SDG

[@Mr.Leeroy]

for coin or similar test use tin without flux and acidic gel flux for a more fair comparison as you can not control the amount of oxidation on each test piece and it affects thermo-coupling a lot. Also do not forget to clean tip and pre-tin it just before soldering, so that your initial contact is made with a blob of tin and not dry tip.

[@John_Smith__]

Very good review and for 99% of the cases the KSGER is more then enough for most works in electronics. Very worth buying one.

[@irishguy200007]

Quicko is just as good?

[@John_Smith__]

@@irishguy200007 There is a Quicko that does have (or had) a STM32 with 112V-24V DC Inputs as well as the usual AC220V/110V. Those worked just fine.

[@andymouse]

Much appreciated, nice to see the other end of the spectrum, I'm a cheap date ! honestly for people like me with quite low usage these seem a great option, and I had no idea that they are out there, it might be nice to add some more realistic soldering tasks to your PCB as well, that way we could see what happens and be able to relate to it a bit more, but that's just me ! great reviews....cheers.

[@sdgelectronics]

They work just fine for normal soldering. Even a basic 25W non-temperature controlled iron will do most jobs.

[@davadoff]

@@sdgelectronics Get an Antex iron to see how it compares and to give some perspective perhaps?

[@sdgelectronics]

@@davadoff I have an Antex 690SD, but not the plain XS 25W one. I may include it, but I don't think it's relevant these days and Antex have lost their way a bit with no innovation for about 15 years.

[@davadoff]

@@sdgelectronics Yeah, I was partly not serious. I would have liked to see it anyway. I had an Antex (years ago). A XS25 I think. I like them a lot for the price. I don’t know if they are really any worse than the Chinese Hakko 936 clones that used to be recommended.

[@keithcoltron3171]

If you purchase one DON'T expect an AA cell to provide enough power, I don't know what sort of power he was feeding it but my KSGER way out performs his example?! that was enough to put anyone off buying one but I know they are nothing like he showed, mine is over 1yr old and it still outperforms his example and the many other irons I've had, they are VERY VERY good.

[@davadoff]

Really outstanding video series, mate. Keep it up! I particularly like your videos about the metcal stations and your thoroughness, as well as learning new information. You make all the details interesting IMO.

[@oscarmarfori613]

14:35 This is the time to use the boost feature of the unit, quite amazed to see why your not using its feature

[@FixedUntilBroken]

Great video. I just did my own version for more of the hobby crowd. More of a how to flash it instead of a review. I've been kicking around the idea of doing this mod for a while and after seeing your video made me jump into doing it.

[@dukeofdream]

I pretty much run 400c all the time on my KSGER T12 no matter what tip i use 😅 i just keep in mind the extra 50c and don't stay for too much time on a specific spot... if it doesn't want to flow, i preheat the board to 100c and try again... I also tend to use the biggest tip i can in any specific scenario and generally i only use BC1/BC2/BC3 tips, i find them to be the best thermal mass while also being versatile enough for most of the work i do on boards :)

[@jonrussell2229]

At 13:10 I had the exact same experience as you did with Chinese T12--oxidized solder and poor thermal transfer with T12 tips. The iron plating on the T12 tips will also wear out quickly.

[@Boz1211111]

improper cleaning or overtemperature or something, i have quicko tips for some time and they are like new

[@galileo_rs]

The problem with T12 cloned cartridges is that you newer know where it came from, so if buying a knock off get one from KSGER or other reputable manufacturer direct stores.

[@randovidupload9422]

Did you even tin the tips? That would explain your issues...?

[@Mr.Leeroy]

8:41 Chinese t12 tips are made with poor tolerances and this handle holds them very tight. usually it is the cap and the end of cartridge that is not seated all the way or at the angle. just trim the plastic a bit so it snaps into place when put in this handle.

[@pn8902]

The KSGER one that I got is from the official shop, inside the PCB is black and the connector is soldered to the pcb directly, no wires, among other changes, I think if you buy from elsewhere you're just getting a knockoff, your's might be an older version actually since you got the metal handpiece. I had issues with the metal handpiece and its a known issue, what you have to do is unscrew the outer black metal casing (with the word KSGER on it) and youll see the aluminium piece and a white plastic piece, unscrew the two by a tiny amount (I inserted the cartridge and kept unscrewing until the cartridge went in all the way reliably) and then re assemble. The performance of your KSGER really surprised me, it didn't seem like the same iron that I have. I have version 3.1S.

