What has TS100 to do with this PACE station? Those are completely different market sections. There are people buying JBC, and there are people buying clone 936, and there are people buying something in between, ranging from TS100, FX888/WES51 to this entry level PACE, then maybe Metcal. Just keep your own dick in your own vice and who cares if the others buy anything else?
Sorry, it's my fault for posting that 
I'm concerned for budget novices now treating "our most crucial tool in electronics" like a disposable gadget. Meanwhile, pro's (like Louis R.) are saying almost nothing about tip ecosystem quality vs. bench/shop productivity.
Please predict where this will lead: With T-12 tips coming to market from hole-in-the-wall sources everywhere, who guarantee's them? Who stands to loose if quality slips? Who measures plating thickness or does thermal cycling to certify quality?
Cliff, I love ya, but must agree with you. You are an old FART. I can say that, since I’m one as well. But I think regarding this topic, I’m a bit more open minded.
To “labjr”, if you searched my posts, you probably already knew I indeed recently purchased a TS100.
What I’ll say to you both, reflecting my own personal opinions of course, and anyone else is:
It seems hard if not impossible to form a definitive opinion on a product that one does not either own or have personally used. A very few, members here have voiced such opinions recently, for whatever reason. I believe in this case it is a disservice to the many newbie solder users like myself. Not everyone can afford what someone can, or have the same requirements for soldering projects.
Speaking for myself only, a hobbyist at best, I don’t need a professional soldering station with its potential advantages. And while I can afford a Hakko 951, or a Pace ADS200, both seemingly good deals, I don’t NEED one. So for me to get into the new world of direct drive temp sensing tips, having a much lower cost alternative to a full up bench soldering station is a good thing. And for the many that like me, don’t need or require a more expensive station having a lower cost version of a direct drive tip system, or specifically simply don’t have the MONEY for such, having a low cost alternative is yet another good thing. As well as another feature that must be mentioned, is the battery operated ability this unit has over a bench unit. Not something I have currently have much use for, but certainly a huge plus for many.
Sure, like many I base a good part of my buying decisions on articles and reviews. Oddly enough, I have yet to read or watch a bad review of the inexpensive TS100 soldering iron. Can’t recall anyone saying the available tips are not good, or get brown etc., some have reported long life, and equally as good as Hakko T-12 tips. In fact the only negative things I’ve read are from posters that never owned or used one. Not surprising, this gets into fanboy territory.
As far as folks practically begging our Dave Jones to review a TS100, he made a very logical response in one thread; “why, so I can confirm your purchase?” And he is SPOT ON, we all like to believe our hard earned money went for the best product we could afford at the time. I don’t need to see anymore reviews, just remember the TS100 has been on the market for over 1.5 years, there are plenty of reviews, as well as opinions. I’ve watched and read most of them, and was surprised if not shocked, not on the positive reviews, but by the experience and knowledge of some of those reviewers. Most of them with tons more solder expertise then I will ever have, and maybe you?
I believe it just pisses people off, that an inexpensive Chinese product can approach the usability of a more expensive dedicated solder station. As a fairly good product researcher, I’ll say this, while this product has been out for a decent amount of time, I would hope to assume a Hakko 951, Pace ADS200, would last and perform for a longer period, based on previous product longevity and initial cost. But since these are NEW products we can’t say for sure, though a good bet perhaps, we can only assume. And from reports of actual long term owners, the smaller tips designed and sold for this are a non issue, as good as Hakko T12 tips. Those are real world users, some with as much or more experience then some here. And some of those owners, have in fact favored a TS100 over their previous bench stations, many of those costing much, much more. You can argue all of the above, longevity, egonomics, tip selection, customer support, etc. But for someone on a low budget, you can’t argue the price point. What you get for your money, is something every individual will have to decide for themselves, and should not be effected by those with no first hand knowledge.
Let me also state, I’m not now or ever have been a “fan boy” of any consumer product, or brands. That’s simply a road to disappointment! If like many here, I had to solder professionally, or solder a lot, I would probably buy the Pace ADS200, as I dislike the Hakko temp adjust interface. Why buy those? Well, the two units mentioned should, by company history, last longer, hopefully be more robust with all day use, more tip selections and hopefully have better customer support. If you have the budget, these both seem like solid performers. Are there downsides to a TS100, well if you need to save money, you KNOW the answer to that. Life, like consumer electronics is full of compromises. Nothing I found hard to overcome, but how much or how little you want to be involved in the products you choose based on your own criteria, is up to the individual. Depending on the package you order, all of the mentioned products here can be used out of the box. Besides additional tips, you may need to buy some additional inexpensive products to get better performance from a TS100, like a $25 24 volt power supply, if you don’t already have an old compatible laptop supply. The Hakko 951 comes with the tip temp sleep stand I believe, the similar Pace iron stand is extra. I bought a separate stand from Hakko, for approximately $20. I’d rather not put my TS100 on the table! So the discussion should end up being about the ability of the tool to do the job for the required price point.
Flip side, one could afford 3-4 TS100’s over these two dedicated bench stations.
But with that said, so far I don’t see any proven reasons to dissuade those on a shoe string budget not to get into the newest technology direct drive tip sensing irons, like a TS100. I don’t see the need to bash other viable devices, especially ones people have no first hand experience with, just as Dave said, to “verify” their own purchases. That’s a kids game. Try and be happy with whatever you decide to buy, remembering the next model TS200, and ADS300, will somehow be BETTER.
Now please, so we can all stay GROUNDED, I love to hear from the real “ole timers”, that built and soldered for many years, with those old branding irons, it serves to remind me, just how good we have it now a days!
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