Bumping this year-old thread to see what's available a year later in the budget tweezer market.
I have a Pace ADS200 ISB station, which I love. Occasionally I could really use some hot tweezers, but given how infrequent that would be, I cannot justify the cost of Pace's tweezers ($375 for tweezers and stand only, I'd have to swap it in/out with my ADS200 iron), nor the other name brands like Weller and Hakko. I was considering something like the Yihua 938D but they look really sketchy, and my experience with a cheap Yihua 959D hot air station years ago was not great.
Yes, I'm aware of the suggestion to get Hakko FX1003 tweezers and a used Metcal station, but that's a bit more DIY than I'm interested in, and it's not exactly "budget" either since you're pushing $300+. At that price for a DIY/Used option, I'd be more inclined to just spring for a new handpiece+stand.
Some options I've found. Would be interested in hearing about any experiences with these.
Option 1: I know the STM32 based T12 soldering stations have been really popular, but how are the T12 tweezers? I haven't seen them mentioned here. If they work as well as most people think the T12 clones do, that should be plenty sufficient for my needs. And only ~$60.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805039868647.htmlOption 2: Conversion kit for Hakko FX888D. I have a spare 888D station (was my primary station before the ADS200). But over $200 just for the tweezers and stand. This is definitely the top-end of my budget range for tweezers, no more often than I'd use them. Not to mention it still looks a bit on the cheap side.
https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FX-8804CK-Tweezer-Conversion-FX-888D/dp/B00NK0SDNSOption 3: The Atten ST-1509 with N9100 tweezers. I love my Atten 862D hot air station, they seem to make good gear in the budget range. This one comes in at just under $200 but at least includes the full kit/station for that price. Still a bit more than I was hoping to spend, but if I'm going to spend $200 this one looks like the one based on appearance and specs -- unless someone tells me the Hakko 888D conversion is better.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804301371306.htmlSo what say ye? Anyone have experience with these, or others I've not found yet, and can provide some budget advice for someone looking to spend <$200 (ideally, half that) for tweezers they might only use a few times a year?
Thanks!