Hakko FX888D-23BY Digital Soldering Station FX-888D FX-888 (blue & yellow)

I used to use Wellers professionally, but its been a long time, and so as a non-professional, Ive been using cheap crap for the little jobs Ive needed. I decided to splurge on this Hakko instead of a Weller mostly because theyre nearly identically placed in the market, but I have a bunch of heat set insert and other tips that will work on this Hakko without having to buy new ones. My god, how fast this heats! Its ready to go pretty much by time I get my jar of flux open. Im not sure what everyone is complaining about with the UI. Maybe the under 30 crowd thats only ever used touchscreens? Its a classic UI used on professional test equipment and industrial controls since the dawn of the microprocessor. If youve never used either of these types of equipment, it might be strange to you, but its certainly not hard to use. If youre over 30, its a bit nostalgic! I wish Id gotten this years ago.

ive always just used a walmart soldering iron, and they always work great for very generic use cases (e.g. soldering automotive wire). bought this for the heat control and finer-tip to work on soldering up proffie/arduino boards. the user interface isnt the greatest, but its not too difficult to understand. heats up crazy fast and solders like a freaking champ. 10/10 would recommend.

So everyone raves about this gun. I bought it a few years ago and used it one time. Worked great. Tried to use it again temp reads 800 but will barely melt solder. Tried multiple tips thinking that had to be the problem. Used a thermal heat gun to measure tip and shaft temp. Read 180-200 deg even though unit stated it was 800. Gonna try a different unit -- bummer because I spent 120 bucks on this thing

Worked like a champ over several audio amplifier and preamp rebuild projects, a couple of reel to reel tape recorder recapping jobs (Im a hobbyist), but its just so hard to get it to work right lately - mening for about the last year and a half. Ive bought nearly all the tip sizes HAKKO makes for this, have the temp maxd out at 750, do the usual tricks of cleaning tip on scouring pad, wet sponge, wetting the tip with solder before using to ensure heat is transferred quickly to components and MAN does it get annoying waiting for parts to heat enough to get the solder onto the leads. Moreso lately than even a few months ago, it seems. Even SMALL SMD components are hard to solder with this. Ive read similar complaints from others; for the price, youd think it would WORK, and KEEP working, but lately Ive been pulling out a 50 year old 40 watt iron more suitable for wood burning and it gets the job done faster, heat sinks I use on component leads dont get nearly as hot, and it works better on those large fiberglass THICK copper trace boards on things like amplifier power supplies and heavy wire leads on rectifiers and power transistors as well. Ive built and rebuilt innumerable guitar/bass amps, stereos, preamps, many a heathkit kit in my time, thinking the units Im working on lately are smaller traces, smaller leaded components in crowded boards this would be the wise choice, I chose poorly. I gave it 3 stars for temperature control and stability - the unit SAYS 750 degrees the whole time, never varies. Solder with MP of half that temp (0.022 AND 0.031 flux core) both hard to melt, sometimes right after cleaning, wiping, Ill stick the solder right against the tip of the iron and count the second or two it takes to melt, then it doesnt stick. Yes, I use the Hakko tinning compound. Even 4-0 steel wool. A real PITA. This came highly recommended to me from a well-known tech (in some audio circles) and its been a major disappointment. Maybe its time for a new heating element. But failing after just 6 months use, when other irons decades old still work well (but unregulated, fewer tip size choices). Seriously, I wouldnt recommend it.

