This is a placeholder topic for “Hakko FX-888D Digital Soldering Station” comments.
The Hakko FX-888D is our go to recommendation for a high-quality soldering iron that has all the features and specs you’d normally find in a much more expensive iron.
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Can you please confirm if the Hakko FX-888D (https://core-electronics.com.au/hakko-fx-888d-digital-soldering-station-plus-free-extra-tip-1-2mm-chisel.html) is an Australian version.
Ie. features Australian plug and compatible transformer, etc.
I recently purchased one from Amazon only to find out it was US and the hassle of organising a transformer that won’t burn down my house is a nightmare. Hence, I’m looking at this one =P
Once bitten, twice shy.
Hi Adam,
Yes this solder station comes with an Australian plug, and is suitable for use in Australia 
Hi - is there a de-soldering gun that you can use with this station?
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Hi Nathan,
Here’s the desoldering gun that Hakko supplies. Was there anything else that we can do for you?
Bryce
Core Electronics | Support
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Is the FX-888D suitable for professional leadlight work?
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Hi Andrew,
Welcome to the forum!!
I’d say its worth posting a topic over on a lead-light forum for more seasoned advice, I came across this topic on Reddit that might be able to shed some light: https://www.reddit.com/r/StainedGlass/comments/gxv4nt/recently_purchased_but_havent_used_yet_opinion_on/.
Depends on how much heat your are looking to sink, this iron is capable of outputting 65W which will work for some jobs but maybe not others.
I have used these for electronics and it can power through large amounts of drag soldering without the temperature dropping (using a larger tip with more thermal mass). Hakko T18-C5 Soldering Tip Australia
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Is the Hakko FX-888D Digital Soldering Station ESD safe? Just got into Arduino and ESP32’s and find a lot of items delivered don’t include headers pins soldered (at least, what found) so my crappy eyes need at least a good soldering iron.
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Hi Miki
Specs say tip to ground resistance < 2Ω and tip to ground potential < 2mV
Cheers Bob
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Sorry Bob, I am not an electronics engineer but an old IT one. I assume your answer means yes?
Now I have to save up for this one.
I was desperate and bought a $34.00 ‘kit’ from eBay during the endless lockdowns, (Obviously Chinese and took 2 months to get here anyway) and paid for my stupidity. Talk about cheap and shoddy construction. Plugged it in and the led globe in our loungeroom started strobing and my wife freaked out:)
Needless to say, I need a proper one and I threw that rubbish into the bin where it belongs.
Thank goodness I am patient and also have a led lined magnifying glass for when i do finally get soldering.
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Hi Miki
I am not going to stick my neck out and say Yes but I believe somewhere Hakko claim this product to be electrostatic safe but I couldn’t find this statement quickly. Most quality irons are these days.
I will say that I think that if you use an antistatic mat, connect yourself to it by the (supplied??) wrist strap and sit your Hakko iron on it then all your static troubles should be over. I don’t have one (yet) but I think this iron is a good choice.
When you look at the troubles others have had $34 is a pretty cheap lesson as long as you learn from it.
Second lesson. Don’t skimp on tools. You will finish up disappointed and probably a crappy job. For instance I purchased a couple of side cutters, one 6" and the other 4" 25 to 30 years ago (Bahco). Even then the pair cost me nearly $200 BUT I can still cut a piece of tissue paper with both them and still going strong. Try that with the $5 specials.
Cheers Bob
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Hey Miki,
Yes, the FX-888D is designed to be ESD safe. Check out the user manual:
MA02469XZ211018.pdf (2.1 MB)
It’s mentioned a few times in there, and it’s also printed on the actual iron:
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Bob, 2 years of lockdowns made me desperate, what can I say? (Won’t go into the gory details). Didn’t crochet (My usual hobby), didn’t do amateur radio (Everything is packed away), didn’t do much of anything.
Now trying to reclaim my sanity:)
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Thanks Oliver, I look forward to buying it soon. Just had to buy a new mobile and specs so it will be a little while.
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Just purchased this unit and am finally going to be able to work. But with my poor eyesight, what is the best tip for working with ESP-32 pins and the like?
Should I also get some sort of combination board holder and magnifier/led light combo if you have one?
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Hi Miki,
The default tip is pretty good for just soldering up header pins, I’d say lighting is more of a factor.
A cheap LED lamp or taking together some GlowBits could work and the trusty third hand.
If youre just soldering some headers on a breadboard works wonders to hold them (grab a cheaper one so you dont ruin it).
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Thanks Liam. I’m bored out of my skull during the holidays and don’t want to write software so soldering is in:)
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I’m a big fan of those HDMI microscopes you can get from eBay, Amazon, Aliexpress and the like. They’re actually fairly decent, and if you hook them up to an old computer monitor with HDMI input (can be found cheap or free on Gumtree) you never need to worry about eye strain again.
The Andonstar ADSM201 is pretty good (it seems to be pretty much full aluminium looking at mine), but there are a lot of similar ones available.
Just looking online, I’m sure they used to be about $110 (Australian) but they seem to have gone up a fair bit. Here are a couple of links to the kind of thing I’m talking about:
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Sound good in theory but you have to look up at the screen to see where you are heading with a hot tip and not down at the work you are approaching and that would confuse the hell out of me.
Just finished paying for a special type of glasses called ‘business graduation’ lenses that have no line in the middle but are graduated for close up keyboard and monitor work.
No longer get headaches and dizziness and unfocused look finally.
Will put some money aside for the helper hands device that was spoken of. That might be a while:)
In the meantime, I have some coding to do. The 80,000 lines I have made so far is growing!!
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It definitely takes a little bit of getting used to, but I’d never go back. So much better on my eyes and neck being able to look straight at a monitor instead of down at the work
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