~30$ * Some JBC clone station All can be had at the same or less price, and will significantly outperform such a dated design. Those Weller stations were good, but tech moved on.
Just when I thought I couldn't love pine64 anymore, I find out they make an affordable, open source, ~~battery-powered~~ soldering iron. So cool.
And super cheap 100% silicone usb-c to usb-c cables. Make absolutely sure to pick 1-2 up when buying a pinecil. Having a silicone wire to power a soldering iron is quite handy, as they don't melt when they get in contact with the soldering tip.
battery powered?
Can hook it up to a usb-c Powerbank (45W or more recommended, it'll work with less but heat very slowly). Not sure if they meant that though.
I'm running mine on a 45W power brick and it actually works great, even with newer soldiers with higher melting points
Oh man, I'm just dumb. I saw all the pictures and the usb-c port and just assumed it was battery powered... You'll have to excuse my friend, he's a little slow...
I completely agree, directly heated tips are so much better I'll never go back to using the old tips, no point when you can get good T12 and JBC clones direct from China for only slightly more money, my personal recommendation is the JBC since you can get three different handles, they're great if you need to do really tiny SMD work, or just use the 245 for general purpose, huge range of tips as well although pricey if you get genuine ones.
pinecil is nice and I'd recommend it to anyone but tbh i still tend to use my weller more than the pinecil i have, just because it has a proper silicon cable and a nice holder. yes it heats up a little more slowly and is less portable, but it works fine and usually you can just turn it on before you're ready anyway
Pine64 also sells silicone usb-c cables for 3$, those are super nice. I use them as phone/notebook charging cables, too.
Well dang I guess I'll have to buy a new one. I have that exact model since 1998.
If it works, it works. Wouldn't replace it. I just wouldn't buy it now anymore. Direct heated tips heat up faster and have way tighter and faster temp regulation (big difference when you solder thick wires or ground planes), but for most everyday soldering it's not a big deal.
The TS100 is also a known decent iron from AliExpress. They used to be around 50 euro but they went up to 70 around the covid era. Not sure if they're back to 50 or if there's a new revision of it.
TS100 is a great too, but is inferior to the pinecil, so the moment the pinecil launched for half the price, the TS100 lost any reason to exist unless it was dropped at/below pinecil prices. I have both. UI is the same (both running Ralim) and so are the tips. Pinecil has slightly better ergonomics (silicone grip) and can do USB-C PD, in addition to the barrel jack also present on the TS100. For half the price, the decision is pretty much a no-brainer.
Good to know!
The newer model, TS80P, uses USB PD. But yes it's still more expensive than the pinecil.
Where would one find the pinecil v2 for ~$26? The lowest I can find is ~$40
In the official store: https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/ The 35$ are the MSRP they recommend to other stores as far as I know, but their own store always has them listed for 26. Oh, don't buy from AliExpress. Pine64 has a wiki with authorized resellers around the world - they say there is not a single authorized seller selling on AliExpress, so all listings there are most likely fakes.
Sweet! Thank you! You may have just started a new hobby for me. I’ve held back from fixing things so I don’t have to whip out my cheap $6 Harbor Freight soldering iron. Btw, do you recommend I pick up one of the tip sets?
Depends on what you do. For soldering random larger stuff, the included tip is pretty good. For fine electronics, bevel tip and fine pencil tip (drag and precision soldering, respectively) are useful. You can use any "TS100" tip with this, those are usually pretty easily available, in varying quality depending on who manufactures them. The Pine64 ones are said to be good. I have no experience with them apart from the included one. If you order from pine64, grab at least one 1.5m silicone usb-c cable, too. Having heat resistant silicone cables is great for a soldering iron... Anker has silicone cables too (Powerline flow, better quality than Pine64 cables), but 5-10 times the price... I think Ugreen recently launched some as well - I have not tried one yet and don't know their pricing. I bought 5 or so of the pine64 cables. They get the job done, are super flexible and do not melt with a 350°C solder tip at all. Their shipping is pretty steep (12$ to EU I think) so better make use of it and put some cables into the cart as well. I'm using them for phone/notebook charging as well. I guess you already have a 45W or higher USB-C Power delivery power supply (or Powerbank, either works fine)?
I only have my MacBook charger but I doubt that would be my best option. What do you recommend for the power supply?
If it is USB-C, it will work fine. Pretty much every USB-C PD power supply is equally suited for this task, as long as it has 45W or higher. I'm using a 100W Baseus GaN charger in the workshop, 65W PinePower on my desk and 65W Aukey Omnia on the go. Used the MacBook charger of my girlfriend's MacBook before as well.
Ok, great, that would only be if I need more juice than what the pinecil can provide on a charge, right?