[@sdgelectronics]

I think mine is from two years ago. The PCBs vary a lot, but these 'mini' ones without the AC-DC all seem to have this same v2.0 PCB in it. I did find by accident about the collar trick, but I can't quite see what's causing the problem.

[@Paul-ib5xv]

Worth calibrating these properly as the heat displayed is not always accurate.

[@chrisharvie-smith486]

Testing at maximum wattage the tip is rated for would be useful in case it improves performance for these budget options. The metcal 500 & 5000 series completely outclass everything else. ANY tip can put the full wattage out. You pick the tip for ease of access & the solder shape it leaves. Tip temp as well but you tend to pick your favoured solder & stick to it.

[@antibrevity]

I want that new handle! I don't like the existing selection of handles that all of these sellers use and would very much like to try the handle shown in this video. I hope that someone can find a source for it or that a seller will start carrying them.

[@brianwood5220]

Thanks Steve, very informative. They are both ideal for the beginner, but i too thought the Genuine Hakko cartridge performed better.

[@Scrogan]

4mm K tip works reasonably for heavy ground planes I find.

[@tomaskovacik]

I have 2 of t12 allinone pen for 10e or so and works perfect! Also perfect for car use

[@Studyigfix]

Hi Friend and Firmware to Quick t12-952???

[@George-gz5zm]

Great if you can't afford a good quality station say if you're at uni. But I wouldn't want to fall asleep with a soldering iron in my hand! Thanks for the comparison 👍

[@teejmiller]

Has anyone figured out a way to stack two of these together to power a set of hot tweezers yet? :)

[@cdyoutoob]

unisolder 5.2C

[@SeanChYT]

I just 5-min epoxied them together. Quick scratching of the surface first. Seems to be quite solid.

[@pa4tim]

I have 2 handpieces that have a short distance to the tip (Pace and Metcal cartridge handpieces) but I hold it almost at the cable end of the handpiece.

[@CanaleYouTubeGeneralista]

Is it possible to have the link of the handle you showed in the video ? But is it the handle of the OSS T12-X ? It looks identical.

[@twobob]

No idea why. No notifications of your stuff for month. Oh well. Tons to watch

[@Nik930714]

9:20 I've used that soldering station and hand piece for 0603 parts and chips at 0.5mm pitch for years now :D I know they are not really the trickiest of parts out there, but still. For the record - my station is calibrated. What are you using to power those two stations?

[@sdgelectronics]

In this video, I just used my lab power supply. I have an XP Power 120W 24V AC-DC converter which I would normally use.

[@jeffrey308]

It would be interesting to see how a T245 handle performs on one on these stations. As we've seen, the original JBC station doesn't dump anywhere near the full 130w of power into the C245 tips, so a 80w power supply could give pretty much the same result.

[@madmatrac]

with described custom fw jbc handle works great. but i use it with 250w psu

[@sdgelectronics]

I have a handpiece to test with on the way.

[@samthenerf]

The station I have dumps the full power on start up, I think that would trip the over current on smaller supplies.

[@davadoff]

@@sdgelectronics I thought you already had a couple of T245 hand pieces (one official and one fake)?

[@bullit0076]

@@sdgelectronics Where can I buy this?aliexpress?link?

[@amtpdb1]

It would have been nice to see you change the firmware. Thanks for the video.

[@CanaleYouTubeGeneralista]

Hi, I would like some advice please, with a budget of 100 €- 120€ which is currently the best soldering station on the market ?

[@joshm264]

For anyone who has a T12 station with the STM32 on it, ADD A HEATSINK! I had one die from overheating and sitting in a hot garage for a while, now it just looks pretty on my workbench

[@antibrevity]

Thanks for that as it's the first time I've seen anyone mention such a problem. I'll keep it in mind if ever decide which T12 clone to purchase (there are too many and all are fairly low-quality).

[@joshm264]

@@antibrevity well, I think they knew that, because now there's a version that uses a larger STM32 chip, and it runs much cooler. And honestly, I'd say to go for the KSGER one regardless, because it's a lot nicer to use and has more features and power right out of the box

[@dabyd64]

The stm32 gets baterly warm, never saw it going over 40°C, so it's either defective or there's another part (ex. ldo or mosfet) heating the board.

