SDG

[@BertVermeulen]

"I'm not necessarily convinced that spending a huge amount of money on the fluxes is necessarily worthwhile", he said while holding 17 different types of flux. We're all benefitting from your kind of out-of-control, Steve!

[@sdgelectronics]

🤣 I needed to see for myself the differences. So many opinions on what's best with no or very loose evidence behind it.

[@jhlsol]

I use a metcal at work and they are great, but I would never spend the money out of pocket for their tools. Very glad to have come across this video.

[@becomematrix]

I bought it and love it. Gone for the 24volt and it’s very good.

[@PapasDino]

Oh yeah...the soldering comparison is out of control...but in a good way for all of us out here. Thanks Steve!!!

[@sdgelectronics]

It's also become very expensive! At least I shouldn't have to buy any more ever again.

[@OrbiterElectronics]

Appreciate the mention Steve, thanks mate 👍 Great video covering this KSGER model. For the price they can't really be beaten, and there's an option for everyone. Also a couple of the tip shapes shown have actually come in more useful on occasion for me than the options I have available in the 30 odd varients I've have for my Pace 😯. I really laughed when you brought all those solders into view.. I'm so glad I don't have to do that video 😁 Cheers mate John

[@sdgelectronics]

Yeah they have a really nice selection of tips for these. I don't think I've quite found one that matches the small chisel tip that I mainly use on the Metcal but there's enough there for most people to tackle some interesting jobs.

[@tablatronix]

I have a decent soldering station, but I have been looking into buying one of these for ease of tip change and to for wiring and large junction soldering as a second station. Great Video, very useful

[@sdgelectronics]

I'll run it through it's paces over the next few soldering videos. It looks really good though in terms of performance

[@joshm264]

I have the full size all in one station, and it's fantastic!

[@alejandroperez5368]

And dangerous.

[@momoware]

@@alejandroperez5368 The newer Quecoo 956, 958, and 959 all have proper grounding and safety features.

[@Hudsonkem]

@@alejandroperez5368 danger because you never solder with ordinarry soldering iron ahhahaah.

[@Boogie_the_cat]

Ksger and quicko are about $25 difference. I see a lot of people say get ksger over quicko. It's interesting that you'd group them together.

[@deankay4434]

I am a hobbyist but over decades of working on vehicles I have done a huge amount of wire repair, soldering, heat-shrink on 50 foot rolls & dielectric grease in moderation but I know this may not get an answer, but can change from degrees C to F? And you had mentioned software, downloads or files (Something like that) but do this mean it connects to a computer to set up certain things? I really appreciate the show & tell and clear proper British speech. The old ears ain’t what they used to be. I’ve been married 40+ years and that alone comes in handy. You will see! Thanks for the work & info + links. Regards!

[@deankay4434]

Well, SDG Electronics have sold out all items in link. I guess I will wait! Thanks for the info again!

[@sdgelectronics]

There are some options on Aliexpress, but the component shortage reduced available stock

[@Kreska0]

Because of an amazing feedback and popularity KSGER is receiving all over the internet they increased thier prices. If you are as cheap as me and you still looking for good t12 station look for Quicko brand 😘

[@jmantothe64]

I've seen both, and KSGER's offering is worth the extra $15

[@MaximC]

@@jmantothe64 You mean you tried them both? Why would you say LAYER is worth the extra 15$? Thank you.

[@germas369]

Im actually surprised how good this is. Wow

[@qingli619]

How well is it for through hole parts with large ground planes? Like taking off components from ATX power supply pcb? You have a video on that?

[@andrewwiles3992]

Hi there. I’m completely new to soldering. This video is 2 years old. Is there a different kit you’d recommend now? I’m looking to solder the original Xbox HDMI mode which has some fine ribbon soldering. Thanks.

[@CiderPang27]

Bought a £200 Atten solder station from Market place on Facebook for £40! Absolute bargain! Works brilliantly.

[@kirkb4989]

They will run from a 20v lithium battery like the ones used on a drill. I have Ridgid batteries and I 3d printed an adapter plate to get the voltage out of it. It runs for a very long time and lets me work in the yard, on cars, or in spots where AC is not available or inconvenient....

[@sdgelectronics]

Yes, there is a menu option to change the minimum voltage before the unit shuts down. I will double-check when I get chance what the minimum setting is.

[@kirkb4989]

@@sdgelectronics The Quicko unit I have (T12-942) works from 16v to 24v well within the envelope of a "20v" (5S) battery that typically runs at 18.5v

[@sdgelectronics]

@@kirkb4989 looks like this one also works down to 16V. Very versatile 👌

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Thanks Steve!

[@Corgitronics]

Looking forward to the solder comparisons, but particularly the flux reviews!

[@sdgelectronics]

Me too, should be really interesting to see if there are any noticeable difference between them as the cost difference is considerable.

