Hakko FX951-66, T15-D16 Soldering Station with T15-D16, 1.6 mm Chisel Tip, Blue

If like me you upgrade to this station from a cheap unregulated soldering pencil of 15W-25W power, you will end up feeling like a fool for having waited far too long to do so. This station is a compelling value, probably the best bargain of all solder stations because it delivers the superior performance of a high end MetCal or JBC or Ersa station at a price about half of those stations (in the USA). Why is this such an excellent value? 1) Thermal performance. The reserve power of the station allows for the use of much lower temperatures. Lower tip temperatures means long tip life and better soldering (less flux burn-off). The sleep mode allows for higher temperatures if needed without unnecessary tip oxidation on standby. Again, the tips will last a very long time. For what I do (mostly point to point, turret board and such), an induction heated unit would offer almost no advantage. 2) Excellent ergonomics. The handpiece feels almost weightless in use, and the short reach from grip to tip makes handling effortless. Also, the handpiece allows easily for rotating the tip if there is a particular orientation you prefer relative to the grip. 3) Excellent quality tips. They are very well made, yet very affordable at about $10 from many sources. And with about a month of near daily use, I see no perceivable degradation of my main tip. The tinnable plated area is shiny and new. 4) Large assortment of tips. Over 30 designs mean youre sure to find the perfect choice. Now, its not all perfection. The user interface is a little clunky. Its needlessly complex to change temperature, for example. And having presets might be useful for some, but adds no value to me. What you get for that clunky interface, however, is simplicity and robustness. I highly doubt you will ever have a failure of the station itself. I choose this station over the FX-888D because of the following features: -- integrated heating element and temp sensor instead of just a ceramic element -- Cradle that goes to sleep mode when set above 300C (570F). -- Lighter, shorter handpiece -- Better tip selection A soldering station isnt the kind of tool that goes obsolete or needs firmware updates and such. So, while the FX-951 is nearly twice the price of the FX-888D, it is only $100 more and over the course of decades of use and ownership, $100 is nothing. You will get that money back in tip life alone. And compared to the cost of solder, wick, flux, and related accessories, the station itself being $100 more to buy initially is ultimately not money worth saving. I dont have a lot of money to spend on my hobbies, but I do not regret for an instant the premium of this station compared to lower cost stations in the $100 to $120 range. It is a FANTASTIC VALUE. If you absolutely need to save money, get the FX-888d. But if you want to get the most for your money, the FX-951 is absolutely worth the upgrade.

I was almost born with a soldering iron in my hand decades ago. In college, my part time job was wiring and soldering VHF aircraft ground radios. I decided to splurge on this Hakko to replace a cheap (~$50) Chinese soldering station. Wow and wow. The cord is a nice long length, the iron holder is the perfect size. I love the sleep mode, no more burned out tips. The chisel tip this kit comes with is a great all around tip for most applications. Its worth the money. Yes, really. *Update Nov 11, 2018:* I have a few more hours using this Hakko and I am even more pleased with my purchase. The iron holder has worked great for my medium size hands. I cant believe Ive waited to long to finally buy a good iron. By the way, I would stay away, far far away from the many 951 Chinese Hakko clones on the market. Ive watched several teardowns videos of the clones and they are basically garbage. Save your money. Ive also bought genuine Hakko tips, I dont trust Chinese knockoff products.

This is a great soldering station. The T15-D16 is a good all around tip for the odd job but you will likely end up buying a few more. The soldering station was easy to setup and it heated up very quickly. It also has a sleep function when the iron is in the rest. I use this with this solder,

good

i love it, upgraded from a hakko fx888d and this heats up so quickly and it keeps temps consistent. fixing iphone motherboards is a lot easier now.

Great product, works well. was shipped in a timely manner.

Love that it heats up so fast! Wish I would have bought one before. My only is the cost of some of the tips :-(

Excellent

What a difference this has made in my work flow !!! Great product - bad pun

I am very happy that I chose to spend a little more on a better soldering machine. This thing heats up super fast and when not in use, it cools down to save the tip from corroding. Also, the tips are easy to swap out and it come with an organizer to hold the different tips. The only thing that I dont like, is the key that keeps someone from changing the temp on the machine. If I ever need to move the unit, the key falls out and there have been a few times where it was a pain trying to find it. I have since taken a little hot glue and put a small dab on the key and the unit to keep the key from falling or being yanked out. It is a nice piece of mind and the hot glue is easy to remove, if I ever need too. This tip that came with my machine, is a very small chisel tip, which I find the to be the best for my needs. The tip holds its temp, when soldering larger wires and is delicate enough to solder 22 gage onto extremely small pads. I really dont change out my tip. So far, it has done everything I need it too.