cheap soldering station?

[oczad]

Had a old hakko for 20 years and loved it. A 936. Then i got a ***D which i still have and hate more then i did when it was new. I see there are clones and all out there now and i recall looking for a new 936 before i got the 888 and i recall the Aoyue brand getting a lot of good reviews as a 936 clone. But that was a while ago and there are a lot more junk clones and no name brands out there. So are there any good cheap stations being made now that have a knob for temp, heat up real quick and are reliable and long lasting? Someone elsewhere recommended the aoyue 937+. If i must forgo the knob i will but i gotta have quick heat up and longevity on a well working iron. That and tips that aren't stupid expensive, proprietary, hard to find, etc. What ya got?

[ElectricDruid]

What makes you hate the Hakko FX-888D?

I had a cheap Atten 980, much like the Aoyue 937. It lasted about five years, and then struggled on for a bit longer, until I gave up and dumped in favour of the Hakko FX-888D. I have to say, I prefer the Hakko in many ways.

[mozz]

No such thing as cheap and good. Buy a Weller and forget about cheap ones or clones.

[Ice-9]

I have had many solder stations from high priced wellers to low priced simple soldering irons. I now use a cheap station which has lasted me a long time with over 8 hours use per day.

https://www.antex.co.uk/products/soldering-stations/690d/

Check out the Antex solder stations. only an iron not an air iron. I find those all-in ones a bit crap. I bought an Aoyue 937+ some time ago and found it really useless.

[ElectricDruid]

No such thing as cheap and good.

Now, that I *don't* agree with! 

Another +1 for Antex from me.

Before the Atten, I had a Antex XS25. In fact, it might have even been a X25, before it gained an "S" along the years. It cost about £15 from Maplin back in the 80s. That iron lasted *decades* and served me extremely well. At some point I replaced the element, and it went through various tips, so by the end, only the handle was original! But you could still get spares, and you can still buy the same iron now, and it's still less than £40.

https://www.antex.co.uk/products/precision-range-soldering-irons/xs25/

If anything was ever cheap *and* good, that thing was.

[mozz]

80's? That was 40 years ago.  I have my fathers 70's cork handled Ungar, which i don't use but yes, things were made to last a while back then. I think he is looking for a station, with a control. I have bought a cheap station, temp was off and it didn't like to idle as it burned through tips. The tips of a clone are usually nowhere near the quality of a Weller or Hakko. That being said, Weller has been my choice, costs more but i don't care and tips last me a very long time with proper care. I hate tip tinners, never saw a use for it.

[PRR]

> my fathers 70's cork handled Ungar, which i don't use

I do.

[bluebunny]

Another Antex fanboy here.  I had the one below Tom's (CX?) since I was a teenager.  I upgraded to the one Jim has, not because the old one broke, but because I could.

[ElectricDruid]

80's? That was 40 years ago. 

That's why it's impressive that they still make it! It's a definite case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". They haven't changed the design at all in 40 years, because it works and it's reliable as hell.

Doesn't help the OP though, if they want a station...

[deadastronaut]

mrs astro bought me one of these last year....without me knowing.

however i was pleasantly surprised.  heats up quick, nice tips. and option of hot air too...

bargain for the price imo.

https://www.u-buy.co.uk/product/5NVPNW-co-z-soldering-rework-station-with-hot-air-heat-gun-750w-2-in-1-smd-rework-soldering-station-digital

[anotherjim]

Rob, what did you do about it being for 110v? Or is that why it heats up quickly? 

[Kevin Mitchell]

No such thing as cheap and good. Buy a Weller and forget about cheap ones or clones.

As I sit here on my thrown of radioshack close-out equipment 

[deadastronaut]

Rob, what did you do about it being for 110v? Or is that why it heats up quickly? 

Lol....i just nicked the quickest link..,.,

I just got some really nice spare tips for it too,  does me fine...

[ThePracticalPeasant]

bargain for the price imo.

https://www.u-buy.co.uk/product/5NVPNW-co-z-soldering-rework-station-with-hot-air-heat-gun-750w-2-in-1-smd-rework-soldering-station-digital

For those who prefer, I also found it on Amazon under the brand name "MYPOUOS"; This search term also returns listings for various replacement parts.

[antonis]

Buy a Weller and forget about cheap ones or clones.

Nothing more true than this..