[@joshm264]

@@dabyd64 the new one doesn't get hot, but the old one did

[@dabyd64]

@@joshm264 get a Quicko/Quecoo, much better design, has a terrible firmware but who cares if you're replacing it!

[@irishguy200007]

They come with a knife tip, Is this a good tip choice?

[@ohmware2020]

hello, how can i make this quicko t12 942 mini esd safe?

[@grininventor]

Hi, very interesting video. I am wondering if it is possible to put an original JBC T245 handle on that KSGER STM32 station ?

[@DJ-sp8ek]

T12 d iron is best for amplifier and home theater repairing work ?Please reply me sir🙏🙏🙏

[@MarcoPolo-zv1ft]

I hope you have a website to put these comparing in it so that will improve how people reach your channel because some time they just type on google what is the best or put the name and google . wish the best for you :)

[@electro3976]

Hi great video i have the KSGER SMD hotair station but i cannot change any settings as the encoder does not respond i have tried replacing it but the problem persists. Any idea as to where the problem might be would be greatly appreciated.

[@nikoaton]

Hello. I have Quicko t12 942, the soldering iron tip is still heating normally but the display has stopped working. Does anyone know what could be happening? thx in advance

[@romanstingler435]

I would still throw in some more money and get a T3A with T245 tips (200W)

[@qqryqq123]

Is the plug/socket compatible with Aixun T3b T210 handle (ie. can Aixun T210 handle be used out of the box with KSGER and this custom firmware or does it need rewire)?

[@lycanlycans7548]

Hello , One question ⁉️ Did Quicko change the name to Quecoo ? Is this the same Manufacturer? And why you don't use flux ? I have ksger and Quicko T12 both if them are great I don't have any problems ! Thank you all ! Regards,

[@svsv9]

I can't decide if I order KSGER 3.0 or KSGER V2.01 both STM32 or QUICKO 3.0 STM32? I have read many bug on KSGER but no too much on QUICKO..

[@Angelo0chek]

when will you review the Unisolder soldering station? The project has been online for a long time. And also compare it with the stations T12, JBC210 \ 245.

[@sdgelectronics]

When I get it working 😭

[@Ojref1]

@@sdgelectronics Don't feel bad, the Unisolder platform hasen't been a smooth road

[@sdgelectronics]

@@Ojref1 Actually I've not powered it up yet, but I started it years ago I'm sure between then and now I've forgotten something important. I'm almost ready to program the PIC.

[@tinygriffy]

I have the feeling all these handles with this style tip (integrated heater) are much longer than the old stuff ? I have a X2F 907 hand piece 100mm handle 65mm metal front / tip with separate ceramic heater and I am quite happy with it .. could even be shorter :) could you mention measurements of the handles in the comparison video ?, I know I could look it up via the links 🙈 Hm, the stations almost have the form factor of my old laptop power supply... shoud run on 19V 3A ? Was there a maximum current draw setting.. didn't catch it... but an old latop switchmode PS should regulate I think...

[@jaro6985]

It would run 19V as that is only 19V/8R = 2.4A. Or you can reduce the power level in the menu if you use the STM32 version yes.

[@UndernetSystems]

Great video Steve

[@dcallan812]

good, something in my price range. 🤣 Thanks for the video. 👍👍

[@Александр-я6л6э]

Hi! What kind of flux do you use for soldering?

[@elmariachi5133]

Where's the flashing process?

[@Dmiliunas]

A bit off topic, is there a cheap pcb with smd components ready to be soldered for training purposes? What I'm interested is a pcb with few bga chips and maybe a 40 pin chip like up9511, But the real reason would be , that if all components are soldered correctly applying voltage would make some led light to light up. Main purpose would be to learn how to reflow small bga chips and test if they work. I'm not smart enough to create such pcb.

[@Boogie_the_cat]

I don't know why you'd ask here instead of searching the Internet for this product, which definitely does exist and is sold many many places. So, 3 years later, your question is answered. I'm assuming you did the smart thing eventually (like a big boy) and did a Google search.

[@JamesE707]

Slightly off topic, can I assume that soldering and desoldering components or more usually capacitors (for example) from a typical x86 arch computer motherboard will also be fraught with solder/desoldering heating difficulties? About a year ago I thought I'd replace some caps on an old motherboard, only to find that not even a 60w iron would melt the solder properly.

