Hakko tip life

[GermanCdn]

So I'm in the market for a new soldering iron, as my trusted LKR's seem to be dying earlier and earlier deaths (to their defense, I think it's mainly due to me running them off a 220V step up transformer which probably doesn't quite do the job right, cause they never died in Germany, and I've going through one every two months now).

Given my enjoyment of the hobby, I'm looking at picking up a Hakko station (the 888, or whatever the number is that replaced the 936).  My only reservation is on the tip life.  Point in case, I have a Weller which I no longer use because I literally burn through the tip after three or four boards, and at $5 a pop, it's actually cheaper to buy a new LKR everytime it dies then replace the Weller tips (I've never worn through a tip on the LKR, and I must have built 100 boards with it).

Since Hakko appears to be tool of choice for many here, the question is how many times a year do you (or have you) replaced the tip on the irons?

Thanks,

Curtis

[fendman]

Asking the question about solder tips made me smile...I bought an RS iron back in the 1980's  when I was a young TV engineer. One of my colleagues put me straight about what to use for a tip.... good old mains cable central core which is copper.

Since then I have never used anything else in  that old iron and  I am enclosing a pic of it with the tip and above it you can see the strand of wire I use

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

I've got that Hakko 936. I use a chisel tip, the same one since i started using this station and it still looks pretty much no with no decay. Sometimes it gets a bit oxidized so I file that off quickly and simply. I've built at least 100 boards with this tip and it really shows no signs of wearing. Highly recommended for the investment compared to other products.

[GermanCdn]

Thanks Magic, that's all the vote I needed.  My wife just bought me a 888 for Christmas, and she doesn't even know it yet.

[n8b5150]

My first Hakko tip lasted 2 years of daily use and abuse building amplifiers and doing repairs and an additional 2 years of occasional use. The replacement tip is still going strong after 2 years of occasional use. The Hakko 936 replaced my Weller hobby solder pencil after going through a tip a month with the Weller. I use a pro Weller station at work and have no complaints, but I like the Hakko better.

[aziltz]

what kind of solder are you using?  I have a weller and had problems with burning through tips when I was trying to use some lead free solder from radioshack.  the higher temperature needed was burrning up the tip.  I switched back to leaded-silver-bearing solder and all is good.

[GermanCdn]

Typically I use 60/40, currently using AIM.  Doesn't matter with the Weller though,  I've tried a bunch of different types, all of them result in the same tip life.

[gtr2]

I'm still on my first time on my Hakko.  About two years and thousands of solder joints.

It's not recommended to file the tip.  I use tip cleaner when necessary and brass shavings instead of a wet sponge.  Wet sponges kill tips.

Josh

[pickdropper]

I'm still on my first time on my Hakko.  About two years and thousands of solder joints.

It's not recommended to file the tip.  I use tip cleaner when necessary and brass shavings instead of a wet sponge.  Wet sponges kill tips.

Josh

Exactly this.  Brass shavings and the occasional tip cleaner.  Filing often takes off the plating on the tip.

While I cycle through different tip sizes on my Weller, all of them are a few years old and going strong.  I generally solder with 63/37 at 720 deg F but occasionally go up to 810 for things like tinning litz wire.

[GrindCustoms]

The chisel tip on my 9month old FX888 have seen 2 pound and some of lead/silver and it's still in perfect shape.

Brass shaving is definitly the way to go.