Don't ya just HATE evolution?!

[BChism]

Back in the early to mid 90s, I was an on-road R/C racer. In the tons of gear that I had to collect in order to be competitive, I bought a really nice soldering station. Ungar UTC-300.

Well a few years back, Weller bought Ungar and pretty much dissolved them and their name.
So, now that I'm into tiny soldering instead of building batteries and soldering motors and stuff, I need a new tip for my (what was then really high) $100 soldering station.
Weller/Ungar part numbers 9978, 9979, 9980, 9981, 9982, 9983 are no longer being made an I can't find them ANYWHERE on the web. I'd like 9981, 9982 or 9983.
So I thought "Hmm, let's just change the retaining sleeve and go to the smaller 'standard' tips for my iron, not the 'Thermal Thrust' ones."

It seems part number 9932 (tip retaining sleeve for use with standard-size tips) is also fossilized somewhere and no longer available.

Any suggestions?

Anyone have an Aoyue station? Like 936 or 937? They seem to be almost carbon-copies for the Hakko stuff that I hear people talking about for half the price. Aoyue 936 is 35w max, 937 is 45w max.

OnlineComponents.com has the 9983 tip but minimum order is $35, I can't pay a $21.00 surcharge. And no one in the world (at least online) has the retaining sleeve to switch over to the standard tips.

 

[rog8811]

I take it you have had a look at ebay?

Regards rog8811

 

[BChism]

Yes, there's tons of stuff on eBay but not exactly what I'm looking for. I've literally spent the entire day looking for one of those part numbers without having to spend more than about $20. I can get the Aoyue 936 for like $30-$35 and 937 for under $50 shipped I'd say. Spending $35 on a tip would be kinda dumb.

 

[pullbangdead]

That Aoyue 936 does look EXACTLY like my Hakko 936. No telling if the "innards" are the same or if the quality is the same, but it does look exactly alike.

To me, I don't know if that similar look means it's a subsidiary or a related company making the same quality for a cheaper price, or if that means it's a ripoff of a Hakko without the same quality. I know I really like my Hakko 936, though.

Sorry I can't help much, just confirm that it does look the same.

 

[SuicideKing]

 

[BChism]

^^^^^^^^


Umm, niceeeeeeee  :

I don't get it  :-[

 

[Ace82]

I think he's saying re-machine your iron. How, IDK.

If you're going to buy a tip for $20, what's another ~$80 for a new station? ;D j/k, I know, I know, but you NEED to get with the times man! ;D

 

[SuicideKing]

^^^^^^^^


Umm, niceeeeeeee  :

I don't get it  :-[

It's a tap and die set.
you use it to re-thread screws, bolts or bolt holes.

Use it to re-thread the Ungar 1/4 inch, 32 TPI  iron to accept Weller 1/4 inch, 24 TPI tips.

The set in the picture is like $5 dollars from Harbor Freight.

 

[BChism]

Yeah so umm ... I'm a machinist by trade for the last 12 years. I know exactly what it is, just didn't know what you were meaning by it, sorry.

The UTC-300 (as with all the UTC series, they take the '9900 series' tips), has "drop-on" tips that are held with a threaded sleeve onto the heater element. Novel idea you had but just won't work with my particular soldering station. There are no threads in the tip region. Only on the base of the heater. And, the entire shaft is ceramic .... threading would destroy it. I think I've decided to buy one of those Hakko rip-offs. They have a full line of parts and a warranty. Haven't heard anything bad yet so I'll try one and give the forum a full review of it when I get one. I DO appreciate all replies though, insightful!

Haven't decided yet but I'm going to try either Aoyue 936 or Aoyue 937 first. Maybe get that Hakko FX-951 thing in the future. Pretty!