Tried a cheap hot air station vs a Hakko. The difference is huge.

Picked up a $30 station off Amazon for a quick board repair. Worked ok for maybe 10 minutes. Then the temp started jumping all over. Heated up uneven too. Grabbed a used Hakko 888 from a guy on Craigslist for $80. Night and day. Steady heat. Actually melts solder properly. Worth the extra cash if you do this more than once. Anyone else burn money on junk tools before?

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2 Comments

roberts.jordan3mo ago

You ever spend $30 on a tool just to prove you're too cheap for the good stuff? Did the same thing with a soldering iron, learned my lesson the expensive way.

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rodriguez.jordan3mo ago

Nah I'll respectfully disagree. My $30 station has been going strong for 2 years now, just had to swap the heating element once for 8 bucks.

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