Handheld hot air guns - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ANTALIFE
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2016, 03:37:47 am
content: HelloDoes anyone own one of these hot air gun "stations"http://goo.gl/1GzSEH, if so what are they like?I'm after a cheap portable/small station myself at the moment and would love to hear any recommendations you guys have.Cheers

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2016, 05:52:37 am
content: Don't buy those crappy Chinese hot air guns, you should buy Quick 861DWhttp://www.aliexpress.com/item/Best-quality-Spot-genuine-original-crack-861DW-Hot-Air-Rework-station-QUICK861DW/32567088564.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.19.ZIHYFR&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_0,searchweb201602_3_10017_10005_10006_10034_10021_507_10022_508_10020_10018_10019,searchweb201603_2&btsid=5e4273da-d110-4a87-ae49-a7e38e23ed84

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2016, 07:02:06 am
content: Handheld self-contained ones save bench space and can be more convenient - handy for away-from-the-bench work like heatshrinking stuff on the carCan't speak for these specific ones - I use a Liester - expensive but I've had it for 20-odd years & use it frequently - I doubt the Chinese ones will last that long!

author: thisguy
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2016, 07:40:25 pm
content: Beginner here. I got one that looks exactly like that, but for 110V, and I'm not very happy with it. As far as I can tell it's simply a variable speed fan, a heating element controlled by a rheostat, and a thermocouple with a digital display. You can control the speed of the fan with one dial, and the power to the heating element with the other. There seems to be little to no temperature regulation. Turn up the fan, temp goes down. Smaller tip, higher temp, etc. I find it a bit awkward to hold for fine work, although it has allowed me to do some things I wouldn't have been able to do with a soldering iron.Update:I just pulled it apart. Indeed, the only thing that the thermocouple connects to is the digital display. There is no temperature feedback control loop.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2016, 11:39:53 pm
content: Temp feedback isn't super useful as you can only regulate the temp at the tip ( or somewhere in the airflow) , and temp at the work is controlled by distance as ambient air mixes as soon as the hot air comes out of the nozzle.

author: AR
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2016, 12:54:57 am
content: Hello MikeWhat model Liester do you use. Chinese stuff doea not last long and fails when you really need it, my W.E.R 858D just failed.RegardsArthur

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2016, 01:53:57 am
content: I have trouble telling the Leister guns apart, but the Hot Jet S seems to be closest to the job. One concern is the amount of airflow: it doesn't matter much for plastic welding, but too much air will blow parts all over a PCB.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 07, 2016, 02:31:36 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on April 13, 2016, 11:39:53 pmThis is very true - and I thought rather obvious. So obvious in fact, that the first thing I did with my Chinese cheapie hot air gun was run a few tests over a thermocouple so I could get an idea of the heat delivery using different temperature and air flow settings with different nozzles.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2016, 11:23:16 pm
content: Quote from: helius on August 07, 2016, 01:53:57 amYes - one issue is sometimes you can't turn the flow down low enough

author: System Error Message
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2016, 11:33:05 pm
content: you know the sayings.When it comes to chinese quality sure its cheap, but compared to what you're actually going to spend over the course of a year (or few) a quality product is actually cheaper even if the upfront costs are high.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 02:05:20 am
content: That is true - but when you're on a hobby budget without prior access to tools, it's difficult to know what attributes are important to your situation.My approach is to purchase a low cost tool - Chinese cheapies included - and have a play. Find out what it can and can't do - using throw away boards or low cost projects. Experience for yourself what its capabilities are and how it fits into your scope of work. Discover the frustrations and what features you really must have nailed down for serious work.If you have the patience to get a crappy tool to work acceptably, you will have learned quite a bit about the fundamentals and have encountered the pitfalls - which means you will appreciate a quality tool and be able to deliver much higher quality results in less time with it.The crappy tool can then be assigned an alternate role. For example, my Chinese cheapie hot air/soldering station is great for heatshrink and plastic forming.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 02:35:39 am
content: I use a Weller 6966C for soldering.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 07:47:07 am
content: Quote from: Brumby on August 08, 2016, 02:05:20 amOut of curiosity: which cheap Chinese hot-air station and alternative are you writing about? I'm quite happy with my Atten 858D+ (and I have a spare) but I'm aware that I'm totally oblivious to whatever else it out there which might do a better job so I'd like to learn more.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 08:50:41 am
content: An eBay purchase... The "brand" is W.E.P. Model is 852D+Hot air speed doesn't go slow enough for some situations and the thermal capacity of the soldering iron is ... errrrr .... limited.I had an issue with the plug for the soldering iron....https://youtu.be/uMMHWs2yQzMThe seller ended up giving me a partial refund to settle the matter - and I bought a replacement plug from Jaycar to fit after the 'warranty' period.Must get around to that sometime.

author: FireFlower
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 09:31:05 am
content: From my experience avoid those machines with digital air speed control. Wastes many seconds of your life when you try to get blow speed correct. Annoying when you're constantly using it.

author: all_repair
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 11:31:05 am
content: Quote from: System Error Message on August 07, 2016, 11:33:05 pmHorses for courses. Recently my Hakko 474 could not heat up. In the midst of work, we got out the hot-spare Aoyue 474, not as powerful but it got the work flow going. When there was some time later, Hakko 474 was looked into and found that the heating element had given way, so an order was entered but purchase to be made at a later date to save on shipping. When the elements arrive, Hakko 474 shall get back its place. And during the breakdown, Aoyue has served its purpose. BTW my hot air station is not Hakko but a China brand, and has been running for many years, and my hot spare for that is a portable hot air like what the OP listed (I can't advise as it is not really used so far).To keep a Hakko as a hot spare, is too costly and it is a sin. So unless I have too many of the China portable hot air lying around, I would get it without much thinking. To try, if usage turn up to be high then I shall upgrade if needed and the previous piece can serve as a hot spare.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 11:37:11 am
content: I have been using Ghibli by Leister, made in SwitzerlandIt is really good quality and last forever.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 09:50:27 pm
content: I've tried some of the cheap ones and cursed at a lack of control.I've had a few Leister over the years, the Hot Jet S is great and I've kept a more complex one with a selection of PLCC type spreaders etc for my own use