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Comment by mysteria | Hacker News Reader

On the flip side wouldn't that make replacement tips much more expensive? On my old Hakko station I've replaced the tips several times but the element and sensor seems to be going strong.

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They're more expensive, but they tend to last longer (at least for JBC & this new iFixit iron since they lower temperature when not in use), allow much nicer more precise temperature control, and often can have significantly more power output and/or thermal mass (depending on the particular tip). JBC tips in particular can be changed while still hot, one-handed, thanks to their iron holders having a tip puller & holder built-in.

The delta in price isn't that different. Legit Hakko tips for FX888/903/907 are ~$7-10 each. Legit Hakko tips for T12/T15 are only $12-20 apiece. Twice as much, sure, but how many tips do you really go through? We're talking probably sub-$30 over many years in cost delta, for some significant advantages.

Legit JBC tips are closer to $20-40, but those are just a different price tier and much more premium. You can also get knockoff/clone JBC tips for $10 pretty easily, and in my experience they work just fine.

Yes, it makes tips more expensive. However, for the about of improvement in performance, I think it is worth it. I use Hakko T15 tips and they are about $20 each. Cheaper Chinese compatible toys are available and probably are good enough, but I don't replace yours frequently enough to care to find out.

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