how about this hot air rework station: X-TRONIC" MODEL 4040? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2014, 05:13:48 pm
content: http://www.amazon.com/X-TRONIC-MODEL-4040-Soldering-MAGNIFYING/dp/B003TC8EQSI was looking for just a hot air station but this one is a good price, has both a regular iron and hot air and most importantly: a company that services them and stands behind them. NOT a 1HL item here!anyone have this or experience with this vendor (the_mercantile_station) ?

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 06:37:32 pm
content: was going to buy this, but then, the call of name-brand stuff was just too strong.found 2 ebay deals that I jumped on:hakko 850http://www.ebay.com/itm/291117955900and hakko 950http://www.ebay.com/itm/131152541876the new price for hakko is way too high for home users; but the used price can sometimes be tolerable.I have not used hot tweezers before. looks interesting

author: Jarrod Roberson
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 06:49:01 pm
content: Based on this teardown review you probably made the safest and most economical choice in the long run. Burned down house is more expensive than any Hakko!http://www.amazon.com/review/R1NGRGS7OLF8GQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B003TC8EQSTL;DRThe flourescent lamp on the other hand is unsafe. Upon inspection of the cord for the lamp, I noticed that the cable jacket was exposed. Plugging it in allowed it to work but the plug was so cheap that it would not stay put in a common ul recognized receptacle. I was going to replace the cord to make it usable, but when I opened the base of the lamp I was more than a little shocked at what i found. The counter weight of the lamp is achieved with two rocks super-glued in place! There is a small circuit board adjacent to the rocks which is not fused and provides an unisolated connection to the lamp head via ~20-22awg wire. In my opinion this lamp is a fire hazard.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 06:58:25 pm
content: yikes! and the seller makes such a big deal out of it being an american support group in nebraska or something. it seems he imports these things and appears to act like a responsible local rep, but if there are rocks just glued inside, that sounds ultra hacky. there would be doubt about the rest of the gear included.this is what pushed me over to the 'old grungy used gear' side. I'll take the devil I know to the devil I don't know, that's how the saying goes, anywaya used old hakko is a known quantity and I know I can get parts for it and refurb it, if need be.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 07:48:53 pm
content: I've purchased from this guy in the past (last time was about 4 months ago). Some of the stuff is totally Chinese and the parts for the stations are for sure but they do seem to be assembled better than most. The listing is pretty close to what you pay (in Canada anyway) for a cheapo hot air station, basically you get the tweezers and iron for free. I have an older variation and it has been pretty good. I have a programmer as well, and it has worked very well.http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-USA-Brand-GQ-5200-hot-tweezer-SMD-Rework-station-hot-air-soldering-Iron-/310677696747?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item4855d570eb

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 08:19:09 pm
content: OK, so now everyone knows that the station is good but the lamp is dangerous. Forget the lamp! It's basically a giveaway with the station. Anyone reading this, get the station and either repair/exchange the lamp if bad or just recycle it.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 08:41:59 pm
content: that GQ was that kicked me over to thinking about the tweezers. I was very close to ordering that very unit, too, but my offer was accepted on both hakko units (I always try the 'make offer' button first). had I not gotton the actual hakko items, I would have definitely tried the GC.