[@electronic7979]

Nice soldering station

[@ChristiannTyler]

Great video! I do have a question I just need an iron for soldering pl259 connectors onto coax for amateur radio. I’ve been told you want a high powered iron to heat the large work piece some claim 60watts others 90watts. Is this something you can comment on?

[@CollinBaillie]

Hey Steve, can you throw the T12 into your high temperature tests? I've got some aluminium boards to solder, and I think the D24 tip is the biggest I have. I'd live to see how the D32, D4, D52 and the C4 fair. Ooh, and the K and KU tips.

[@Gooberslot]

I've heard of some people having problems with that tilt sensor not being sensitive enough. You might want to check that out.

[@sdgelectronics]

I heard the same, but I found the sensor is extremely sensitive to movement. If anything it's more likely not to go to sleep than the other way around.

[@Meerlu]

I just bought one. What stands does one use for these slim irons? Looks like they will just slip right through normal ones...

[@tagurumoy1101]

Do I still need to ground bond this type of Soldering station?

[@legomindstormsfan1]

no

[@untrust2033]

I'm guessing no, as in this version all the mains stuff is in a seperate plastic case power supply.

[@becomematrix]

demetrio dario nope

[@alejandroperez5368]

@@untrust2033 what about for ESD reasons?

[@lordjaashin]

will this work with 20v 3A power supply?

[@kriskleiner8765]

I have the same handle/pen and have been looking for a stand that holds it securely enough that I don't worry about it just slipping out if I bump the desk or something. I have seen the stand you are using and many others but they all seem to have too big of a hole. It looks like you modified yours to make it fit right. What did you do to make it work better?

[@sdgelectronics]

I just used some Silicone rubber to make a cone. It sits in there really well.

[@johndcoffman]

If I used a 24 Volt, 5 amp DC power supply, would it hurt anything? Or, do I need to limit amps to 3 or 4? I am considering buying the Quicko unit.

[@treadmillrepair754]

I have some solderings, one Hakko FX-888D and FX-951 inclusive. Now I am thinking in buy one KsGer or one Jabe UD-1200. Whay do you recomends?

[@somedude-lc5dy]

I would like to see how many amps it draws from the adapter. is it only up near 3A at startup, or does it regularly pull that much? it would help me pick out an adapter easier.

[@MithatKonar]

Since this is powered by an external power supply, do you have any idea if the tip is ESD safe?

[@sdgelectronics]

It is when connected to a Class I power supply. I didn't look at the supplied power supply to see if it was earthed or not.

[@stathisbikos6563]

Do you think it's possible to sort of "hack" the quicko T12 to use another style of iron like the zd931 variant? They are both 4-pin connectors, but I'm not sure the PID controller will work properly with the zd931 iron due to them probably having very different thermal characteristics. They also might be using very different thermistor values.

[@wepipe]

24v mini version looks like it has a dimmer display , compared to the wall powered version ??

[@sdgelectronics]

It's identical.

[@wartlme]

Just got a Hakko 888D. This iron seems to be better for the price. I guess I can just feel good for supporting Hakko. The Hakko 888D is a great iron, it does not have the automatic turn off.

[@alejandroperez5368]

Bad choice. That's an outdated technology. Having the heater and thermistor at the tip in one single piece is in another league.

[@The.Doctor.Venkman]

Great video review. Can I ask what temperature you set to demo the soldering please?

[@sdgelectronics]

320°C should be sufficient for lead-based alloys and is what it was set to in this video. 340°C for lead-free.

[@The.Doctor.Venkman]

@@sdgelectronics Thanks, Steve.

[@rideforfun1995]

does the black aluminum soldering iron handle heating up in finger when used?

[@sdgelectronics]

I used it for 3 hours of PCB assembly - it got warm but not hot.

[@peterv6036]

Is the tip ESD safe? I'll be using a grounded 19.5V 2.31A laptop power supply and sometimes a double insulated power supply. Hope the 45W will be sufficient.

[@sdgelectronics]

The tip is connected to the chassis, so if using an earthed power supply, it should be referenced to earth

[@alejandroperez5368]

@@sdgelectronics how so? The DC plug at the back has only two pins, not three.

[@superpooper_2030]

@@alejandroperez5368 i have modded both the 24v power adapter and the mini T12 to include 4mm banana sockets and make a earth wire with banana plug. It works great

[@slap_my_hand]

Are there any cheap soldering stations that turn off the heater when you put the handle in its stand?

[@japonicaren]

Reading through the comments, the one shown in the video has a tilt sensor in the handle to facilitate sleep mode.

[@slap_my_hand]

@@japonicaren So the thing turns off when you tilt it forwards.... what kind of nonsense is that? Have the engineers who designed this never heard of hall effect sensors?

[@johnyang799]

@@slap_my_hand Just turn it off. It literally takes 8 seconds too heat up.

[@screengames5307]

@@slap_my_hand No, the iron turns off when it detects zero motion within a specified time limit (e.g. 1 minute), and then wakes back up depending on your settings. Also, ever heard of KISS? A simple tilt sensor is less complicated, uses less power and costs less than a HES.

