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

So happy with this purchase, always got cheap soldering irons thinking I can replace it if needed and Im no soldering expert so dont use it that often, so might as well go under $50. As I was about to purchase my 4th iron (which would have taken my total spent on soldering irons to around $150) I decided to take a chance and spend the money to get a Hakko. The unit is much smaller than I anticipated (size didnt matter to me so never looked at dimensions) which is great, it is very easy to tuck out of the way. Saw some people dont like the separate iron stand, but personally that is the best for me. The station and stand can sit in the corner under my monitor at all times and I can just pull out the stand when I need to solder and I dont have to worry about any heat affecting my monitor. And the stand itself is all metal and feels quality. Time will tell with the sponge, saw some people not liking it, but havent run into anything myself as of yet. Heat up and temp stabilization are crazy fast, coming from cheap units this one surprised me when I first turned it on, was used to turning on the soldering iron and then in a few minutes could expect it to be stabilized. With the Hakko I turned it on and stood up expecting to have some time, and I wasnt 10 feet away by the time it hit temp and was almost stabilized. So very fast, which shouldnt be surprising if you have only been using the cheap units. Lastly is the interface, that was the thing I saw in reviews that made me almost not get this unit which would have been a mistake. Like I said I am not a good solderer by any means, so for me I tend to have 1 type of solder wire and keep the iron at the same temp almost always. If I changed temps regularly I would take the time to set up the presets to the temps I use most frequently. In my situation though, pressing the enter button and then adjusting the temp takes maybe 10 seconds and is done very infrequently. The interface is similar to another item I own where you press enter to start adjusting the temp and then the arrow to change the number, so for me it made immediate sense on what buttons to push. For anyone that intuitively thinks they should press the arrow to change the temp, I would highly recommend writing on the unit itself so you know what to do. Even a simple 1 and 2 to know which to press first would do it for you. But really that is how the system works, press Enter and the first digit flashes so you can press the arrow to change that digit, press enter again to go to the next digit, repeat till you have the temp you want. Unless you need an exact temp, you will never change the last number away from 0, so you will just change the first or second digit. Most times I am changing it up/down in hundreds so I just change the first digit and then hit enter twice to skip the next to digits. Anyone even remotely tech savvy or under a certain age will be totally fine with this, the only way the interface is an issue is if you are constantly changing temps, and even then it depends on the temps you are using and how many different temps since you can set custom presets to switch between. Will update this review if any issues arise, I expect to never have to buy another soldering iron in my life, so will definitely adjust this review if that turns out not to be the case.

For nearly 20 years I have been too cheap to understand the difference between a soldering iron and a digitally controlled soldering tool. If you want to save money, time, frustration/agony, and save the planet by not having to waste precious resources of your time and logistical costs, buy this now! Heck, since you are looking at this, buy this. I have never been able to get a solid understanding of how to solder. TURNS OUT I NEVER HAD THE RIGHT TOOL! If you dont buy this, you will forever regret it. I unboxed it. Fumbled with how to turn it on, and finally noticed the on/off switch on the side. It was set at 750 by default. I instantly became a soldering MASTER! 5 Minutes later, I am here writing this review to save all those out there the woes caused by those cheap soldering irons. SOLDERING MAGIC!!! I CAN SOLDER! YEEEHAW!

In the middle of a project my old (very old) Radio Shack soldering station ceased functioning. For several hours I looked at replacements, Read all the reviews good and bad. Watched some Youtube videos and finally decided on the the Hakko FX-888D. I never pay for overnight or 2nd day delivery but I really needed a soldering station to continue my project and was glad I did to get back to work. The Hakko heats up fast, very fast. Especially compared to the old Radio Shack. I bought some extra different shaped tips. This is my first experience with a tip that isnt a larger/medium cone shaped tip. So far so good. I have had the unit for a week now and have used it every day and I have been very happy with the purchase. Why only 4 Stars - The enclosed documentation is missing 5 pages. The document enclosed talks about the presets but doesnt show you how to. The documentation does have a reference to a web site where you can get the full set of instructions. The 5 missing pages include 3 pages for doing the presets. The other 2 pages are details on the parts and the internal construction of the unit. Its a little point but the cost of a couple mores pages of paper cant be a profit breaker. So for now only 4 stars - but very happy with my purchase so far.

Ive used the cheap wands for 30 years with their cheap tips, overly stiff cords, slow heating times, etc. Balancing them on desks, printers. dashes, floors counters, stove tops - inevitably their tips coming into contact with something that smells when it melts or the stiff cord slowly pulling the iron off the surface and on to your lap, leg, carpet. I FINALLY pulled the trigger on this unit. I was reluctant because it is TWO pieces instead of one and my Go-Bag is designed for maximal efficiency. This thing is AMAZING. It heats very quickly, has a very flexible cord, a GREAT stand for the iron and I love the built-in cleaning sponge and wire. It has a very comfortable grip as well for those long circuit building projects. I will never go back to the crappy wands. Technically, this would have to last 10 times longer to pay for itself - but thats not the point - this is a PLEASURE to use vs. the cheap irons. Plus, the stand and the built in cleaning features will keep the tip in better shape, longer - so it is certain to last at least several times longer than the cheap wands.

Using an iron almost everyday and 2 cheap-o irons broke. Decided to get a nice iron and heard good things about the TS-101 but just seemed like it would be better as an iron you don’t use all the time so I bought the Hakko. My goodness this thing is amazing. The flexibility of the cord was the first thing I noticed as the cheap-o cords are very ridgid. Heats up within 10 seconds. The name brand tip is amazing and evenly wets vs the cheap-os. The stand for the iron is all metal and solid. This thing is amazing.

