A soldering station is probably one of the most important tools in an electronics workshop. In the over 40 years that I’ve been working with soldering irons, I’ve had quite a few models in use. Back then© (between 1987 and 1994) as a radio and television technician, stations from Ersa and Weller were the standard and all of them rarely exceeded 60 watts of power. At that time, however, the electronics world also looked a bit different: double-sided populated boards were the exception, SMD components anyway (apart from a few MELFs) not yet commonplace and lead-free solder was also unknown. You only knew what was offered in the suppliers’ catalogs and that usually came from Weller and Ersa.
So until now I also had an Ersa Analog 60 and an ancient Weller WTCP (“Magnastat”) soldering station in use, which unfortunately were no longer (or never were …) up to all tasks. This includes, for example, being able to use different soldering tips quickly and easily. In addition, they often lacked the necessary power and the heat-up time was agonizingly long. When it had to be quick, I had recently been using the affordable TS100 soldering iron more often, but its power is also limited. A soldering station in the 150 watt class was therefore needed.
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Since I was willing to spend a bit more money, I not only looked at the i-Con models from Ersa, but also soldering stations from JBC, Hakko, Weller and Metcal. Soldering stations from Chinese production like Yihua and their identical clones from Conrad, ELV & Co. were out.
In my selection, models from Metcal and JBC remained at the end, which met my requirements for power, flexibility and speed. However, the overall concept of JBC convinced me the most:
- Fast, convenient and safe soldering tip change without tools
- Huge selection of soldering tip shapes (over 160 for the C245 model)
- Extremely fast heat-up and standby function (extends the life of the tip)
- High and stable heating power
- Good supply situation for soldering tips and spare parts
- Comfortable soldering iron with very flexible cable (extremely important to me!)
- Priced (in its class) still comparatively affordable
- Best ratings in comments and forums
In terms of price, the JBC CB-2 is currently around 370 € without and 390 € with a soldering tip. This makes the JBC about 40 € cheaper than an Ersa i-Con and a good 140 euros cheaper than a comparable soldering station from Metcal.
The soldering station, together with 5 soldering tips, was quickly delivered by electronics retailer Welectron .
When you unpack the JBC soldering station, you immediately notice that you’re dealing with an absolutely professional tool here. The base is heavy and excellently made. The soldering iron with its green foam rubber grip feels fantastic in the hand and the soldering tip is short enough for precise SMD work under the microscope .
After switching on, the JBC soldering station needs just under 7 seconds to boot, to be at the standby temperature of 150 °C after another 2 seconds. If you remove the soldering iron, it heats up to 350 °C within 4 seconds! If you put it back in its holder, it is automatically cooled down to the standby temperature again. After an adjustable time, the soldering station then goes into deep sleep at room temperature if not used. So you can also no longer forget to turn off the soldering iron.
The automatic switch between standby temperature and soldering temperature is so fast that you completely forget about it. By the time you’re at the solder joint, it already has operating temperature. Alternatively, you can set a time period that the soldering iron should remain at the set soldering temperature after you’ve put it in the holder.
3 different temperatures can be programmed, which can be called up at the touch of a button. I’ve set these for lead-free soldering and desoldering (350 °C), leaded solder (320 °C) and SMD (leaded and lead-free) (290 °C).
With JBC, the soldering tip is also the heating element including temperature sensor at the same time. This means that the soldering tips are somewhat more expensive, but they are also enormously fast and keep the temperature precise. This allows you to set low soldering tip temperatures, as these are always reliably available due to the fast readjustment. An unnecessarily high temperature, however, significantly reduces the life of the soldering tip.
With the Ersa i-Con stations, on the other hand, you have a heating element with a plugged-on soldering tip, which is why these also take significantly longer to heat up, the soldering tip change is very cumbersome and must be done with a cooled soldering iron.
JBC specifies the peak power as 130 watts at 23.5 volts. In fact, the station also pushes this power into the soldering tip during heat-up. With a power meter, you can clearly see how quickly and dynamically more power is called up when you need it. In the display, a bar graph informs you about the currently called-up power in percent.
6 tips for soldering beginners
Always solder at the lowest possible temperature. Too high temperatures shorten the life of the soldering tip, burn the flux and cause poor solder joints.
