SMD tools - Hot air Rework or Micro Soldering Iron - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: dan-esc
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 03:04:20 am
content: Hi all,I'm 29 and interested in soldering SMD boards.I purchased a Hakko Fx 888d and have been using this with some tips for some PCBs.I'm finding that SMD and small components are very common with the areas I'm interested in video game and arcade electronics such as JAMMA Superguns and OSSChttps://github.com/marqs85/ossc_pcbI've got the OSSC PCB's printed and I've done a little bit of drag soldering for QFP's. I'm thinking the OSSC PCB will be the most challenging board yet and I may need to purchase some more gear if I have some issues. The other board I'd like to solder is the SMD challenge from hackadayhttps://hackaday.com/tag/smd-challenge/which has a 0201 which I'm fine with not completing but interesting nonethelessMy first thought was a cheap Hot Air Rework soldering station like the Atten 858d ($300AUD) however I've seen Micro Soldering Iron's such as the Weller WT1010 Soldering Station with WTP90 Handpiece. I believe John Gammell uses are more expensive but similar small iron in his videos on youtube for SMD. I'm wondering when and if I need to upgrade is Hot Air Rework more useful or would a Micro Soldering Iron be more useful? I don't often desolder and take parts off old boards as much as I need to solder new boards.I'm also a fan of Hakko however their Micro Soldering Iron pencils seem to be larger than the Weller type?Thank you,

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 03:47:28 am
content: QuotePrice is like 5 times exaggerated. Dunno what you mean by "Micro Soldering Iron" in particular. Most of decent soldering stations have very fine tips (which you usually don't even need) and there is basically no need in some specialized low power irons. Have not seen anything from John Gammell that cannot be done with 888D. Also many components are simply impossible or very difficult to solder/rework with just a soldering iron. Hot air is a must these days.QuoteThat's easy. Try 01005.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 08:08:13 am
content: If you want to work with parts under 0805 then I recommend spending ~US$273.25 on a stereo microscope with 0.5x barlow lens.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000921525050.htmlThat seller (luckyzoom) is trustworthy. I've got multiple microscopes from them before without any issues

author: Ctrlocti
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 17, 2020, 05:50:54 am
content: I personally draw the line at 0402 for hand soldering. At 0402 it's not the soldering itself that's hard, it's physically picking up, rotating, placing and holding in place the components that's a pain in the ass.It's more time consuming than through hole at that point. They are so small they will stick on anything (tweezers for example).

author: dan-esc
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 05:54:16 am
content: Thanks guys, Christmas is coming up but it sounds like my Hakko 888d will be fine for most things.I guess a hot air rework station is mostly used for desoldering parts etc?

author: lilJohn
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 07:30:10 am
content: Quote from: dan-esc on October 20, 2020, 05:54:16 amPretty much. However, you still could use a hot air rework station for soldering but you just need to take more caution to prevent overheating any components (see video linked below). It is just that other soldering methods specifically purposed for soldering, rather than to discriminately rework specific component(s), are more laid back (see below).Video (GreatScott! - SMD Reflow Soldering: Hot Air vs Sand vs Reflow Oven):Time StampsHot Air Soldering:https://youtu.be/DYrucIWig24?t=241Overheating an IC while Hot Air Soldering(I am not sure if it is just cosmetic damage or if it bricked the IC):https://youtu.be/DYrucIWig24?t=287Sand Soldering:https://youtu.be/DYrucIWig24?t=326Reflow Oven:https://youtu.be/DYrucIWig24?t=389

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 09:53:34 am
content: Those Atten 858D+ used to be about $80 AU and I've seen them cheaper. Do not ever consider buying one for $300 AU, you can order them direct from China on several websites like aliexpress and banggood. They are over $100 now but they are making a killing at this price.As a comparison the Yihua 858D+ cost me about $45 with free shipping and there is one on the ebay.com.au for $57.99 with free shipping.Anyway there are quite a few different brands and it's a bit of a potential lottery on quality, as well as unbranded models they have also had counterfeits of Atten and Yihua so it's possible to get ripped off that way as well.As a rule try to avoid buying shit from China as much as you can. In the case of a cheap 858D+ you get reasonable value for money but they are still not a super high quality item. People are spending hundreds on combo stations from China and in many cases it's just a heap of crap.If you are wanting higher performance familiarize yourself with models like the Quick 861DW. Still a Chinese brand but high power and high flow with a air pump in the station (rather than in the handle like the 858D+) worth a couple of hundred in my opinion, they will get the job done better.

