Getting nowhere with a rework station - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: westfeild
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 03:04:00 pm
content: Hi, i would first like to apologise if this has been covered before but i can't find my answer.I am looking to buy a cheap rework station like this onehttp://www.eBay.co.uk/itm/150691164421?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649After trawling eBay and sending lots of messages asking about a 12 month UK warranty to various listings which state that they are UK sellers, not one has replied which tells me either my messaging system is not working or more likely they can't answer because the answer is NO.Now i know that your thinking why bother about a warranty when I'm going to void it anyway by taking off the handle and more importantly check that it is earthed and fused correctly and should be able to do any needed repairs myself. My rational thinking is, if they don't offer any warranty then what confidence have they in their product. If it's a case of logistics regarding returned items then they should not advertise themselves as a UK based traders when infact they are probably run via clearing warehouse's.If anyone has any positive experience of a particular rework station/supplier or any advise regarding buying one (i.e brushless fan compared to diaphragm pump etc) it would be appreciated.Paul.My requirements:Needs to be the large metal case type as I'm limited for bench space so i can remove the handle to stack my other solder station on topNo more than £120 (won't use it enough to justify paying for a quality one)Supplied from the UK with a 12 month UK warrantyNeeds to be a combi unit so i can use the soldering iron as a spare if needed

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 03:25:32 pm
content: I'd suggest you don't buy from ebay but find a direct UK seller. If you use ebay you will pay the "ebay tax" on top of the base price and you will have the uncertainty about sellers you are discovering. Find a UK seller with a direct web site and phone number, call them up, and look for existing buyer reviews.Sorry I can't give you specific seller recommendations, you will have to do further research on that.

author: LEECH666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 03:32:00 pm
content: http://www.circuitspecialists.eu/blackjack-solderwerks-deluxe-rework-system-bk-6000-p-173.htmlIt's a bit over your price limit, but it also seems to come with a desoldering gun, which is a nice bonus, imo. (If you don't already have one).Anyway I heard that CS has rather good service, but I've never dealt with them myself.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/general-chat/circuit-specialists-europe-ltd-a-good-company-to-deal-with/msg80014/#msg80014Ok looks like this was a dead on arrival situation, so you probably should ask them about their warranty policies (if they have any.)Cheers from Germany,Florian//EDITThis station seems to be more suitable and it's only 75 Quid:http://www.circuitspecialists.eu/esd-safe-smd-soldering-rework-station-csi-906-p-20.html

author: westfeild
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 03:45:34 pm
content: Thanks Florian,I had only looked at circuit specialist on their eBay listings but after looking at the Black Jack 6000 i am tempted to pay the extra as it's what i need, albeit more money but i have got a lot more for the price and confidence in customer support.Cheers, Paul.

author: Circuitous
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 06:23:37 pm
content: I have ordered from CircuitSpecialists.com several times (US), and I've had no problems at all. They seem to get the orders out the door quickly.I have one of their CSI branded rework stations, CSI825, which is a lot cheaper than the BlackJack 6000.http://www.circuitspecialists.com/deluxe-smd-rework-station-csi825a.htmlI have used the unit a bit and it's been fine, but I don't do lots of rework/SMD yet. I haven't had a lot of luck with the vacuum placement wand. One thing I would like is to have the rework-arm that's on the BlackJack unit.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 07:04:23 pm
content: the blackjack 6000 is fantastic for the price , you get a desoldering gun , soldering iron and solder fume vacuum and a hot air rework gun .Sounds good to me

author: westfeild
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 07:26:59 pm
content: The only thing putting me of the BJ6000 apart from the price is that i noticed it uses the soldering iron tips with the heating element in the actual tip, which i assume will be far more expensive than the standard type used with my other irons and if i'm correct you can't just replace the iron with the standard tipped one.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 08:31:16 pm
content: Quote from: westfeild on May 02, 2012, 07:26:59 pmShit man i'm wrong . the heating element really comes with the tipActually you would be better off buying a 898/8786 . They are easier to repair but i believe the iron is a clone of the FM-2028 and anyway CSI sells lots of replacement tips for that BK6000 iron ( Aoyue 2901 uses the same iron ) and you can get really weird tips you might have never seen before from hakko

author: LEECH666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2012, 10:52:17 pm
content: Ohh ... I didn't see that the BJ6000 is around 200 Quid icluding VAT.Might still be worth it.Florian

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2012, 02:12:08 pm
content: I forgot about william but he will damn well test the station for you before sending it to you. ( Yes he means business by checking for faults )http://www.labtronix.co.uk/drupal/

author: ErikTheNorwegian
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2012, 04:51:09 pm
content: Quote from: LEECH666 on May 02, 2012, 03:32:00 pmI asked CS following reg the BK6000:"Dear circuitspecialistseurope,How much does it cost to post the rework station to Norway?"This was their replay:"Hi,The shipping cost for this item to Norway is £34.99, however,the courier also charges a customs clearance fee (£30.00), which we have to pass on.So, combined shipping and customs fee works out at £59.99.Kind Regards- circuitspecialistseurope"That is a lie and nearly a attemt on fraud..I buy a LOT on the bay..pluss my company buy alot of electronics around the world, and customs fees are paid lockaly, after customs evaluation when the fees are put IF there is customs on the item.Never has i/we paid such a fee up front, or actualy for a electronic device bought in the bay or with regular import. There is a fee if the lockal post offce has to handle the customs, but that is paid localy and after the package is deliverd.I do not trust these people!

