Soldering iron - Hakko FX-888D ??

oktorockto

Bought a new version of this recently, very good, loads of different sized tips available cheaply on eBay. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182434170038

Brand new one here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201724985987

Then get one of these, fantastic:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331858108678

streethawk

oktorockto said:

Bought a new version of this recently, very good, loads of different sized tips available cheaply on eBay. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182434170038

Brand new one here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201724985987

Then get one of these, fantastic:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331858108678

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SOLDERING-STATION-220V-21-10115-TENMA/dp/B011874P3Q

Cheaper on amazon. 

robinbowes

Even cheaper here: https://www.modmypi.com/electronics/tools/tenma-digital-control-soldering-station-60w

R.

Danny1969

I'm a skint flint in general, gig with a £150 amp and any old guitar, buy jeans from Asda, put the car in neutral and coast up to a red light to save a pennys worth of fuel. I don't ever buy cheap tools though. Cheap iron's are a waste of time. I haven't use the Hakko soldering station because 16 years ago I brought a £180 Weller station and it's never gone wrong. That thing has earned me many thousands ... 

My advice is get a good iron, 24V Weller station is the choice of most people in my game but as I said the fact they never go wrong means we don't get to try anything else. 

57Deluxe

it's not the iron - it's the useless lead-free solder that bugs repairs these days...

SexualChocolate

The Hakko irons are top quality stuff. For what you want to do they're overkill though. A 20w Antex will be fine.

james

I think I'd like one of these Hakkos. I built an ax84 amp a few years back using a cheap iron, and planning another build, I don't mind spending a bit more for something better. 

Iron sorted in principle thanks to this thread, what's the best solder to use? 

thermionic

I don't think all lead-freee solder deserves its bad reputation. The cheap crap is cheap crap, but I've found the higher silver content variety fine - worth the small extra expense.

wackojacko

I treated myself to an ATTEN 938D a few weeks ago. It is superb. I don't know much about different soldeing station brands, but investing in a good quality solder station is a worthwhile investment (assuming you solder often enough)

I got it on eBay for £59.99 having wasted a fair amount of money on Maplin equipment and the Iroda (butane) tips. 

The temperature control is great, heats up pretty much immediately and it came with a couple of tips and sponges (i replaced the sponges with brass shavings and got a different tip for my needs costing £4.50).

james said:

I think I'd like one of these Hakkos. I built an ax84 amp a few years back using a cheap iron, and planning another build, I don't mind spending a bit more for something better. 

Iron sorted in principle thanks to this thread, what's the best solder to use? 

Go for the 60/40 tin/lead. Its easy to work with and has a lower melting temperature, easier to get wetting and shinier solder joints. 

Lead free is harder to work, needs a higher temperature.

The lead free with added silver is great (but too needs a higher temperature)

thermionic

wackojacko said:

I treated myself to an ATTEN 938D a few weeks ago. It is superb. I don't know much about different soldeing station brands, but investing in a good quality solder station is a worthwhile investment (assuming you solder often enough)

I got it on eBay for £59.99 having wasted a fair amount of money on Maplin equipment and the Iroda (butane) tips. 

That looks identical to the 60W soldering station that Maplin (and others) sell under a different brand. You saved £10 on the Maplins price at least.

Strat_a_tat_tat

wackojacko said:

I treated myself to an ATTEN 938D

If only you'd bought a Hakko instead...

... then it would've been wackojacko's Hakko.

... and if you're a smoker you could have lit up with... wackojacko's Hakko tobacco lighter.

Just saying.

m_c

Atten stuff is pretty middle of the road Chinese stuff. I've got one of their hot air smd guns, and while it's certainly not great quality, it's well enough made and does the job good enough for me.

SexualChocolate

I'm pretty sure Atten is one of the numerous Chinese companies making Hakko clones, along with Aoyue etc.:)

Emp_Fab

I have the Hakko.  It's fantastic.  I cannot believe how easy soldering has become now I've got a decent iron after using an Antex 25W for decades.  Get leaded solder - it's so much easier to get good joints.

**BEWARE** - the market is absolutely flooded with fake Hakkos.  I bought mine from BatterFly in Italy (Official Hakko distributors) because even accounting for Italian VAT @22% and shipping, it still came in cheaper than buying it in the UK.  
http://www.batterfly.com/shop/index.php?route=common/home

Dave Jones rates them highly on his eevblog channel: 

I know this iron will last me a lifetime and will handle everything I throw at it.  Buy cheap, buy twice.

fretfinder

I use a cheap Weller 40 watt iron, is that unnecessarily hot/powerful for guitar wiring work?

FelineGuitars

I work on guitars all the time and I have gone back to my trusty Antex XS25 iron but added the biggest chisel tip they make

This is because a big chisel tip stores a LOT of heat, acting like a reservoir which can easily deliver - enough to melt solder and heat the back of a pot quickly, but also fine for switches and jacks and making patch leads too

http://www.antex.co.uk/soldering/replacement-bits/50-bits-for-xs,mlxs/b005260/

Do use a silver content solder - will make the job a lot easier. the cheaper lead free stuff is enough to make a seasoned pro feel like a bumbling amateur.

https://www.rapidonline.com/rapid-premium-lead-free-solder-with-silver-and-copper-66160

fretfinder

Is this solder any good? I've had some of this stuff for 20-30 years and it still seems to work ok, even with my ham-fisted soldering skills. I've no idea what it's chemical composition is though.

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j359/Fretfinder/4c5d4ef0c01fa448841dfb5c8f6e898d.jpg

james

@FelineGuitars interesting, thanks for your input. I'd been thinking of a smaller tip, in comparison to me old cheapy iron, but hadn't considered a bigger one for pots, despite that being the first job on the list. 

I remember, from years back, being told it was possible to melt the insides of a pot if the iron was too hot, hence I liked the idea of a variable temp one. With that said, I've never learnt to solder properly, so there is no doubt more to it! 

Jack_

Do you need to learn how to solder? No one ever taught me, it's just one of those things you can do? There's not much to it.

You have to keep heat on a pot for a long time to damage it, and it shouldn't take you long at all apply solder.

You actually need the iron quite hot for pots a lot of the time, for the solder to grip. Personally I like to sand the back of pots and then apply a thin layer of solder over the back of the pot.

streethawk

Jack_ said:

Do you need to learn how to solder? No one ever taught me, it's just one of those things you can do? There's not much to it.

You have to keep heat on a pot for a long time to damage it, and it shouldn't take you long at all apply solder.

You actually need the iron quite hot for pots a lot of the time, for the solder to grip. Personally I like to sand the back of pots and then apply a thin layer of solder over the back of the pot.

I agree that you'd have to go some to ruin a decent quality pot, the real danger is letting solder flow inside the casing. You don't need to sand CTS pots these days as they come pre fluxed.

Crappy solder and damp sponge cleaners ruins tips in a hurry, even with chemical tip cleaner.