NSSD!

[paparoof]

New Soldering Station Day!

So I turned a Christmas check into a Hakko FX888D. Woohoo!
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My old station is a Weller WLC-100. You know, this one:

It has variable heat, but the settings are just 1-5 on a dial and this new Hakko uses specific temperatures. I don't know what temps I was running on the Weller, but I usually had it cranked to 5 - thus the initial desire for a more powerful unit. I'm sure the corrosion on the tips was part of the issue too, so I don't want anyone thinking the Weller unit isn't a good station. Honestly, I just had upgrade-itis.

So this new unit deals only with specific temperatures and I don't really know where to start. Also it has presets (I think up to five), so I thought I'd see what the smarty-pantses at TB have to say about soldering temperatures. 99% of my soldering is on the guts in my guitars and basses and I am starting to dabble a little into my low-watt tube amps too. So the biggest thing I'm going to solder would be probably a chassis ground wire, backs of pots, that kinda stuff.

I did find an old thread here, but thought it was old enough to warrant a new ask.
www.talkbass.com/threads/soldering-station-temp.845004/

Specific questions I have for those of you who do this stuff every day:
1. What temperatures would you set the presets at and why? I don't see needing to use all five. Maybe two or three.

2. What tips would you order? Mine came only came with one - a good middle of the road size, but it there anything peculiar about this type of work where a more specialized type of tip works better? different sizes maybe? it takes "T18" tips, found here:
HAKKO | Select Tip Shape | T18 Series Soldering Tips

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

My buddy uses one of these, it's a solid little iron. I leave my iron pretty hot, 7-800~. I am a set it and forget it guy so I wouldn't use the presets, I really only use my iron for modchips and pickups. I don't know about tips but I should probably get some new ones myself...

 

[Growlmonkee]

I like the chisel shape tips, for tin/lead solder 650-750f should be good, I run at 750 on my Hakko, and use only very brief touches to solder, carefully prepping for each joint, so I only need to touch briefly. When you finish working, turn it off, and quickly cover the tip with plenty of solder, and let that cool on the tip, (they last very long if you do that). If your skills don't allow for very brief touches, run 550-600f, the faster you finish a joint, the better. For de-soldering I use a spring loaded solder sucker, same high temps, and keep heat on the joint as short a time as possible. If you spend less than 1 second on a joint, those high temps won't burn anything in a bass, or tube amp. I run 600f for both thru hole, and surface mount boards, but you have to keep your time touching the board brief to do that. 63/37 tin/lead melts at 365f, or 181c, but, I wouldn't go lower than 500f, because the time spent heating a joint is too long at low temps, and could cause component damage. (my Hakko is an old 936 analog unit that probably will never die, I've used the one you have, it's better at holding temps, though my old one is really good.) the pointed tips work better for circuit board work, especially surface mount stuff. Chisel for guitars, and tube amps.