Best Soldering Station Reviews 2018

Weller Tools is an electronics tool company founded in 1945 as a family partnership. One of its founders, Carl Weller, patented the first soldering station in 1941. If you work in an electronics lab, there's a high probability that you have come across a Weller tool, because a good percentage of electronics manufacturers trust this company for their production needs. It is said that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak soldered the circuit boards of the first Apple computers themselves with Weller tools. This is proof that it is a brand you can trust for value, quality, and performance.

The Weller Digital Soldering Station is an upgrade from the analog WES51 version that includes a digital read-out. It has temperature lockout technology, which is electronically controlled to stay within the stipulated temperature range for a board or component being worked on. These are other features that make this soldering station good value for your money:

• Heater and sensor design for quick heat-up and recovery
• Wireless tip temperature calibration for different tip sizes and styles
• Adjustable temperature dial from 350°F to 850°F; ±9°F
• Automatic shut off after 90 minutes of inactivity
• Comes with power unit, soldering pencil, sponge, and stand
• Power unit is 60W while soldering pencil is 50W
• It takes 40 seconds to go from 0 to 5000F
• Temperature can be read in Celsius or Fahrenheit
• ESD (Electro-static discharge) safe
• Soldering tip is grounded to prevent accumulation of charges
• Non-burnable silicone power cord
• cUL and UL listed
• Limited one-year warranty

HAKKO Metal Industries began operation in 1952 as a forged metal and solder manufacturer. Over the last 60 years, it has grown to become a renowned manufacturer of quality soldering and desoldering tools. Its range of products includes soldering irons, soldering baths, desoldering tools, smoke absorbers, testers, and meters. HAKKO promises to not only meet its clients’ needs, but to anticipate and exceed them using its experience over the years. It ensures that while producing globally competitive products, the individual client’s expectation is not sacrificed.

The HAKKO FX888D Soldering Station is an excellent station for users transitioning from using soldering pens to soldering stations, because of its easy-to-use design. It is an upgraded version of the analog FX888, which was widely loved by its users. The upgrade became necessary after customers complained of unknowingly leaving the stations powered on because there was no power indicator.

This digital version comes with new features that include preset temperatures and digital calibration. It has an improved heater output of about 30% when compared with other conventional models. It uses the excellent heat-conductive T18 series tip which allows for great thermal recovery. This means that you can solder at a lower temperature, reducing the impact of heat on your workpiece. It also minimizes tip oxidation, thereby prolonging the life of your soldering tip.

This station has a password function that allows you to restrict settings change and prevent people from switching to selected modes. This function gives you maximum control of your workspace, since you can have up to five preset temperatures for different workpieces. It has a temperature range of 392°-896°F and total power consumption of 70 watts. It is compact and handy, measuring 10 × 7 × 10 inches in dimension and weighing only 2.6 pounds. This soldering station is available in HAKKO’s signature blue/yellow color, and in silver too.

X-TRONIC understands the results that can be achieved with the power of focus, because of its concentration on the manufacture of soldering workstations and accessories. Its product range includes dual soldering stations with two soldering irons, standalone soldering kits, and hot air rework stations, and these are exceptional products in the soldering market. It has a dedicated technical team that is charged with attending to pre-sales and post-sales enquiries and servicing your equipment.

The X-TRONIC 4 in 1 Hot Air Rework and Soldering Station is designed for industrial and commercial use. Its PID (proportional–integral–derivative) technology helps ensure that the error value between set temperature and desired temperature is eliminated. It has a Centigrade/Fahrenheit switch so you can read temperatures in both scales. The front panel and control knobs are made from aluminum and brushed aluminum respectively. It is digitally controlled by a dual core microcomputer processor, which provides stability, reliability, and durability. It is ESD (Electrostatic discharge) safe, and has a total power consumption of 1000 watts and a temperature range of 212°F - 896°F. It has a dimension of 7.40 x 5.75 x 9.80 inches and weighs 20 pounds. A complete kit includes:

• One X-Tronic 8000 Series - Model #8080-XTS Hot Air Rework Station & DC Power Supply
• 70-watt soldering iron, along with soldering iron stand and sponge
• 500-watt hot air gun with side mount holder
• 10 assorted soldering tips
• Four hot air gun nozzles
• Set of banana clip test leads
• Extra soldering iron element
• Extra hot air gun heating element
• IC popper
• Stainless steel (anti-magnetic/anti-static) pinpoint tweezers
• Gootwick
• 5X gooseneck magnifying lamp

This kit comes with a one-year 100% fix or replace warranty.

Zeny, which has been in business since 2009, has become a bestselling brand in most prominent online stores. It sells a wide range of items, including healthcare products, lawn and garden products, automotive products, and medical apparatuses. It aims at churning out the best goods at budget-friendly prices without compromising on quality and excellence. Its committed staff team ensures customers get the satisfaction they expect through exceptional customer service, low prices, and fast shipping.

The Zeny 2 in 1 SMD Soldering Station is designed to suit both professional workers and amateur hobbyists with its PID technology that ensures temperature stability. Other features presented by this soldering station are:

• Easily adjustable airflow with temperature control rotation
• Automatically stops rotating when temperature goes below 158°F/700C
• Intelligent self-detection feature helps with safe operation
• Airflow temperature can start and shut off automatically or manually for convenience
• International standard heater
• Handle has sensor switch which activates operating mode when picked up and goes on standby mode when laid down
• Alloy iron stand to help keep the iron away from flammable materials
• Cooling function is automatic and helps to effectively prolong heater's life and protect hot air gun
• ESD design of soldering iron protects sensitive components on your workpiece
• High-quality resistance ensures durability
• Air gun holder is plastic
• Low noise and space-saving design
• Suitable for soldering and desoldering PLCC, CHIP, SOIC, BGA, QFP, SMD, etc.
• Suitable for heating, shrinking, paint drying, adhesive removal, thawing, warming and plastic welding
• Package includes 2in1 soldering station unit, hot air gun, hot iron, iron stand, gun holder, IC extractor, four nozzles, and five tips
• Temperature range of 212 - 896°F and power consumption of 700 watts
• Dimension of 11.4 × 8.7 × 7.9 inches and weighs 6.3 pounds

AOYUE International Limited began operation in 1997, when it served the communication industry. It has since metamorphosed into a brand that is to be trusted for quality soldering and reworking tools. It offers diverse repair products such as infrared systems, hot plate systems, reflow ovens and soldering irons that meet both individual and industrial demands.

The AOYUE 937+ Digital Soldering Station has a digital display panel on its base station for reading the temperature. It features a closed loop temperature control that aids with precision soldering. There are other reasons we love this soldering station, including:

• Electrostatic discharge safe, which makes the component you are working on safer
• High-performance heater and removable tip design
• Displays the actual and set temperature to ensure you are working with the right temperature
• Easy grip soldering iron handle makes it easy to work for a long time without hand discomfort
• Touch type panels for ease of operation
• Compatible with both 110-volt and 220-volt input power
• Long-life ceramic heating element
• Digital thermostat control of ± 1° C
• 24-volt output that prevents circuit damage
• Tip-to-ground resistance of below 2 ohms and tip-to-ground potential of below 2mV
• 45-watt power consumption and temperature range of 392-897° F
• Its dimensions are 5.5 × 4.7 × 3.1 inches, and it weighs 5.3 pounds
• One-year limited warranty