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Chose a $30 hot air station over a $200 one and paid for it
Had to pick between that cheapo 858D and a Hakko last month, went with the budget one and now the fan rattles like crazy on medium speed. Anyone else have luck with those mid-range units around $80?
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mary61414d ago
Heard this same story from my buddy Dave who runs a little electronics repair side gig. He bought that same cheapo 858D last year, thought he was saving big. Used it maybe five times before the nozzle started glowing uneven and the temp reading was way off. He tried to fix it himself, ended up frying a whole batch of connectors on a vintage receiver board he was restoring. Now he just picks up used Hakko stations from estate sales, says they last forever and parts are everywhere. That $30 gamble just ain't worth it when you're working on something you actually care about.
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morgan.joseph14d ago
That "fan rattles like crazy" part hits close to home. Bought a cheap $25 hot air rework station off Amazon last year for a one-off repair, used it maybe four times before the heating element just died mid-job. Solder joint went cold halfway through, totally ruined the morning. Tried to use their warranty but they wanted me to ship it back to China at my own cost. Now I just keep a can of butane and a torch lighter as backup for emergencies, not elegant but never let me down.
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