Ive used this product extensively at my previous electronics company, and it was always beyond dependable and the temperature accuracy was usually very good. We still had to calibrate it every year, but it was never too far off. Pros: Will melt any solder that I worked with. Its temperature range is more than adequate. If you need any hotter, youll surely damage a component. Comfortable grip, and never had an issue with its holder. It displays the temperature as it is reaching your desired temperature, which is nice to see how long you have until its ready for you. Nice to have a brash mesh to clean the tip, albeit I seldom used it. Changing tips is quite easy, as long as you dont accidentally weld it on (keeping it on max temperature for an extended period of time will do it), but parts are relatively cheap if you do, as you will surely break it (if you weld it). I would say its irons leash is a perfect length, measuring around 4 ft. Power switch is on the right side of the unit. Cons: Now, I am nitpicking here. It does have a digital input and it takes a little bit to change the temperature. I do prefer an analog knob for my soldering station so I can easily change temperature rapidly. However, some people may find a digital display is more professional. Its non-square sponge holder means a basic yellow square sponge will not fit without some modification. Tips can be expensive, but can easily last a year or two of heavy use, if you take care of them. All that said, I would still definitely recommend this product. It is much better than just a plug-in iron. Very well priced as it is definitely a professional grade station, but more than welcoming to the amateur hobbyist.

My old Weller and Radio Shack irons took forever to heat and seldom reached high enought temperature even with a clean and tinned tip. This heats up fast and holds an adequately high temperature.

Ive used a fair number of irons from Weller and Hakko and have to say this is probably the best value available if you need a temperature controlled station and do not so enough work to justify an FX-951 (or any of the Hakkos with the FM-20xx series hand piece). My primary station at home is an FM-202, but when I had to purchase irons for the lab at work I didnt have the budget to get irons with the FM hand piece. I was replacing Weller units that the thermal control in the hand piece had quit working and figured I would give Hakkos offerings at the sub $100 price a try. I couldnt be more pleased. Pros: -It heats quickly and maintains temp very well -Huge variety of tips available -It looks good and continues to look good over time (yeah, Im pointing out the Weller blue that fades to puke over time) -The grip on the hand piece is closer to the tip than in other stations at this price point (still nowhere near as good as the FM hand piece) -the stand with the brass ball tip cleaner means you never need to wet a sponge again and that your tips will last longer (wet sponge cleaning of hot tips is not good for them) Cons (Its a stretch to find cons really): -It doesnt come with any extra tips (buy the ones you need for your job, I recommend a D16 for a do all tip) -It doesnt make you a pro. (soldering with a good iron definitely makes doing a good job easier, but it still takes still from the operator) I personally prefer the next step up Hakko iron(anything with the FM hand piece) but you cant get a better iron at this price point.

I love this soldering iron, it heats in less than 15 secs and the quality is very good. Im not a professional but I using the soldering station very often and this one is the best you can get for the money. Hakko is one of the best brands on the market.

Ive been a technician for over 30 years and always used the big W brand soldering stations at work. I finally decided I wanted a decent station at home -- instead of a direct plug-in type pencil. I looked at the usual suspects but decided to try simple instead of high tech. Hey, all I want is a soldering pencil, not a flashy tech toy. This little guy has a classic retro kind of Art Deco of look to him. From the photos here you might think that the brightly colored bodies of this Hakko station are plastic. Theyre not. Everything is cast metal, maybe aluminum or more likely pot metal. It feels very sturdy and solid and definitely not like cheepo plastic. The bright color is baked on and matte in finish. The unit is quite heavy (transformer) as well as sturdy and simple. You dont get a fancy digital temp readout or glitzy high tech gizmos to impress your non-techie friends. This is a simple and competent iron with good temperature control and a nice solid feel to it. It would be nice if it came with a few more tips but the one supplied is the type of chisel point I use most often. The price could be more reasonable but its made in Malaysia and not China. If the heating element is reliable then this little guy could last indefinitely. Although I didnt look Im sure the temp control circuit is very basic and reliable. Ive used it for three projects and it works great. It heats up to mid dial @700F in 30 seconds and is immediately responsive to temperature loads. I like it.

After experiencing Radio Shack and similar soldering irons for 35 years, I was accustomed to long heating times, overheating, and never finding replacement tips. I splurged on this Hakko using an Amazon gift card, and I have to say it was a real joy to use this soldering station. Tip is up to temperature in literally seconds, defaults and stays at 750F (which can be changed), and youre in-and-out on circuit board items, no longer lifting traces or burning components by accident.