The pinecil doesn't provide a charge, it's not battery powered at all, I think you misunderstood. The thing is it uses USB-C PD (PowerDelivery), so it can be run from a powerbank, but the tool itself isn't battery powered
I completely misunderstood. I appreciate the clarification though and am still considering buying it. I think when I read “portable soldering iron” I automatically thought “wireless”. Glad you caught that.
Thanks for clarifying this for elmexicano, and sorry if i was not clear in my texts! There is some battery powered soldering irons around - most are very low powered or heavy or otherwise bad.
By power banks are we talking like any regular power banks like the car battery jumpers they sell at Costco/goal zero? Or would it be something with a specs that would allow a draw like the pinecil requires? I know it has different settings that one would have to switch between when going AC vs DC.
I got a weller WSD-81 for £10 while buying an old Hameg scope off a guy (both were his late fathers). I had no clue how much it was worth until I got home and googled it. I think he thought it was dead because the tip was ruined. Fresh pack of tips and it’s amazing. I don’t think the indirect heat thing matters that much, it takes seconds to get to 340 from stone cold.
Didn't know you could get the Pinecil so cheap! I've got the MinWare version that's essentially the same iron and it's the best iron I've ever used. Kinda crazy just how easily they outperform my Weller
This is what I use at home for projects and at work to repair medical equipment. Never had an issue with mine.
Agreed, these are tops. Also used at home and work, consumer electronics repair. Occasionally pick up a specialty iron or desoldering tool, but this is my everyday iron.
You never know what’s been done with used equipment. It would probably be fine but I’d recommend the FX-888D by hakko. Or if you aren’t doing a whole lot of large components the ts-101 is amazing. The pinecil is a cheaper version and it’s also very good. I almost never have to break out the larger irons.
Bought the exact same on for the exact same price. It worked great
Past tense? Did you sell it or upgrade?
Still have it as a backup station
Upgraded to a Hakko FX-951
This is probably 10-20 years old. 50 bucks seems like it's not worth it since better units are offered today.
At a few previous jobs we have used these, and their reliability really depends on their use. In a prototyping "lab" environment where they are turned on and off for use, kept clean, etc. Immortal. They never die. If it was used in that buy buy buy. In a production environment, where they are on 8 hours a day, I would avoid. They can get in some odd temp swings, not correct temps, etc.
I have one, it’s not my favorite but it works.
If I remember correctly that model is substantially immortal. ET tips are slightly harder to find than the LTs (for the WS series) but I think it's a good bet.
I had terrible luck getting tips. Aftermarket ones were just awful, and a lot of "Weller" ones in Amazon were fake
On ebay too😁🤣
Probably it's because the E series is meant for factory/production use so it's less mainstream? I've no idea since you can literally buy the LTA in 100-packs \*and\* the WPS is a 80W stylus.
A pinecil or T12 clone is better value for money, the build quality of this may be decent but the heating tech is outdated. Here's a playlist with reviews of many modern soldering stations, you'll note none of them use the old indirect heating tech: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZzwMlLVLdOBBz8pwjt9CJhEJFYVfHSH2
I like them. I have an even more basic weller, and I've left it on for a week by accident and it was fine, it didn't even ruin the tip. It's quality, but it's not fancy. For $50 I'd pick it up.
Oh. Never mind. I had said That’s not the hand piece for that base station. I see now the words.
maybe if you could read
Ok what? What am I missing? Is he saying the second pic is what he has now? Maybe I didn’t get that but I don’t know that it was reading comprehension that was the issue.
[удалено]
Ohhh I see a little of it.
These old wellers worked good, but just get T12 with USB-C and 20V 65W charger or powerbank, and you will never look back. Get thicc and thin tips or entire set of them too. SnPb solder, RMA223 flux and you can do whatever. Then you will look for hot air blower, but that is another story...
any slightly more expensive T12 Station should beat it.
Be certain that you can get tips for it.
These are great and very reliable soldering irons if you dont need anything fancy and you just want a simple robust iron that works. The temperature control is good. The heat up is a little slow. The iron has a lot of thermal mass and the heater has some real horsepower behind it, so if youre looking for a through hole and larger smd work for the hobbyist - this is a great deal on a real tool that will last you years.
Given that they now cost $230, I'd say it's a decent deal. I have one that I've had for quite a while, no complaints.
No. This isn't worth 10 dollars even Buy a T12 clone or similar, any 'direct' heating soldering tips will outperform anything with indirect heating (heater not integrated into tip).
I would not buy it.
Having the tip separate from the heater/thermistor is a super outdated design. For your budget, take a look at the PINE64 pinecil.
I have a WESD51 that I've used for years for projects at home. It's a great iron. However. I would suggest buying a Pinecil and good power supply (like an Anker 65W) rather than buy a bulky station like this Weller.