[@slap_my_hand]

@@screengames5307 Hall effect sensors *are* cheap and simple, that's why they are used everywhere. Have you ever heard of a laptop that uses motion detection to detect when it's lid is closed?

[@gamerpaddy]

Between the t12 Like Stations (this) and ts100 (which offers better mobility ) isnt really a difference performance wise. 24v Brick or Li-ion pack both deliver buch of Power into the tip. These t12 only has the advantage of supporting the hakko tips properly. TS100 does aswell but it makes it unnecessarily long/unwieldy. Im using both, i pick the one thats the most convenient in this particular situation.

[@sdgelectronics]

I've not tried the TS100, the distance between the tip and the handle looked a little long for my liking but I do think these offer huge value to the hobbyist. Decent temperature controlled soldering irons were always so expensive in the past. Thanks

[@RicardoCooper]

Can you do a video that shows the inner workings?

[@Andrew-dp5kf]

Metcal MX500 models can usually be found cheap on eBay, I wouldn’t use anything else :-)

[@relicboxing]

Whats better,a 2 handle Jbc clone for $200,or a pace ads 200 for $260,or a metcal mx500?

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

can you imagine that hanging off your desk with a power supply cables getting pulled and the power supply accident waiting to happen what are you supped to do solder it to a brick

[@naheeduddin1672]

Would you recommend this over a TS100??

[@sdgelectronics]

Yes if it's used in a stationary position. The TS100 is better for portable work.

[@Thomas-ob5fe]

Does somebody know a schematic for the T12 Circuit Board from Revision 2.xx with the STM32?

[@kozak9236]

Does it work from 19/20V laptop power adapter?

[@jeffdewe]

Yes it does but its about 10 watts less

[@SevenDeMagnus]

Cool, I have the KSGER. Quicko is half the price of the KSGER but Quicko is smaller but its power supply is separated (which will need the power plug as well) but KSGER looks better.

[@alejandroperez5368]

No

[@tuffaluffagus]

Great review, unfortunately they've since doubled their prices...

[@p10rambo]

you sound like harry kane without the lisp haha

[@leonkiriliuk]

Hey Steve. What model is that iron stand? the one that came with mine is junk. yours looks much better.

[@sdgelectronics]

I think it was this one: www.banggood.com/custlink/DKKvFqAFHf but the thin metal handle didn't fit that great. This one looks like it may do the job better: www.banggood.com/custlink/mvvGVkb5SE

[@irishguy200007]

What's with the stupid tip that comes with it?.Why not send a chisel tip or something?

[@japonicaren]

In case anyone cares... It's Hackko not hey-co :)

[@SidneyCritic]

And I thought my mains powered KSGER was fast at 20 sec.

[@ctbully]

in 2021 the price of these irons have doubled :-(

[@peddersoldchap]

This station costs €75 + postage now. WTF!?!?

[@no1baggiefan]

Aliexpress, half the price of Banggood, that name sounds so wrong lol, are they based in Bangkok ? :D

[@peddersoldchap]

PS - With an internal PSU.

[@no1baggiefan]

@@peddersoldchap £35 with internal psu

[@peddersoldchap]

@@no1baggiefan could you send methe link please?

[@no1baggiefan]

@@peddersoldchap quicko or ksger ? Any particular model number ?

[@johnyang799]

wtf? The heat up is super fast.

[@johnyang799]

As fast as my 200 dollar quick 303d station.

[@sdgelectronics]

Yes, it's pretty good. Not as fast as the JBC, but the fact it can dump 70W means it's really responsive

[@TheDefpom]

I did a review on one of these too: 🔴 #504 KSGER T12 OLED Soldering Station Review - Is the STM32 V2.1S soldering station any good? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqO7cmhvmJKJoLs I even found a manual someone had written for it and included that info too, it is my main soldering station now.

[@crazyirishman121]

I bought this Iron about 4 years ago and it is abosulute trash. I would not recommend anyone to purchase this.

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

yeah youtubers get paid to advertise and get paid by advertisers on their videos they don't care about subscribers and the garbage they promote they think they are actors working for a production company and are not ripping you off at the same time.

[@coldfinger459sub0]

How about if you make a video adapting your high-end Solder handpiece to one of those cheap soldering station‘s. Then you may get the performance and feel with the hand-in-hand piece with a good quality tip insert been powered by a lower and cheap station

[@sdgelectronics]

The heater in the Metcal is an RF heater that's driven by a ~13MHz driver in the base unit, so very different to a standard resistive heater. It uses the curie point of the soldering iron tip to regulate temperature hence the extremely fast thermal response. It's not feasible to design a low cost driver really.

[@japonicaren]

SDG Electronics Came here to say that. One thing Metcalf make that you can use is those silicon pads for grabbing and swapping hot tips.