choosing the "right" de-soldering gun - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: mr.bill
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 30, 2019, 07:21:44 am
content: I have reached the conclusion that it is time I should get a proper de-soldering gun or tool. I have used solder wick and a solder sucker and understand their weaknesses and strength though and I am no expert by any means.they are OK for point to point and a little through hole here and there but I have some restore and repair projects ahead and I do not want to make a mess of them or end up destroying them. I have looked at the choices and the price spread is astounding there are some that cost a couple $1000 to others under a $100. I have watched many (maybe too many) review videos for Hakko, Yihua, Aoyue, zhongdi ZD985 & zd951 clones.⁮I am on a restricted budget so anything over the price of any of the Hakko is pretty much out of the question the Hakko is pretty high even then. I have read what I could find here reviews but the question really is how do any of them fair medium to long term in durability, efficiency and maintenance? Which is a real value I do not want to end up paying twice in a short time. Again it will be moderate use not a busy repair shop.Looking for advice from those who have more experience then I do.

author: DDunfield
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2019, 12:03:25 pm
content: FWIW: I have the Aoyue 474A++, one of the less expensive options. It's certainly not as nice as higher end units I've used, but it works well enough for my needs which is the occasional repair, salvaging parts from old boards, that kind of thing. I don't think I'd recommend it if you were going to be using it on a daily basis, but for occasional use it's a lot better than a solder sucker.A couple bits of advise on using it (probably applies to a lot of them):- Empty and clear the filters often.- Keep the filter sponge damp.- Keep the trigger pulled till all solder has cleared the nozzle/tube. I've gotten in the habit if lifting the gun up and listening for the nozzle sucking air before releasing the trigger. Doing this it rarely clogs.As for longevity, I've had it maybe a year of occasional use, doesn't seem to have degraded. Filter springs that come with it are not great, but you can replace with Hakko ones. No real maintenance other than keeping solder path clear and replacing filters as needed.Dave

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2019, 03:09:16 pm
content: I bought a Hakko 808 about 10 years ago and have used it quite heavily, it has never given me any trouble at all. Maintenance is similar on most of these sort of tools, you have to clean the bore frequently, empty solder clumps out of the collection tube and replace the filter regularly but none of this is difficult to do. I finally replaced the original tip on mine last year as it deteriorated on the inside and was not making good thermal contact with the heater.

author: IDEngineer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2019, 04:38:24 pm
content: Here's a vote for the Hakko FR-300 (which I believe has been updated to the -301). I TOTALLY understand your feelings about "it is time I should get a proper de-soldering gun". I went decades without one, fiddling around with solder wick and spring-loaded suction tools and whatnot. I finally, FINALLY "splurged" and picked up the FR-300... and have kicked myself ever since for waiting so long. My teenaged son, who does a lot of soldering, says it's the single most important piece of equipment on our soldering table. He's threatening to take it with him to college this fall, and I wouldn't blame him one bit.Seriously... bite the bullet and buy a proper desoldering tool. This Hakko is a dream. No separate pumps, totally self contained, lots of interchangable tip options, easy to clean, etc. Its one and only downside is its power LED is not visible when it's inserted into its stand, which can lead you to leave it turned on overnight. My son did that once and it ruined the tip that was installed. We fixed that by putting everything on the soldering table, including the illuminated magnifying glass, on a common power strip. When we get up from the table, we turn off the strip and we know everything is depowered.Highly, highly recommended!

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2019, 05:31:04 pm
content: The FR-300 is a redesign of the 808 so I'd expect it to perform similarly. I like these self contained gun style much better than the base and wand style which I've used at work in the past.I also keep all my soldering gear on a power strip which also controls the bench light, I've left it on in the past and had a few close calls which make me nervous.

author: grbk
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2019, 06:06:07 pm
content: Another vote here for the Hakko FR-301 (a revised FR-300, and I assume descendant of the 808).This thing makes desoldering a piece of cake. It feels like you're cheating.

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2019, 06:53:42 pm
content: The FR-301 is awesome. I love mine. Got it from tequipment using the EEVblog member discount code (there's a big thread somewhere with the current code).

author: mr.bill
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 03, 2019, 10:19:33 am
content: well the only thing I can say i appreciate the advice and understand why a well known brand is preffered long term. I am afraid I will have to postpone any purchase decisions for a while as frustrating as that is. I will just make do with what I have for now and wait on those projects that would need a good de-soldering tool . I have more then enough to do as it is.mr bill

