Soldering Iron reviews from Reddit

"People really seem to like the Hakko soldering stations."

"Yes, the Hakko 888d is excellent."

"My long-time favorite is the Hakko FX-951, but it’s a little over your budget."

"Kester 44 60/40, rosin flux pen, hakko fx-888. You can pretty much do anything with this combination."

"Hakko fx888 is a great iron and will last forever"

"The Hakko is so much nicer and will last a very long time. I just replaced the original tip after 2 years. Worth the investment."

"Hakko FX888."

"The Hakkos are great, i used one for ages and never had any complaints."

"Hakko!"

"Team Hakko! I've got an 888 and a 951 - both are great but the 888 is definitely priced more for hobbyists."

"Get a Weller and buy a bunch of tips, it's also easier to get new tips because you have a name brand"

"I use the same weller and love it"

"I finally got myself a Weller WE 1010 and it's been a very nice station for my needs."

"Weller!"

"Weller makes the best soldering irons period."

"I personally use a Weller pyro pen. Its a gas iron. I pretty much only do electrical these days so it gets used a lot."

"I have had great experience with Weller irons."

"I went with a Weller at that price point. It's great and has really helped improve my soldering results."

"I ended up buying actual Weller tips from Weller. They have performed better than the cheap Chinese ones."

"Tough to beat a tablestand Weller."

"The Pinecil is what you want."

"A pinecil or sequre is the way."

"Pinecil is an amazing step up from a basic budget iron and is really not that much more."

"Pinecil or a T12 type soldering station from a site like Banggood."

"I help run a local maker space and we use the Pinecil V2."

"For normal use I highly recommend the Pinecil found [here](https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/), "

"Pinecil"

"These days you should be looking at USB powered irons like the Pinecil or TS101."

"I have a Pinecil and love it, it's fantastic for soldering on the go with a power bank."

"I know this is a Ryobi sub, but skip them all and get a Pinecil."

"KSGER T12 or something was pretty well recommended like 10 years ago"

"KSGER or similar are a good budget."

"I've chosen KSGER T12 soldering station as I have been soldering for a month and a half."

"[KSGER STM32 V3.1S T12 Soldering Station](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806674457748.html)"

"A lot of people recommending a ksger t12."

"I'd suggest that you look into a basic iron like a KSGER or Quicko T12."

"A Hakko knockoff, like the [KSGER T12 OLED](https://www.amazon.com/KSGER-Temperature-Controller-Electronic-Equipments/dp/B087N8ZYW1/ref=sr_1_25?crid=R9QCD0CRCMRF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PODt4gSFm2IBUpZPm0KMZKkr1feRaQ6_LXxN72pCfWeVTC-7qOPa6SKljj-Zsv-USqEVcuNUAR2RRbSrme-QH4-8N51l1SRVsnHPkh0yVec58YW0w4Mfj4N4QjinP5zlfs9w936bJFc-xpUWLULDFcNLXQtqv5ppsjQup6-tvVn7UoKud9DDQRjsDiBFq_akADXL1HVN3VIXHVDNJGK9czVtBeuoH)."

"I like my KSGER T12 soldering station."

"If you want affordable get a pinecil or a KSGER T12, those two you linked won’t get you very far."

"I use a ksger that takes the hakko t12 tips."

"All the way. This is what we have on our benches at work. I have a pretty decent station at home, that I paid a couple hundred bucks for, but ever since getting spoiled on my JBC at work I can’t use it and I bring my work station home when I need to solder at home."

"JBC is the best soldering iron on the market nowadays, next to ERSA. 600 is so ridiculously high that you can buy this professional piece including 2 or 3 tips. I recommend the spoon tip."

"I'd recommend a cartridge based iron based on one made by a major manufacturer. The JBC C245 and Hakko T12 fit that bill."

"I'll add JBC to the hakko and Weller train."

"If price isn’t a concern JBC."

"Pretty much anything JBC."

"JBC lambo of soldering iron to me."

"Nothing beats JBC in that arena."

"If you're truly going balls to the wall, unlimited budget, DDSE line from JBC is insane."

