Ersa Soldering Stations Discussion

[T4P]

Actually most of them are pretty good value for money ( When you take into account the shit weller has been producing, and hakko's mad prices in asia)
http://sg.element14.com/ersa/rds80/soldering-station-230v-80w-eu-plug/dp/4422820 Look at that ! 80W with power adjustment!

Well , there's a cheaper 80W model if you want to save that $30
http://sg.element14.com/ersa/i-con-pico/soldering-station-80w-eu-plug/dp/2057377

Anyone had experience with an Ersa before?

*Looks at the back of my head, in the end i'm still getting a 95$ FX-951 Clone*

[nctnico]

I use Ersa exclusively because the tips last extremely long, they take up solder very easy, changing tips is a matter of seconds and the tips are easy to clean. I myself have an old dual MS8000 soldering station but I have used the RDS80 as well. An excellent soldering station which also puts the iron in 'sleep' when it is not used. Heating is pretty quick as well.

[T4P]

I use Ersa exclusively because the tips last extremely long, they take up solder very easy, changing tips is a matter of seconds and the tips are easy to clean. I myself have an old dual MS8000 soldering station but I have used the RDS80 as well. An excellent soldering station which also puts the iron in 'sleep' when it is not used. Heating is pretty quick as well.

How much do the tips cost? I hope it shouldn't very expensive. The original Hakko QFP/DIP tips for the FX-951 are pretty grim ...
http://www.tequipment.net/HakkoT15SeriesTips-Page1.html

Yeah sure the tips assortment on the T15 series looks nice but the price of the bigger ones can make you drop your jaw...

[Short Circuit]

Have been using Ersa for a very long time. Long time ago one of their 'standalone' soldering irons, and a couple of iCon1 stations since the start of the lead-free era. Standby mode allows to have the station on all day, without the tips rotting away, and with instant on experience. Fairly expensive, but this pico seems quite identical when it comes to the soldering iron.

[nctnico]

I hope this really long odd link works to show prices in SGD:
http://sg.element14.com/jsp/search/browse.jsp?N=2108+202588+110193463&Ntk=gensearch&Ntt=ersa+tips&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&No=0&getResults=true&appliedparametrics=true&locale=en_SG&divisionLocale=en_SG&catalogId=&skipManufacturer=false&skipParametricAttributeId=&prevNValues=2108+202588&mm=1001418||,&filtersHidden=false&appliedHidden=false&autoApply=false&originalQueryURL=%2Fjsp%2Fsearch%2Fbrowse.jsp%3FN%3D2108%2B202588%26Ntk%3Dgensearch%26Ntt%3Dersa%2Btips%26Ntx%3Dmode%2Bmatchallpartial%26No%3D0%26getResults%3Dtrue%26appliedparametrics%3Dtrue%26locale%3Den_SG%26divisionLocale%3Den_SG%26catalogId%3D%26skipManufacturer%3Dfalse%26skipParametricAttributeId%3D%26prevNValues%3D2108%2B202588

The RDS80 can use 832 and 842 type soldering tips. Soldering is part of making a living for me so I might have a different idea about an expensive tip :-) OTOH I did not have to replace any tip yet even though my old trusty Ersa soldering station doesn't have sleep mode.

[EEVblog]

I've used Ersa stations (forget models etc) and they are very nice, great for fine SMD work, very easy to handle.
Can't comment on value for money etc, but they are very well regarded, one of top shelf brands.

Dave.

[david77]

The RDS80 is a nice station, no doubt. Even though I haven't used it in battle I like the iron quite a bit, it feels nice.
The one thing why I wouldn't buy that station is the incredibly stiff and heavy lead to the iron. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed that. It's like the extension cord for a lawn mower. A good silicone lead can't be that much more expensive.

My personal choice would be the good old Analog 60. No fancy stuff, just a robust station and a well regarded iron.
And the iron comes with a highly flexible silicon lead, as one would expect.

[T4P]

I hope this really long odd link works to show prices in SGD:
http://sg.element14.com/jsp/search/browse.jsp?N=2108+202588+110193463&Ntk=gensearch&Ntt=ersa+tips&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&No=0&getResults=true&appliedparametrics=true&locale=en_SG&divisionLocale=en_SG&catalogId=&skipManufacturer=false&skipParametricAttributeId=&prevNValues=2108+202588&mm=1001418||,&filtersHidden=false&appliedHidden=false&autoApply=false&originalQueryURL=%2Fjsp%2Fsearch%2Fbrowse.jsp%3FN%3D2108%2B202588%26Ntk%3Dgensearch%26Ntt%3Dersa%2Btips%26Ntx%3Dmode%2Bmatchallpartial%26No%3D0%26getResults%3Dtrue%26appliedparametrics%3Dtrue%26locale%3Den_SG%26divisionLocale%3Den_SG%26catalogId%3D%26skipManufacturer%3Dfalse%26skipParametricAttributeId%3D%26prevNValues%3D2108%2B202588

The RDS80 can use 832 and 842 type soldering tips. Soldering is part of making a living for me so I might have a different idea about an expensive tip :-) OTOH I did not have to replace any tip yet even though my old trusty Ersa soldering station doesn't have sleep mode.

