Ersa i-Con 'Nano' and 'Nano' Mk2 differences?

[Hydrawerk]

Ersa achieves similar performance (certainly the same as the Pace AccuDrive, if not better, and certainly better than Hakko and Pace’s earlier cartridge systems) without actually needing cartridges.

I have the "old" PACE ADS200 at home, bought in 2022. Soldering performance is good, but not excellent. Special tips are even more expensive than JBC. I like it, though. It is made of aluminium while most other soldering stations are made of plastic (JBC, Hakko...)
Unfortunately, there is still no review on the new PACE ADS200 Plus.
https://paceworldwide.com/news/introducing-ads200-plus

Starting in the Spring of 2024, the ADS200 will now be called the ADS200 PLUS. Through redevelopment of the entire thermal cycle, from power source to tip-heater cartridge, the ADS200 PLUS is now more responsive when higher thermal demand is required in the soldering process, as well as offering improved thermal recovery.

Someone should prove this!

[thm_w]

I have the "old" PACE ADS200 at home, bought in 2022. Soldering performance is good, but not excellent. Special tips are even more expensive than JBC. I like it, though. It is made of aluminium while most other soldering stations are made of plastic (JBC, Hakko...)

We have two Hakko stations and both are metal (fx100, fm203). JBC clones that are metal (though the aixun t380 one is garbage). Multiple Metcals, all metal. Only the metcals have all metal handpieces though, which I agree is a nice premium feature.

[tooki]

I’ve used JBC and Ersa extensively, and when it came time to pick a new soldering station at work, I chose Ersa over JBC.

Well, you might be happy with Ersa when you do not need such a big range of soldering tips and you do not need to change tips often and quickly.

As a reminder: I have worked with JBC extensively, so I’m not at all unfamiliar with what it’s like to use them in real-world use.

Their selection of tips is second to none. But they’re also expensive as heck, so actually making use of said selection is an expensive affair.

As for tip switching: sure, cartridge is faster. But the Ersa systems are not slow. It’s nothing like changing a tip on a traditional Weller or Hakko. The 142 series bayonet tips are even easier.

[analogix]

Sorry to ask, but what is a cartridge, and why is this important to consider when choosing a soldering-station?

By the way; i just found this guide from Hakko on How to select the right shape and size of the tip for micro soldering which I found helpful.
PS: the guide refers to P.W.B. ("Consider the size and shape of the P.W.B. and components for their thermal mass carefully, and select the soldering tip that fits with them well."). Does anyone know what this means?

[Hydrawerk]

Cartridge is a soldering tip and heating element in one piece. Thermal performance is usually better than a traditional 1980's soldering iron.

[tooki]

Sorry to ask, but what is a cartridge, and why is this important to consider when choosing a soldering-station?

Hydrawerk summed it up nicely.

Ersa is basically the exception to the rule: the i-Con series performs better than first-generation cartridge-heater tips (like Hakko T12 and Pace TD-100), but not quite as well as the best cartridge systems today (e.g. JBC). They do this by having the heater go very far into the tip, having the heater small and powerful, with the sensor at the very tip too, and by keeping tolerances tight.


(FYI, the term "cartridge heater" in soldering comes from the cartridge heaters used in industry. It's very clear how the soldering cartridge heater tips evolved from industrial cartridge heaters -- and how the Ersa i-Con heater is itself essentially a cartridge heater. I have used cartridge heaters in a few projects now, where masses of metal need to be heated precisely. Small cartridge heaters are also the typical heating element used in 3D printer nozzles.)

By the way; i just found this guide from Hakko on How to select the right shape and size of the tip for micro soldering which I found helpful.
PS: the guide refers to P.W.B. ("Consider the size and shape of the P.W.B. and components for their thermal mass carefully, and select the soldering tip that fits with them well."). Does anyone know what this means?

PWB = printed wiring board. Just an alternative, mostly archaic synonym for a printed circuit board (PCB). (Every single page I have seen that tries to explain some difference between the two is either AI garbage, or trying to invent a difference like "complexity" or manufacturing process, or both. I am unconvinced that there is any substantive difference, other than PWB being the older word.)

[analogix]

Sorry to ask, but what is a cartridge, and why is this important to consider when choosing a soldering-station?

Hydrawerk summed it up nicely.

Ersa is basically the exception to the rule: the i-Con series performs better than first-generation cartridge-heater tips (like Hakko T12 and Pace TD-100), but not quite as well as the best cartridge systems today (e.g. JBC). They do this by having the heater go very far into the tip, having the heater small and powerful, with the sensor at the very tip too, and by keeping tolerances tight.

