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ALIENTEK T90B: How to Pick Between the T245, T210 and T65 Handles — Choose by What You Solder, Then Set the Temperature to the Joint
The station is one decision; the handle is the real one. The ALIENTEK T90B is the base unit with adjustable temperature, and the listing is built around a choice: which handle family it should wear — T245, T210 or T65, with T80 listed as an option, marked as a new version. That choice decides what you can actually solder well, so make it from your own bench, not from the price tag. The honest way to choose: look at the joints you make most. Tiny SMD pads, connector pins, repair on dense boards — these want the smaller-tip handle family. Larger pads, wire, through-hole and general bench repair — the broader-tip family. If you do both, remember the handles are separate purchases: many owners start with one and add the second later, and the station stays the same. The listing does not state which handle ships at this price or which tips come in the box, so before paying, ask exactly that: station only, or station plus which handle, plus which tips. Second question: tip supply — a handle family is only as good as the tips you can still buy for it, so confirm compatible tip availability and whether third-party tips work. Third: the power plug must suit your outlets, and adjustable temperature means you set it per job — but confirm the display and controls match what the photos show. Choose the handle by your work, buy tips for it, and this is the station that grows with the bench instead of being replaced. 974 sold with a 98.0% positive rating.