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

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.

The soldering iron was a little skinny to hold but performance was more of a deciding factor. When applied to the workpiece the iron was unable to maintain heat transfer and was not useful. I was unable to measure actual power draw. The two piece design is thoughtful and allows for flexibility in placement of the iron

I see that you are in the review section, youre probably on the fence about this purchase. So was I.... I did the same thing that you are doing now, reading the reviews. I still wasnt sure it was worth the money, after all, you can get a simple soldering iron for less than 20 bucks at home depot right? Let me tell you.... I have never experienced a soldering iron heat up from room temperature to 750 degrees as fast as this one does. The temperature is stable, the iron itself is balanced and easy to manipulate. The temperature is easily set and will stay stable on this one. I have never had an issue with it. Best of all, you dont have to turn it on and wait for it to heat up. It heats up in about 8 seconds from room temp to operating temp. I use it on all kinds of projects from Ham radio stuff (antennas, electronics etc) to motor controllers and battery BMS. Pull the trigger you wont be sorry you did.

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.

I have one of these that finally broken down after 6 years of daily use. Replacing the soldering iron wand part was nearly the same as buying a new one, so I just bought a new one. And I couldnt be happier, Hakkos gear is just as solid as its always been. People complain about the temperature control interface and I get it -- its awkward. I dont need to change temps a lot so its fine, but if you do you change temperatures frequently you may want something else. If youve used cheap soldering irons because you couldnt quite justify the cost, Ive been there too, and I can assure you its worth it to get a quality soldering iron. You can go faster, the work comes out more consistent, and youre never fighting with the equipment.

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.

Hakko is a big name. Their desoldering tool is the best there is--but this soldering station is a hassle to set and doesnt hold temperature all that well. It also doesnt recover quickly. At least not as well as my old Youyue 858D (who?) which had a single temperature knob. One touch. The Hakko, on the other hand, requires several presses to set the temperature. As much as I wanted to love this iron, it slows me down. I recommend the popular cheapo alternative. Not the 888D.

It’s nice but overkill for hobby work. It heats in seconds and once hot it idles along at reasonable power levels. I cannot seem to get to the presets, the up arrow button does nothing unless you you hold it down to get to the adj settings. However, for this price it should come with a few more tips. The provided one is only good for heavier stuff, you wouldn’t use it to put pigtails on the leads of to92 parts. I’ve had a lot of soldering equipment in 40 years but always pretty much took them for granted, a good station was just not that important. I also bought a $24 kit that honestly is as good as my ancient weller and would serve my purposes now but the quality and solidity of this Hakko is something I appreciate.

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.

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.