First hot air station

[bitshift]

Hey guys,

The time has come to purchase a hot air station. I was thinking of purchasing this ATTEN 858D+.

I've read about the issues related to QA with this unit. It's also been around for a quite a few years. For a similar amount of money, is there something better on the market these days?

[GreyWoolfe]

I have the Yihua 858D and, like the Atten, it is OK for hobby use.  Just make sure you peek under the skirt and fix any dodgy wiring. 

[nanofrog]

I'd suggest looking to see if a Quick 957D is available in your location (alibaba listing).

Found a seller that ships to South Africa (here, though they're more expensive than the link above (not sure how shipping may shift this).

They're both for 220V versions, so worst case, you'd only have to change the plug end on the power cord.

There's a thread in hear that shows tear down photos, and is a good read IMHO (957D photos).