Trying to give a second life to a Hakko desoldering station - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: QuebecTech
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 09:13:38 pm
content: Hello,In the past year or two I've collected basic equipment to start fixing computer and electronics stuff. Within that collection I've come across a cheap HAKKO desoldering station. After buying it I realize the desoldering gundid notcome with the station.After looking around i've found is worth a lot more than what I paid for the station, around 250USD.Should I toss it in the electronics recycling bin or is there a "Generic" type of desoldering gun that would be compatible with the station.Looking on ebay I see a few of those stations without any hardware included. Is that a common occurance?Thanks in advance for your advice!Regards from Canada,Simon

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 09:37:07 pm
content: Hi welcome to the forum.I am affraid that I do not know much about Hakko stuff, they are not popular in Europe.There is this desoldering gunhttps://cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d00756/soldering-gun-for-d00672-4/dp/SD01394?MER=sy-me-pd-mi-acceThe main problems will beDo the connection fit?Is the heating element and temperature sensor compatible?Good luckEdit must mention that the quality of the item does not match Hakko stuff but is much better than cheap chinese desoldering guns.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 10:18:41 pm
content: You need to provide more info for us to figure out what exactly you have.

author: QuebecTech
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 11, 2020, 10:23:17 pm
content: Thank you Amyk for your guidance. I have a Hakko 472-1 similar to this one below. The connector on the Duratool gun is female and the base unit is male connector. The Hakko is the opposite. I'm still looking around for alternatives. I'm not in a hurry or anything.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2020, 01:53:12 am
content: The Hakko 807 handpiece in the photo is trying to emulate the Pace design which has been around for decades. The Duratool looks based on the Hakko 809.Throwing money at that station is a dead end unless you can get a cheap original Hakko 807 handpiece for it, plus parts for the pump if it's needs them and consumables like tips and filters. If you can't or it's cost prohibitive, get rid of it (sell it).The Pace SX100 handpiece is the real deal, it's still current has a long service life and a large range of reasonably priced tips and consumables. They aren't cheap but you can find them secondhand. Same problem though for used desoldering stations and handpieces, if they have had big hours you may need to still bring them up to spec by replacing worn partshttps://www.ebay.com/itm/164182208553

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2020, 02:18:53 am
content: OP check your controller board P/N, there are different 472 variants.As far as I can figure out, some (472, 472-1) are 2-wire (gun 6-pin connector) and later units (472B,472D) went to a 4-wire heater (gun 8-pin connector). Older models used 24VAC motor, then they changed to a 24VDC motor.It is possible to retrofit a chinese knockoff gun - but these use a thermocouple instead of RTD and need some circuit/connector mods.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/hakko-472-desoldering-pump-adding-a-aoyue-b1002a-desoldering-gun/I was drawing a Hakko 472/473 controller board schematic but it's brutal so I left it.I have used a few Pace desoldering stations and found they don't perform as good as the Hakko. The tips just turn black and don't plate or wet at all for decent heat transfer IMHO. Although they both have similar problems with clogging at the heater exit. Hakko improved their heater design, shorter tube to fix that. I don't know what temp sensor is used in the Pace pencil, if it could work with OP's controller board.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2020, 04:14:27 am
content: Floobs, it sounds like the tips were continuously used without retinning and cleaning if you had black flux burnt in on the ends. Pace has had extra copper down the tip barrels and fluted ends now for quite a while to prevent clogging on the SX100 tips. They also have vacuum features to reduce this, which Hakko looks to have started copying as well.Just my opinion but I prefer the Pace designed tips, when you replace the tip you get a new barrel as it's all one piece. They also have a larger range than Hakko and are cheaper for the basic tips. Paces work out to be approx $8 each, so old barrel and blackened tip wear problems are an easily solved.Anyway each to their own, but there is no way I'd put a Chinese handpiece on that station it's like a downgrade, better to put it towards something decent or wait until a cheap 807 with stand comes up.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2020, 04:39:18 am
content: I just looked and someone sold a complete Hakko 472B with 807 on Ebay for $150 a few weeks back. I've seen a similar model go for $80 here, but the tip was wrecked and it's one of those models you can't get new tips for anymore which probably explained the price. Otherwise it would have been great for someone on the forums.

author: QuebecTech
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 13, 2020, 05:26:45 am
content: Thanks for all the useful responses! I will end up buying an original, either the gun or whole thing whichever I come by first. I don't feel like making this more complicated than it could be.Post closed!