I recently found your channel and I'm in the market for a new soldering setup. I'm finding your series of reviews really useful in helping to navigate through the minefield of available systems.Thanks Steve.
I got mine in the mail a couple days ago. Haven't done much testing yet, but I did notice that instead of the displayed brass coil covered by a silicone splash guard, I got a different tip cleaning option: a plastic block with steel bristles. Nothing wrong with it I suppose, but it isn't what I was shown or what I wanted, and not the option I purchased - I like the look of the silicone splash guard. Contacted Aixun and after asking me to double check the box (and I responded with pictures showing everything I was shipped) they just stopped responding. Not a great experience. Edit: they responded in chat a day later and asked me to pay a small amount (less than a dollar) for shipping to send the splash guard. Looks like they are resolving this.
Cheaper to buy t420d 210 245 combination, n 115 separate. Nb 115 hand set is same as t3b version, 245 n 210 are not same on t420d as t3a. All in all I'm very impressed with my 2 units , having spoken to aixun direct aliexpress sellers have inflated price. Will be cheaper direct from them. Mine was about 90 bux cheaper.
Only $2 for 5pcs 2 Layer & 4Layer PCBs, Get SMT Coupon Here :➡ jlcpcb.com/cyt JLCPCB 3D Printing Service starts at $1& Get $30 for New Registers Here: bit.ly/3vcjo1z Aixun T420D On AliExpress: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DFqmzeL Support the Channel with Patreon: www.patreon.com/sdgelectronics PCB Photos on EEVBlog Forum: www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/any-opinions-on-the-aixun-t420d/
Great video, you've done quite a few reviews for JBC-type stations. In the future, you might consider reviewing the Thermaltronics TMT-9000, which is a Metcal type station.
@sdgelectronics there's a new T320 out - will you be doing such a nice deep dive review for that one too? Quite enjoy the hardware part especially with your reviews.
Thanks for all of your reviews. My FX-951 is starting to not cut it anymore. Was looking into JBC stations but I must have 2 handles. This looks like it would do perfect and save a ton of money.
JC AIXUN T420D dual channel intelligent welding station with double soldering handle seat supports T245 T210 T115 soldering handle and iron tips. AIXUN T420D soldering station dual handles 2 channels can work simultaneously.
Hello, I picked up a T3A with the improved cradle like 6 months ago and although I do not do very much soldering it has been very handy and I've been impressed with it, I've been shopping for a hot air rework station and sort of holding my breath and putting of the project I'll need one for hoping that Aixun would come up with something and now they've sort of announced the H316D, you can find like just a tiny bit about it on their website but it doesn't appear to be launched just yet, I'm hoping you do a review of it and provided you don't have much bad to say and the price is sort of in line with it's competitors I'll be picking one up asap
Great video Steve. I had mine come this week. Will be taking a look over the next few weeks my self. I have to say I have used the T3A extensively over the last 6 months and it’s been just perfect. From what I have seen so far with really hard to knock Aixun hard for anything on these tbh. Other than the weight of this thing 😀. Great info.
The 220VA Toroidal transformer will have a large magnetization surge current upon power up. I don't think it is a problem for the UK, but you may see the lights flicker when you power it up. With the design it may be prudent to have a soft-start inrush circuit.
Thank you for review.. Can someone explain please, worth to set up the stand by temperature 90 C? or when i turn off may be ruin the soldering iron? thanks for answer 🙂
I would order this today but having anything delivered to Brazil is a nightmare, they charge 120% import duty and if they decide the item is £800 you will pay 120% on the price they decide..Thats why Brazil is on its knees
I really like your reviews of the T3A and T3B aswell as the T420D. Browsing Aliexpress I stumbled across the Aifen/Sugon A9 station and couldn't find much info. Do you plan on reviewing the A9 anytime soon aswell?
I'm mostly interested in the voltage at the tip. Other reviewers found the T3A had as much as 1.5 A on the tip as part of the temperature feedback circuit, and people reported damaging sensitive components with it. There appears to be something missing from the T3A as compared to the JBC unit. Did you test the voltage on the tips of the T420? I wouldn't buy from Aixun until I could confirm that it's not an issue
@@briangoldberg4439 this one is connected straight to mains earth like most professional stations. The big isolation transformer means no issues with this design
Decided to upgrade to latest firmware 1.13 and immediately reverted back. I MEASURED 59C OVERSHOOT!!! This is ridiculous... Go with the original JBC if you don't want headaches. The price for original compact station is the same!
quick question, Where did you get the chisle tips from? Would really like to add them to the set of tips. I don't know why they don't include these tips for all 3 handles being its the one used most. Thanks
So no T12/ T15 ... that's a bummer for me tbh.. i'm looking at the T420 model instead of getting the T3A because of the ground plane issue noticed by Tony359 on his youtube channel a few weeks ago which can make the temperature spike to 500 degrees when only asking for 380 , and as he showed, a firmware update only masks the issue instead of fixing it. The appeal for me was the ability the T3A has to use T12/15 T245 and even 936 if needed. I still have a large collection of 936 tips and t12/15 's are a dime a dozen these days, most knockoffs working just as well as branded ones. bah...
Great video. I'm looking for a soldering station to solder 6-layer PCBs with entire ground planes on all layers. Soldering through hole components on these is a real pain with my current Pace stations, even the 115W ones. I'm looking at the Metcal CV-5210 or the MX-5220. I'm not really sold on the connection validation, it looks like an early experimental feature rather than something completely stable and...eeer...validated. Any thoughts on that? That station would be for heavy-duty soldering and nothing else.
