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

I put this title in for a reason. My previous experience (other than soldering copper pipes) has been with various soldering guns, but Ive also had a couple soldering irons, ranging from fairly powerful to low wattage for fine. The soldering guns, even the Weller brand ones, invariably died after a while, with lack of heat, intermittent heat due to mysterious issues and rattling. Soldering irons also died, with cracking bakelite handles and tips that got loose. Using this soldering station is incredible different. Soldering has become much more consistent, the tip stays clean and attached and its ready to go in seconds. Playing with the temperature is really nice, to get just the right amount of heat in the right amount of time. Its got good power too. You dont really need 250 W if the temperature is controlled and heat is transferred well. Already this has lasted much longer than any $40 soldering gun would. I love it and thats why Im saying this is a must have. Typical excellent Japanese quality.

I bought one of these to use at home -- at my workplace we have JBC soldering irons and I can say without a doubt that this Hakko doesnt compare. The interface is annoying, but you really only need to input your desired settings once and then you can forget about it. It takes a little while to heat up but nothing too unreasonable. My main complaint is that it feels very cheap. The iron itself feels light and hollow and the iron only came with one tip, which is a little to large for most of the small soldering work I do. Ive noticed that it also has a hard time heating up joints that are grounded -- or really anything with a lot of heat capacity. Overall it works fine but its nothing super impressive. Id recommend that you order a few extra tips because it only comes with one.

Great iron…it gets to temp quickly and accurately. Quality product

We have two Hakko 936-12 irons, which we use in a daily production environment. The FX-888 is the updated replacement. Its smaller, but packs a bit more power than the 936. The handpiece is comfortable for day-long use and the new holder incorporates a slot for brass wool (better than a wet sponge), so you dont need a separate tip cleaner. Theres still a sponge plate for traditionalists. Hakko supplies both a sponge and a wad of brass wool. The thermostatic control is accurate and the iron heats quickly. More important, the more powerful 70W ceramic element brings the tip back up to temperature quickly when you heat a large surface, and the internal thermostat prevents overshoot. In other words, the Hakko maintains your chosen working temperature, making it easier to do clean, consistent work. Using brass wool to clean the tip causes less thermal shock than water does and theres essentially no thermal recovery time. The supplied screwdriver-shaped tip is small enough for standard printed-circuit board work and can also lay down enough heat to attach a braided ground to the back of a potentiometer. The silicone-coated cable on the handpiece withstands occasional accidental contact with the tip or barrel without damage. The brightly colored components are a departure from the usual somber black, looking like they could have been made by a toy manufacturer. Some have teasingly called it My First Soldering Iron, but its a quality tool that will likely last you a lifetime of hobby soldering or years of production work.

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...

Ive been saying that Im learning to solder for a long time now and thats because I never purchased the proper iron and so I thought it was the fact that I lacked the skill and know how. Now I know the cheaper irons, which I have 2 of, one is not temp controlled and the other just didnt get hot enough. If I would have known that I just needed to invest in a great iron, I would have empowered myself a long time ago. Its sturdy, easy to use, easy to change the controls and I like that the power unit is separate from the holder. The only thing I would suggest is if you are soldering pcbs youll probably need to purchase an additional tip as the one included works but is a little wide for tiny pcb probject IMHO.

It was fine but I ended up replacing it with a pinecil, which is less bulky, way more controllable, and has all sorts of cheap tips available.

The title says it all, really. Ive never had an easier time with delicate soldering jobs. This iron replaces my old Weller iron with the dial-type temperature control. That iron, while good and definitely held its own, was moody at times and prone to heat-recovery delays. Heat recovery is important, and not just for someone doing dozens of joints at a time. Reliable heat recovery means that the iron is predictable, and also heats initially quickly. Other irons Ive used would be prone to losing heat at an odd time, then youre sitting there pressing the solder into the joint and nothing happens. You leave the iron to heat, then its too hot and burning resin or the board substrate. This iron heats to the right, precise temperature quickly, and holds that temperature. It performs consistently and quickly so your components arent risking damage. The user interface isnt the greatest, but I didnt find it counter-intuitive as some have. I do like that the temperature control can be dialed in to just a few degrees hotter than the melting point of the solder. That eliminates the guesswork that can come with a dial-based system, and with the consistent heating, allows for a quick solder flow with a minimum of fuss. This iron has allowed me to solder up prototyping circuit boards with joints that look machine-made, and I am by no means greatly practiced. This has been a purchase that was well worth the few extra dollars.

Update to original review: Ive pulled my old Weller back out of storage. The specific issue is that this Hakko isnt nearly as good for soldering quad copter power leads. The leads tend to be 12 or 14 gauge (I match the leads on the battery I intend to use). It is the ground wires that are most difficult because the circuit boards tend to have heavy ground planes. Sure, I can do the job with the Hakko, but it got annoying after the Nth time. That old Weller makes it fast and easy. Sadly, I hear that the new Wellers dont match up to the old ones. Other than those power leads, almost everything else I do is a lighter job for which the Hakko works fine. ------- Its amazing how the price of these things has changed over the years. This Hakko is replacing my 30 year old Weller. That old Weller doesnt have temperature adjustment and its one temperature was dropping. It was time for a replacement. This Hakko station does everything I want and that brass wool thing is great for tip cleaning. Still getting used to the adjustable temp though. Basically though. its a soldering iron. No surprises there. Flip the switch, it gets hot, melts solder, etc. No drama. The soldering iron is more like a pencil. No problem because it gets hot fast and gets the job done. If I were doing a lot of soldering - as in it were my job, Id have probably gotten another Weller but with adjustable temp. They are more industrial and my old one lasted me 30 years. Thats a strong recommendation. For now, though, I may solder for a few hours on the occasional weekend when Im assembling a quadcopter or arduino gadget. No need for the expensive industrial tooling.

I had purchased a cheap rework station and it was absolutely terrible. Would only solder one leg of a resistor before cooling to the point I could not solder the second leg. Returned it and bought the Hakko 888D. The Hakko made a world of difference and have been soldering with no trouble since! This is the right tool for through-hole and SMD PCB soldering. Do not waste your time and money with the cheap units - you will end up here anyway! The tip that comes with the unit is a small chisel tip that is perfect for PCB work. If you are looking at this for PCB work like me, make sure you combine this with the right solder as well. Kester 63/37 .020” (.5mm) leaded solder is the right solder to go with this station. I have seen some reviews about the interface being difficult. That was not the case for me. There are several videos on YouTube by Hakko that walk you through setting up the device and the settings. I highly suggest watching those while waiting for your unit to arrive!