Hey guys, I’m looking to buy a variable temperature soldering station, I can feel some driver modding coming on.
I haven’t used a soldering iron for around 20 years, so we’re very much talking amateur here.
Any recommendations, preferably buying online? I don’t need anything top of the line, but I don’t want cheap rubbish either…
I have an Aoyue 936 (Hakko clone) which has been fantastic. I got it from Germany a few years ago now though.
HobbyKing do the Hakko clone for about £16 delivered in the UK. With HobbyKing always hang around on the page for a bit till a window appears dropping the price. You’ll also need a 110V transformer capable of 100W or so. http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=19240
Or the 220V version which is slightly cheaper but seems to be the same device. You’ll need to cut off the Schuko plug and fit a UK plug obviously.
Wow, I think I paid around £35 for mine!! Although it did come with a spare heating element.
I bought mine from company in UK called Circuit specialists they have been round for quite some time, there on ebay too.
Mines a re branded well known make, fully adjustable with replacement elements available around £60 delivered with years guarantee.
Mines looks like Aoyue 936 (hakko clone) too as Chloe mentioned
Don mentioned Hobby king they have some good stuff I found the shipping costs extortionate which makes it no cheaper than here.
Just my 2 cents YMMV
hope that helps B
I think the Royal Mail postage was around a fiver for the HobbyKing one. I use a cheapie I got from Maplin years ago - seem to remember it was £9.99 on special offer. Which I’ve seen several times since.
Missed that one Don @ Maplins not overly priced either.
B
Unusually for Maplin it is reasonably priced. It does take a while to heat up properly - I go for a coffee after turning it on.
I use it a lot - in fact I never use anything else if there’s a socket available. I have a gas iron but it puts too much heat into a small space if you aren’t careful. I’ve cremated more than one driver.
I’ve actually made plastic covers for the smoke detectors in my office so I can solder at work without the Fire Brigade getting involved (At £10K per false alarm).
Nice find don i think the maplins one is the one im going for ,ill give them a ring in morning see if i can collect…
IMO That Maplin’s one is expensive at 20 quid, I got it some time ago but it was something like £8 with a voucher I had plus its offer price which as said is rotated regularly.
If you get one check that the tip where it screws into the handle the retaining collar screws into a thread but the thread section is a separate section that is not always firmly fitted to the rest of the iron and the tip moves. I returned one and the replacement now does the same but to a lesser extent. If you get it don’t forget to get the extra tips, you will need them
The Hobbyking link is the one to go for IMO, if you have the time to wait till it comes back into stock in the UK warehouse, then the shipment hopefully wont be as outrageous. But I think at the moment with the cheapest shipping option it would only be a tenner-ish more than the maplin’s one present price.