Re:How to Get Started in Soldering for Beginners
by dale_glass on Monday April 10, 2023 @06:58PM
(#35518416)
What I mean is that the FX951 is a bad offering in modern times. I mean, a 7 segment display and looking up codes in a manual in 2023? Come on! A proper display is a tiny fraction of the cost of any Hakko product, and would be far more pleasant to use.
They're just resting on their laurels. There's cheaper and less known brands that make far better products because they take advantage of things like decent micro-controllers, displays and accelerometers that have existed for decades now.
Hakko 888 is cheap, and has old style carts. Weller has a similar offering. For the $300-range you get the 'proper' thermocouple-integrated tips like the FX951, and Weller likewise has a similar offering. JBC is a premium brand so they don't have low-end stuff, but their pricing isn't too far out of that range ($500ish?).
I agree the Hakko 888 is an outdated recommendation, but it's not really like their company strategy is just outdated. They're business-first, which desires having a full soldering station... not a portable thing like the Miniware/Pine stuff.