Thanks to both for explaining.
The tricky thing sometimes is determining between "what's best" and "what's best/good enough for my use".
Obviously there's a huge difference in equipment needs for a professional who uses these tools heavily every day and a hobbyist as myself who works on the occasional projects for personal use. From what I've learnt so far it appears the Ersa I-Con Nano Mk2 will be a very big improvement over what I've been using all these years (30W or 40W soldering irons and mostly the same type of pencil tip) and probably more than good enough for hobbyist needs. Agreed?

PS: the guide refers to P.W.B. ("Consider the size and shape of the P.W.B. and components for their thermal mass carefully, and select the soldering tip that fits with them well."). Does anyone know what this means?

PWB = printed wiring board.

Aha! I've never heard that term before, always referring to "printed circuit board" or "PCB". Thanks for clearing that up

[Hydrawerk]

Ersa is not that much interested in soldering stations. They produce many types of production machines...
https://www.kurtzersa.com/products/electronics-production/overview

And we forgot about Weller. They also produce cartridge soldering stations. I am still not sure whether they are worth buying or not... They are not popular on this forum. I have never seen them in person. I do not like them much now.
Any Weller WX user here?

https://www.weller-tools.com/us/en/industrial-soldering/products/soldering-stations?family[]=WX+Line+Soldering+Stations

[Hydrawerk]

If you want a wide tip, ERSA gives you 20mm, while JBC has a 40mm tip for example.
https://ts.kurtzersa.com/electronics-production-equipment/soldering-tools-accessories/soldering-desoldering-tips/soldering-tip-series-142/produkt-details/0142zdlf200-1.html
https://www.jbctools.com/c245792-blade-cartridge-40-product-1388.html
(PACE has a 25mm tip. But thermal performance is not great. https://paceworldwide.com/blade-tip-25mm )

[Hydrawerk]

Ersa soldering iron is bloody expensive even if it is made of plastic.
https://ts.kurtzersa.com/electronics-production-equipment/soldering-tools-accessories/tools-for-soldering-stations/produkt-details/i-tool-mk2-1.html
https://www.tme.eu/en/details/ersa-0105cdj/soldering-stations-accessories/ersa/0105cdj/
There is some complex electronics hidden inside.

Three setable energy levels for dynamic performance
Automatic standby sensor
Calibration data is stored in the individual tool

The heating element probably can be replaced??
https://ts.kurtzersa.com/fileadmin/medien/members_final/Electronics/9_Medien/9.5_Kataloge/9.5.1_Tools/Ersa-Soldering-Tools-Catalog-en.pdf
But I did on find that in any eshop. 

[wraper]

^i-tool heating element costs around EUR 45-80 depending on model. Most likely you'll never need to replace it. Complete i-tool with heating element included costs around twice of that.

[mehdi]

Sounds great!
Please report back what your experiences are, when you're ready 

I am not a professional, and I do use soldering irons for personal projects. Also, I have never used a cartridge-based system (or any tool from Metcal and JBC)
Having said that, I love the nano. The tips are much easier and faster to change, as they're now turn and pull (vs the old version that had screw-based tips)
I can't comment like a professional, but I love using it (to make sure I get the best out of my soldering iron, I also use the best solder wire and flux that I can afford/find)
The build quality seems to be better than pico. Specifically, the cord connecting the iron to the base, seems to be more flexible.
Another deciding factor for me on going with Ersa i-Con pico/nano was the size: I can easily place the soldering iron base, and the iron holder, on my fume extractor (hence, saving precious desk space when I'm not using them)
Nano's stand also has space for storing 4 extra tips.

Here are some pictures:

[tooki]

The tricky thing sometimes is determining between "what's best" and "what's best/good enough for my use".
Obviously there's a huge difference in equipment needs for a professional who uses these tools heavily every day and a hobbyist as myself who works on the occasional projects for personal use. From what I've learnt so far it appears the Ersa I-Con Nano Mk2 will be a very big improvement over what I've been using all these years (30W or 40W soldering irons and mostly the same type of pencil tip) and probably more than good enough for hobbyist needs. Agreed?

With the caveat that hobbyist and professional needs are often not that far apart -- I am an advocate of using good tools for your hobbies -- I fundamentally agree. The whole package is what matters, not necessarily one spec above all else.

Going from a "fire stick" with single tip to a modern soldering station will be a revelation. At least that's how it was for me when I got my i-Con nano. Going from the nano to JBC at my old work? A little better, but not groundbreaking.

IMHO, for most purposes, once you're in the world of name-brand soldering stations, the choice of tip will make a bigger difference than whether it's an Ersa, JBC, Pace, or Weller. Matching the tip to the job makes all the difference.

PS: the guide refers to P.W.B. ("Consider the size and shape of the P.W.B. and components for their thermal mass carefully, and select the soldering tip that fits with them well."). Does anyone know what this means?

