
Hakko T18 tip has excellent thermal conductivity, higher thermal mass compared to imitations. It melts the solder faster at the same temperature, which means you can use it at a slightly lower temperature, then the tip will oxidize much more slowly, you can pay more attention to the project instead of worrying about the soldering tip. Although it's also made with a copper core and ferrous alloy outer layer, the higher accuracy makes the thermal resistance 3 times (measured by me) lower than most other tips you can find for the price of a single Hakko tip 10 times receive. But I found myself using the Hakko tip over 10 times more often. For a hobbyist it will last for years, the outer layer may rust but will not affect performance.