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Swapped my Hakko for a cheap TS100 iron and I'm not looking back
My old Hakko station died mid-repair last Tuesday on a motherboard job and I grabbed a $40 TS100 off a buddy. It heats up in 10 seconds vs the 45 second wait I was used to, anyone else make the switch and stick with it?
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ryanburns26d ago
That butter knife on a steak comparison is brutal but honestly kinda accurate for some of those cheaper tips. My buddy loaned me his TS100 to try on a 0402 resistor swap and I nearly launched it across the garage out of pure frustration. It's great for blasting through big joints or heating up a stubborn ground plane sure, but trying to do fine pitch stuff with it is like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame. Different strokes for different folks I guess, just don't toss your Hakko in the trash quite yet unless you really love pain.
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taylor_young26d ago
Not looking back" like it's some kind of life changing decision? I mean sure, the TS100 heats up fast and it's fine for basic stuff, but I swapped back to my Hakko after a week because the tip selection on the TS100 is awful for precision work. Tried doing a QFN chip with the stock tip and it was like using a butter knife on a steak. Different tools for different jobs, I wouldn't toss your old iron just yet unless you only do thru-hole and big ground planes.
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