936D digital soldering station test and internal look.

I thought it would be interesting to buy one of the digital versions of the 936 soldering stations and compare it to the traditional analogue versions.
UPDATE. Ditch the UK plug, it's got a sleeved earth pin. Put a new one on with a 3A fuse.
If you are having any heating or sensing issues then check out this new video showing the fix for a common issue:-
The case seems to have the same form as the others, but has a transformer with a 24V winding and an extra 10V winding to power the logic.
The main features are the ease of setting a precise temperature with an up/down button arrangement. After setting the temperature it is stored in memory.
To calibrate the unit to an iron, it's best to initially set calibration to zero and then use a 191 soldering thermometer to determine how many degrees and in which direction to adjust between -50C to +50C. Calibration mode is entered by pressing both buttons together and then releasing and immediately adjusting the calibration value up or down. If you pause it will automatically save the new calibration value and go back to temperature setting/display mode.
When the unit is first removed from the packaging there is a very distinctive transformer lacquer smell that was also noticeable in use, but that will probably wear off quickly. The plastic enclosure gets warm to the touch, but not excessively so. The iron supplied has a one metre long silicone-rubber style lead. The iron stand is made of folded metal with a clip-in sponge tray and is a nice loose fit for the iron.
I tested a generic cheapo complete handle with cable, element and bit from eBay and after noting that the tolerance on the plug and socket was not quite perfect it worked fine. Initially there was a bad connection to the cheapo iron's heater so the unit just sat at its lowest reading on the thermo-couple range (which was about 90C due to the range of the thermocouple sensing being optimised for soldering temperatures.)
In summary, the unit is quiet and surprisingly precise when calibrated. It's soldering performance on general DIY project stuff is more than acceptable.
If you enjoy my videos you can support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random Chinese soldering equipment at