I agree the validation is near useless unless you can trust it 100%. I think it’s an accidental anti-pattern for anyone learning, they will rely on an led lighting rather than looking at the joint. I recommend the metcal if it will be used regularly, after that the best best (and my main driver for this) is jbc t245
1.) Do you have examples of when we need something like the T245? Because Im thinking of getting the T3B and the only downer is it does not support the T245. From what I gathered from your video through hole component soldering will benefit using a t245? I don't know if I will need it in the future. 2.) Are the JBC tips way superior to the ones that came with the unit? 3.) No option to add a tweezer to the station? :(
Yes, JBC waaay better than Chinese tips. T245 is good for demanding applications like soldering a heat sink pin into a ground plane. T245 has the same general purpose tips as T210 too, so that’s why most people choose the T245.
You can always use hot air or a DIY hot plate to preheat something if your iron isn’t powerful enough. Plus I never saw Louis Rossman use tweezers. He did a lot of quite fine, detailed rework jobs. By the way, don’t get T3A or T3B.
Random, cheap Chinese tips are generally terrible. They look like they manufacture them as blank cartridges, then a specific tip is friction fit afterwards. I bet you could pull the tip off. Either way, they are not the same quality or power output
🤤 man that station is looking good however my "hakko t12" ksger cheapo station is only a few months old and i have no use for one of these but i do want to get one when my current station either breaks or doesnt server its purpose anymore.
Yep, exactly. At first glance this thing is impressive, but how long will the station or the handpieces last? I wanted a second station on my bench, and after watching Steve's earlier reviews I went back to eBay and bought another used Metcal. Both of my Metcals work perfectly and I have no doubt that they'll keep working for many years. Including a variety of tips I've spent
@@FlyingShotsman Which Metcal did you buy? And which tips do you use? I bought two used MX-500P-11 power units but don't have any handpieces or tips yet.
@@acoustic61 Both of my power units are PS2E-01 (predecessor to your MX-500s) and my handpieces are MX-RM3E. I've got a dozen different tips but the ones I use the most are STTC-137 (1.8x9.9mm 30deg chisel, my favorite for general soldering), STTC-117 (5.0x7.6mm chisel, a large wedge tip for high thermal mass joints) and STTC-125 (1.0x9.1mm chisel, for SMD work). Also occasionally an STTC-147 or SMTC-1167 (bevel/hoof tips) for drag soldering. If you end up getting a new handpiece, look for the Thermaltronics SHP-1. It's interchangeable with the Metcal MX-RM3E and costs less. They also make compatible tips to match most of the Metcal part numbers.
It can be that this station will last not so long in the future can fail even after several years or faster? I was looking for reviews, but not much found, and there was good and bad reviews about this soldering station. Are you saying it's better to buy different brand soldering station with a much more reviews and already tested by others for years? Which you you can definetely reccomend(I'm hobbyist, want to work as an engineer in the future, but I don't know how the life will be after years)@@FlyingShotsman
Hi, I always liked the T3A station and its quick tip change plus fast heat up time but I have already read a lot of the faults that the T320 from AiXun has also inherited. That's why I've decided on a T420 is for my hobby and I don't need two handles although in the future I might add one more for smd specific use with smaller tips. But today I saw the T420 showing in the specs 200W as the T420D, T3A even the T320 are 200W, but in the T420 manual it shows 100W 🤷🏻♂️. How can it be that all lower model supplies have 200W even the T420D but the T420 shows in the manual 100W. I would like to be sure that I will have the same power as the previous stations, before I buy it. Do you know if the T420 is just as powerful 200W as all your models? Thanks.
Hi Steve, I bought the Aixun T3A with the improved holster on your recommendation a while back and this thing is really cool. Better than the soldering irons at work :) My only gripe with it is the temperature measurement gets quite upset when the tip contacts something earthed or energised with reference to earth. Let's say I have a board connected via USB to my PC and I've powered it off on the power supply but the USB is still connected. Soldering to that board will cause the station to read the temperature wrong and not deliver enough power (or any power at all). Have you experienced this?
I've not seen this, but it sounds like it could be an artefact of how they do the thermocouple sensing which in these tips is electrically connected to the outside of the cartridge. Always disconnect your PCBs fully though before soldering.
I think you would need something like an (electrically ;)) floating iron for this. I mean you are literally poking with a hot groundwire around on your live board... For your 5V adruino stuff I would try adding some resistance to the grounding on the tip. like a meg or so ? I think that's enough to still have the static safety but large enough that no noticeable current will flow .. also try measure resistance / voltage from the tip of your iron to your circuit.. DO NOT try this on your PC power supply.. you would be in for quit a treat ;) Check EEVblog I think I have seen Dave talking about that topic..
Earthing the cradle makes it go to sleep. Steve is right: the tip is not directly earthed and is used for sensing the temperature. Flowing extra current through the tip to earth increases the temperature reported on the station. Ideally my iron would have the tip floating with a large resistance to earth but this isn't possible on the Aixun without disconnecting the earth to the whole station.
I am seeing that too when the PCB is on my pre-heater which is grounded. Unfortunately I cannot 'unground' the pre-heater so that is big downside in my opinion.
Any thoughts on the reliability of the toroidal transformer @ 240v? I heard some other YTubers mention that running a 220v toroidal at 240v can cause premature failure of the transformer.
well they need to do the classic long plastic push rod thing from the front panel. would be easier if they made the box a little bigger and less cramped i suppose
Really wish they offered a tweezer option. Aoyue has the best affordable small hot tweezer option, but their stuff is nowhere near Aixun. If the Aixun stations had a comparable tweezer to the JBC micro or nano tweezers they'd be a killer. Also wish Aixun sold those cable hangers separately.
@@jaro6985 Do they work with the Aixun station? Assuming with a connector swap. Edit: nvm being dense, they're a good standalone unit. Wish I'd gone for those instead of the Aoyue.
@@thequickestfox6106 hakko tweezers will work with hakko fx or metcal stations only. the advantage is you can get an old metcal station for cheap, if in the US. if you have aixun already maybe try to modify the existing jbc ones.
