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

Its a workhorse in my shop. Nothing else to say.

This unit works perfect for my need. Heats up quickly and I never have a problem with it.

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.

I always believe good tools are never a bad investment. Soldering irons are no different. You get what you pay for and I think if anyone is serious about soldering they should invest in at least a $100 soldering stations with genuine tips. I used a cheap $25 kit the school provided for a summer project and it was frustrating to work with because I was constantly fighting the iron. With the FX-888d I control the tool and it does exactly what it is supposed to do. The kit comes with a T18-D16, perfect medium ground for THM DIY boards you can buy off Amazon. I use lead free solder too and have no problems getting shiny, low wetting angle joints at 350C - 370C with this iron. The heat transfer is noticeable better than a cheaper kit w/ knockoff tips. Do yourself a favor, save $25-$45 you will spend on a cheap station and save for this kit or the Weller counterpart. I find the extra $75-$100 will pay for itself over and over again over the years with quality soldering joints, long lasting tips, and a well built, high quality soldering station.

This station oozes quality. The material used for the iron holder and the control housing is top notch. The holder is solid metal and the control housing shell seems to be some type of plastic. It is built like a brick, and should withstand a good beating. While it does look a little Fisher-Price, the shade of blue is actually a bit darker when looking at it in person, so it looks better than in the picture. The build quality more than makes up for the color. The holder has two mating pieces, so you can clean inside it or replace the metal cleaning ball, then easily put it back together into a solid assembly. My only complaint would be the sponge. It could mate better with the holder for it, but maybe it will be better when wet. In any case, it shouldnt matter, as it doesnt take much pressure to clean a tip. It started up fine on the first try, and quickly heated the tip. It came with the chisel tip, the T18-D16, which is kind of small at 1.6mm in diameter, but it provides better heat transfer than a conical tip, and should be easy to work with in fairly tight board layouts. I might recommend buying a few larger tips for larger components, as I did. I look forward to working with it, seeing all the positive reviews. Your tip might smoke a bit on the first use, but that is normal, as they are usually coated with a protective layer for storage.

I was pleasantly surprised by this station, the temperature accuracy was within 15 degrees of the displayed temperature straight out of the box. After calibrating with my thermometer, it has remained accurate with little deviation. The user interface is no intuitive, but after watching a video on YouTube, it is fairly simple. Overall, I would recommend this station and I would not hesitate to purchase again.

Great iron. Durable and dependable.

Ive used this product extensively at my previous electronics company, and it was always beyond dependable and the temperature accuracy was usually very good. We still had to calibrate it every year, but it was never too far off. Pros: Will melt any solder that I worked with. Its temperature range is more than adequate. If you need any hotter, youll surely damage a component. Comfortable grip, and never had an issue with its holder. It displays the temperature as it is reaching your desired temperature, which is nice to see how long you have until its ready for you. Nice to have a brash mesh to clean the tip, albeit I seldom used it. Changing tips is quite easy, as long as you dont accidentally weld it on (keeping it on max temperature for an extended period of time will do it), but parts are relatively cheap if you do, as you will surely break it (if you weld it). I would say its irons leash is a perfect length, measuring around 4 ft. Power switch is on the right side of the unit. Cons: Now, I am nitpicking here. It does have a digital input and it takes a little bit to change the temperature. I do prefer an analog knob for my soldering station so I can easily change temperature rapidly. However, some people may find a digital display is more professional. Its non-square sponge holder means a basic yellow square sponge will not fit without some modification. Tips can be expensive, but can easily last a year or two of heavy use, if you take care of them. All that said, I would still definitely recommend this product. It is much better than just a plug-in iron. Very well priced as it is definitely a professional grade station, but more than welcoming to the amateur hobbyist.

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.

Ive been a technician for over 30 years and always used the big W brand soldering stations at work. I finally decided I wanted a decent station at home -- instead of a direct plug-in type pencil. I looked at the usual suspects but decided to try simple instead of high tech. Hey, all I want is a soldering pencil, not a flashy tech toy. This little guy has a classic retro kind of Art Deco of look to him. From the photos here you might think that the brightly colored bodies of this Hakko station are plastic. Theyre not. Everything is cast metal, maybe aluminum or more likely pot metal. It feels very sturdy and solid and definitely not like cheepo plastic. The bright color is baked on and matte in finish. The unit is quite heavy (transformer) as well as sturdy and simple. You dont get a fancy digital temp readout or glitzy high tech gizmos to impress your non-techie friends. This is a simple and competent iron with good temperature control and a nice solid feel to it. It would be nice if it came with a few more tips but the one supplied is the type of chisel point I use most often. The price could be more reasonable but its made in Malaysia and not China. If the heating element is reliable then this little guy could last indefinitely. Although I didnt look Im sure the temp control circuit is very basic and reliable. Ive used it for three projects and it works great. It heats up to mid dial @700F in 30 seconds and is immediately responsive to temperature loads. I like it.