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[jameslr]

-redacted-

[twiddle]

If only this was the 240V version... arg
Those retail for more like $170 -_-

[jwaz]

That's awesome! If I hadn't already picked up my 888D I would be all over this but just the fact they are willing to put something together like this is pretty cool.

[dorkvader]

I have two spools of "indium" branded solder: it's amazing stuff. Very strongly recommended.

That's awesome! If I hadn't already picked up my 888D

I decided hakko was too mainstream (and certainly not pro enough for me) and picked up a pace MBT250 the other day.

[damorgue]

Wait, so the HAKKO 888D doesn't have a switching power supply which can take 110-240V? My plan was to buy one during my trip to the US since they are so cheap there.

[twiddle]

Wait, so the HAKKO 888D doesn't have a switching power supply which can take 110-240V? My plan was to buy one during my trip to the US since they are so cheap there.

According to http://www.reddit.com/r/AskElectronics/comments/1wd5q1/:

A) the station uses an iron core transformer, and so cannot adapt to different voltages automatically
B) the voltage is selected by a PWB (circuit board, the one with the fuse) of which there are six or seven variants for the different markets
C) the cord illustrated on the cover is a US NEMA 5-15 plug, which is 120V.
TL;DR: this iron will not work on 240V. Changing the PWB attached to the transformer would allow you to change the voltage, but first you'll have to get them to sell you the right part.

Annoys the hell out of me because by the time I buy a US model then get a transformer to run it off, I might as well pay Aussie retail.

[dorkvader]

Wait, so the HAKKO 888D doesn't have a switching power supply which can take 110-240V? My plan was to buy one during my trip to the US since they are so cheap there.

It would be extremely easy to mod it to your country. Look at that PCB:

Just solder the proper connection for 230 - 240V, solder in a new fuse and call it good.

Or just order a new one: according to this site it's a less than $8 part.

[damorgue]

How sure are you of this? Twiddle seems to think it is harder if it uses a regular transformer. A fuse and cable is easily replaced if it is that easy.

[dorkvader]

How sure are you of this? Twiddle seems to think it is harder if it uses a regular transformer. A fuse and cable is easily replaced if it is that easy.

Depends on how "regular" the trasnformer is. I know that the iron in most of my devices have taps for 240 and 120, because it's really easy to wire up a transformer like this. You can wire them in series or parallel to get 240 or 120, and the cost is not too great. Most products I have seen for multiple markets are done this way as it is much cheaper than doing a custom transformer for every market. Especially with the inclusion of a compatibility board, I would expect hakko is doing the same.

You can tell for sure if someone wants to desolder the compatibility board from their 888 and take a picture of the primaries and measure them to see what the ratio is.

[twiddle]

Would the fact that the transformers are listed as seperate parts by Hakko be of any indication?
http://dlnmh9ip6v2uc.cloudfront.net/datasheets/Tools/fx888d.pdf

I should clarify, my earlier points were sourced from elsewhere and not based on anything I know for sure, they could be completely wrong. I'd love to be incorrect in this instance

Aside from doing internal mods, I've seen lots of people on EEVBlog that claim this works well with an external transformer, so I'm going to investigate what options I have there. Mkawa's group buy at the start of the year had a cable that would do the job with an inline transformer, that wasn't too expensive, but I've not actually seen one for sale anyplace yet, so I will wait to see if I can find out any more information. If I can find one, though, and shipping for this kit isn't too much of a killer (will send him an email) I might go for it regardless, seeing as the price is so much lower than anything available here (hakko plug-in iron costs $80-90 on its own).

[damorgue]

Well I bought the Yihua 936 (HAKKO clone) and it was terrible. I got two and sold one immediately and haven't used the other much. Even through the reviews stated it was a very decent clone I found it barely usable and kept using my old fixed wattage iron, as I found it to be far better. I suspect a real HAKKO will be more satisfying. How much does the cheapest 110 to 230V transformers cost? You probably don't even need a good one since it will just be used to heat an element anyway.

[twiddle]

Generic step-down transformer off Ebay for ~200W is about 30AUD, with a better-quality Australian-produced and AU-standards qualified 100W version for $40. There's a 300W for $60 which might be better in the long run if I want to run other equipment sourced from the States.
Shipping costs will be the main determinant at this point, I think. The kit mentioned by OP plus even the larger Aussie transformer still comes to about the retail price of the iron alone here. Will inquire re shipping of this kit from the US and post back for the benefit of any others from hereabouts who would be interested.
Edit:
OP: The email address you provided bounced. Would you mind confirming it's correct and PMing me the unaltered version?

[tinlong117]

Well I bought the Yihua 936 (HAKKO clone) and it was terrible. I got two and sold one immediately and haven't used the other much. Even through the reviews stated it was a very decent clone I found it barely usable and kept using my old fixed wattage iron, as I found it to be far better. I suspect a real HAKKO will be more satisfying. How much does the cheapest 110 to 230V transformers cost? You probably don't even need a good one since it will just be used to heat an element anyway.

There're few YiHua 936 clone, I think you bought some very very cheap/cut-cost units so it performs like crap.

[nomaded]

I just wanted to say that I was able to order this starter kit from Dave today. Same pricing, but 2-day shipping to MA wasn't free. I don't mind too much because it'll get here before the weekend. But so far, everything has got smoothly, and I'm definitely looking forward to tackling a few projects that I've been putting off, this weekend.

[jameslr]

I just wanted to say that I was able to order this starter kit from Dave today. Same pricing, but 2-day shipping to MA wasn't free. I don't mind too much because it'll get here before the weekend. But so far, everything has got smoothly, and I'm definitely looking forward to tackling a few projects that I've been putting off, this weekend.

Nice! Glad it worked out for you. Still a great deal even with shipping included.

[heedpantsnow]

I will order

[evolveS]

Did Dave mention how long this offer would be good for?

I'd really like to place an order after the Viper/Eagle gb gets invoiced..

[jameslr]

Indefinitely.

[nomaded]

I was able to use the 888D to desolder a bunch of MX switches from an old keyboard, and to assemble my 2nd ErgoDox this weekend. It worked great for all of this. One thing I haven't quite figured out is how to use the temp presets.