I don't mind the plastic case really, it would raise the cost and not improve performance. I've been eyeing this unit for a long time, using a ksger t12 unit atm. It's been great but struggles on some of the more difficult applications and doesn't make it easy to get into super small areas on phone boards. I appreciate the teardown. I think it's time to pull the trigger. wait wait... you said this works better than the standard electrolytic caps but it's weight is why you don't want the improved performance>? I'm guessing they used this option because the performance is better ... right... good lord.. I'll take the quality longevity and performance thanks... and duh...
yeah i have some questions about my new aixun, but it's the t3a model not this one. but still might be somewhat common to both models though... 1) my main quesiton is about which of the C245 tips to get from kaisertech. I was already planning on getting the big beefy (largest size) 5.2mm chisel tip. For maximum power. So that makes sense. Then I was also planning on getting 2 more regular sizes of chisel tips. Which i found were the most useful to on the ksger T12... which were the T12-D24 and T12-D16 (presumably those are 2.4mm and 1.6mm width). So for those medium size they are probably best to be genuine. However what I really want to question here is if it really matters so much to have genuine JBC for the much smaller micro soldering tips. For example the bent tip (which it already comes with the T3A). And (another example) is my T12-D08 for a 0.8mm tiny chisel tip. Since they are not going to be able to transfer as much heat anyhow. Does it really matter cant i just get cheaper chinese versions of those ones? Since I already have to buy at least (3) other genuine JBC tips on my shortlist here... the cost adds up fairly quickly for someone like me on a budget. I suppose my last more general question is if there are and other genuine JBC tips really I should be considering from Kaisertech that isn't any of the ones mentioned above. For example more speciality shapes or whatever. Considering that most of my general hobbyist activities is SMD in line packages or QFSP, or just regular SMD parts. Or otherwise (if not smd) will be typical thru hole stuff. Maybe I can then add some more diversity when building my tips collection. I really don't seem to like the usual bevel tips or the conical tips though... i tend to use chisel for everything. Or otherwise the bent tip. And very rarely (if ever) will resort to picking up a knife tip for example. 2) in your video here today (and also today when i measure the continuity from solder tip to GND on my t3a)... it measures 1 ohm or something. But isn't a proper anti-static grounding type arrangement supposed to be going thru a 1 megaohm resistor or something similar? i.e. like on my wrist strap? to help avoid you know... potential issue of touching something else that is going to maybe be at another voltage in reference to gnd. or whatever other reason(s). perhaps it doesn't matter though and i supposed that then creates a different problem in regards to the 1 megaohm restistor then getting damaged and blown up by a HV static discharge... which then can make is open circuit and lead to the false sense of security in believing it's grounded when it no longer actually is connected to anything! ahem. i suppose this is a reason why we are supposed periodically test their anti static equipment. anyhow the main reason i bring it up is because some guy on the eevblog forum thread for t3a recently posted a mod pcb board. for buffering the tip sense and protecting the GPIO input on the MCU i think? however i just dont understand why it is at such high risk of damage, or why it could not be done something simpler to protect that GPIO there. if the ring contact part doesnt normally actually contact the work piece during solding (for anti static purposes). i just am not sure why it needs to be so engineered the solution for that, if all it is due to is a person touching the metal ring of the handle, which should be normal sort of static discharge. hmm. well nevermind i guess that could be better asked on the eevblog forum. I think i want to add some form of protection... but not really want to go so far as adding a whole PCB with optocoupler etc. because it seems a bit... excessively over engineered maybe? IDK perhaps it is justified, and I am not realizing why a simpler solution wouldn't work. Like a clamping diode or something IDK. but i did like your point in this video about the SMPS electrolytics getting a work out. So i think i will bother to replace the caps pre-emptively. Which the same guy was so helpful to give all the digikey part numbers for those electrolytics. Great! Do also agree that (for 2 handles) then T245 partnered with T115 seems like a really good combination. (to then be skipping over the T210 in-between). Maybe if i ever get a 2nd seperate station it would probably be the T3B with a T115 nano handle. Seems to make a lot of sense.
hmm. i suppose if aixun did update their input protections on the mcu gpio pin for the sleep mode / cradle sensing. then it might be a change that is aparrent on the pcb of this newer t420 dual station here. might be worth looking at the hi res photos of the pcb then. see if its any different there from how it is on the older t3a
ah the guy replied... it could be protected with a tvs. i should probably try to order some. and then see about adding it onto the t3a pcb. before the signal gets to the gpio input pin on the mcu
The C245-406 is my most used cartridge. I would suggest this plus a 1.6mm and 2.3mm is enough without going to specialist types like the hoof one used in this video. I've had mixed results with cheap clones, usually they just fail early, but you could probably save money even if you replace them a few times. Every professional station I've owned or worked with has the tip tied directly to mains earth but this may be a relic from the same manufacturers previously using mains AC heaters.
can you test the t3b handles and see if those are recognized with the 420? i have a 420 coming but ordered it with the 210 and 245 and i want to add the 215. aixun is telling me they dont sell them separate for this station. and can you test a normal jbc style handle with this as well? i have a jbc clone 215 here i could use. thanks
Greeting my friend. I want to ask something. Can you please tell me the difference between LED XHP35 CREE and SST-40 and the advantages and disadvantages between the two.One more thing, can you please make a review about LED XHP 70.2. I ask this question because there are too many types of flashlights and also including LED lights. There may be a specific purpose for each The flashlight that is in the market. anyway I just learned this thing. I hope, you can help me and I really appreciate your help.I have a Nitecore brand flashlight. HC33 model headlamp and Nitecore EDC MH25GTS. both use the same LED which is CREE XHP35. while the other one I have a Nitecore EDC lamp that uses LED SST-40. as far as I know Reflectors that also play a role such as Beam pattern, long throw and Flood. I just want to ask for your help again to please explain through a review about the difference between LED XHP35 CREE,SST-40 and XHP70.2.that's all.I hope you can help me to understand more deeply.
