Hi,
Have been a Hakko 808 / FR300 user for over 15 years. Being in the UK, I used to deal with the excellent and friendly Dancap Electronics, which made everything so easy (one phone call, 24 hrs later the new tips / filters / etc arrived). A couple of years back, Dancap got bought out by HK Wentworth... Having bought from Dancap for years, I no longer had credit and was asked to pay for everything in advance. As of 2022, Wentworth have introduced a £250 MOQ. Although I use the FR-300 (have 3 Hakko desoldering machines, an 808, 471, FR300) as a job, the £250 MOQ doesn't sit well with me, as Wentworth are such a PITA to deal with.
The SX-100 is easily found at Farnell, and the tips are cheaper. I can get just about every part on 24-hour delivery. Obviously, it's pricier than a Hakko unit - but if I'm being forced to spend £250 to keep it going, I can put the Hakko stuff on Ebay and added to the £250 I'll have nearly as much as the SX-100 costs. The convenience of the SX-100 is light years better than anything Hakko, and the parts are less expensive, so the investment will likely be recouped on a year or two.
So, my question is, how do they stack up against each other? The FR300 works fine on 2-layer, but starts to become harder work on 4-layer. The SX-100 has more heat power, but does it have more suction? The best aspect to the FR300 is the power of the motor. The Hakko bench 471 doesn't have anywhere near the suction power of the FR300.
Will I regret going to the SX-100?
Thank you in advance!
Have been a Hakko 808 / FR300 user for over 15 years. Being in the UK, I used to deal with the excellent and friendly Dancap Electronics, which made everything so easy (one phone call, 24 hrs later the new tips / filters / etc arrived). A couple of years back, Dancap got bought out by HK Wentworth... Having bought from Dancap for years, I no longer had credit and was asked to pay for everything in advance. As of 2022, Wentworth have introduced a £250 MOQ. Although I use the FR-300 (have 3 Hakko desoldering machines, an 808, 471, FR300) as a job, the £250 MOQ doesn't sit well with me, as Wentworth are such a PITA to deal with.
The SX-100 is easily found at Farnell, and the tips are cheaper. I can get just about every part on 24-hour delivery. Obviously, it's pricier than a Hakko unit - but if I'm being forced to spend £250 to keep it going, I can put the Hakko stuff on Ebay and added to the £250 I'll have nearly as much as the SX-100 costs. The convenience of the SX-100 is light years better than anything Hakko, and the parts are less expensive, so the investment will likely be recouped on a year or two.
So, my question is, how do they stack up against each other? The FR300 works fine on 2-layer, but starts to become harder work on 4-layer. The SX-100 has more heat power, but does it have more suction? The best aspect to the FR300 is the power of the motor. The Hakko bench 471 doesn't have anywhere near the suction power of the FR300.
Will I regret going to the SX-100?
Thank you in advance!