Should I upgrade my Hot Air Station? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: vileslide
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 08:53:37 pm
content: I have a "cheap" hot air station, which i got for ~80€ about 3 years ago.I didn't do much research, I simply wanted a cheap solution at the time and ordered it along with other stuff.It's labelled ZD-939L:https://schwick.de/en/zd-939l-hot-air-station-rework-smd-digital-320w-601009After using it for some rework work, I have a few complaints. Mainly the air flow appears to be just way too high when transferring enough heat to melt solder.I always have to be careful not to blow off any components I'm not too happy with that.I'm now thinking whether I should get this one:https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005006815636435.htmlor maybe this onehttps://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005008414604265.htmlIs my problem station specific or just a skill issue? I also think about getting a preheating plate, but I'm uncertain how that is supposed to work with double sided boards.I'm happy about any recommendations and input

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 09:07:17 pm
content: Don't worry, its not entirely a skill issue, those old style diaphragm pump units are garbage.Either atten or quick is fine, there are many threads on here discussing them.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=u45IgaTQcXoBut you may still need a preheater, they work fine on double sided boards, the idea is to heat the entire board up to ~100C or whatever you want. IR preheater is generally the best option, can be had for around $100.

author: MAS3
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 09:15:18 pm
content: Zhongdi brand is a cheap Chinese one, and I'm using a solder/desolder station of that brand both at work as well as at home.There's probably better brands, but for sure for hobby it's fine for me.Your station has an airflow adjust knob, does that one work and if it does, does the lowest setting still blow off the parts from your board ?I just bought a really cheap hot air station from Aliexpress, just to get familiar with hot air.Tested it but haven't done any actual soldering with it yet so i can't really give you any advice on this.The brands Quick and Atten are known brands, Atten is best known from these.But buying from this source could end up in getting some other brand ("but it is the same thing") or a fake counterfeit one.So be careful.They have similar setting possibilities, for temperature and for airflow.Only difference i see is that the one you've got now has an analog knob for the airflow, and digital setting for the temperature, where the new ones you're looking for both have both settings digital.I think you need to build skill to use this way of soldering, so i guess it's a good advice to practice and practise again.You can find some practice solder PCB and parts an Ali too, just don't be disappointed if those will not work after you're done soldering.A heating plate helps you preheat the entire PCB (as thm_w already told you).It helps preventing heat stress by only applying heat very locally on your PCB.If you want to use this, also let the PCB cool down while still on the heating plate, switched off and cooling down, or setting the plate to cool down slowly (i don't know if a heating plate will offer that or not).

author: vileslide
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 09:26:20 pm
content: Thanks!I already soldered some tiny stuff using it - flow adjustment knob works, but I think it lacks power.I know about the problems with the fake stations - not sure how to avoid that though.Could you recommend a hotplate? I don't want to end up buying another wrong piece of gear because I don't know what to look for yet.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 09:40:27 pm
content: If your station uses a membrane pump, that may be a part of the issue with blowing off components. Due to oscillating airflow they can knock off components at significantly lower average airflow compared to stations that use a blower fan.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2025, 10:30:54 pm
content: Quote from: vileslide on June 12, 2025, 09:26:20 pmI useGordak 853, but it entirely depends on what you are working on.In 95% of cases I don't use it, and just use the hot air gun only, 4-10 layer PCBs. Unless you are working with large parts (BGAs, large inductors) on multilayer boards, it may not be necessary.

author: JURP
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 06:03:29 am
content: For ZD939 and clones, one trick works on small (very small) components.Don't push the diffuser all the way in, but leave a small gap at the mouth through which it blows air sideways.And then think about it when the other hand is next to it.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 03:10:04 am
content: You can spend more money, but the same physics still apply. Air has a low specific heat, so it both needs to be hot and you need a lot of it to heat up your PCB and the stuff on it sufficiently. A preheater helps. Some kind of stand to keep the hot air nozzle in the same position while you go fetch a cuppa coffee also allows for less air speed and slower heating. There are plenty of youtube video's of people who use these things daily, have good quality equipment and still blow away a handful of chicken fodder parts during rework. Kapton tape or shielding with aluminimum foil is also a common method to keep the heating more localized.So overall, it's probably not your equipment, but the way you use it that is the problem. Cheap hot air guns are of a (significant?) lesser quality, and probably wear out quicker, may have electrical safety issues, etc. But as long as they work, they work reasonably well.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 09:50:36 am
content: Quote from: Doctorandus_P on June 14, 2025, 03:10:04 amStations with diaphragm (membrane) pumps have intermittent airflow, making them more prone to blowing off components while applying the same heat.

author: vileslide
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2025, 09:11:51 am
content: My Atten ST-862D and Gordak preheater arrived yesterday and I tested them.Works like a charm, after preheating my scrap board, I could comfortably desolder everythingThanks again

author: surfaced
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 25, 2025, 06:46:30 pm
content: Glad you enjoy it. I also just got an Atten 862D last week as well and its been a revelation for large PCBs and BGA after being stuck in a rut with a 200W hot air pencil (really only suited for passives and cellphone-size stuff).