Hi,
I'm considering acquiring a soldering station/hot air rework station. Right now, my options are
-Hakko Fx-888D + generic hot air
-Auyoe 968A+
-One of the x-tronic (8060 or 6040 perhaps)
I already know weller and hakko get the most recognition and both of them are safe routes. Hence, the first alternative is probably the safest one. However, it uses more desk space and changing temperatures in the Hakko seems overly complicated (in the digital version, the analogue version is more expensive). I really don't want posts saying go for hakko or go for weller, I know those two brands work. I'm wondering if anyone has a negative or positive comment about the latter two options.
In particular, I've read good things about the Aoyue. As expected, the finish quality isn't as high as a hakko or weller, but (from what I've read), it is functionally close. If anyone has experience with it, how comfortable/uncomfortable is the smoke absorber? I know it can't be completely removed (the plastic part will always stay there). Does it get in the way of anything or something? I've heard the handle gets a bit warm, but I can deal with that.
For the x-tronic, I don't have as much info. I've viewed a few unpacking videos and reviews, but I don't really have that much reliable material to work on. I do like the form factor of the soldering iron (thin) but I'd like to know if anyone has any experience with those. Depending on the version, the hot air may use a pump in the main body or a fan inside the hot air wand itself.
-Tips are available for both of the latter options, as they use the same tips as the Hakko, so I don't expect tip availability to be a problem with any of the options.
-The hot air is basically the same on all three options, I mostly want to hear about the soldering iron quality of the latter two.
I'm considering acquiring a soldering station/hot air rework station. Right now, my options are
-Hakko Fx-888D + generic hot air
-Auyoe 968A+
-One of the x-tronic (8060 or 6040 perhaps)
I already know weller and hakko get the most recognition and both of them are safe routes. Hence, the first alternative is probably the safest one. However, it uses more desk space and changing temperatures in the Hakko seems overly complicated (in the digital version, the analogue version is more expensive). I really don't want posts saying go for hakko or go for weller, I know those two brands work. I'm wondering if anyone has a negative or positive comment about the latter two options.
In particular, I've read good things about the Aoyue. As expected, the finish quality isn't as high as a hakko or weller, but (from what I've read), it is functionally close. If anyone has experience with it, how comfortable/uncomfortable is the smoke absorber? I know it can't be completely removed (the plastic part will always stay there). Does it get in the way of anything or something? I've heard the handle gets a bit warm, but I can deal with that.
For the x-tronic, I don't have as much info. I've viewed a few unpacking videos and reviews, but I don't really have that much reliable material to work on. I do like the form factor of the soldering iron (thin) but I'd like to know if anyone has any experience with those. Depending on the version, the hot air may use a pump in the main body or a fan inside the hot air wand itself.
-Tips are available for both of the latter options, as they use the same tips as the Hakko, so I don't expect tip availability to be a problem with any of the options.
-The hot air is basically the same on all three options, I mostly want to hear about the soldering iron quality of the latter two.