"The technology that high-end soldering irons use is called RF induction heating metcal are really nice"

"Metcal all the way. Or, if you want to save a bit, Thermaltronics makes licensed clones of the Metcal MX500 series."

"I have a friend who has a Metcal. I used it in his lab, much better than Weller. Heated up in zero time."

"My used Metcal MX-500 is pretty sweet."

"The answer to “the best soldering iron” is always Metcal."

"They aren’t cheap but they will outlive the human race."

"I'll second this one. Good value for the money. Solid innards."

"We use Metcal MX series exclusively in our labs."

"Metcal's are pretty popular among professional repairs."

"I have the TS100 digital and it's great."

"I'd recommend a ts100 or pinecil."

"Get yourself a TS100 and 65W USB brick."

"If you want to spend a bit more the TS100 is very recommended."

"I love my TS100 with a chisel tip."

"TS100 and don't look back. Not very expensive."

"TS100 >How long will it hold a charge? Completely up to you as you purchase a battery separately if you want it to be battery powered >Reliability (These will see heavy use, a couple hours at a time, every day of every week) A couple of hours a day isn't really heavy use, and these are so cheap that it doesn't really matter if one dies, you can just ha"

"It's one of those TS100 clones, but dead cheap."

"The ts100/1 are the cheapest options and everything else is +100$."

"It’s an official pine product. Short tips (fine). Anywhere that sells the official pinecil v2 should sell the short fine tips."

"If you get a pinecil remember to always turn it off (hold minus button) before unplugging."

"I prefer the pinecil v2 version because it comes with the short tips which are just so nice to use."

"Pinecil. It's cheap and awesome. Heats up fast and will be as powerful as the PSU you use."

"Pinecil. It's cheap and awesome. Heats up fast and will be as powerful as the PSU you use."

"Portable you say? Pinecil V2! I have a 60W Anker battery bank that I have ran it off of with great results."

"Pinecil v2 (USB - C ) eap and work great off amazon - FEITA brand tips."

"Lot's of people recommend the pinceil, and it's definitely a decent choice, but the tip selection is pretty bad, alongside a max 50W output with TS100 tips, alongside being made of plastic."

"PLEASE do NOT listen to all the people in the comments recommending a pinecil. It is an outdated product with meh performance, and vendor lock in for parts (TS100 tips, which are pretty bad in terms of heat, easily faked, and the better pinecil short tips are very expensive)."

"I have been really enjoying my aixun t3a. It's a jbc t245 clone with excellent built quality."

"Been pretty happy with Aixun T320 with the 245 handle and genuine JBC cartridges."

"Get the Aixun T3A."

"Ive recently got the Aixun T3A and im loving it."

"But if you need something portable then it will be practically the best soldering iron you can get for that money."

"Aixun T3A."

"I recently got an Aixun T3A with the 245 tips and have been very happy with it."

"I have the ts101 can be powered by a decent power Bank and every usb-c charger that has some decent wattage. I love this thing!"

"I bought a ts101 on eBay for 50 bucks and it's awesome!"

"Pencil or TS101 or something like that."

"TS101 is excellent."

"Surprised nobody mentioned TS101. One of the best soldering irons out there."

"Bought a TS101 from aliexpress. I'm pretty happy with it."

"I got a YIHUA 995D+ and I love it."

"I love my Yihua 939D+."

"I browsed on amazon and found the most simple setup I could that was ~50. Landed on a YIHUA which seems like a fine bit of kit."

"Best advice I can give you is get an iron that can be unscrewed/detacted from the power station."

"I've been using the YIHUA 939D+ for a few years now and love it."

"Seems to work well for my basic needs."

"Can't speak highly enough of my Sequre."

"I would suggest you look at a c245 style soldering iron like the Sequre S99, Alientek T80p or the FNIRSI HA-02a."

"I have sequre SI012 Pro, it has a cable to be powered from a lipo."

"In that price range, I would look at a chinese knockoff T12 soldering iron."

"I considered a few Sequre products myself, it might be a bit above your price point."

"Out of the ones you listed the HS02A is the best. HS02B is an even smaller tip. Great iron."

"I’d probably lean HS02A too, solid heat control and way better than messing with old TS tips nowadays."