@@antonmilosevic from Aixun web site says "Support T245 handle, C470 scalpriform 2D" I think c470 type tips can be used with these T245 handpiece, so they increased the power.
@@sdgelectronics Hello, if you recommended this piece, would you say that T435 is basically a better T3A with only T245 handpieces? (The price for the station is the same as if you would bought the T3A with better stand). Thank you!
Hi, i just bought this soldering station, and when using the C115 soldering handle, I found that the soldering station makes a clicking sound when first turned on. I suspect this is the sound of the relay switching inside the soldering station. Have you experienced the same thing?
The cheapest I can find thus unit in UK is £470 . At that price I would rather pay some more and get the JBC kit . The clones are getting very expensive.
Does someone know if the Aixun handle are a directly clone? So could I use the handle in a genuin station with genuin tips? I have a UniSolder 5.2 station with genuin T245 and T210 handles but dont want to pay another 100€ for the T115 handle.
многое еще зависит от способа включения нагревателя, если включение будет в моменты времени перехода через ноль, то будет минимум помех в эфир ... куплю - проверю! )
Have you actually seen the tear downs of JBC equipment. There are a lot of videos and pictures of bodges on JBC equipment. MarcoReps video shows him taking apart their most expensive station and they use "Chang" Chinese capacitors and they have a through hole capacitor bodged into a surface mount capacitors place with a ton of flux just sitting on the board.
Edit: yeah, it’s not double insulated It must makes no use of the ground pin whatsoever to be double insulated. I wonder if the Chinese even know what that symbol means… ‘don’t like to give a reach around’ 😆
I've got a T3A/t245, and it looks like the T420 has some similar oddities. Bad UI serif and sanserif typefaces at varied sizes. Awkward to shift to English and some bad translation or terminology choices. Weird low set sponge well. Excellent product for soldering though. Shame they used plastic casing.
@@phuang3 Latest revision is a lot better. They dropped silly words like "dormancy" for "sleep" and so on. They've gotten a lot better now with the momentum their product has gotten. Probably in large extent thanks to Steve
You have to question why China has at least two ultra-competitive PCB manufacturers fiercely dominating the market. PCB manufacturing is not on any list of the top profitable ventures, especially given the small electronics market and the even tinier electronics hobbyist market. Their extremely low prices for top-notch quality PCBs makes even less sense considering the electronics industry is arguably the least budget sensitive given their high profit margins. When you combine it with their aggressive marketing, it leaves an unsettling suspicion that they are offering heavily subsidized services at a loss in order to gain access to highly valuable foreign IP.
Yes Yes have real transformer but then connect GND to soldering tip to negate the advantage of transformer. Half world has TN-S wiring system with no real ground.
I have this station since few weeks. She's an absolutely amazing soldering station.
I recently found your channel and I'm in the market for a new soldering setup. I'm finding your series of reviews really useful in helping to navigate through the minefield of available systems.Thanks Steve.
I got mine in the mail a couple days ago. Haven't done much testing yet, but I did notice that instead of the displayed brass coil covered by a silicone splash guard, I got a different tip cleaning option: a plastic block with steel bristles. Nothing wrong with it I suppose, but it isn't what I was shown or what I wanted, and not the option I purchased - I like the look of the silicone splash guard. Contacted Aixun and after asking me to double check the box (and I responded with pictures showing everything I was shipped) they just stopped responding. Not a great experience.
Edit: they responded in chat a day later and asked me to pay a small amount (less than a dollar) for shipping to send the splash guard. Looks like they are resolving this.
Cheaper to buy t420d 210 245 combination, n 115 separate. Nb 115 hand set is same as t3b version, 245 n 210 are not same on t420d as t3a. All in all I'm very impressed with my 2 units , having spoken to aixun direct aliexpress sellers have inflated price. Will be cheaper direct from them. Mine was about 90 bux cheaper.
where/how can you buy directly from aixun?
Link to were to buy from them direct
wdym not the same
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Heat up times are crazy. Insane how good the technology is nowadays
Great video, you've done quite a few reviews for JBC-type stations. In the future, you might consider reviewing the Thermaltronics TMT-9000, which is a Metcal type station.
Not a huge benefit to reviewing it, will perform exactly the same as any 40W rated metcal station.
@sdgelectronics there's a new T320 out - will you be doing such a nice deep dive review for that one too? Quite enjoy the hardware part especially with your reviews.
Just bought the single handle version T420 and it’s fantastic. Seems to pack more punch than my Thermaltronics 9000S
Thanks for all of your reviews. My FX-951 is starting to not cut it anymore. Was looking into JBC stations but I must have 2 handles. This looks like it would do perfect and save a ton of money.
What issues did you have with the FX-951 dude?
JC AIXUN T420D dual channel intelligent welding station with double soldering handle seat supports T245 T210 T115 soldering handle and iron tips. AIXUN T420D soldering station dual handles 2 channels can work simultaneously.
Hello, I picked up a T3A with the improved cradle like 6 months ago and although I do not do very much soldering it has been very handy and I've been impressed with it, I've been shopping for a hot air rework station and sort of holding my breath and putting of the project I'll need one for hoping that Aixun would come up with something and now they've sort of announced the H316D, you can find like just a tiny bit about it on their website but it doesn't appear to be launched just yet,
I'm hoping you do a review of it and provided you don't have much bad to say and the price is sort of in line with it's competitors I'll be picking one up asap
I asked Aixun and they said it would release at the end of next month for those wondering
Looks like an amazing station with great quality
Great video Steve. I had mine come this week. Will be taking a look over the next few weeks my self. I have to say I have used the T3A extensively over the last 6 months and it’s been just perfect. From what I have seen so far with really hard to knock Aixun hard for anything on these tbh. Other than the weight of this thing 😀. Great info.
