Hakko 888 or 888D?

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wespor
 
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Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by wespor »

What is your preference and why? I'm new to soldering but it seems to me like an analog dial would be a lot more convenient than a digit toggling button. I suppose it would be nice to see the current temperature, though. I'm torn.

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modeller
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by modeller »

wespor wrote:What is your preference and why? I'm new to soldering but it seems to me like an analog dial would be a lot more convenient than a digit toggling button. I suppose it would be nice to see the current temperature, though. I'm torn.
I agree with you. I actually bought the 888 before they were all gone (they're being discontinued) because I wanted the dial. I'm all for techy toys and tools, but sometimes it's just a little too much. for a hobbyist anyway. All I want to do is grab a dial and turn it.

As for the accuracy of the dial - I got a Hakko tip calibrator on Ebay for cheap, just to see how it worked. When I tested my 888 with it, it was exactly right - not even 1 deg. off! :shock:

analoger
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by analoger »

How frequent are you going to change the temperature during a soldering session? If it's not like every 5 minutes or so...go digital!

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Or there is the Weller WESD51 - Dial adjustment AND a digital display :D

wespor
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by wespor »

Was looking at the WESD51 but I'd have to buy it from another location and it runs around 50 bucks higher. I read so many Weller vs Hakko articles last night that my eyes began to bleed, seems like most people adored the new Hakko series and felt Weller had slipped in with a bad Chinese manufacture.

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modeller
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by modeller »

analoger wrote:How frequent are you going to change the temperature during a soldering session? If it's not like every 5 minutes or so...go digital!
Ah but we only have to go back in time to see something interesting regarding the 888D -
analoger wrote:Now I'm thinking what if someone forgot what values they entered, how can they reverse their changes back to the original settings?

The options I was given:

1 - Return it for calibration

2 - Use a tip thermometer which I suspect it will give the accurate measurement unless it's an expensive one probably made for the same brand.

Bot options are impractical and can be avoided if there was a RESET option.
I believe this is a design flaw for having too much control in a little box and missing simple correct option. From system design perspective, if you allow the client to access and control lower level settings and parameters, then a system should offer the option to reverse the settings to the original values, especially when a system makes it easy for new users to screw up.

The equipment works great, very nice, professional and I love it! However I'm a little disappointed for not having such an option. Could be a technical limitation I'm missing? I don't know.

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neslekkim
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by neslekkim »

yeye, but with the prices on tipthermometers on ebay, adjusting the 888d back again was a breeze ;)

analoger
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by analoger »

modeller, since you like going back in time, I may said something that upset you somehow and for some reason you took it personal.
modeller wrote:
analoger wrote:
Why don't you get a nice Rigol DS1052 @ $350
Simply because it's Chinese. And unless it's made in USA, UK or Germany I don't bother even if I had to pay a lot.
Well we already determined that Tektronics scopes aren't made in the USA - they are made in China ...

Made in the UK? Good luck with that. Not sure about Germany but ... you're getting into the electronics hobby, and as far as oscilloscopes go, you refuse to buy any that are made in China. OK.

I'm very curious analoger, are you expecting to apply this Chinese purchasing filter to any other electronics hobby products such as resistors, ICs, displays, DMMs, function generators, capacitors, transistors, diodes, LEDs, speakers, servos, relays, ... shall I go on?

I'm just curious as to what it is about scopes that cause you to say that you won't purchase one made in China, when just about everything else you'll be buying will be either made in China or, if it is really made (as in assembled) in a country other than China, will be chock absolutely full of Chinese components and parts.

I mean I really wish the world were different, I wish the US made oscilloscopes and all the parts that go inside them, and that the price and functionality of one would be competitive with a Chinese scope.

But that world doesn't exist anymore.

adafruit
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by adafruit »

hey folks, please be excellent to each other - thank you!

karwosts
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by karwosts »

I don't care about the control, but I picked up an 888D purely for the fact that you can see if the station is on by glancing at it (plus it comes bundled with a free wire cutter most places I've seen it for sale).

The 888 has no 'power' light, so if you look at it you won't know if you remembered to turn it off or not. Unless you stare at it for 10 seconds and wait to see if the 'heating' light blinks, but that sounds annoying and it's still possible to make a mistake.

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Franklin97355
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

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jmmiller
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by jmmiller »

I just received my 888D and quickly added a serial backpack to an LCD -- a job I had done a few times before with my old iron (full disclosure -- old is probably older than anyone at Adafruit.) I think the 888D is really a very nice tool. I have no clue why they bother to send out only 1/2 the manual and ask you to go to their doc site for the rest.

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neslekkim
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by neslekkim »

I registered for the doc site to get the manual, but newer was able to get it, did you get access to the manual?

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jmmiller
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by jmmiller »

Actually when I went to the doc site I did not register since the manuals seemed to be
available without registering.

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neslekkim
 
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Re: Hakko 888 or 888D?

Post by neslekkim »

ah, you are right!, it's there now, when I bought mine it was not available so I googled around and found it another place.

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