Is my hakko fx888 heating element ok?

[spilla]

Having some issues with my hakko fx888. Seems I may have left it on for a few hours without tining the tip. Did I burn out the heating element?

I've got a new tip on the way l. Hopefully it's just due for replacement. I've had this tip for 4+ yrs.. it's done LOTS of work in that time

Cheera

 

[jimilee]

Naaa, mine looks like that. It may or may not have done that more than once, it’s still plugging along just fine.

 

[Robert]

Seems I may have left it on for a few hours without tining the tip.

I've left mine on all night/weekend many times.

In a production environment these stations are staying powered up for 8 - 12 hours per day (minimum) without breaking a sweat, it can handle it.

Not tinning the tip can cause it to wear / corrode faster but it won't damage the element or station itself. That element looks normal, but that doesn't really mean anything one way or another.

 

[Alan W]

I’ve had both Hakko and Pace elements just give up the ghost for no apparent reasons. Like @Robert just said though, the element and the tip exterior are two separate issues.

Those little round tins of tip saver really work for badly treated tips.

 

[spilla]

Good to know, im getting pretty crap results with the current tip. I tried a cheap ebay tip i had lying around and its having similar results. But ive got a legit hakko t18b on the way. Hopefully that brings it back to life.

 

[Locrian99]

Man if i had a dollar for everytime ive walked into my work space and seen i left my iron on the day before id have id guess 40 bucks ish

 

[Better Button]

I had similar issues! Even though I was able to demonstrate poor heating performance, I had a long and protracted warranty issue with one of these.
Disappointed, 'cos I really like its functionality, but it just didn't work as advertised; finally sorted.

I now have a weller 1010. Much better iron IMO.

 

[spilla]

New tip arrived but I was still having issues. Was about to order a new element but found a comment that recommended factory resetting the fx888. That fixed what ever was happening. Getting good soldering results again

 

[jimilee]

New tip arrived but I was still having issues. Was about to order a new element but found a comment that recommended factory resetting the fx888. That fixed what ever was happening. Getting good soldering results again

I could look it up, but how do you do that?

 

[Feral Feline]

You start by looking it up…

How do I reset the HAKKO FX-888D back to factory default settings?

kb.hakkousa.com

to reset the HAKKO FX-888D back to the factory default settings, hold down the UP and ENTER buttons and turn the power on. The display will show 'A' (for Asian defaults and display in Celsius) or 'U' (for US defaults and display in Fahrenheit). You can press the UP button to toggle the value shown between 'A' and 'U'.

When you have made your selection, press the ENTER button and the factory reset will be complete.

NOTE: When resetting the unit to factory default settings, it may be necessary to re-adjust the tip temperature Acronym: Small Outline





More Information:
A package resembling a flat pack with leads on only two sides.
" class="ikb-glossary-term i-tooltip" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); cursor: help;">so that the unit is within specifications for tip temperature accuracy (±15°C/27°F). To make the tip temperature adjustments, you will need a device that can measure the tip temperature (such as a HAKKO FG-100 Tip Thermometer) or other thermocouple measuring device. To perform the tip temperature adjustment:

1. When the HAKKO FX-888D is on, hold down the ENTER button to set your tip temperature to 750°F. If you are using the Celsius, set your tip temperature to 350°C.
2. Clean your soldering iron tip and apply a fresh coating of solder.
3. Measure the tip temperature using your HAKKO FG-100 Tip Thermometer (or equivalent device) and record this value. Be sure your device is measuring in the same temperature scale as the temperature display of the HAKKO FX-888D.
4. Hold down the UP button on the HAKKO FX-888D, and program in the value that was recorded from step 2.
5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 above until the measured temperature is ±12°F of the set temperature of 750°F (or ±7°C of the set temperature of 350°C)

I was curious how to do it, too.

 

[spilla]

Yep, followed that video. Iron was getting hot and meltingsolder even at the tip but i was getting terrible soldering results. I had checked and even changed the temp and (then the tip) but still no improvement. Im not sure what the reset actually did but i had immediate results doing so.

 

[Stickman393]

Love me my Hakko FX-100.

Heats in 5-10 seconds. When the iron is in its cradle, the tip shuts off.

Leave the iron on, walk away and don't use it for a while, it goes into shut off mode.

Yeah, my shit is strut.

 

[Feral Feline]

Love me my Hakko FX-100.

Heats in 5-10 seconds. When the iron is in its cradle, the tip shuts off.

Leave the iron on, walk away and don't use it for a while, it goes into shut off mode.

Yeah, my shit is strut.

Yeah, but how do you Factory Reset the FX-100?

 

[Stickman393]

Yeah, but how do you Factory Reset the FX-100?

Chuck it at the wall. Never failed me once.