Which tips should I get for my Hakko fx888 soldering iron?

Which tips should I get for my Hakko fx888 soldering iron?
Posted by geratheg on 24 Jul, 2014 10:27
I have a Hakko fx888 soldering iron with a 1.6mm chisel tip.

I haven't found any need to change tips so far, but would I eventually need to swap out the tip to a different size?

I'm looking to buy 1 or 2 tips from McMasterr (About $6 apiece there).

Should I get another Chisel tip, just with a different size? Which size do you recommend?

#1 Reply
Posted by JoeO on 24 Jul, 2014 11:44
If you include your country, you may also get an answer that includes the best price available to you.

#2 Reply
Posted by GreyWoolfe on 24 Jul, 2014 12:24
If you are buying from McMaster Carr, I assume you are in the US? I would recommend using only chisel tips. I have .8 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.8 mm and 2.4 mm. I am thinking of getting something over 3 mm for heavier wire soldering. I do have a pointed smd tip that I have soldered 0402 with. As always, YMMV.

#3 Reply
Posted by sleemanj on 24 Jul, 2014 12:38
Soldering tips are partly a matter of personal preference.

The 888 will take standard cheap 900 series tips (straight from the mouth of Dave), so why not grab a cheap 10 or 12 piece set for a few dollars on ebay, then when you've found the ones you like and use most, you can buy better quality genuine Hakko T18 tips in the same size/style (or, just keep abusing the cheap ones like me).

Here's a couple of ebay links, no association just the first couple that came up:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Iron-Tips-For-Hakko-soldering-rework-station-12pcs-soldering-Iron-Tips-/350883528644?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51b249bfc4&_uhb=1

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-10pcs-Solder-Screwdriver-Iron-Tip-900M-T-For-Hakko-Soldering-Station-Tool-/390858156750?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item5b00f62ace&_uhb=1

#4 Reply
Posted by nanofrog on 24 Jul, 2014 15:19
Generally speaking, you can do a lot with just a few chisels, so it's likely you won't need many specialty shapes at all.
For example:
3 or 4 chisels
1 hoof
1 drag solder tip (well, spoon, gull wing, ... whatever they call it)
1 single sharp point (tacking fine pitch IC corners for drag method)
1 bent chisel (for getting into hard to reach spaces & solder cup terminals)

So for ~7 - 8 total tips, you'll have a collection will allow you to be able to solder pretty much anything you'll encounter IME. Maybe not the most convenient shape for a given task, but able to do it properly.

sleemanj's idea is worth considering also due to the low cost.

FWIW, Hakko's Tip Shape Selector pages might be of some use to you, as it shows you what the different shapes are used for (note the amount of cross-use for some of them; this is where speed and user comfort come into play).

#5 Reply
Posted by mariush on 24 Jul, 2014 17:52
x1 http://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/type_bcm_cm.html (the one on right side)
x1 http://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/type_k.html
x1 http://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/type_i.html

The ebay tips are clones, not hakko originals, they don't last as much as the originals but for the price they're good. Some are not quite the perfect internal diameter, they don't fit snug on the heating element, but once you screw everything together they'll work.

#6 Reply
Posted by geratheg on 25 Jul, 2014 00:49
Country: United States.

Ok, if I were to buy 1 tip, which should it be? Already have a 1.6mm chisel tip. Should I go larger or should I go smaller for another chisel tip? I don't want to buy any knockoffs. Willing to pay for a genuine tip.

#7 Reply
Posted by Rick Law on 27 Jul, 2014 22:48
Quote from: geratheg on 25 Jul, 2014 00:49
Country: United States.

Ok, if I were to buy 1 tip, which should it be? Already have a 1.6mm chisel tip. Should I go larger or should I go smaller for another chisel tip? I don't want to buy any knockoffs. Willing to pay for a genuine tip.

There are few occasions in life where one should be self-centered, this is one of them. I think it is person/job dependent...

First, I am a hobbyist. My soldering job is in making small experiments/fun-stuff (fitting within a 5x7 inch board being biggest). And I do soldering may be once a week instead of professionally and multiple times daily.) More often then once a week are fixing wires to a plug or fixing/adding a connection while I test my "master piece du jour".

I use the 1.2mm chisel often and my next size up (likely 2.4mm but could be 1.6mm). I mostly do prototyping boards with holes 1/10 inch (2.54mm) apart. I found the "next size up" too easy to form bridges, and with my eye sight, I found it hard to tell my orientation when I am using the 1.2mm. (Orientation I mean: do I have the flat-side down or sideways.) However, the 1.2mm chisel is my main component soldering tip. I switch to the larger one only when I have thicker wires to connect. I don't like it, but the frustration of orientation of the smaller 1.2mm is an easier and less time consuming problem than cleaning up solder-bridges between holes form by the larger tip.

When I am desoldering stuff, the larger conical and chisel shape I like - often you would need to melt solder in more than one place. The large conical is easy to maneuver and slide from one hole to the next. You need to do that to keep them all melted to pull a component. Think about the shape of the chisel and you can see you will need to reorient it as you switch from say one side of the dip to the other. Also - at times, the sharp end of the chisel often get caught under a bend component wire/pin while moving from one hole to the next. So larger conical is my go-to tip for desoldering. I switch to the very sharp conical when I need to make sure the hole is clean and when my suction pump doesn't a good enough job -- particularly when I have bits of little cut wires insisting on clogging up the hole, the sharp tip push it out easily.

So, if I am to desolder as much as I solder, (in experimentation, I desolder a lot,) I would pick a conical. But I do solder more than I desolder, so I would pick the 1.2mm chisel. I have the luxury of time as hobbyist, I can afford to switch tips. I keep two conicals and two chisels by my iron (and other tips plus my replacement tips on a shelf for easy-access).

I think you should put your personal considerations first. Try them out and see which one you end up using more - then get more of those. The kind of soldering you do, and your personal limitation (as in your eyesight or how much your hand shakes) are primary considerations.

Hope this helps in your choosing "the one tip you would buy if you were to buy one"...

Rick