Hakko FX951-66 T15-D08,D12,D24,D32,D52 Soldering Station with Chisel Tip T15-D08/D12/D24/D32/D52, Blue/Yellow

I've been using the FX888D for years, and it's still going strong. However, I've been soldering a lot more lately, my sessions have grown longer, and my projects have become more complex (larger ground fills, more joints to solder). I found myself wanting for more power, but also wanted to stick with the Hakko line for its durability and value for money. I watched a bunch of reviews, and pined over it for some time until my second 888 tip of the year started to wear out on me. After watching Louis Rossmann's review, I was sold (he didn't absolutely hate it, which is equivalent to 20 stars and 5 thumbs up).After a handful of soldering sessions, I couldn't be happier with it. It maintains heat really well, and I'm getting bright and shiny joints with every pass. The bundle with the T15-D08/D12/D24/D32/D52 tips is a great value for the money, and I'm already using 3/5 tips regularly. I ordered some extra sleeve assemblies in various colors so I can hot swap the tips with the sleeve assembly still attached. I like that the included holder has some heft to it, and can hold several tips even with sleeves attached.Some reviews I watched complained about the constant beeping when coming out of standby mode, but I actually prefer it. I can pull the iron off the stand, ready myself near the joint, and just wait for the beep and go in, no watching the temperature display. Very handy!The only thing I felt was lacking, compared to my old 888 stand, was a wet sponge, which I prefer over the metal sponge most of the time. They make sponges for that stand, but they're pretty small, thin, and pricey, so I took inspiration from a post online, and am cutting slices off of a large 3M C41 7456-T Cellulose sponge, wetting them, and setting them in a ceramic soap dish.Needless to say, I just dropped in to confirm I did not receive a box full of paper like that other reviewer.

Having used this only a few times since unboxing it, I can't give as complete a review as others who have more experience with it. I have been using an older Weller soldering station and so far I can't detect any outstanding differences.I suppose that having an adjustable temperature might matter to someone who is accomplished at soldering, but so far I have left the setting at 750 and see no reason to change it. One of the first settings I changed was silencing the beep so I won't have to listen to it. I made sure the iron is set to sleep mode rather than full off mode, but I may decide differently at a later time. The iron heats up almost instantly which is an improvement over the old Weller, yet not a huge improvement.One area that can be confusing for a new user is putting a tip in the holder. After following the instructions you may find the dreaded "se" error even though you've heard the requisite clicks. Look closely at the tip and you will find that it has come loose after connecting the tip holder to the handle. Push the tip in again until it clicks. You'll be golden then. I should also tell you that the first time you click a tip into the holder you may be unable to pull it back out. Never fear, it will come loose when you connect it to the handle, and from then on it will be easy to remove.This is a quality soldering station and I can find no faults with it at this time. Is it better than a Weller? I'm no expert, so don't take my opinion to the bank; but for a casual user I would answer "no". Replacement tips for the Hakko are more expensive and harder to find than those for a Weller. By using several holders with pre-mounted tips you can do hot tip changes with the Hakko, something you probably wouldn't attempt with a Weller; so, in a production environment the Hakko is a better choice. But, for a casual user this is a moot issue. If I had known then what I know now I would have opted for a new Weller, but it would be hard for me now to return an item that is functional and has not disappointed me. I fully expect this item to last a very long time.

I was looking for a replacement to my old solder station. Problem of the old was low wattage, 35W, inaccurate temperature, temperature drops fast when soldering items with high heat capacity etc.Hakko's T15 tips with integrated heater and sensor seemed promising. Also promising was the large selection of specialized T15 tips. After scanning a good deal of reviews, I decided for the Hakko FX951. Not a clone, but the real thing! My old station is a clone, and not a good clone! I am done with clones!Next problem: I live in Denmark, there is only few Hakko distributors in Europe, and those I found would only sell to companies. Tried amazon.co.uk and amazon.de with no luck, but found it on amazon.com. Its 110V for American outlets, mine is 230V, but an inexpensive transformer can fix that. So I bought the US version with 5 tips added.After a few days use, I am very satisfied. It works flawlessly and heats very fast. I had a beginner problem, for the first minutes it always displayed an error, tip not inserted. It turned out that it takes some pressure to get the tip fully inserted. Only after you feel a quite powerful click is it fully inserted. But then it is nice to know that it is inserted tight, reassuring for durability.I can absolutely recommend this station!Note: add a few extra sleeves to make tip change fast and easy.

Don't get me wrong, I love this FX951, but the price is non justified by this seller, I strongly recommend using this instead. : https://www.amazon.ca/FX-951-Solder-Soldering-Station-Holder/dp/B07DFCHJJ8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1FTARU8Y1A1I8&keywords=fx-951&qid=1665759561&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjI0IiwicXNhIjoiMS44NyIsInFzcCI6IjEuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=fx-951%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-4I paid 452$ + 75$ shipping + 100$ duties where I could buy the same unit for 142$ all included and next day ...lessons learned do your homeworks.