author: JohnPen
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 12:19:44 pm
content: I purchased this rework station from ebay in the UK. An example not my original supplier.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2in1-SMD-Soldering-Iron-Station-Hot-Air-Gun-Rework-Welder-Desoldering-Tool-862D/153646417412?hash=item23c60a4604:g:CL4AAOSwzfRdgRSqExcept for an early failure of the Soldering Iron element it has been very reliable. Unfortunately the original dealer offering a so called 1 year warranty did not respond so do not expect that part of the deal to work from all suppliers. Fortunately the standard Hakko type element can be fitted instead providing you have a second soldering iron.That said it has since been very reliable and works very well with a lot of use both hot air desoldering and soldering with the iron for several years. Although the hot air flow is very adjustable with SMD sizes it can be challengingto solder with it. However attaching a multi pin IC does work reasonably OK with the hot air option and judicious use of cocktail sticks. In my case most soldering has been with the iron only and with some fine tweezers which has worked well.

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 01:03:18 pm
content: with the right material (solder/flux) and the right technique, I think one is better off with a rework station for SMD soldering than with a classical fine solder tip; although I have a homebrew solder station with a Weller RT1 tip, I'm barely using it. QFN is nearly impossible to handle with a solder iron, BGA totally impossible, so a good rework station is a fine investment for the future

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 01:26:15 pm
content: Quote from: dan-esc on October 20, 2020, 05:54:16 amNot really. If you assemble things from scratch, for SMD the way to go is to apply solder paste on pads, place components and reflow with a hot air gun or a reflow oven if you have one. Also soldering iron is barely useful for QFN since you cannot solder pad underneath and has completely no use for soldering BGA. For rework it's very useful because you can easily melt all of the component solder joints simultaneously.

author: Ctrlocti
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 02:41:05 pm
content: I'm wondering how come Hakko did not release any affordable hot air stations. The fx888d sells like hotcakes.In your opinion, which hot air station would be the equivalent of the hakko fx 888d in terms of quality/price?

author: Pack34
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 03:38:32 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on October 15, 2020, 08:08:13 amA good microscope was the best EE tool I ever bought. I'd look at the Amscope brand ones since you can get it next-day on Amazon for about the same price. Be sure to get one with a ring light. Either a traditional miscroscope style like the one linked above or for about $100 more you can have it on a swing arm.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 06:38:17 pm
content: Quote from: Ctrlocti on October 20, 2020, 02:41:05 pmSoldering hot air, tweezers and vacuum desoldering are more used as rework tools for repair. They are less common so more expensive, especially the high quality professional tools. If you are repairing or reworking boards you are typically making money or saving time which offsets the cost of the tool (compared to just soldering a few wires or a project together).I don't know if a comparable quality/price hot air station exists. Something like the Atten 858D+ is fine for hobby use. Most cheap Chinese made products aren't going to pass any safety or quality standards in a hurry.

author: dan-esc
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 01:13:43 am
content: Thanks all, I've found a better site for the Atten 858d instead of their UK website for the better price as discussed.Now I'm going to consider the Atten hot air rework or Microscope - I'm going to begin soldering the OSSC with some 0602 that are grouped together very closely and I'll try and determine if the hot air rework or microscope would be more useful. Always dreamt of looking at insects etc with a microscope but I'll give the soldering a spin for a better understanding.Looking at Lucky and Amscope currently

author: Ctrlocti
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 06:04:07 am
content: Quote from: Shock on October 20, 2020, 06:38:17 pmI see what you mean. They probably wouldn't be able to sell as many as the fx888d and keep the costs down while at the same time not releasing a crap unit. It's also a more mechanically complex machine so it makes sense. I don't really need one right now, just wondering. Thanks!Quote from: dan-esc on October 21, 2020, 01:13:43 amFor 0603 I would say you don't need either. I do 0402 and fine pitch QFN (provided the pcb designer put some pads) with an fx888d and a chisel tip. Get some original hakko tips, chisels and hoofs work for pretty much everything. get some soldering practice boards from ebay or aliexpress. the 0402 are a pain to manipulate, soldering is not that hard.a cursory glance at the board you want to do doesn't indicate anything undoable with a soldering iron. you just need to check about the pads under the big ICs. usually those are thermal relief ( I can see lots of vias) and can be recommended but not necessary, depending on the usage of the chip. seems like the only tricky part of the board. technically those are done with a pre-warmer plate if I recall correctly but hot air would do, or even a solder iron if you can get access to it under the pcb.

author: woodgeek
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 15, 2022, 09:05:55 pm
content: Quote from: Pack34 on October 20, 2020, 03:38:32 pmI agree 100%. I was lucky enough to find a Hozan L-50 for $100 delivered on eBay.