The 220VA Toroidal transformer will have a large magnetization surge current upon power up. I don't think it is a problem for the UK, but you may see the lights flicker when you power it up. With the design it may be prudent to have a soft-start inrush circuit.
I have this station now since last summer, and theres no light flicker and so on. It starts nice and do what it shall do.
Yeah I’d expect that in USA but not UK
Thank you for review.. Can someone explain please, worth to set up the stand by temperature 90 C? or when i turn off may be ruin the soldering iron? thanks for answer 🙂
I would order this today but having anything delivered to Brazil is a nightmare, they charge 120% import duty and if they decide the item is £800 you will pay 120% on the price they decide..Thats why Brazil is on its knees
please review i2c pdk 1200
I really like your reviews of the T3A and T3B aswell as the T420D. Browsing Aliexpress I stumbled across the Aifen/Sugon A9 station and couldn't find much info. Do you plan on reviewing the A9 anytime soon aswell?
What's the difference between this and standard T420? from what I can see the T420 "single" still has 2 ports at the back to run 2 irons?
5:37 - giving it a reach around - PMSL. Must be why Americans call it 'soddering' 😂
Am i correct in assuming that there are seperate 110v and 220v units? Wanting to get one but im in NA and most of the listings say 220v on them.
Wow... that was quick - it's already a $100 more expensive than before this video. It's now 446.50€ or £ 384.50
The benefit of the chonky transformer is the isolation. Although being fully honest I don't understand why a SMPS couldn't be isolated?
looks like there will be a single channel version of the 420 according to the prices I just got
I'm mostly interested in the voltage at the tip. Other reviewers found the T3A had as much as 1.5 A on the tip as part of the temperature feedback circuit, and people reported damaging sensitive components with it. There appears to be something missing from the T3A as compared to the JBC unit. Did you test the voltage on the tips of the T420? I wouldn't buy from Aixun until I could confirm that it's not an issue
@@briangoldberg4439 this one is connected straight to mains earth like most professional stations. The big isolation transformer means no issues with this design
@@sdgelectronics Ok. Thanks. So you're saying that the T420 tip is grounded and (presumably) the T3A the tip is floating?
Great review like always. Quick also introduced a new model Quick TS8. I wonder how it compares to jbc, because the price is the same.
Decided to upgrade to latest firmware 1.13 and immediately reverted back. I MEASURED 59C OVERSHOOT!!! This is ridiculous... Go with the original JBC if you don't want headaches. The price for original compact station is the same!
Or just use the older firmware?
quick question, Where did you get the chisle tips from? Would really like to add them to the set of tips. I don't know why they don't include these tips for all 3 handles being its the one used most. Thanks
28:00 tip temperature 245*C… is that a typo?
Why the soldering iron with copper transformer is always better than the solder iron with power supply with capacitors pcb although watts are same?
why everything is free delivery on UK? is it comes through air mail?
Hi Steve, is this station also affected by this grounding issue?
So no T12/ T15 ... that's a bummer for me tbh.. i'm looking at the T420 model instead of getting the T3A because of the ground plane issue noticed by Tony359 on his youtube channel a few weeks ago which can make the temperature spike to 500 degrees when only asking for 380 , and as he showed, a firmware update only masks the issue instead of fixing it. The appeal for me was the ability the T3A has to use T12/15 T245 and even 936 if needed. I still have a large collection of 936 tips and t12/15 's are a dime a dozen these days, most knockoffs working just as well as branded ones. bah...
I'm considering getting rid of the T3A also for that reason. The grounding issue is getting in the way regularly in my work.
Great video. I'm looking for a soldering station to solder 6-layer PCBs with entire ground planes on all layers. Soldering through hole components on these is a real pain with my current Pace stations, even the 115W ones. I'm looking at the Metcal CV-5210 or the MX-5220. I'm not really sold on the connection validation, it looks like an early experimental feature rather than something completely stable and...eeer...validated. Any thoughts on that? That station would be for heavy-duty soldering and nothing else.
I agree the validation is near useless unless you can trust it 100%. I think it’s an accidental anti-pattern for anyone learning, they will rely on an led lighting rather than looking at the joint.
I recommend the metcal if it will be used regularly, after that the best best (and my main driver for this) is jbc t245
Is 245° your normal soldering temperature? Think I never went below 300 😅
1.) Do you have examples of when we need something like the T245? Because Im thinking of getting the T3B and the only downer is it does not support the T245. From what I gathered from your video through hole component soldering will benefit using a t245? I don't know if I will need it in the future.
2.) Are the JBC tips way superior to the ones that came with the unit?
3.) No option to add a tweezer to the station? :(
Yes, JBC waaay better than Chinese tips.
T245 is good for demanding applications like soldering a heat sink pin into a ground plane. T245 has the same general purpose tips as T210 too, so that’s why most people choose the T245.
You can always use hot air or a DIY hot plate to preheat something if your iron isn’t powerful enough.
Plus I never saw Louis Rossman use tweezers. He did a lot of quite fine, detailed rework jobs.
By the way, don’t get T3A or T3B.
Which tips do you prefer? JBC or the ones that came with it? If JBC has 100% quality/performance how much would you rate the default tips? 90%?
Random, cheap Chinese tips are generally terrible.
They look like they manufacture them as blank cartridges, then a specific tip is friction fit afterwards. I bet you could pull the tip off.
Either way, they are not the same quality or power output
Hi.
What software does you use (at 20:30) to update the station's firmware and where can i get this?
Many greetings
🤤 man that station is looking good however my "hakko t12" ksger cheapo station is only a few months old and i have no use for one of these but i do want to get one when my current station either breaks or doesnt server its purpose anymore.
