Hakko FX951 Review

January 27, 2008 By Jeremy Brock


Hakko is known for making quality soldering products that stand the test of time. The Hakko FX951 is designed to replace the FP10x Series and the first noticeable difference is the digital display and size. Digital displays are great because you know the exact temperature of the tip which is very useful when dealing with IC’s and other components that are heat sensitive. The iron is 70W and has a temperature range of 400-840F, the station ships preset at 750F which works well for my soldering needs (DC Jacks, Surface Mounts, Capacitor Replacement, etc).


The iron is light weight, slim, and the foam grip gives you the feeling that you’re working with a precision instrument. The tip reaches 750F in less than 10 seconds. When inside the iron holder the station will enter sleep mode where it idles the tip at 250F to prevent tip damage from oxidation. Due to the fast thermal recovery time the tip will heat back up to 750F almost instantly.



Hakko manufactures a wide variety of tips for many types of surface mounts. Soldering tips are hot swappable, simply unclip the holder, use the heat resistant pad to remove the hot tip, and insert the new tip. The cold tip will quickly heat up and you can continue soldering.

If you solder a lot of components you may be annoyed by the beep produced when the iron reaches its preset temperature or is placed in the iron holder. The key card prevents “unauthorized” temperature changes, not very useful for me, however manufactures might like it.

The station DOES NOT come with tips and costs about $249. Be aware that there are MANY Chinese knockoffs, some are better then others.

Product Page (Japan)
Product Page (USA)