Hakko 599B-02 Solder Tip Cleaning Wire and Holder, 1 PACK

It goes without saying that having a clean tip makes the soldering process much cleaner, and aids in having a decent-looking work. This product is an essential tool for me. It does the job very well. The residual solder is dropped into the detachable base after each cleaning. Fortunately, you can take the canister off with ease, so you can clean the debris accumulated over time. Because the brass sponge is actually softer than the tip itself, there is no risk of damaging it. The whole metal housing is very lightweight, which can be annoying for some as it can tip over during use. It does have some anti-slip foams at the base, but they don't work very well. However, I got around this problem by mounting it onto my compact soldering station with screws. The material of which this product is made of is thin, as a matter of fact, you can bend it very easily with your hands. Not a big deal though, but I'd rather get something on the thicker side. When I got it in my hands, I didn't expect it to be that big. I was concerned about the size because as I mentioned previously, it was going to be mounted on a fixed base with limited space. Even so, I got the cleaner to fit right the way I wanted. Slightly bigger than I would like to, but it's not a hassle when soldering. See the pictures I uploaded if you're interested in the measurements of this product. Last but not least, it's worth mentioning that you can take the whole thing apart with ease since neither the base nor the housing has threaded surfaces to be held tightly in place. Rather they're both secured only by the pressure that they exert against each other. At first, this disappointed me, but I later noticed that this was advantageous for my setup. Since I have it installed on a fixed base, it lets me rotate it at my own convenience.

I'm glad that I paid the dollar or two more for Hakko! Works great! I've been doing Speaker Repair for 30+ years and I like this tip cleaner!

When I used to work in a full-line consumer electronics service center we had these on every workbench. During that time I came to have a great appreciation for this type of tip cleaner. That said, this Hakko tip cleaner is even better than the ones we had at the service center due to the container they are in. It captures all the little bits of solder it clean off and has a lid to keep them from spilling in the event it gets knocked over. This design is really a lifesaver, and if you've ever had one of this type of tip cleaner fall over that was one that didn't have the cap with the access hole in it, well, you'll really appreciate it as when a few thousand tiny flakes of solder fall into something you're working on, that is not a good day, and with this model that just won't happen. There is one caveat to this item, but it is easy to workaround. The container is too light so it is easy to accidentally knock over. But, if you just toss a few coins or some other flat piece of metal into the bottom that has some heft to it, that is mitigated. Also as mentioned already, even though it is easily knocked over without adding some weight, it isn't the day killer that an open top one is due to the clever lid. This type of tip cleaner is not only very effective at keeping your tip nice and clean, it also doesn't cause much if any thermal loss, so there is no appreciable waiting period after cleaning your tip for thermal recovery as there is using a wet sponge. This is a godsend when working on a project/repair that requires many soldering joints and a real time saver. One other thing to note is that some people have complained that the enclosure for the cleaning pad is made from plastic and expressing concern that a 500degF iron contacting it would melt it. Wile it is made from plastic, even a 900degF iron will not melt it. There are many different types of plastic in the world and not all melt easily. This is one type that certainly does not melt easily. I tested this by holding my iron against it while set to 900degF and held it there for about 2 min. There were no marks or softening of the plastic, and certainly no melting or burning! I thought it would be useful to note this for anyone who may have concerns about the enclosure being plastic. Again, just make sure you weight it down and you're golden. Also, some have mentioned that they may be better off using a copper kitchen scrubbie. This is NOT the case, copper tends to oxidize very badly and rapidly. The brass alloy used to make these resists oxidation well and certainly does not grow all the nasties that a pure copper scrub pad would. The other option some have mentioned is using a green scrub pad instead... which while that does work, it is far inferior to the cleaning provided by this. All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this item to anyone who does more than a very minimal amount of soldering.

I just got this yesterday and I was actually pretty stoked to give it a shot. I lit up my iron and put a fresh tin on the tip and desoldered some pcb pushbuttons that have been needing to come out. This little device did pretty darned good. It certainly did clean up the tip and believe me when i say that my tip was pretty bad. Too bad if I am honest as i let it roast too long with some junk on the tip and burned it up a bit. A couple quick pokes and the garbage hanging off the tip was cleaned up pretty good. I didn't notice it getting warm at all from poking in and out of the wires and I just popped a finger from my other hand on the backside to make sure it didn't move on me. I do not have a sponge setup in my office where I sometimes do some quick board work so this was ideal. I will not say this device is magic but it does a good enough job to be well worth the 12 bucks or whatever it was.