Which would be better t413 or t420d?
I can't find tweezer for those! JBC is premium but they have so many accessories.
yeah that's what im missing the most as well!
That metcal performance though… 😍
Yep, exactly. At first glance this thing is impressive, but how long will the station or the handpieces last? I wanted a second station on my bench, and after watching Steve's earlier reviews I went back to eBay and bought another used Metcal. Both of my Metcals work perfectly and I have no doubt that they'll keep working for many years. Including a variety of tips I've spent
@@FlyingShotsman Which Metcal did you buy? And which tips do you use? I bought two used MX-500P-11 power units but don't have any handpieces or tips yet.
@@acoustic61 Both of my power units are PS2E-01 (predecessor to your MX-500s) and my handpieces are MX-RM3E. I've got a dozen different tips but the ones I use the most are STTC-137 (1.8x9.9mm 30deg chisel, my favorite for general soldering), STTC-117 (5.0x7.6mm chisel, a large wedge tip for high thermal mass joints) and STTC-125 (1.0x9.1mm chisel, for SMD work). Also occasionally an STTC-147 or SMTC-1167 (bevel/hoof tips) for drag soldering.
If you end up getting a new handpiece, look for the Thermaltronics SHP-1. It's interchangeable with the Metcal MX-RM3E and costs less. They also make compatible tips to match most of the Metcal part numbers.
It can be that this station will last not so long in the future can fail even after several years or faster? I was looking for reviews, but not much found, and there was good and bad reviews about this soldering station. Are you saying it's better to buy different brand soldering station with a much more reviews and already tested by others for years? Which you you can definetely reccomend(I'm hobbyist, want to work as an engineer in the future, but I don't know how the life will be after years)@@FlyingShotsman
Great demo and thanks for sharing Steve.
Glad you enjoyed it
Hi, I always liked the T3A station and its quick tip change plus fast heat up time but I have already read a lot of the faults that the T320 from AiXun has also inherited.
That's why I've decided on a T420 is for my hobby and I don't need two handles although in the future I might add one more for smd specific use with smaller tips.
But today I saw the T420 showing in the specs 200W as the T420D, T3A even the T320 are 200W, but in the T420 manual it shows 100W 🤷🏻♂️.
How can it be that all lower model supplies have 200W even the T420D but the T420 shows in the manual 100W.
I would like to be sure that I will have the same power as the previous stations, before I buy it.
Do you know if the T420 is just as powerful 200W as all your models?
Thanks.
Hi Steve, I bought the Aixun T3A with the improved holster on your recommendation a while back and this thing is really cool. Better than the soldering irons at work :)
My only gripe with it is the temperature measurement gets quite upset when the tip contacts something earthed or energised with reference to earth. Let's say I have a board connected via USB to my PC and I've powered it off on the power supply but the USB is still connected. Soldering to that board will cause the station to read the temperature wrong and not deliver enough power (or any power at all). Have you experienced this?
Maybe earthing the tip makes it go to sleep? Have you tried turning sleep off
I've not seen this, but it sounds like it could be an artefact of how they do the thermocouple sensing which in these tips is electrically connected to the outside of the cartridge. Always disconnect your PCBs fully though before soldering.
I think you would need something like an (electrically ;)) floating iron for this. I mean you are literally poking with a hot groundwire around on your live board... For your 5V adruino stuff I would try adding some resistance to the grounding on the tip. like a meg or so ? I think that's enough to still have the static safety but large enough that no noticeable current will flow .. also try measure resistance / voltage from the tip of your iron to your circuit.. DO NOT try this on your PC power supply.. you would be in for quit a treat ;) Check EEVblog I think I have seen Dave talking about that topic..
Earthing the cradle makes it go to sleep. Steve is right: the tip is not directly earthed and is used for sensing the temperature. Flowing extra current through the tip to earth increases the temperature reported on the station.
Ideally my iron would have the tip floating with a large resistance to earth but this isn't possible on the Aixun without disconnecting the earth to the whole station.
I am seeing that too when the PCB is on my pre-heater which is grounded. Unfortunately I cannot 'unground' the pre-heater so that is big downside in my opinion.
hello,
would you have a link where I could buy the T115 handle, because I can't find it for the T420D model
is the model for T3B compatible?
Thanks
muy bueno el video la estacion tiene controlador de temperatura pid no lo mencionaste
Any thoughts on the reliability of the toroidal transformer @ 240v? I heard some other YTubers mention that running a 220v toroidal at 240v can cause premature failure of the transformer.
Why would you run it at 240V?
Can you test aifen A3 soldering station
very good have pid controler temperature
Thank you for the video!👍.
I really hate power switch on the back side, get enough of those and you literally cant stack stuff anymore
well they need to do the classic long plastic push rod thing from the front panel. would be easier if they made the box a little bigger and less cramped i suppose
Really wish they offered a tweezer option. Aoyue has the best affordable small hot tweezer option, but their stuff is nowhere near Aixun. If the Aixun stations had a comparable tweezer to the JBC micro or nano tweezers they'd be a killer.
Also wish Aixun sold those cable hangers separately.
hakko fx-1003 tweezers
@@jaro6985 Do they work with the Aixun station? Assuming with a connector swap. Edit: nvm being dense, they're a good standalone unit. Wish I'd gone for those instead of the Aoyue.
@@thequickestfox6106 hakko tweezers will work with hakko fx or metcal stations only. the advantage is you can get an old metcal station for cheap, if in the US. if you have aixun already maybe try to modify the existing jbc ones.
I havent seen any test of the JBC twezzers on the AiXun stations but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work
oh I would love to see somebody test the jbc tweezers on it, since nobody did test it!@@thobiasmartin4768
Any option without the dual iron stands etc to shave down the cost a bit?