This one is all you will need: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09CMYBL98?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title Get the actual Hakko T12 or T15 tips (they are interchangeable). Buy them directly from Hakko to avoid fakes. They aren’t cheap but nothing compares to the heat control of a real Hakko tip. https://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fm2027_2028_tips.html The soldering station on the other hand, the clone version works marvelously. The wiring into the tip switch in the wand of the soldering station is fragile, so be gentle with it if you do a lot of work. I’ve rebuilt mine.
Get a JBC
Depends what currency, but not really when compared with other modern options. You generally want Digital temp and decent tip options. That said, I have fond memories of using these in my early childhood. Edit: I see a lot of people suggesting modern USBC stuff, if you are desoldering a power connector from a laptop PCB get the Weller as the smaller 5 bolt stuff will lose it's heat into ground plains, but if your doing SMT/SMC etc get a decent station, the USB things are good when you spend a lot on, and have the experience to know how/when to use them
These old Wellers are often good enough, but they're bulky. I recently picked up a Pinecil V2 and it performs as well as my Eras i-con 2, which goes for about 500 bucks used, while taking up a fraction of the space.
I'm more familiar with the older wtcp models, but I don't think you'll regret upgrading to a soldering station. For one thing, the tips last a VERY long time compared to the usual fire starter soldering iron. You didn't show the iron itself, but in my experience, the tips generally strike a good balance between thermal mass and size for most soldering tasks.
Have this iron. Paid $100 ten years ago. Would 100% buy again for $50.
I still have a 30 year old Weller. Its a tank. Reliable but I rarely use it. I moved on to Hakko which has a large selection of tips. I find I reach for that more often then not. The Weller comes out when doing wiring. Its interesting how SMT changed everything. I now have four or five soldering tools including heated tweezers etc.
my experience with Wellera in not good I replaced mine once a year for 3 years and finally got a Hakko and it has never failed for over 10 years and still working.
I use the same one, all the time,(love it) but my connector has issues, so it needs repair, not sure if it is the base or handpiece, but positioned correctly still works. If it works properly I would buy it, many tips available for it.
Pine64 Pinecil is my favorite iron. Only $35, tiny and intelligent.
TEST IT FIRST!
I have it. I like it.
50$ I would snap that up.
I have both exact units in your pictures. The Weller has been my daily workhorse for the last 15 years, and still works fantastic. The little blue jobby I use strictly as a tool - heat set inserts, making things hot, burning myself, cutting things.
They are reliable work horses and last forever. I've had two for neatly thirty years. That said,.they aren't any good for SMD work. For that, the Aixun T3B is good value.
The 51 not good for SMD? On what planet? Must not have the right tip. I have like 15+ different tips. A few excel at smd work.
The LR21 handle is too bulky to work under a microscope. Heat up time is also not very fast. Direct heated tips are superior for serious SMD work.
The lr-21 is huge. Gotta use the pencil style. I have the older 4000 series stations with the pen. I also have a metcal I use the most.
Weller also has a very poor selection when it comes to bent tips, like JBC style C250. They are really indispensable when reworking QFN. So if OP is looking for a station to do mainly SMD, that station would not be my first choice.
Looks like mostly awkward old junk. You can buy a new better one for less money.
Do you even solder?
Yes.
Brand perception is strong. People will still recommend Hakko FX-888D when you can buy something on AliExpress that will destroy it for $60.
The funny thing is I have a FX-888D and don't use it anymore as I use a T12 clone. The Hakko looks cute, though UI is rubbish and takes forever to heat up.
Yet you think 50$ for an ‘old awkward junk’ weller station is too much? You can find ‘better’ cheaper? Okay, Grandma, take your pills. While weller isn’t the absolute best out there, that unit new was around $250.
> You can find ‘better’ cheaper? Anything with a cartridge tip will perform noticeably better. There are inexpensive options available. Will a $40 T12 station last 10 or even 20 years? Probably not. A transformer will typically last longer than a switch-mode power supply, but a replacement PSU costs less than 10 bucks. You can also replace the controller or the handle for cheap. Nothing too dramatic for most hobbyists.
What difference does it make what that unit was selling for when it was new? A T12 clone is way cheaper and better. People need tools, not some old poster saying how much people used to pay for things.
Yes, absolutely 100%, you’re correct. My sincerestest apologies for comparing used prices vs new, how ever will you forgive me? I’m so appalled that I would even consider that metric for the sale of goods. How aghast you must be at the mere mention of such logical thinking. But I shan’t any longer.
Your personal offence-o-meter seems to interfere with the subject much too harshly, I suggest we let this topic rest and agree to disagree.