Simple, yet highly effective solution to cleaning a soldering iron tip. When I first started out learning to use my new soldering iron, I used the sponge included with my stand. I did not have the Hakko 599B-02 at that time, and between inexperience, poor technique, I managed to destroy a soldering iron tip. Now, I am not going to blame it entirely on the sponge, however, I will say, that the sponge did allow me to keep cooling down my too-hot iron, and I never realized that it was three times hotter than it should be. That was until solder stopped sticking to anything, my tip oxidized, I could not clean it - even after getting the Hakko - or tin it. I swapped in a new tip, figured out my temperature issue, learned a few new tricks, and integrated the Hakko into my soldering process. All of a sudden, I found that I had a glistening silver soldering iron tip. The Hakko easily took off excess solder as I tinned the tip, without cooling the tip. I was quickly and easily making electrical connections that looked like the ones on the YouTube videos that I had been watching. My little solder joints looked like tiny shiny volcanos, ready to facilitate electron movement. Did the Hakko make all of this happen? No, not all of it. BUT - having the missing piece of equipment in my home hobby workshop pointed out some major flaws in my technique and process that was holding me back. Now I am making major progress. The first night after having the Hakko I was finally able to complete two kits from start to finish - A binary 24-hour LED clock and a digital 7-segment alarm clock - neither of which would have been possible before having this missing piece of equipment in my toolset. If you are just starting out, and putting together your electronics soldering kit, do not even consider skipping a solder tip cleaning wire kit like this. For your money, and for the way it will look on your workbench, get the Hakko.

Great product good value .compact size. Easy to use easy to clean and or exchange mesh although after years I’m still using the original . Simple quality item Works well to keep my iron clean and ready for the next use Highly recommended

Using this method over the wet sponge method (to wipe/clean tip of built up residue, flux, byproducts, etc.) is superior as it doesn't drop the temperature as much if at all if you are using this tool properly (Quick in and out. You're done!). The quick changes in temperature degrade the metal/constitution of the tips over time and they fall apart. It's ALL ABOUT KEEPING TIPS CLEAN! I STILL keep a *damp* sponge in my station and I DO occasionally use it when I feel I have to, but this is a product worth it's weight in gold, since it will save your tips/make them live longer (*IF* you are also properly tinning and cleaning). One thing to be aware and careful of: This can essentially "flick" melted solder on the tip back at you. If you were just hitting the edge of the tip in a "left and right motion", it CAN spit wet solder at you. Not a major concern, but it DOES happen if you're using it improperly. Quick in and out. Again, avoid wiping your tip on the sponge. Plunge it in and out. Twice if necessary. There are replacement sponges available for this product. Which is good. They are not just "brass wire" etc. It is covered in a flux/chemical compound. I wish I ordered an extra as I believe this tool can hold 2 sponges inside of it ... highly recommended.

tl;dr - it works very well and you'd never guess how much you actually needed it. If you're not sure, get it. I've always used a wet sponge or paper to wipe my tip when soldering and it worked, so I never bothered with fancy cleaning wire in a stupid cup. I finally decided to try it after watching enough tutorials and teardowns where the pro always had legitimate cleaning wire. I jab my tip into this ball before I contact any surface and you can see the difference in how clean and shiny the tip is. Previously, I've used steel wool, paper, and sponge, all of which have drawbacks in terms of tip wear, oxidation, and crappy cleaning. The difference a clean, shiny tip makes is really significant and it surprised me. I was able to place and remove components much quicker and I have yet to damage any surrounding components, which is attributable to the increased conductivity and precision I gain from the tip quality. The only negative to this item is the plastic cup it comes in because it tends to skid along the table when I stab the iron into it. Like others suggested, I tossed some scrap bits of metal and stone into the bottom of it and that helps, although I really just have to remember to thrust at a downward angle. If you think you don't need this, you probably do. It's a cheap little thing that will improve your soldering capabilities and it's way better than paper, sponge, or steel wool.