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2019, 11:45:23 am
content: Quote from: mr.bill on April 30, 2019, 07:21:44 amFor reliability the minimum would be the Hakko FR-301.The industry standard would be the Pace SX-100 handpiece which uses a station for vacuum. These are a step up again in price new but the main difference is they have a much broader range of tips, through hole, extended reach, performance, land prep (Flo-D-Sodr) and flat pack removal (Pik-Tips). The handpieces and stations also have anti clogging features, spares and rebuild kits for specific stations to keep them running.Some have picked up the older Pace SX handpieces on ebay extremely cheap and I've seen stations and handpieces go for around $100 but those are jumped on quick. This video gives you an idea of their use, notice the age of this particular handpiece it's got to be like 30 years old. Just make sure everything is running fine if you go secondhand and do your research on what model. Sensatemp is the older series and Intelliheat is the current series.

author: NoisyBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2019, 05:09:07 pm
content: Wow, that was a beauty. Now I want one as I will be recapping some of my old hi-fi amplifiers, it makes the job easy and enjoyable! Thanks for sharing.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2019, 09:11:27 pm
content: If one is on a tight budget some of the Chinese clones are ok. To some extent you get what you pay for but even a cheap vacuum desoldering tool is far better than none at all. For through-hole work it is indispensable.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2019, 10:06:02 pm
content: Quote from: mr.bill on May 03, 2019, 10:19:33 amDave has a good look at one of the cheap ones here:https://www.eevblog.com/2013/11/01/eevblog-542-zd985-desoldering-station/

author: windsmurf
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2019, 12:16:34 am
content: Quote from: tautech on May 03, 2019, 10:06:02 pmNice! $119 on Amazon. I think I'm gonna get one! Thanks!

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2019, 12:54:58 am
content: Quote from: windsmurf on May 04, 2019, 12:16:34 amYeah I thought it was a good overview of how one should work and a good few usage tips there too.Defpom across Auckland from me uses one in his YT repair vids however for the little bit of repair work I do these days I haven't shelled out for one yet.I splashed out on a soldering/SMD rework station some years back that with any luck should see me out.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2019, 02:48:36 am
content: Did we ever figure out if the ZD-915 or ZD-985 is better? They are about the same price.

author: NoisyBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2019, 03:57:54 am
content: The Amazon reviews convinced me to pay more and stay with the name brand, last thing I need is headaches from cheap tools.I am leaning towards a Hakka FR-410 or may be the 301. The Pace looks enticing as well.Does anyone has experience with the FR-410?

author: GregDunn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2019, 04:23:42 am
content: After looking at the cheap desoldering guns and then buying a refurbished Hakko 808, I'm glad I went for the name brand. Last year I went through the same procedure for a replacement iron and ended up with a refurb FX-951 that has been excellent. If I were to buy a brand new desoldering unit, it would be a FR-301 for sure. I don't do the volume of rework that would make a FR-410 worth the money.

author: NoisyBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2019, 04:57:39 am
content: Good point, just ordered a FR-301. Thanks for all the kind advices.

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2019, 05:05:19 am
content: You'll love it! I don't need a desoldering tool super often, but when I do, it makes everything so easy.

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2019, 11:54:57 am
content: I'm a bit late to the party.I use a Denon SC-7000 which works very well on through hole stuff so good for re-capping. It is not really designed for surface mount.

author: MaxFrister
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2019, 03:13:01 pm
content: I recently had to replace my old Hakko 808. New, brand name ones, were too expensive for a tool I use rarely and I am generally disappointed with the new cheap brands. I choose an older hakko desoldering station, a 472B. But, as usual with ebay, it required a bit of effort to make it work.I expected to have to rebuild the pump, but it was fine. I ended up clearing the hose that was partly blocked, replacing the dim red led with a bright blue one, and applying calibrated tape to the faceplate.Total cost about $200 delivered. I've seen them go for much less. You have to do your homework. Some require an external air compressor and I'm not sure if all Hakko hand pieces fit all base stations.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2019, 05:09:28 pm
content: Quote from: MaxFrister on May 05, 2019, 03:13:01 pmI saw an older model Hakko rework station for $50? a few weeks back and thought it would have been great to pass onto someone here but I couldn't find tips for it anywhere and there were no references to the model online, if it was closer I would have brought it on principle.Speaking of deals Top Loser (forum member) sold a few open box Pace ST115/SX-90 desoldering stations for just over $200a few weeks ago, sat there for a while then suddenly everything got snapped up.Yeah you definitely need due diligence and be prepared to disassemble buying secondhand.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 05, 2019, 05:56:06 pm
content: Quote from: windsmurf on May 04, 2019, 12:16:34 amI have one and it works well for my uses. Proper care and feeding is important. Give it a minute after it comes up to temp. Make sure you keep the suction going for a few seconds after lifting off of the pad to make sure the solder is sucked out of the tube and keep the filter clean.