Bundle Includes Soldering Station and CHP170 Cutter

Edit follows original review...Followed by another edit... This was purchased about 7 weeks ago, and I gave it a quick test to make sure it worked out of the box, but unfortunately didnt begin a project until 5 days ago. It worked wonderfully at first, by far the best Ive used although I have to admit Ive never done very much soldering in my life. The first day was great. I did about 40 resistors through hole and everything was going fine. At the end of the second day I thought maybe it was me, that I was getting tired so I quit for the day. The third day it started not so good, it wasnt heating although the display said it was hot. I may have ruined a relatively expensive capacitor in the end because I didnt just give up but kept on trying to rework until finally it wouldnt melt solder enough for removal and rework. The capacitors before that I was getting nervous on, counting seconds the first took 5 seconds instead of 3, then to 7 seconds, then one or two more like that which probably need to be redone and capacitors replaced to be safe. I thought there was supposed to be an audible alarm to indicate the tip temperature dropping, but I never heard it go off. The main unit seems think the tip is actually hot - maybe it is just estimating the temperature according to power consumption? It is not reading the actual temperature of the TIP. The ceramic heater has some small dark spots on it, no idea if that is normal. The worst part is not being able to work on the project. I was hoping to have a tool that would last a lifetime, but it seems I got a lemon. Hakko support, I cant really comment. I filled out a form on their website but havent had a response. Its only been a couple of hours, but it seems like a lot longer when I cant work. The other irons I own I have never been able to do good work with so Im not going to try to use them. I found the push button control for setting temperature to be clumsy and not intuitive. The manual is definitely required, and from what Ive read it has errors. I understand they were keeping it simple to keep the costs down. Summary - when it was working it was great, other than the controls being a little annoying. Maybe it was another lemon. Since it was not sold by Amazon, I have little leverage for a return or help. Another reminder it may be best to pay a few extra dollars and go with a company that you can work with. The sold by / fulfilled by Amazon doesnt do any good in this case. Ill probably buy another iron to fit the unit if it is affordable, but Im disappointed. ----------------- I contacted the seller and he was aware of an issue that requires a reset. Someone answered the phone after a dozen rings, was polite and sent me an email with partial instructions - so I dont mean to burn the seller. He seems to know his product and will see how further communication resolves the situation. This is not in any manual, I tried following his instructions then found more information on youtube. With the unit off, hold down both buttons and power on. When an A appears, release buttons, use the arrow up than a U will appear, hit enter. I was able to to some work, but it still isnt as hot as it was earlier this week. Afraid that all of todays work will have cold joints. ----------------- Hakko contacted me within 24 hours and sent me a UPS label. They say they have a turn around time of 72 hours. So a couple of days down, and it will probably be two weeks including transit time. Sometimes when new equipment fails, it is in the first few hours of its use. I expect the returned unit will last many years. I currently have it ranked at two stars, but will add a star if it comes back repaired.

My friend has a yohua knock off and I almost got one similar to his. Im so glad that I didnt...this Hakkp solder is very high quality and so are the cutters that came with it. 5/5 would buy again.

I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of this product. You can feel that this iron is high quality as soon as you pick it up.... I am a shopper and looked at many options (actually own several options) and finally settled on this one. I am glad that I did...

Still learning to use mine. I use it on 23 to 16 gauge wire. Struggles a little with the 16 gauge but still is able to solder them. Iron is well insulated and didnt even get warm, which is why I bought it. Would buy again.

Really happy with this iron for the price. Much better than the old $40 weller I was using in my home lab. Heats up quickly and is pretty versatile. My only complaint is it looks like I bought it at Toys R Us.

Heats quickly, with no drama. Love the size, and function. Heat control is amazing. If you cant solder efficiently with this wand, you should not be doing the work... its that good.

I cant believe Ive been soldering for 22 years with a standard pencil iron. The Hakko FX888D makes previously daunting tasks trivial. It gets up to temperature incredibly quickly, and indicates the current temperature so that I dont have to cross my fingers and hope that its ready to go. Its solidly built, heavy, sleek, and incredibly user friendly. I especially like the way the iron fits in the cradle -- it sits comfortably, but requires no effort to remove. Even if youre just the occasional solderer, dont waste your energy on cheap irons. This is the one you want.

Amazing soldering iron as expected!

I have been soldering for years with cheap soldering irons and with the Hakko, I finally know what I have been missing. Heats super fast and has great temp control!

This is a great soldering iron. It heats up fast and maintains consistant temperature.