[@sdgelectronics]

Yes, you'll struggle heavily on a typical motherboard. An infra-red preheater is often useful in this situation

[@Mr.Leeroy]

motherboards are 6-8+ layers PCBs. Preheaters are mandatory.

[@JamesE707]

@@sdgelectronics Thanks for the tip - no pun intended! ;o) I'll look into the infra-red option, cheers!

[@JamesE707]

@@Mr.Leeroy Many thanks for the advice. My experience with desoldering/soldering comps on motherboards is almost zero.

[@Mr.Leeroy]

@@JamesE707 well, in that case, I should say that it is required not only to be able to rework such PCBs, but to do it as gentle as possible, especially working on big BGA packages. Such high thermal mass PCBs could simply warp due to uneven heating, causing all kinds of damage. So practice on something sacrificial.

[@Galactus314]

Great video. Thanks for doing this. I've been following the EEV Blog thread too, and have been wondering about this. I don't think you need to do a follow up video, but I've seen various specs about the output of these stations, and I've seen 120w and 70w. Can you confirm what you are running them at and what they are capable of running at? It seems like it's a wattage issue, and was debating getting one of these, or building a Unisolder.

[@sdgelectronics]

From what I can see from the Hakko website, the tips are designed to run at 70W. In this demo I had it set to 80W. The T12 cartridges are definitely the limiting factor with these systems, however you can use a JBC C245 handpiece which will likely give much better results. I will cover this use case in a future video. I'm also almost ready to test a UniSolder system too.

[@GlennPierce]

@@sdgelectronics Maybe try a JBC knockoff handpiece as well. www.banggood.com/Universalny-JBC-C245-Soldering-Handle-Compatible-with-JBC-T245-and-UD-1200-Welding-Station-p-1825691.html?gmcCountry=GB&currency=GBP&cur_warehouse=CN&createTmp=1&ID=6304378&ad_id=491180619117&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3f6HBhDHARIsAD_i3D8TtDba_SFA2uGtgJXh6HE9FwSJKTKA8pU6jZKQyyJQKMh7qSZw45oaAhk9EALw_wcB

[@Galactus314]

@@GlennPierce (He said he's going to cover this in a future video).

[@GlennPierce]

@@Galactus314 Thanks I thought he meant an official JBC one.

[@Galactus314]

@@GlennPierce I don't think there's a difference between the cheaper clone handles and the real ones. The real difference is between the chinese clone tips vs. the real ones. In the forum thread, no one talks about the handles, only the difference between real JBC tips and the cheaper knock-offs. Can't wait for the next vid on this though!

[@andreiciora2765]

New soldering iron review i canwait (hakko or ersa)

[@dreamcat4]

the thing i find about getting genuine HAKKO tips is that well.... they seem to be about the same price as genuine JBC tips. More or less at least over here in UK. In which case... might as well get C245 ones instead. But if you buy the Quicko or KSGER T12 clone tips from china then they are cheaper, which is an affordable way to try out different shapes / sizes

[@dreamcat4]

ah also where did you get than nicer new black handle? as cannot seem to find it in the video description links here. Looks pretty good

[@sdgelectronics]

It was literally a one-off auction on eBay. I've not got any info on it or it's origin

[@JediNg135]

I'm from north america. My primary issue with JBC stuff (I want to get one!) is that their stuff is harder to acquire. On top of equipment that is pricey already. And yes i'm a total consoomer lol

[@jaro6985]

Genuine T15 Hakko tips are $15-20 from digikey in NA. But yeah, worth having a few odd sizes from the clones.

[@davadoff]

@@dreamcat4 Is this the hand piece you are looking for (check photo 3)? a.aliexpress.com/_mNjxKs7

[@NLS87]

I have a KSGER T12, happy with the station, not happy with the handle quality and feel, can someone ID that handle that SDG bought from eBay? I want something like that.

[@sdgelectronics]

I've been searching around and not seen another like it. Hopefully someone recognises it

[@ohmware2020]

13:58 here ksger is struggling more than quicko 10:38

[@adredy]

just ordered 1 will check how this is working in real life ;)

[@FixDaily]

Realized that JLC gold plates the entire PCB without the solder mask, this must be expensive or "brass plated" :D

[@sdgelectronics]

It's plated after the solder mask. I had to pay a little bit extra for the increased ENIG area.

