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iFixit Launches FixHub Portable USB-C Soldering System to Encourage Repair Projects

Interested in this, but will also look at other options out on the market. My rework station is quite large, so something more compact and really portable will be nice when I need to use this in the car, or other remote locations.

More tempting to me than some of the recent smartphone announcements....
 
headlessmike said:
I could be wrong, but too me it sounds like a computer is only needed to set the temperature when using the iron without the power station, i.e. when plugging it directly into a computer or USB charger. The base has a dial on it which I imagine could be used to set the temperature.
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I see. Thanks for the clarification!

Also, someone knowledge: does it actually make sense to have an option for USB-C powering? I mean, do you really want to plug something like this into one of your computer's USB-C ports? Or maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way?
 
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Bloody rip off. Looks like a rebadged / commercialised T12 iron.

In context you can get a Metcal PS-900 for that money. I have one. And an MX-500 which cost less than that second hand and those are proper industrial irons good for just about anything from production to rework.

Note: ex EE, used to do rework and forward engineering on stuff that went into space.
 
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Belisama said:
I really like iFixit, their tutorials and their tools.
But $250 for a "soldering station"... seriously ?
It's priced like an Apple product.
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Really good soldering stations do cost this much and sometimes much more. Some of Hakko’s offerings are about this much.

The question will be - is this as good and versatile a Hakko or not.

And I’ll admit, I use my $30 pinecil far more often than my $160 “budget” Hakko station anyway.
 
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stiligFox said:
Really good soldering stations do cost this much and sometimes much more. Some of Hakko’s offerings are about this much.

The question will be - is this as good and versatile a Hakko or not.

And I’ll admit, I use my $30 pinecil far more often than my $160 “budget” Hakko station anyway.
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Yeah proper one $934.

MX-5210 METCAL, Rework Station, Dual Port, 100-240VAC | Newark Electronics

Buy MX-5210 - METCAL - Rework Station, Dual Port, 100-240VAC. Newark Electronics offers fast quotes, same day dispatch, fast delivery, wide inventory, datasheets & technical support.
www.newark.com www.newark.com

But the iFixit one is a $30 aliexpress one rebranded.
 
For all of those extremely common times when you have to solder a phone but you're nowhere near an electrical outlet. All those deep woods hobby bench owners should be pumped.
 
If I need to spend that much effort and expense to repair my device, get a better device in the first place. And or use some of that effort on prevention. The old ounce of prevention to save a pound of cure, this.
 
oh hell no!!!. As an experienced equipment repairer the biggest headache our repair industry has is fixing the very bad repair jobs done by people who think they can solder. Go look at the thousands upon thousands of youtube video's of repair people from all over the world fixing equipment that has had a very bad repair job done and in many cases the bad repair has been carried out by a supposedly experienced repair shop.

There is way too much antidotal evidence on social media that tells us inexperienced people should not be buying equipment repair tools to repair their own electronic devices because even allegedly experienced people do a very bad job which is then handed over to someone who does actually have the proper repair experience to fix electronic devices.
 
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$249 dollars for a sodering station!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are they nuts????????

You can get one on Amazon for $100.
 
laptech said:
oh hell no!!!. As an experienced equipment repairer the biggest headache our repair industry has is fixing the very bad repair jobs done by people who think they can solder. Go look at the thousands upon thousands of youtube video's of repair people from all over the world fixing equipment that has had a very bad repair job done and in many cases the bad repair has been carried out by a supposedly experienced repair shop.

There is way too much antidotal evidence on social media that tells us inexperienced people should not be buying equipment repair tools to repair their own electronic devices because even allegedly experienced people do a very bad job which is then handed over to someone who does actually have the proper repair experience to fix electronic devices.
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This is one reason why I don't fix people's stuff. Some of the things I've seen are horrible. And most of the people lie about how it got that way.
 
Also, unless this a rebranded product from Hakko or Weller then the price is way to much because Hakko and Weller ARE the repair industry standard for soldering irons and you can pick up a far far better soldering iron from either of those two companies for half the price of this ifixit one.
 
In case you own an 18 V battery from your power tools there is a chance that Amazon has a soldering solution for 30 bucks that works with that.
 
Why does it often feel like they are trying to create a broader market then what actually exists of people who would even attempt to self repair their devices.
 
msackey said:
I see. Thanks for the clarification!

Also, someone knowledge: does it actually make sense to have an option for USB-C powering? I mean, do you really want to plug something like this into one of your computer's USB-C ports? Or maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way?
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iFixit CEO here, happy to answer any questions!

You can power the soldering iron from any USB-C Power Delivery wall adapter, like an Anker. Or from any battery pack out there. 15W is probably the minimum that you want, or iFixit sells a 65W GaN charger that works great. Any of Apple's USB-C power bricks should work fine.

For $80 you can get started soldering. The accelerometer, supple heat resistant silicon cable, and magnetic cap all make soldering easier and safer than ever before.

We set out to design an experience that gave people confidence soldering if they've never done it before, while delivering professional performance comparable to systems that are significantly more expensive.
 
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Convenient when you're in the field and your Iron Man armor needs an Arc Reactor replacement 👍
 
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