On Fri, 19 Sep 2014, drlegendre . wrote:
On Fri, Sep 19, 2014 at 8:08 PM, Paul Koning
<paulkoning at comcast.net> wrote:
I don?t have one to spare, unfortunately. On
spare tips: those are
cheap (under $10 as I recall) from various mail order electronic tool
supply houses.
Yeah, tips are available.. but $10/ea is way too steep. If you watch the
eBay, you can find compatible tips for around $2.50-3.00 or so, but you
might have to buy several to strike the right price. Original Weller
parts get silly expensive, I think the MSRP is around $18/ea - and they
wonder why people opt for the import versions..
Four or five-fold cost is not what I'd call "competitive" - even if they
last a bit longer. Go USA..
I don't really think $10-15 for a high quality tip is too steep at all
(and I'm /always/ looking for a bargain). I can't afford cheap tools.
With Hakko tips, there is a huge difference in the way the genuine parts
are made and the way the Shenzhen-import counterfeits are made. I suspect
the same is true with Weller tips.
Counterfeit Hakko tips are made of a different alloy, the hole where the
tip slides over the heater usually doesn't fit right, and they often have
imperfections and microfractures inside the bore where they fit over the
heater. That is in addition to problems with the plating cracking or
delaminating.
As expensive as replacement Hakko heating elements are, Hakko tips are one
thing I absolutely won't shop for on eBay (although I do look for vintage
Ungar parts from time to time). The counterfeiters are just too darn good
at copying the look of things, including packaging.
http://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/genuine-vs-fake-hakko-solder-tip/
When used with lead-alloy solder and RMA flux, and when cleaned and cared
for properly, genuine tips seem to last /forever/ so I don't really see
any benefit in buying slightly cheaper counterfeits or knock-offs on eBay.
For Hakko tips, I usually buy from major companies such All-Spec.
I'd also suggest giving a beginner a nice chisel tip instead of a conical
tip. They are much easier to work with and a beginner will have much
better results because the larger surface area will heat joints better.