Thanks for the tips(no pun, intended) , looks like E14 is a fan of lengthy links 

I've used Ersa stations (forget models etc) and they are very nice, great for fine SMD work, very easy to handle.
Can't comment on value for money etc, but they are very well regarded, one of top shelf brands.

Dave.

They really value for money to the table when you compare the prices of the FX-951, although you can use more tips on that one, that's no point anyway.

The RDS80 is a nice station, no doubt. Even though I haven't used it in battle I like the iron quite a bit, it feels nice.
The one thing why I wouldn't buy that station is the incredibly stiff and heavy lead to the iron. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed that. It's like the extension cord for a lawn mower. A good silicone lead can't be that much more expensive.

My personal choice would be the good old Analog 60. No fancy stuff, just a robust station and a well regarded iron.
And the iron comes with a highly flexible silicon lead, as one would expect.

But would it be okay? I have been using a 936 clone with an actual silicone cord all this while... But there's NO way i can see this thing for real

OH BTW, the cheaper models are made in china ... Sad !

[M. András]

I use Ersa exclusively because the tips last extremely long, they take up solder very easy, changing tips is a matter of seconds and the tips are easy to clean. I myself have an old dual MS8000 soldering station but I have used the RDS80 as well. An excellent soldering station which also puts the iron in 'sleep' when it is not used. Heating is pretty quick as well.

How much do the tips cost? I hope it shouldn't very expensive. The original Hakko QFP/DIP tips for the FX-951 are pretty grim ...
http://www.tequipment.net/HakkoT15SeriesTips-Page1.html

Yeah sure the tips assortment on the T15 series looks nice but the price of the bigger ones can make you drop your jaw...

i bet they cost atleast half of the weller RT series tips... or even less

[david77]

The RDS80 is a nice station, no doubt. Even though I haven't used it in battle I like the iron quite a bit, it feels nice.
The one thing why I wouldn't buy that station is the incredibly stiff and heavy lead to the iron. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed that. It's like the extension cord for a lawn mower. A good silicone lead can't be that much more expensive.

My personal choice would be the good old Analog 60. No fancy stuff, just a robust station and a well regarded iron.
And the iron comes with a highly flexible silicon lead, as one would expect.

But would it be okay? I have been using a 936 clone with an actual silicone cord all this while... But there's NO way i can see this thing for real

OH BTW, the cheaper models are made in china ... Sad !

I'm sorry Dave, but what are you trying to say? Maybe it's just me 

[T4P]

The RDS80 is a nice station, no doubt. Even though I haven't used it in battle I like the iron quite a bit, it feels nice.
The one thing why I wouldn't buy that station is the incredibly stiff and heavy lead to the iron. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed that. It's like the extension cord for a lawn mower. A good silicone lead can't be that much more expensive.

My personal choice would be the good old Analog 60. No fancy stuff, just a robust station and a well regarded iron.
And the iron comes with a highly flexible silicon lead, as one would expect.

But would it be okay? I have been using a 936 clone with an actual silicone cord all this while... But there's NO way i can see this thing for real

OH BTW, the cheaper models are made in china ... Sad !

I'm sorry Dave, but what are you trying to say? Maybe it's just me 

What i was trying to say was, I wouldn't mind it but the selection of tips and the country is made in is... PATHETIC.
But it's alright, i'll go for a FX-951 clone instead. And by the way is there a point in a power selection thing ?

[poorchava]

I've had opportunity to see ERSA IR bga rework station (second hand one costed something like $15k). It's amazing, and I also recognize ERSA as one of the top brands.

But for me spending $300 on something used for hobby, when better-quality-chinese-stuff (Quick, Xytronic etc) is doing equally good job is not justifiable

[T4P]

I've had opportunity to see ERSA IR bga rework station (second hand one costed something like $15k). It's amazing, and I also recognize ERSA as one of the top brands.

But for me spending $300 on something used for hobby, when better-quality-chinese-stuff (Quick, Xytronic etc) is doing equally good job is not justifiable

Indeed. $300 when it's all made in the same country so i'll just stick to the 936.

