What’s yer best suggestion for a Soldering Station??

[Dave Staudte (rhymms with "Howdy") NB Guitar Repair (New Braunfels, TX)]

Not cheap but you’ll probably never have to buy another. Hakko. We used this brand in a solder certification class I took. I had one at Taylor for at least 15-18 years, never gave me an issue. (and I remember leaving it on overnight on several occasions…) But on a side note, I always have the Weller gun model 8200 for heating frets and ground wires on the back of pots or any other messy work, steaming dents etc. The Hakko would be for fine precision soldering only.

[Bryan Parris Parris Guitars]

I’m a Weller guy. My fave is my old WES51. I also have two of the newer digital ones WE1010NA…which are a lot cheaper and seem to work as well and uses the same tips. The biggest thing I like about the WES51 is the auto shutoff. The WE1010NA, just drops temp and stays on indefinitely.

[Dave Waligora]

i have abused my Hakko for 16 years and it’s just starting to now be weird where the cord doesn’t want to stay plugged in, but it still works i just have to jiggle it. i wouldn’t buy anything else. if they sold merch, i’d buy a shirt.

[Timothy Esau Sunday Musical Instruments LLC]

I have about 12 years with my Hakko 888D on the pickup winding bench, good lower powered station, holding up to daily use for as long as I have had it. Only gripe is no auto-idle, shorter tip life, more solder consumption to keep it tinned nice.

I also have had a X Tronic 3020 for about 8 years, I use it on the guitar bench, easily handles soldering to the backs of pots, Tele bridge pickup baseplates, trem claws etc. The 3020 is a great cheap 70w station if you are wiring controls, nice and hot, in and out quick, heats up fast from auto idle.

[Danny West West Guitarworks]

Throwing in another vote of confidence for the Hakko. Heats up quick and hasn’t let me down for almost a decade.