This is very affordable and high quality! Dont hesitate to buy this, its very quick! Very happy with this purchase, my only regret is I didnt buy this years ago. Live and learn yeah?

The price on this unit was more than I usually like to pay, which is why Ive struggled most of my life with inadequate soldering irons. But one day, while trying to take some capacitors off a circuit board, holding the iron on there endlessly in frustration, I decided enough was enough. I scoured the reviews in Amazon, initially looking at a Weller unit, but someone pointed to the Hakko unit and I was impressed by the number of positive reviews. So I plunked down my hard-earned cash, and waited. One week later, I unboxed the unit, noticing the solid construction. And after trying it, I knew I had reached soldering iron nirvana! Here are the features I really appreciate: 1. Hot in seconds flat. Theres a little red LED on the front that tells when the iron is heating. When it goes off, the tip is ready. I didnt time it but turning the heat dial up half-way only takes about 5 to 10 seconds before the tip is ready. Wow! so different from what I was used to. 2. Performance. Most soldering can be done at about half temp. A few times Ive cranked it up all the way, to melt some stubborn joint, and it really works! 3. The brass tip cleaner. I really like the little brass wool that you can rub the tip on. It works very nicely and is much more convenient than water/sponge (although you can use that too). 4. Good stand. Its solid and doesnt fall over easily. Same with the transformer-temp control unit...its really heavy. 5. Flexible cord. Dont you just hate it when you get a tool that has a stiff plastic cord that never seems to straighten out? Well this one doesnt have that. The cord from the iron to the controller is nice and flexible. 6. The heating takes place so quickly that as soon as Im done a joint and have a break, Ill just dial the temp down and leave it on low, knowing that I can get it back up in less than 10 seconds. Im sure that helps the tip last longer. Theres really nothing not to like about this unit. Well, the tips are a bit expensive (about $10), but they look like they will last a while. Ive also seen some sets of tips on eBay for less...not sure about the quality of these though. Im in my early 50s now, and am a bit ashamed that Ive been doing occasional electronics work for about 30 years without such a good tool. Im pretty sure, unless my unit suffers from a defect, that this will be the last soldering iron I buy for the rest of my life. Should have bought it a long time ago...

Not a soldering guy, but I wanted to try my hand at a semi advanced job attaching a ribbon cable to an smb to an n64. Used my 20$ soldering iron...BIG MISTAKE. completely botched the job, my iron wasnt able to keep a consistent temperature and my cheap solder immediately stuck many legs together. Tried to save it but ended up reading more about the appropriate tools. Well... a few practice rounds later with the dead n64 an it so crazy how different using this soldering iron is. Expensive, but holy moly does it do a good job and Temps are amazingly stable.

I didnt know soldering could be this much fun. If you have never used a nice soldering iron before (like me), this thing is genuinely amazing. Soldering is hard, even with a good soldering iron like this, but the last thing that you want is for some cheap soldering iron to be adding to the inherent difficulty of soldering. This thing does the opposite of that. It makes soldering a lot easier and more fun. That might sound kinda crazy if you havent used one, but this really makes soldering a lot more pleasant. It heats up very quickly, and maintains its temperature very exactly. It maintains its temperature so well that even when I spend a bit too long heating something up, it doesnt damage anything. Thanks to the awesome temperature stability, it melts solder amazingly well without oxidizing it too quickly, I didnt know I could make solder joints this nice. I cant properly explain just how nice this thing is. You have to try one. Its just a joy to use. A nice soldering iron like this makes a huge difference, its night and day versus a cheap soldering iron. The base is very sturdy, the soldering iron itself is comfortable, it comes with a wedge shaped tip standard (which is much better than those needle point tips). I also like how small the whole thing is. It takes up a very minimal amount of desk space which is good if (like me) you dont have much desk space to spare. I personally enjoy the unique colors and design, but Im sure not everyone will like them. They actually look nicer in person than they do in the pictures. I also enjoy that the soldering iron holder is separate, and it feels like its made out of metal and some kind of ceramic stuff, its great. I really cant say enough good things about this. Soldering is still hard, but this thing makes it a lot better. I enjoy using it so much that I actually find myself getting sad when Im done with something and have nothing else to solder, which never used to happen before. Of course, if youve read anything about these, then you probably know the user interface leaves a bit to be desired. Its even stranger in person than the instructions make it out to be. But thats a minor flaw overall. Once you set it the way you want it, you pretty much dont have to pay attention to that anymore. Still, itd be nice if in a future version they made a better user interface for this thing. The user interface is its only real flaw.

This soldering station is a dream! Coming from a cheapie Radio Shack station, the difference is night and day. It reaches full temperature (650 f) in under 10 seconds and more importantly it stays hot while using it. People complaining about the lack of analog controls havent spent the time to properly set the iron up. Its designed to be used with presets. For example, I have 3 presets: 650, 700, and 750. Cycling between them is extremely easy. Having a digital display to show you what temp the iron is is really nice too. Spend 5 minutes to set your iron up before you complain about it! The soldering iron stand is 100% ceramic and metal. I expected most of it to be plastic, but its not so you dont have to worry about melting anything accidentally. The brass sponge is extremely effective at cleaning the tip. I havent used the wet sponge yet. The power control base unit is super sturdy and just the right weight to not move around during use. The cord for the soldering pen is extremely flexible and stays out of the way. Also to note that my iron came with a fine chisel tip, which I actually prefer. Some might prefer a round tip (but you shouldnt really) so be aware of that and order a replacement tip. Altogether, this is the perfect iron for any level of skill or experience. At work we have very high end ($600+) stations and in my opinion this is every bit as good. There isnt a thing I would improve about it. Its rare to find a flawless consumer product, and this truly is one.