Hakko Dial type temperature limiting soldering iron FX600

I had a cheap radioshack soldering iron I kept in my electrical kit. It was terrible. No temp control, bad tip, and i always got bad results. So I decided I would get a new iron, that was more capable. I looked around at all the cheap chinese options, and then there's weller brand. I didn't know about Hakko, a famous japanese brand.I didn't want a whole integrated stand like the weller, I just wanted something capable that I could toss into my toolbox. This is the one!This iron was not expensive, is temp-controlled, which you reall NEED, especially for thick items that need more heat.I learned that the HAKKO tips are the defacto standard, and I bought a couple of extra tips.A top buy.

This Hakko soldering iron is perfect for my intended use of working on tightly packed soldering jobs, especially surface mount. Whether repairing surface mount boards or attaching SMT parts to breakout boards, the sharply pointed tips available for this iron are great. There are many Hakko and other brand tips available on Amazon. The iron has a light that is lit during heating. It starts out steady and then blinks as it is maintaining the setpoint temperature. When the dial is set at a desired temperature, solder melts quickly at the specified alloy melting point even at the end of a needle tip (less than 1mm).Since it is made for use in Japan, it is designed to operate on their standard power of 100 VAC, rather than US standard 120 VAC. There is a small plastic wrench supplied to access an adjustment under the dial to compensate for the higher voltage. A pictorial is supplied, but unfortunately all information and instructions are in Japanese text. I already had a variable voltage AC transformer, so I will just operate at 100 VAC.

This is the best soldering iron I've ever owned, and I've had a few. I've mostly sprung for cheap ones, which has been hit or miss for me. This thing heats up QUICK, and has great heat output for what I use it for.I will note ONE IMPORTANT THING: many reviews on here complain of the ceramic heating component fracturing after the first few uses. I believe this is because the tip retaining nut is on WAY TOO TIGHT from factory for some of these, which causes it to get compressed too much when heat is applied and everything around it expands ever so slightly, which would cause the cracking and fracturing. The FIRST thing I would do after unpacking it is undo that nut (you might need a wrench. That's how tight mine was on there, and trust me my grip has accidentally broken hardware in the past, so it was not out of lack of trying). After doing so, HAND TIGHTEN THE NUT AND DON'T USE TOOLS TO DO SO. That should save you some heart ache, as this soldering iron is excellent 👌.

I purchased this a cpl years ago. It sat in a cabinet in its package until today. Life stuff happened so stained glass went on the back burner. It barely works. The temp doesn't stay consistent at all. After speaking with a friend, I was informed that a lot of knock offs have been circulating with the same problems. I wish I tested it it when it arrived. Life lessons I guess. Make sure you check yours.

I have used many lower price irons and some mid price irons for the occasional electronic project and have always been disappointed. They never got hot enough, the tips were hard to find, and they never felt good to use.I needed an iron that got hotter and could maintain heat so that I could solder sections of copper plate and thick wire for a project. This iron worked great! It heats up incredibly quickly and gets very hot. No problem heating up large sections of material. The indicator shows when it is up to you're desired temp which is very handy.The build quality is fantastic. The plastic used seems to be a thick nylon and is very sturdy. The cord is very nice, it's not too heavy and easily flexes so it is far less likely to pull the iron around with it's weight. Even the insulation on the cord has a nice feel to it. The temp dial has a firm click and smooth motion. Overall the tool is simply pleasant to use.I have no complaints. The price is worth it and this will likely be the last iron I buy for a long time.

I originally bought a generic iron/kit here on Amazon, that was rated at 80 watts with great reviews. After having some issues soldering 14AWG, I plugged in a Killowatt meter between it and the outlet and verified it was only putting out ~35 Watts! I decided to go with an established name, and Hakko saved the day. On the same Killowatt meter I was measuring 70 Watts from the Hakko. Such a huge change in performance to solder bigger wires!

Everything is in Celsius, so for melting point do the conversion. there is no English on the paperwork to operate. I believe when the light is flashing it is ready but have to guess by how it is operating since the manual is not in English. it starts solid when you power on, then goes out...then later starts blinking. I assume blinking is "good" otherwise seems like a great soldering iron.

After using the Hakco in a classroom it has proven to be a dependable hard working comfortable soldering iron. It’s comfort and control is hard to beat. I love it.