[@FixDaily]

​@@sdgelectronicsl when you left solder mask scratches it look like they were golden. No? Look at 13:12

[@davadoff]

@@FixDaily I’m sure it’s impossible for them to be that wasteful with gold.

[@andreiciora2765]

The new t 12 station handle look like the old metcal handle .

[@JasonLeaman]

Can I get one of these pcb's to try with my JBC ?

[@sdgelectronics]

I'll put the gerbers up on my website, but I should have had more PCBs made as I'm almost out.

[@JasonLeaman]

@@sdgelectronics Id buy one !

[@Boz1211111]

What is this this tip looks defective or something. I have quicko unit and what id asume calibration is quite on point from the factory, i usually run it at 330c

[@Boz1211111]

Or maybe im just underestimating your board because i dont solder boards a lot

[@alexstone691]

My T12 has dead eeprom so could i program this with arduino as programmer??

[@jaro6985]

If its STM32 the code is not stored in the eeprom, its stored in the STM32. If its non-stm32 you'd have to find someone else that has the code. But arduino or ch340 can program it yes.

[@alexstone691]

@@jaro6985 It's not stored on the eeprom, it's just annoying that it forgets settings each time it's turned on so i thought i could set sane defaults Although now im thinking if i could make mcu powered all the time and keep the settings but that may be a pain to do

[@jaro6985]

@@alexstone691 Is there a location to solder in a battery maybe? Or read back the EEPROM and see if any settings are in there.

[@alexstone691]

@@jaro6985 It does already have a battery for RTC but it would be a pain to only power the mcu and not the display, but eh it works kinda

[@Mhavskie]

How to make soldering station using a soldering iron?

[@jukkapekkaylitalo]

ksger metal handles are bad. Metal part in tip is a same metal as handle metal part so when y but handle to metal holder so that both tip and the metal handle piece in front of the grip touches to the holder. It wont take long and everything exept the grip in the handle is hot as hell.

[@Andrew-ry7iw]

Can it play Doom?

[@naserthephotographer5077]

Great video! can someone send me QUICKO STC firmware. Thanks

[@michaelstevens630]

Oh dear now we see the difference with a £500 plus station. Oh to have the money....

[@sdgelectronics]

I think it's the T12 tips that are the limitation rather than the station, though the station is very bare-bones. I'll test with a C245 handpiece soon.

[@Boz1211111]

@@sdgelectronics i was surprised with the results, it seemed to struggle a lot, while i had no issues with it. seems that board was indeed very hard to solder, i can even solder batteries at 360-370, or nickel tabs at 340, smaller stuff (THT and wires) at 320-330°C

[@Paul-ib5xv]

Put that comment before I saw you calibrating it 😂😂

[@userPrehistoricman]

What kind of twisted person puts the units for milliseconds as "mS" yet seconds as "s"?

[@sdgelectronics]

milli Siemens is a pet peeve of mine.

[@dabyd64]

That's milliSieverts 😉

[@crazyirishman121]

I have the KSGER, I cannot recommend this iron, its is very pour quality

[@juliusvalentinas]

This proves that opensource firmware did not make it solder better, and is not worth it if you don't need exactly some feature.

[@neiliewheeliebin]

On the stock firmware you can barely see what temperature you're setting it to from across a table its so tiny, stupid design.

[@tandzan]

16:36 Hakko tip looks like fake.

[@sdgelectronics]

It came direct from Japan

[@tandzan]

@@sdgelectronics Well.. There is no square bracket at top right of the sticky paper, CE logo also suspicious. White part is not translucent.

[@sdgelectronics]

The label has a metallised hologram when you scratch away at the white part. Which white part do you mean?

[@tandzan]

@@sdgelectronics Right white part of the packaging. Here is example: pic.mysku-st.ru/uploads/pictures/06/16/05/2019/12/27/d93e9a.jpg Second from the end is fake.

[@sdgelectronics]

@@tandzan Maybe it's the lighting, but the white is definitely translucent.

[@firmanfeza7638]

Hadir

[@nikolaimalinchev4480]

You speak well as a presentation. But honestly, you probably haven't touched a soldering iron. You talk about precise welds, but you solder elements without soldering flux and the elements themselves are soldered crookedly. You start soldering from the small feet of the elements. Just an awful lot of mistakes that I, the ignorant one, would not have even made.