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2012, 05:16:50 pm
content: If they are using UPS or FedEx I believe it that they charge £30-00 I ordered a calender for my wife from the USA and it was sent UPS. I had to pay £15-00 charge for customs clearance on an item costing £7-00 including shipping. I had a similar experience with FedEx Now if that is the only shipping service used I do not buy from the supplier.

author: ErikTheNorwegian
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2012, 05:59:44 pm
content: Quote from: G7PSK on May 03, 2012, 05:16:50 pmThat is something that is very stupid of them, they must loose every customer they do such stunts to..Norway is regarded inside EU, Scengen agreement, and the customs are charged, if any locally. I would never bought anything from someone that did charged this on top of payment before shipment. because the customs fees then had to be paid double up, again when the shipment was handled locally.And they use as they say on their webside.."Delivery methods:DPD Courier (Next Business Day)Royal Mail 1st ClassPlease note that a £3 surcharge may be applied for DPD courier deliveries to N.I., Highland and Islands - services to remote locations may also take 2 days to arrive."If they send by Royal Mail 1st Class, there is no way they can actuality pre pay that surcharge..EDIT and remarks 04.05.12:Did send CS a mail, and they answered very prompt and did explane that it was the way the Currier wanted it, but they do charge a lot over what local customs handling would have cost, 20£ more in fact. They also did an effort to find cheaper ways of shipping, but total cost, what is important here, would be more expensive.Had a very good communication with them,so they do actually do i very good work doing customers best!

author: LaurenceW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2012, 07:44:20 pm
content: Westfield, IHAVEa BlackJack (whoever they are) BK6000, and here's what I think. It is my first "serious" soldering station - I have previously only used a temperature controlled iron and solder sucker tool.The soldering iron is pretty good, and heats up quickly. Replacement tips are CHEAP. It is worth having a few different sizes. None of mine have failed (in two years) yet. The soldering iron has a built-in fume extractor, which kinda works, but the pump is too noisy for it to be a long-term solution. This also means you have not one, but two, cables (electrical and vacuum pipe) between the iron and the base unit, which makes the ironslightlyless flexible in the hand, but not much. The iron sits in a holder, which caries a small sponge and solder reel. It works.The hot air gun is great for getting a professional result with heat shrink material. I haven't tried to do SMD work or repairs with it, however. Included are a number of masks/shaped parts which allegedly help vector the hot air into a point, square or slot, to match where you want to focus the heat. I can't see why it wouldn't work - I think the quality of the result would be more a function of the operator than the tool. The hot air gun is not detachable from the base unit, by the way, which makes for a slightly bulkier base unit (it attaches to a clip on the side of the base).The de-soldering tool works OK, but it is frustrating in that it blocks up frequently. You will spend more time clearing solder blockages inside the hand gun, than time spent removing solder from boards. If you buy this device, also pick up an extra couple of the fine needle-file "deblocking" tools (quite cheap) - you will need them.The desoldering tools and soldering iron use the same power socket on the front of the base unit, so you can only be soldering or unsoldering at any one time. The de-soldering gun takes a few minutes to reach temperature.There are no fewer than THREE displays - Hot air gun temp (OK with that), Soldering/Desoldering temp (of course) and Air Pressure (for the hot air gun). This displays the amount of hot air being created. I haven't really found a use/value for this, but as stated, I have yet to do any hot air soldering work. I suppose it would be a bummer if your hot air gun simply blew your delicate SMDs clean off the board!The air pumps is quite noisy for continued use. I have the base unit (itself a fairly sturdy metal box) on a piece of sponge to dampen the noise and vibration.If, like me, you switch your iron on, and then wander off for a tinny and forget all about your soldering iron until the following day, then the BK6000's "auto off" feature - powers down after an hour - will probably save your electricity bills AND cut down on burnt out tips.Yes, overall the BK6000 seems to do the job.Mine bought from Circuit Specialists, by the way. No dramas, and cheap postage for spares, which is nice.Now that the unit is out of guarantee, I have of course"taken it apairt"as that OZ bloke would say. Hmm, well, it wouldn't win any awards, but it does the job well enough. Not production-line quality, but fine for home or small batch work.Certainly, I wouldn't now want to spend less than this on a cheaper solder station. As ever in life, you get what you pay for and, if you spend less, you can end up withmuchless, I suggest.

author: westfeild
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2012, 10:34:15 am
content: Hi LaurenceW,Thanks for your response which has been really helpfull in deciding wether to buy one...... just a couple of questions.Regarding the soldering iron, can the vacuum pipe (fume extractor) be removed and used as a normal iron, does the pump only work by manually switching it on? so i could presumably remove the pipe and use as a standard iron without the pump running.Or does the pump run all the time your soldering to accommodate the fume extractor?

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2012, 01:22:04 pm
content: Hmm, one's best bet when you are in UK is to buy a aoyue 474 and a 898bd+ from labtronix

author: ErikTheNorwegian
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 03:11:42 pm
content: Quote from: LEECH666 on May 02, 2012, 03:32:00 pmI orderd one BK-6000 today, so will se both how good it is and how they ship to norway.