Lead-free solder: 350 °C Leaded solder (Sn60Pb40): 320 °C SMD lead-free: 300 °C
The size of the soldering tip should roughly correspond to the size of the solder joint. Larger tip, better temperature transfer.
Large areas or thick cables require large soldering tips. Small SMD components, correspondingly small soldering tips.
First heat the solder joint and then feed the solder while the soldering tip is still in position.
Feed the right amount of solder to the heated solder joint and not to the soldering tip. Solder joints should look concave (no ball or drop).
Don’t use the soldering iron with pressure or even for levering, as this damages the iron coating of the soldering tip.
If the temperature is not transferred correctly, the power, soldering tip or temperature don’t match.
Don’t heat for very long, as components can be damaged.
Clean the soldering tip regularly before the soldering process with a metal sponge or slightly damp sponge (distilled water, gentler than metal sponges). Always put the soldering tip back tinned to avoid oxidation.
In case of heavy contamination, use soldering tip cleaner (and only then!)
Don’t inhale soldering fumes. With frequent use, use a fume extractor. Clamp boards and components so that they are securely fixed. With leaded solder, wash your hands after work.
Beware of solder splashes and drops. Keep the workplace tidy and without flammable material nearby.
The JBC CD-2 in practice
I was extremely amazed at how big the difference is with the JBC soldering station. Soldering is much faster and easier. Large ground planes are effortlessly heated without having to fry around on one spot for a long time. Changing the soldering tip from a large beveled soldering tip to a pencil tip with 0.6 mm for SMDs is effortless and quick and you also don’t have to worry about the soldering tip slipping or burning yourself. After the change, the working temperature is available in less than 5 seconds.
Details like the brass sponge with a rubber cover that prevents solder splashes or the adjustable holder including cable suspension show that a lot of thought has been put into practical use at JBC. This also includes the simple update of the firmware via the built-in USB port. In addition, there is “Robot Control”, free software with which you can read out temperatures and edit the configuration on the PC.
For the soldering tips, I made the following selection:
- JBC C245-951 beveled with 3.8 mm for large areas and stranded wires
- JBC C245-102 beveled 2 mm for drag soldering
- JBC C245-160E chisel-shaped with 1.6 mm as E version for (E)xtended durability - my standard soldering tip
- JBC C245-731 chisel-shaped with 0.6 mm width for SMDs and very fine work
- JBC C245-955 blade shape with 13 mm length - my absolute favorite for desoldering
The JBC C245-955 soldering tip is an absolute game changer. With it, not only can very large solder joints be effortlessly liquefied, but components with multiple pins can also be desoldered quickly and easily. The blade covers, for example, two pins of an electrolytic capacitor at once, so that you can simply pull it out. And DIP/DIL and 8 or 16 ICs can also be completely heated on one side and lifted with it.
While I used to mostly work with only one soldering tip because changing was too cumbersome, I now always take the right tip - because it’s so easy. Pull out the soldering tip with the built-in tool. Insert the new soldering tip from the holder. Done!
You always have up to 5 soldering tips available in the station, plus the one that’s in the handle.
Conclusion
The JBC CD-2 impressively shows what you should actually have been using much earlier. Compared to stations under 200 €, a completely new world opens up. What used to be often tedious and annoying is effortless with the JBC soldering station. Even standard tasks like simple THT solder joints are faster and look neater.
Because the selected temperature at the soldering tip is always reliably available, you can work with lower temperatures. This protects the soldering tip, burns less flux and ensures perfect results.
About 400 euros (with one soldering tip) for a soldering station is not peanuts for hobby use. But it’s among the best invested 400 € that I’ve spent on a tool in a long time.
At Welectron, the JBC CD-2BQF is still on offer: https://www.welectron.com/JBC-CD-2BQF-Digitale-Loetstation
Opinion and review of:
JBC CD-2BQF
The JBC CD-2BQF impressively demonstrates what a professional soldering station can do. Extremely fast heat-up, tool-free tip changes and precise temperature control make soldering noticeably easier and faster. The ~€400 is not cheap for hobby users, but worth every cent – an investment you’ll appreciate with every solder joint.
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Hi! I'm Markus – the Fricklr. ⚡ Electrical engineer, 🎵 musician (bass, guitar, keys) and professionally 'something with the internet' 🌐 for over 30 years – nowadays with AI too 🤖 – a 55-year-old generalist from Bavaria, Germany.
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