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

This Hakko FX888D is so AMAZING . It performs on a level no other soldering iron Ive ever used performs at . I wondered how an item could get so many 5 star reviews, well all you got to do is try it and you will know. This soldering station is truly out of this world incredible .

This should be everyones 1st iron. Well built, aesthetically pleasing, ergonomic, powerful and accurate. This would have made my journey into to soldering a lot smoother and more enjoyable had it been around when I started. Night and day from the cheap irons. Maybe the programming needs an instructional video watched, but Youtube has plenty of how to videos out there. This setup will handle any casual or hobbyists tasks with ease. It really is a quality soldering station. Tips are cheap enough, but the included 1.6 x 10mm chisel will handle 90% of jobs, and last a long time if taken care of. Watch a few tip care and maintenance videos and this will be the only station most will ever need. Parts are easy to acquire and cheap to replace if necessary. This also performed better than the Weller WE1010 head to head. Warmed up quicker, held temp better, and has less recovery headroom than the Weller. Cheaper too.....!

So I’ve used many soldering irons over the years, but never had a “nice” one. This thing is insane! Reaches 899f in under a minute, roughly 45 seconds. And the temperature hasn’t dipped one time over the time I’ve used it. The interface is super simple to set, it’s almost dummy-proof. Would highly recommend, this will be the last soldering iron you’ll ever purchase. It’s just so good.

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.

The hype is true, this thing is great.

Im a light hobby user, so this product is probably overkill, but when I needed to source new elements and tips for my Weller pencil-type irons, I decided to consider a controllable station instead. The FX-888 heats up quickly (MUCH faster my old Weller irons), and provides great results. The adjustable temperature allows me to use one tool for various tasks, and tips are readily available. The cord connecting the iron to the controller is very supple, so moving the pencil around while working is easy. I just wish they had considered this for the power cord, as its quite stiff. The base is sturdy and well-weighted, and the built-in cavity for the wire-mesh iron cleaner is a plus. One drawback is the lack of a power on indicator. The flashing ready light is in a poor position for visibility, and can be easily missed if you look at just the right (wrong?) time. I will be adding another LED in the top of the unit. Im also not keen on the brightly-colored and contoured appearance of the unit, but styling is subjective. Id also prefer the holder and controller be joined units for easier portability, but this is a minor inconvenience. Overall, Im very satisfied with the unit, and am pleased with the purchase. SUMMARY: PROS: Heats quickly Good range of temperature adjustment Wide selection of tips available Flexible iron cord Sturdy base with tip cleaner CONS: Fisher-Price styling Controller and base are separate units No power-on indicator Poor Heating LED placement Stiff power cord

I Like the digital temperature display and it does warm up fast. I changed out the tip that came with it for a larger one for the type of projects I am doing. The small tip does work well for finer detailed projects.

I had this sitting on my cart for almost a year since I felt like I never needed it due to my $20 soldering iron working perfectly fine. But, over time I kept getting annoyed at how cheap it was constructed so I decided to risk it and see if it was really worth the price. I mean it’s over $100, you can do lots of thing with that. However, I’m very happy to have done so as it makes soldering easier than ever. Like I thought it was my fault or technique but once I switched to this all the problems I had disappeared. Would highly recommended buying one if you happen to solder ever so often. I mainly solder when building keyboards or setting up led strips with controllers.

Having safely made the jump from a $20 soldering iron (Velleman) to this wonderful $80 soldering iron I can now say that I know how to solder. If you are trying to decide if the extra $60 is worth it then stop right now and just buy this one. I went from putting down globs of solder to creating finely shaped tiny works of art. Here are a couple of things that are different between this soldering iron and the one I came from: The Hakko gets AT LEAST 200 degrees F hotter. I dont know how hot the other one gets, but I had a hard time getting lead free solder to melt with it. The Hakko does so easily at 700 degrees (goes up to 900). I havent tried it out at a lower temp yet. It is nice to know what temp I am using. The tip that came with the Hakko is larger than the one that came with the velleman. In spite of this it is considerably easier to solder small parts. Replacement tips for the Hakko run about twice as much, but they also last at least twice as long. Ive done more soldering with the tip that came with (T18-D16) than I did with the last two tips I used on the velleman and it still looks brand new. It was next to impossible to tin the Velleman tips. It is quite easy with the Hakko. The Hakko comes with setup, calibration, and cleaning instructions. The Velleman came with a box. Having a flexible cord is quite nice, although personally it isnt a selling point. One extra thought for anyone else who is considering upgrading from a lower end soldering iron: This one comes with an on/off switch. This is important to note so that you dont just turn the dial like you did on your cheap one and then panic when it doesnt do anything (like me). The tip in a bag that is pictured up top is the one that comes with it. It is not an extra tip. You only get one tip. It is a good general purpose tip. I am going to buy the T18-B, T18-BL, and the T18-I to complement it. Oddly enough, this isnt iron I meant to buy. I had added it to my cart while I looked at the Weller with the LCD screen. I ended up deciding that I wanted the digital temp readout but forgot to add the Weller to my cart. When I was done shopping for other things I didnt look closely at my cart and didnt realize I had the wrong iron. So far I do not regret my mistake, but I DO wish I had a digital read out and a tip temp sensor. Oh well :D

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.