Plenty of listings on Aliexpress with single stand!
I can't see the burst cuts in the top of those caps, aren't they solid type, ie, long lasting.
I don't mind the plastic case really, it would raise the cost and not improve performance. I've been eyeing this unit for a long time, using a ksger t12 unit atm. It's been great but struggles on some of the more difficult applications and doesn't make it easy to get into super small areas on phone boards. I appreciate the teardown. I think it's time to pull the trigger.
wait wait... you said this works better than the standard electrolytic caps but it's weight is why you don't want the improved performance>? I'm guessing they used this option because the performance is better ... right... good lord.. I'll take the quality longevity and performance thanks... and duh...
Didn't test the 105 handpiece?
This is such an awesome review
yeah i have some questions about my new aixun, but it's the t3a model not this one. but still might be somewhat common to both models though...
1) my main quesiton is about which of the C245 tips to get from kaisertech. I was already planning on getting the big beefy (largest size) 5.2mm chisel tip. For maximum power. So that makes sense. Then I was also planning on getting 2 more regular sizes of chisel tips. Which i found were the most useful to on the ksger T12... which were the T12-D24 and T12-D16 (presumably those are 2.4mm and 1.6mm width). So for those medium size they are probably best to be genuine. However what I really want to question here is if it really matters so much to have genuine JBC for the much smaller micro soldering tips. For example the bent tip (which it already comes with the T3A). And (another example) is my T12-D08 for a 0.8mm tiny chisel tip. Since they are not going to be able to transfer as much heat anyhow. Does it really matter cant i just get cheaper chinese versions of those ones? Since I already have to buy at least (3) other genuine JBC tips on my shortlist here... the cost adds up fairly quickly for someone like me on a budget. I suppose my last more general question is if there are and other genuine JBC tips really I should be considering from Kaisertech that isn't any of the ones mentioned above. For example more speciality shapes or whatever. Considering that most of my general hobbyist activities is SMD in line packages or QFSP, or just regular SMD parts. Or otherwise (if not smd) will be typical thru hole stuff. Maybe I can then add some more diversity when building my tips collection. I really don't seem to like the usual bevel tips or the conical tips though... i tend to use chisel for everything. Or otherwise the bent tip. And very rarely (if ever) will resort to picking up a knife tip for example.
2) in your video here today (and also today when i measure the continuity from solder tip to GND on my t3a)... it measures 1 ohm or something. But isn't a proper anti-static grounding type arrangement supposed to be going thru a 1 megaohm resistor or something similar? i.e. like on my wrist strap? to help avoid you know... potential issue of touching something else that is going to maybe be at another voltage in reference to gnd. or whatever other reason(s). perhaps it doesn't matter though and i supposed that then creates a different problem in regards to the 1 megaohm restistor then getting damaged and blown up by a HV static discharge... which then can make is open circuit and lead to the false sense of security in believing it's grounded when it no longer actually is connected to anything! ahem. i suppose this is a reason why we are supposed periodically test their anti static equipment.
anyhow the main reason i bring it up is because some guy on the eevblog forum thread for t3a recently posted a mod pcb board. for buffering the tip sense and protecting the GPIO input on the MCU i think? however i just dont understand why it is at such high risk of damage, or why it could not be done something simpler to protect that GPIO there. if the ring contact part doesnt normally actually contact the work piece during solding (for anti static purposes). i just am not sure why it needs to be so engineered the solution for that, if all it is due to is a person touching the metal ring of the handle, which should be normal sort of static discharge. hmm. well nevermind i guess that could be better asked on the eevblog forum. I think i want to add some form of protection... but not really want to go so far as adding a whole PCB with optocoupler etc. because it seems a bit... excessively over engineered maybe? IDK perhaps it is justified, and I am not realizing why a simpler solution wouldn't work. Like a clamping diode or something IDK.
but i did like your point in this video about the SMPS electrolytics getting a work out. So i think i will bother to replace the caps pre-emptively. Which the same guy was so helpful to give all the digikey part numbers for those electrolytics. Great!
Do also agree that (for 2 handles) then T245 partnered with T115 seems like a really good combination. (to then be skipping over the T210 in-between). Maybe if i ever get a 2nd seperate station it would probably be the T3B with a T115 nano handle. Seems to make a lot of sense.
hmm. i suppose if aixun did update their input protections on the mcu gpio pin for the sleep mode / cradle sensing. then it might be a change that is aparrent on the pcb of this newer t420 dual station here. might be worth looking at the hi res photos of the pcb then. see if its any different there from how it is on the older t3a
ah the guy replied... it could be protected with a tvs. i should probably try to order some. and then see about adding it onto the t3a pcb. before the signal gets to the gpio input pin on the mcu
The C245-406 is my most used cartridge. I would suggest this plus a 1.6mm and 2.3mm is enough without going to specialist types like the hoof one used in this video. I've had mixed results with cheap clones, usually they just fail early, but you could probably save money even if you replace them a few times. Every professional station I've owned or worked with has the tip tied directly to mains earth but this may be a relic from the same manufacturers previously using mains AC heaters.
Excellent, thanks for sharing, very useful for me.
can you test the t3b handles and see if those are recognized with the 420? i have a 420 coming but ordered it with the 210 and 245 and i want to add the 215. aixun is telling me they dont sell them separate for this station. and can you test a normal jbc style handle with this as well? i have a jbc clone 215 here i could use. thanks
I was waiting for this
It has a CE label. As in "Chinese Export".
Getting too expensive for a knock-off. Metcal performance still winning.