PWB = printed wiring board.

Aha! I've never heard that term before, always referring to "printed circuit board" or "PCB". Thanks for clearing that up

Another term you may encounter is PCA: printed circuit assembly. This means specifically a PCB that has the components populated. (In that case, then "PCB" is used to mean specifically the board itself, without the components.) Sometimes you see PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) to mean the populated board.

Analogous to this, you occasionally see PWA (printed wiring assembly) to mean the populated board.

[tooki]

Ersa is not that much interested in soldering stations. They produce many types of production machines...
https://www.kurtzersa.com/products/electronics-production/overview

I don't see this as a negative. It means deep understanding of soldering in all aspects.

And Ersa soldering stations are certainly quite widespread in Europe. They're definitely not the biggest player, but definitely not a small one, either.

If you want a wide tip, ERSA gives you 20mm, while JBC has a 40mm tip for example.
https://ts.kurtzersa.com/electronics-production-equipment/soldering-tools-accessories/soldering-desoldering-tips/soldering-tip-series-142/produkt-details/0142zdlf200-1.html
https://www.jbctools.com/c245792-blade-cartridge-40-product-1388.html
(PACE has a 25mm tip. But thermal performance is not great. https://paceworldwide.com/blade-tip-25mm )

As I have said before, JBC's tip selection is second to none, and by a wide margin. If there's one area where I can give JBC unconditional praise, it's in the size of their tip selection.

Unfortunately, their tip prices make it difficult to actually take advantage of that huge selection.  :'(

In a production environment, where you use a small number of different tips, this isn't a big deal. In prototyping and rework, where you may need a wider array of tips, then their cost becomes an issue.

[wraper]

In a production environment, where you use a small number of different tips, this isn't a big deal. In prototyping and rework, where you may need a wider array of tips, then their cost becomes an issue.

Learning wielding 2 soldering irons in both hands (with regular chisel tips) replaces many of JBC spacialty tips not available from Ersa and/or soldering tweezers. Also I find many JBC specialty tips more like wankery often designed as workaround for lack of soldering skill, lack of proper design for production, or chosing wrong tool for the job (soldering iron) to begin with.

[analogix]

Sounds great!
Please report back what your experiences are, when you're ready 

I am not a professional, and I do use soldering irons for personal projects. Also, I have never used a cartridge-based system (or any tool from Metcal and JBC)
Having said that, I love the nano.

Thanks for the photos and sharing your experiences! 
From what I can tell this sounds like a solid purchase and very likely a great improvement for me over the basic soldering irons I've been using for all these years. Unless someone comes up with a compelling reason not to, I think I'm going to get the same model too 
The fume extractor is a great addition -I need to look into that as I have nothing of that sort (I've used to blow away the fumes, with limited results).

Did you get some additional tips?

[analogix]

The tricky thing sometimes is determining between "what's best" and "what's best/good enough for my use".
Obviously there's a huge difference in equipment needs for a professional who uses these tools heavily every day and a hobbyist as myself who works on the occasional projects for personal use. From what I've learnt so far it appears the Ersa I-Con Nano Mk2 will be a very big improvement over what I've been using all these years (30W or 40W soldering irons and mostly the same type of pencil tip) and probably more than good enough for hobbyist needs. Agreed?

With the caveat that hobbyist and professional needs are often not that far apart -- I am an advocate of using good tools for your hobbies -- I fundamentally agree. The whole package is what matters, not necessarily one spec above all else.

Going from a "fire stick" with single tip to a modern soldering station will be a revelation. At least that's how it was for me when I got my i-Con nano. Going from the nano to JBC at my old work? A little better, but not groundbreaking.

IMHO, for most purposes, once you're in the world of name-brand soldering stations, the choice of tip will make a bigger difference than whether it's an Ersa, JBC, Pace, or Weller. Matching the tip to the job makes all the difference.

Yes, I agree. Good tools, and of course a good soldering technique!

I'm self-taught, and can't remember attending any courses or lessons, and most of what I've learnt has been through experience. I've been fine soldering the usual through-hole stuff, wires, connectors etc. but I'm sure I've picked up some mistakes along the way and it's never too late to re-learn things.
In another thread in this forum named Topic: Solder practice kits for technicians someone (you actually!) referred to a series of Youtube soldering lessons: Basic soldering lessons 1-9 by Pace. I'm going to watch this, and look for some similar lessons, but updated for more modern components (SMD ICs etc.).
I found the thread because in another thread I was suggested to start with SMDs by getting some SMD soldering-practice kits, which I'll be trying to get hold of.

[mehdi]

Did you get some additional tips?

Yes. It came with a Chisel 1.6mm tip as standard. I also ordered a Chisel 1mm, a Hoof 1.6mm and a pencil 0.5mm.