Pro tip: I just hit 1000 hours on my Hakko FX-888D soldering station and it's still running like new.

I bought it for a big console repair job back in 2019 and have used it almost daily since. I was fully expecting to need a new heating element or at least a tip replacement by now, but it just keeps going. Do you think modern soldering gear is built to last longer than the old stuff, or have I just gotten lucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_lewis91mo ago

Honestly, I've had the opposite experience. My FX-888D started acting up after maybe 300 hours (the temp reading got all weird). I ended up switching back to my old Weller from the 90s that I found at a garage sale. That thing is a tank. I feel like a lot of newer tools, not just soldering gear, are built with cheaper parts even if the outside looks nice. You might have just gotten a really good one.

seana141mo ago

Man, that's rough. So your FX-888D just started giving false readings out of nowhere? Did it happen slowly or was it just suddenly way off one day? I've heard a few people mention temp issues but never knew if it was the sensor or the whole control board going bad. Makes you wonder what exactly they cheaped out on inside the newer ones.