Sanity check my soldering station plan?

[chconnor]

Hi! DIY/home-hobbyist type here. I'm designing a 4-layer PCB (2Oz external, 1.5Oz internal, with some fat traces, bus wires, relays, etc.) and am upgrading from my cheap/old Weller to a modern and more powerful soldering station (per good advice from this forum). More generally, I do through-hole soldering, occasionally on burly tube audio gear, but mostly modern PCB stuff with little/no SMD work. I'm hoping to spend <$150 all in.

So far I've settled on an Aixun T3A + an OEM tip or two, and I just had a few questions to run by the crowd wisdom:

- I'm trying to decide which handle/tip system to get with it. My understanding is that C245 tips are in some senses better but more $, and the T12 are cheaper but that the clone T12s are better than the clone 245s? Is there any other distinction I should know about? Would choosing either system make much difference to the likes of me? (I'm not planning to buy clone tips in general but might do it now and then.)

- is there a recommended source to make a trusted T3A purchase to avoid counterfeits? (I'm in the US)

- anything else I should be looking at?

I plan to give the unit an inspection once I have it -- I've seen advice that you need to do your own QC on these.

Thanks for any perspectives.

[chconnor]

Ah, found the big T3A thread, and in there the easy100fix store is mentioned as being apparently reliable.

Any thoughts on the tip type would still be welcome; I think I've learned that the 245 tips are generally the better choice and can make use of the T3A's power more effectively.

[thm_w]

There is no point getting the T3A for T12 use. T245.

[chconnor]

Thanks! I have settled on that plan; appreciate the feedback.