Greeting my friend. I want to ask something. Can you please tell me the difference between LED XHP35 CREE and SST-40 and the advantages and disadvantages between the two.One more thing, can you please make a review about LED XHP 70.2. I ask this question because there are too many types of flashlights and also including LED lights. There may be a specific purpose for each The flashlight that is in the market. anyway I just learned this thing. I hope, you can help me and I really appreciate your help.I have a Nitecore brand flashlight. HC33 model headlamp and Nitecore EDC MH25GTS. both use the same LED which is CREE XHP35. while the other one I have a Nitecore EDC lamp that uses LED SST-40. as far as I know Reflectors that also play a role such as Beam pattern, long throw and Flood. I just want to ask for your help again to please explain through a review about the difference between LED XHP35 CREE,SST-40 and XHP70.2.that's all.I hope you can help me to understand more deeply.
Google it, many people have compared those two LEDs.
@@jaro6985 Thank you but it would be good if you do a review so that it is easier to understand. I hope it can be explained through practice.
Hi,i got my eyes on this vs sugon t3602,any thoughts?
One is on itsway to me too. Even though my Metcal MX5200, CV5200 and CV500 is still better. Now i soon have more solder station than you. 🙂
Ouch, add 64 euros for shipping where I live. Nah. Rather get the JBC then.
Do real JBC handles work with the base unit?
YES, They are interchangeable directly.
Where do I learn all this stuff ?
Hey Steve! Any plans on reviewing the new T435?
No. I checked with Aixun - it has a more powerful transformer, but it still drives only the T245 handpieces.
@@sdgelectronics does it output the same power to the hand piece? Why would they go with a more powerful transformer if this one does the trick?
@@antonmilosevic from Aixun web site says "Support T245 handle, C470 scalpriform 2D" I think c470 type tips can be used with these T245 handpiece, so they increased the power.
@@sdgelectronics Hello, if you recommended this piece, would you say that T435 is basically a better T3A with only T245 handpieces? (The price for the station is the same as if you would bought the T3A with better stand). Thank you!
does the old T3B handle work on the T420D (handle pin out the same?)
yes, they are the same.
Hi, i just bought this soldering station, and when using the C115 soldering handle, I found that the soldering station makes a clicking sound when first turned on. I suspect this is the sound of the relay switching inside the soldering station. Have you experienced the same thing?
The C115 runs at a different voltage due to the small heater so this makes sense. I've not used that handpiece with it though
It's normal, they have two transformer taps at 32:12, the relay is selecting the lower voltage tap for C115
Why are really nice stuff always expensive.
The cheapest I can find thus unit in UK is £470 . At that price I would rather pay some more and get the JBC kit .
The clones are getting very expensive.
Wow the price is creeping up!
Does someone know if the Aixun handle are a directly clone? So could I use the handle in a genuin station with genuin tips?
I have a UniSolder 5.2 station with genuin T245 and T210 handles but dont want to pay another 100€ for the T115 handle.
I'm afraid not. The pinout is different. The T115 handle costs another 100€?
The connector is different, but you can replace that easily.
Tell me the T245C handle from, part made of aluminum or stainless steel?
Plastic
I would guess the transformer produces less noise than a smps ?
Sure, but doesn't matter too much in a soldering iron if decently designed. You can add dead time and filtering for the temperature measurements.
многое еще зависит от способа включения нагревателя, если включение будет в моменты времени перехода через ноль, то будет минимум помех в эфир ... куплю - проверю! )
Hmmmmmmm.... no. JBC's quality efficiency and precision are way more important.
Have you actually seen the tear downs of JBC equipment. There are a lot of videos and pictures of bodges on JBC equipment. MarcoReps video shows him taking apart their most expensive station and they use "Chang" Chinese capacitors and they have a through hole capacitor bodged into a surface mount capacitors place with a ton of flux just sitting on the board.
Your AliExpress link is broken for me.
Seems OK here, does this one work? s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DFSOLNp
Edit: yeah, it’s not double insulated
It must makes no use of the ground pin whatsoever to be double insulated. I wonder if the Chinese even know what that symbol means…
‘don’t like to give a reach around’ 😆
I've got a T3A/t245, and it looks like the T420 has some similar oddities. Bad UI serif and sanserif typefaces at varied sizes. Awkward to shift to English and some bad translation or terminology choices. Weird low set sponge well. Excellent product for soldering though. Shame they used plastic casing.
I can read Chinese, but its English menu is indeed a bit strange.
@@phuang3 Latest revision is a lot better. They dropped silly words like "dormancy" for "sleep" and so on. They've gotten a lot better now with the momentum their product has gotten. Probably in large extent thanks to Steve
💯♥️😀👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Any non chinese recommendations?
Metcal & Hakko. Lol
@@unintendedperson lol what? I’ve had my fill of Chinese electronics fires to last a lifetime.
You have to question why China has at least two ultra-competitive PCB manufacturers fiercely dominating the market. PCB manufacturing is not on any list of the top profitable ventures, especially given the small electronics market and the even tinier electronics hobbyist market. Their extremely low prices for top-notch quality PCBs makes even less sense considering the electronics industry is arguably the least budget sensitive given their high profit margins. When you combine it with their aggressive marketing, it leaves an unsettling suspicion that they are offering heavily subsidized services at a loss in order to gain access to highly valuable foreign IP.
As far as I'm aware, they are major manufacturers of PCBs for consumer goods. The cheap PCBs for prototyping isn't their main business.
lol "highly valuable foreign IP", arduino shields?
@@jaro6985 It's not just hobbyists using these services. Even so, Arduino shields are often the basis of some sophisticated electronics.
Yes Yes have real transformer but then connect GND to soldering tip to negate the advantage of transformer. Half world has TN-S wiring system with no real ground.
It's a requirement of IPC to have the soldering tip with a resistance less than 5 ohms to mains earth
Garbage. Go with METCAL or JBC. Great video though.
I agree. There is always some issues with these jbc killers. And this video proofs it.
which exact metcal product?
@@filipsz6728 I'm confused, what is the issue demonstrated in this video?