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I accidentally bought a look-alike of the Hakko FX-888D. The supplier's Ts&Cs included prohibitive conditions around a refund, so I'm trying to live with it. I don't want to send good money chasing after bad, so I'd like to figure out if there are any genuine Hakko tips I can use.

The tip fits over the ceramic part of the heater - the white part in the photo. The dimensions (measured using the ruler in the picture) of visible part of the fake heater are:

  • diameter (green line): 3.5mm
  • length (yellow line): 25mm

I've spent some time on the Hakko website trying to find the comparable dimensions of the genuine product, but it hasn't been very productive.

What are the comparable dimensions of the Hakko FX-888D?

handset

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  • \$\begingroup\$ That sounds about right for the iron I use daily (a genuine hakko FX-888D--though the iron itself is the FX-8801, the 888D is just the base station), but if you're willing to wait until tonight I can measure it for you to be sure. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hearth
    Jun 23, 2021 at 13:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Hearth - thanks - that would be greatly appreciated. And yes, you're right about the handset part number. \$\endgroup\$
    – OutstandingBill
    Jun 23, 2021 at 13:13
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    \$\begingroup\$ The exposed portion of the ceramic heater on my FX-888D's iron has a diameter (it is actually slightly oval) of about 3.8 mm and a length of 22.9 mm (measured with digital calipers). Genuine Hakko tips are a slightly loose fit, e.g. I have a T18-D24 tip with an internal diameter of about 3.93 mm at the outside end. All measurements at 20 °C. Let's see what Hearth's iron's dimensions are. \$\endgroup\$
    – Andrew Morton
    Jun 23, 2021 at 15:44

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I've measured the iron I use at work (a genuine Hakko FX-8801, the iron that goes with the FX-888D station), and the exposed ceramic heating element has a diameter of 3.8 mm and a length of 22.5 mm. The tips should fit your iron, though they may be a looser fit than the genuine one (on which they are already a somewhat loose fit, anyway).

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks Hearth. I ordered a genuine Hakko tip. It arrived today and fits fine - phew! The tip fits nicely onto the heater, and the retaining sleeve fits nicely over the tip. So the iron is ready to go. I'll try to remember to report back on the results once I start using it. \$\endgroup\$
    – OutstandingBill
    Jun 30, 2021 at 0:06
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    \$\begingroup\$ @OutstandingBill Honestly, quite a lot of cheap no-name irons--even ones that aren't knockoffs of the 8801--are designed to be compatible with Hakko T18 tips, simply because the FX-888 is so immensely popular. You can get knockoff T18 tips too, quite easily, and even the authentic ones are quite cheap. So I didn't ever really doubt that it would fit even before I'd measured it. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hearth
    Jun 30, 2021 at 1:09

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