I splurged and bought myself a soldering station

[1koolcat]

Cool station, Nate!

I've admired similar stations myself. Still working on learning the basics with my simple SEARS bought portable iron.

Happy soldering.

 

[Redboy]

so build me something already.

Could happen, I suppose.

 

[jaymanaa]

Great. Say, what tips do you like on this thing? It came with two, a needle-sharp thing that I probably shouldn't be trusted with, and a small chisel deal that looks slightly larger than what I'm used to using.

And where should I start with the temp?

The chisel is nice for tube gear, and I run mine just over 300.

 

[Jon_Logan]

Temp? I like to go from 700~800 deg. F

 

[audiozaz]

The 936 has been a mainstay in my shop for years. Make sure you don't drop the pencil, as a broken heating element is not-too-cheap to replace, at least it was not for me. And keep that RS iron, as you will need it for the job if the former happens.

Enjoy your new toy!

az

 

[westend]

Made the same upgrade, meself, RS to Hakko 936. I had a Weller station that was pretty good, too. I liked the Hakko a little more, mostly because of the fit of the wand. I use a small chisel point.
Another good upgrade is using the alloy "scrub brush" tip cleaner. It has a base that sits right on top of the station and does as good a job as a wet sponge. I don't use my station every day so the "scrub brush" cleaner makes life easier, no need to get the sponge wet for a quick repair or wire splice. Pictured Here

 

[Sir.Byrd]

I use a weller station, and its great. A soldering station > soldering iron.

 

[cgcomputers]

To date, all of my soldering has been done with a Radio Shack el cheapo crapstick iron.

Today, my Hakko 936 soldering station came in the mail...

Woo hoo, I'm runnin' with the big boys now! Can't wait to fire it up.

Did you purchase yours from partsexpress.com?

Really nice soldering station, I wish I had some extra cash to buy one.

 

[oldhemi]

Which of these tips would be recommended for soldering and de-soldering? I have at least 2 boards to rebuild on my Pioneer SX-939, and - if I continue - 2 Sony TA-3200's, TA2000 and then............. Crap, I* got a lot of stuff that needs attention.

http://www.emsco-usa.com/hakko/900tips.htm

Which one did it come with?


Thanks

 

[BruceRPA]

Wow, this is spooky! Last night I decided to get a new soldering station to replace my cheap Tenma soldering station. The Tenma holds temperature perfectly - as long as it is room temperature. It has only been used a half-dozen times and the cord is just slightly more flexible than 12/3 Romex. I thought that I was going to have to research soldering stations to find one that this thread is all about. Thanks Redboy and everyone else that has contributed. :thmbsp: I will order one tonight!

 

[Arkay]

I made a similar upgrade a while back, to a reworking station (soldering station on one side, and vacuum-powered desoldering gun on the other side, in a single larger case).

My reaction at the time was exactly like yours: "Why didn't I do this MUCH SOONER?!"
A good station makes the work so much easier and faster, and the results so much more consistent and professional, it's like night and day. To anyone hanging on (as I did for years) to an old iron and daydreaming about one day upgrading, DO IT NOW. You'll be glad you did!

That almost needle-fine tip is wonderful, too, for getting between components on crowded boards and putting the solder right where you want it, without frying the nearby components. The stable tip temp makes repetitive soldering a breeze, and using the right temperature means the bonds are more stable, and it is easier to prevent overheating components. Lots of benefits, and no real drawbacks.

All you need to do now is get the matching de-soldering station (vacuum type with a point-and-shoot "gun", and you're set to be quicker and better than ever at repairing and building electronic gear.

 

[Redboy]

All you need to do now is get the matching de-soldering station (vacuum type with a point-and-shoot "gun", and you're set to be quicker and better than ever at repairing and building electronic gear.

Yeah, if I find myself doing a lot more recap work, I'll be shopping for one of those. Lately, it's all been new construction around here.

 

[1MOR]

To date, all of my soldering has been done with a Radio Shack el cheapo crapstick iron.

Today, my Hakko 936 soldering station came in the mail...

Woo hoo, I'm runnin' with the big boys now! Can't wait to fire it up.

I recently bought the same rig. My Ratshack iron had been in the bottom of my tool drawer for the last 30 years. I bit the bullet and ordered one from HMC. This is a must have upgrade. So far, a couple of speaker XOs have been completed. Next is a pair of Indignias from the GB! HMC catalog is full of neat electronics tools.