"I think the best devices are the Alientek T80P or the FNIRSI HS-02A."

"If you already have a good 65W and above USB C PD power supply, you can get the plentiful selection of USB irons instead Like the Fnirsi HS02A, Sequre S99 or Alientek T80."

"They are a good budget option for hobbyists."

"Look for a T12 on aliexpress. Those are great."

"I'm using a 15$ Soldering iron from aliexpress that takes 12-24v and uses T12 tips."

"I've been using an inexpensive T12 (eg Quicko or KSGER) off Ali Express and I'm very happy with it."

"I use a ts80p with a battery pack and it's brilliant."

"I started and continue to use a ts80p for keyboard building and micro soldering."

"I've got a couple as battery irons for field work, and they absolutely stand their ground."

"I really recommend investing into at least Quicko brand (i have T12-952, its little more expensive, but its WELL worth your money, the tips are reall good and last long."

"My solution was to get Quicko T12-952. They last long if you take care of them and I havent had this problem."

"I've been suggested the quicko t12 soldered stations from AliExpress for about 50€"

"I am a tradesman and use Milwaukee tools-so the 12V soldering iron is an incredible match for my needs."

"For soldering, I use this. It's a cheap chinese soldering iron that attaches to a Milwaukee M18 battery."

"Get the Milwaukee cordless one. So much easier to handle than one with a wire."

"I think the best devices are the Alientek T80P or the FNIRSI HS-02A."

"I bought a Alientek T80P off AliExpress and it accepts C245 tips without issue."

"Check the Alientek T80P or FNIRSI HS02-A. Both of these are compatible with genuine JBC cartridges and will likely be much cheaper than a TS80P."

"I bought one of these recently and have been very happy with it."

"I bought a $17cad soldering iron off Amazon for modding gameboys."

"I have a cheap amazon one for soldering at a work station"

"Pinecil V2 is unbelievably good for the price."

"I just upgraded my TS100 to Pinecil V2, both are great, but the pinecil is much better value for money."

"It is very good, i replaced the whole old soldering station to HS02a and DWS200 station of Fnirsi"

"A HS02-A is a good USB soldering iron."

"GVM T210 from ali has been a great addition for me and only $80."

"I like and been using the GVM T210 for over a year."

"Xtronic on Amazon was a good buy for me."

"Has worked well for me over the last 4-5 months."

"I love the IFIXIT Soldering tools among other tools and things they have."

"It worked very well for refitting my camper lights with a Furrion camera set."

"I have the hybrid and I love it, works great even on thicker wires."

"I have a Hexacon that I bought in 1973. I'm still using the same tip!"

"Bull iron is the bomb."

"I've been using the Tilswell I link to on my tools guide for over two years in my business and it's great."

"Metal mx5210 if you plan on using it often on higher thermal mass boards."

"I have the FNRISI and I love it. Very easy to use."

"My Lidl middle aisle one is fantastic"

"I picked up one of their 'Station 60' when my Weller solder station died in like 2018 and it's still working perfectly."

"I’ve only had it a month but so far it’s wonderful."

"I purchased a $5 harbor freight soldering iron to fix my good soldering iron."

"Harbor freight sells them for $5.49."

"Was cheap on Amazon."

"I got a cheap soldering station which has both a soldering iron and hot air gun."

"Cheap 900M soldering irons are plentiful if you don't explicitly need them to be portable - even with temperature control."

"I’m currently using TS80P and if you really want to there is an open firmware on GitHub."

"Yihua 959D (older model) as hotair and JBC CD-2BD as soldering iron."

"Ersa make a temperature controlled iron for about 60 euro"

"For gas, i like my Portasol SuperPro 125."

"Ordered up this lovely butane iron from McMaster-Carr!"

"I'd recommend the T245-B set purely because of the base."

"Get anything, like 25W to 40W of Goot soldering... Its good!"

"Choice 100W soldering iron https://a.co/d/jkmT3td"

"Both are great performers for their price."

"I bought the Mechanic T12 and even if it’s hella cheap it never disappointed me."

"I recommend the Vastar Soldering Iron at https://a.co/4QMQdyM."

"I'm sure it's not as great as others, but for me with the random home repairs, it works fine."