author: Jarrod Roberson
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 09:09:44 pm
content: The guy selling the lamps attitude is ridiculous, he says they are crap and that they have a failure rate of 1:200, and will replace them if you complain!He doesn't get it, you shouldn't have to complain about something being broken, much less dangerous enough to kill you / burn your house down!I think it is a flippant attitude that is probably systemic to the entire company.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2014, 09:39:44 pm
content: he sells on amazon and also ebay. on amazon, the pkg includes the lamp and was $150 (when I logged in, as prime). on ebay, without the lamp, its $129.I didn't need or want a lamp; I have a large one that mounts at the corner of my workbench, on a swing arm. this would just add shipping cost and landfill usage.again, its stuff like this that pushed me toward a used name-brand item instead of a brand new 1HL one.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 12:19:42 am
content: Quote from: linux-works on April 06, 2014, 06:37:32 pmGood choice. I return an Atten clone after I opened it and noticed the poor ground path. Got a 850 and am happy with it.BTW, when you plug it to the power, does the pump goes on for a half a minute or so, even if it is cold? Mine does.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 05:40:44 am
content: Good scores !When it comes to Hakko, from my experiences, even used but not heavily abused, they're still work for a very long time.You should open up the 850 to clean it up the accumulated dust in there, especially at the air regulator, as reference my 850B, maybe similar to your 850 too.The air regulator is the one with knob at the front and the brass tube with holes connected with the T pipe junction, at the lower left at 1st pic above the bolted TO220 transistor at the bottom of the case.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 05:49:28 am
content: Just remembered I took another close up shot on the air regulator, this one should be better understandable.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 05:58:41 am
content: It's funny I'm looking at that hakko with the cover off. The Chinese ones are thinner plate for the case and mounts, basically cheaper material overall. Having said that with a little more effort they wouldn't have to be crap out of the box, mount the transistor well, use nicer wire, skip the connectors to save a buck, connect the grounds properly, solder, trim zip tie or two and clean. Yes they would still be cheapo's but it would go a long way. Make it a feature, print it on the box "Take off the cover and check out our work"

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 06:04:52 am
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on April 07, 2014, 05:58:41 amJust tiny detail, a hint on Hakko's quality when it comes to their parts, even just for a lowly stupid plastic T connector for connecting the air pipes, just watch the label at the T plastic.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 06:46:46 am
content: Does that say Italy?

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 02:28:30 pm
content: Made in Italy

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2014, 02:30:56 pm
content: when I see italy, I think 'espresso machine' (OT: I wrote some arduino code and designed some hardware to PID control my rancillio silvia machine) and that's perhaps why they are using italian hoses and junctions. most of the good high-end espresso machines do come from italy, in fact.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2014, 06:46:43 pm
content: got my real hakko 850 in the mail today.it looks quite different from the 850b. the b seems to have the pcb mounted up front; mine is in the back. mine has 2 pots for controls and the 850b has an air valve or physical mixing thing going on; not a pot at all. 'b' model has the white empty (buffer?) container on top of the pump and the non-b has it up front, vertical and smaller in size. 'b' has iec connector in back and non-b has a direct wire. also the holder for the handpieces are different.I wonder what the deal is between the air regulator thing vs the pot thing?

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2014, 06:57:44 pm
content: Not very sure, maybe a smoother air flow adjustment vs electronic control at the pump ?As you can see at the photos, the air regulator is sort of controlling the air pressure by adjusting the air leakage when I turn the regulator's knob in front, and it has the very smooth transition from strong to very soft air flow and vice versa when adjusting the knob.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2014, 04:26:22 am
content: pics of what I got today:

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2014, 05:15:41 am
content: pros: performance really nice for airflow, it varies the pump.Soldering iron: fits hakko tips, but tightly like the 16.00 iron dave tested, easy to break heating element. Maybe ream out hakko tips first.extra heater spares for air and iron.Cons: see below. Triac to run heater controlled by gate. No clunky real power switch in circuit.I liked my 4000 series unit. But I ran it off a solar powered modified sine wave supply doing work in a remote observatory. It did not like the crap it was receiving, and fried the triacs.I emailed the x-tronic owner, and he said he would send out a board for the the cost of postage.he did but the board was not tested I think.To make a short story, I never got a chance to send him the 10.00 (guilt) due to family health issues, and the board sent was for parts, not performance, I think.He has his heart into supplying a good product, he told me this was an experiment, as he was selling meat grinders and the like.Maybe I should send him 10.00 and ask to jump in the forum.The scary thing is the station could turn on by a failing triac, with no clunky real power switch.

author: tolit_02
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 05, 2018, 06:06:48 pm
content: hi do you have picture of the full board hakko 850b thank you

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2018, 06:09:49 am
content: Hi,Think you are in wrong thread, this is 4 years ago last post, and not about a Hakko station.I am going to pursue getting his 10.00 back to him totally forgot, thanks.