[zaoka]

We had one ERSA station at the place where I used to work, it was favorite station for all techs. Alt others used to be Weller.

Their main advantage are tips, its just some special kind of metal that likes solder.

Even though I recommend JBC over all station I must admit that ERSA is very good brand, way better than Hakko and Weller!

[nukie]

Certain Ersa models are rebadge

[T4P]

Certain Ersa models are rebadge

Yeah. But some people find it okay, i wouldn't mind a rebadge as long as i can't find the OEM and find out it's much cheaper

We had one ERSA station at the place where I used to work, it was favorite station for all techs. Alt others used to be Weller.

Their main advantage are tips, its just some special kind of metal that likes solder.

Even though I recommend JBC over all station I must admit that ERSA is very good brand, way better than Hakko and Weller!

I would go with that but to me i .... don't really need a digital station unless there's a need for permanent lead free usage
but my 936 clones can do lead free just fine, i would still go for ersa's better stations not these rebadges

[Salas]

The RDS80 is a nice station, no doubt. Even though I haven't used it in battle I like the iron quite a bit, it feels nice.
The one thing why I wouldn't buy that station is the incredibly stiff and heavy lead to the iron. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed that. It's like the extension cord for a lawn mower. A good silicone lead can't be that much more expensive.

My personal choice would be the good old Analog 60. No fancy stuff, just a robust station and a well regarded iron.
And the iron comes with a highly flexible silicon lead, as one would expect.

Have used the RDS80 some time at a friend's and I must also agree that the iron's cable is heavy. Had good power delivery, nice big display with measuring power bar and buttons for temp presets. Which was the way to manually set it to standby if you set a low preset. I don't remember it having auto sleep, maybe I am wrong.
But its bulky. Especially the iron holder is like a birdhouse for no apparent reason than looks and the thing takes too much bench space as a whole.
If you will poke on it with the iron by mistake its gonna get a scar, its a plastic housing. The iron's a bit too chunky but has good grip. The tips are nice with solder, they are their lower cost variety. I don't like that fit type and tension coil style, not made for fast changes. He got it on a really good promo price, but at regular price I don't see why not jump to the Icon Nano which is much better overall IMHO. Has an agile iron and smaller heavy cast holder also, that for me at least is an ergonomic must to be small and firm. Its a small station overall. Costs 220 Euro at Reichelt along with 8.5 Euro for tips.



http://www.reichelt.de/?ACTION=3;ARTICLE=89494;GROUPID=553;PROVID=2378;&utm_source=Preisvergleich&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Preisvergleich_94511215.de

[T4P]

There's a thing about the RDS-80 is that you can pull back the amount of heating capacity provided from the base station
But ah well, there's a limited variety of RDS-80's tips

[Salas]

Looks like the 80 is based on an OEM unit theme that could be spotted in a few brand guises but the iron itself is ERSA. Best power regulation is the inherent one in Metcal IMO but its a good feature to can set below ceiling at least in any station.

[david77]

Yes, there are rumours that the RDS80 is variation on the ZD937, I think. That is a bit of a let down if you spend the money to get a brand name iron. One would hope they have at least rigorous QC in place for the Ersa station.

I don't see the tip selection as a problem, all the 832 and 842 series tips can be used.

Here in Germany the RDS80 is one of the cheapest brand name stations on the market. It retails at about 160,00 EUR. The Hakko FX888 for example is not officially available at all, you can find it on ebay for 270,00 EUR, though. Personally I wouldn't spend that kind of money for a Hakko station. Hakko is virtually unknown here anyway, they don't seem to have an official distributor.
I certainly hadn't heard of them until I found Dave's blog.

[Salas]

I agree. Its foolish to spend that good money in Europe for a triple 8 Hakko, When you can get ERSA Icon Nano or OKI Metcal PS-900 in the 200+ Euro range. They are another class of iron depending in what you opt for. Namely to can choose heat or have smart heat. And both makers tips have a bunch of EU distributors in good prices.

[T4P]

I agree. Its foolish to spend that good money in Europe for a triple 8 Hakko, When you can get ERSA Icon Nano or OKI Metcal PS-900 in the 200+ Euro range. They are another class of iron depending in what you opt for. Namely to can choose heat or have smart heat. And both makers tips have a bunch of EU distributors in good prices.

Here between the RDS-80 and Icon-NANO doesn't have much of a price difference

[Salas]

Icon Nano is the VFM ERSA model street price wise, agree. That is why I mentioned it before.

[nanofrog]

Never even heard of Ersa here (US) until I stumbled across it here. Though after checking their site, they do have at least one US distributor listed.

I didn't see 120V versions available on their site, so perhaps that's why they're not well known in the US?