Hakko FX888D-23BY Digital Soldering Station FX-888D FX-888 (blue & yellow)

Glad I picked this up as my entry level soldering iron/hot air station just kicked the bucket. It's a great soldering iron that heats up fairly quickly. This is an excellent entry level iron that I would recommend anyone. Doesn't take up too much space and comes with the iron holder, basic tip and cleaning sponge/braid. Don't cheap out like I did before, even if you're just beginning.

So happy with this purchase, always got cheap soldering irons thinking I can replace it if needed and I'm no soldering expert so don't use it that often, so might as well go under $50. As I was about to purchase my 4th iron (which would have taken my total spent on soldering irons to around $150) I decided to take a chance and spend the money to get a Hakko.The unit is much smaller than I anticipated (size didn't matter to me so never looked at dimensions) which is great, it is very easy to tuck out of the way.Saw some people don't like the separate iron stand, but personally that is the best for me. The station and stand can sit in the corner under my monitor at all times and I can just pull out the stand when I need to solder and I don't have to worry about any heat affecting my monitor. And the stand itself is all metal and feels quality. Time will tell with the sponge, saw some people not liking it, but haven't run into anything myself as of yet.Heat up and temp stabilization are crazy fast, coming from cheap units this one surprised me when I first turned it on, was used to turning on the soldering iron and then in a few minutes could expect it to be stabilized. With the Hakko I turned it on and stood up expecting to have some time, and I wasn't 10 feet away by the time it hit temp and was almost stabilized. So very fast, which shouldn't be surprising if you have only been using the cheap units.Lastly is the interface, that was the thing I saw in reviews that made me almost not get this unit which would have been a mistake. Like I said I am not a good solderer by any means, so for me I tend to have 1 type of solder wire and keep the iron at the same temp almost always. If I changed temps regularly I would take the time to set up the presets to the temps I use most frequently. In my situation though, pressing the enter button and then adjusting the temp takes maybe 10 seconds and is done very infrequently.The interface is similar to another item I own where you press enter to start adjusting the temp and then the arrow to change the number, so for me it made immediate sense on what buttons to push. For anyone that intuitively thinks they should press the arrow to change the temp, I would highly recommend writing on the unit itself so you know what to do. Even a simple 1 and 2 to know which to press first would do it for you.But really that is how the system works, press Enter and the first digit flashes so you can press the arrow to change that digit, press enter again to go to the next digit, repeat till you have the temp you want. Unless you need an exact temp, you will never change the last number away from 0, so you will just change the first or second digit. Most times I am changing it up/down in hundreds so I just change the first digit and then hit enter twice to skip the next to digits.Anyone even remotely tech savvy or under a certain age will be totally fine with this, the only way the interface is an issue is if you are constantly changing temps, and even then it depends on the temps you are using and how many different temps since you can set custom presets to switch between.Will update this review if any issues arise, I expect to never have to buy another soldering iron in my life, so will definitely adjust this review if that turns out not to be the case.

I've used Pace, Weller, and various junk amazingly referred to as soldering irons over the years. I think Weller is overrated, Pace is great but not viable unless as a business ($$$). For occasional / hobbyist work (and perhaps a good pro candidate), this Hakko 888D is FANTASTIC. Heats quickly, sturdy heavy base and a holder that stays put, sponge AND wire pad to clean.I've had this nearly a year now, and it is SO nice to use.My ONLY complaint is the sponge. It has these weird cuts in it (not the slots). The slots in the sponge are OK, but the near ends are where that will wear out. The weird cutting of the sponge (half circles off the slots), I don't get. The dampened sponge is a little softer than I'd like, but this is a very minor issue. To be clear, I haven't bothered to find a better sponge yet, but when it wears out, I'll find something more suitable.Tip for sponges - you want it wet all the way through (at the least, to expand and stay put in the holder), but wring / squeeze out excess until JUST damp. Too much water will shock the tip and draw out heat, too little will allow the iron to burn the sponge. Re-dampen as needed.That said, nothing else comes close for the money. Tip holds heat well, power is more than adequate, got an assorted set of Hakko tips, good quality.A tip for your tips: always wipe and add fresh solder BEFORE returning to the holder, then wipe and add fresh when removing to use. I still have a 30 year old 25W Radio Shack iron I was using until this (it actually worked better than others I tried over the years), original tip, and while certainly not used for production, hundreds of times over many hours would not be an overstatement. The #1 mistake I have seen of ppl soldering is wiping a tip clean and putting in holder. This isn't like "clean before you put it away" things - oxidation attacks metal, heat accelerates oxidation, a wiped-clean tip has no buffer of sacrificial solder to protect it as it bakes in the holder.Another tip tip, use the biggest wedge you can manage versus super fine tips, finer tips go through more thermal shock when soldering, and erode faster than fatter tips - and finer tips don't transfer heat as well. I recall fighting Weller fine tips in my earlier days that just seemed to like to burn. On the Hakko, I'm using a small wedge I turn on edge when I need to work in a tight area, still like new.