Desoldering station... metcal or hakko... ?
- Thread starter Scenaria
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I have the handheld hakko (808 I think) that looks like a hairdryer. Fair price and its been a real work horse so far. At one point the front nozzle got clogged with some solder chunk from the ice age and I wound up drilling it out, but Im not too sure that was reallly a performance flaw with the unit. You have to keep them clean, but your gonna have that with anything. I remember paying around $150 and am totally satisfied. Could not imagine not having one of these.
dave
dave
im leaning towards the hakko if I can find one for a decent price... but the metcals arent too much more from what im seeing.. (like $30-$50) soo im wondering if its worth the extra or not...
the hakkos have the variable temp (not that its even important with a desoldering station... but the metcals are temp set with the tips I suppose..
the hakkos have the variable temp (not that its even important with a desoldering station... but the metcals are temp set with the tips I suppose..
SonsOfThunder
Well-known member
Scen,
Not to be a wet blanket here, but I'll toss in my 2 cents...HTH!
Skip the fancy desoldering machine and buy this desolder pump. They have a black ESD version there somewhere. $9 There is another version of this elsewhere for about $25, but I think these are exactly the same.
I know it seems crude, but I've used the Pace unit with the glass tubes (don't go there!) and the Metcal with the paper inserts. They all get clogged and require maintainence at a time that is always rather inconvenient. I find that a REAL solder sucker is just about as fast if you include the cleaning time for either. One trick to note on these...when you clean it out, swab a bit of light oil down the tube...helps the seal and the slurp action.
Btw, the guy that really taught me to solder (after I thought I knew it all...) will not touch any of the vacuum machines. He has been soldering on Mil stuff for a few decades.
As I said...hope that helps.
Peace!
Not to be a wet blanket here, but I'll toss in my 2 cents...HTH!
Skip the fancy desoldering machine and buy this desolder pump. They have a black ESD version there somewhere. $9 There is another version of this elsewhere for about $25, but I think these are exactly the same.
I know it seems crude, but I've used the Pace unit with the glass tubes (don't go there!) and the Metcal with the paper inserts. They all get clogged and require maintainence at a time that is always rather inconvenient. I find that a REAL solder sucker is just about as fast if you include the cleaning time for either. One trick to note on these...when you clean it out, swab a bit of light oil down the tube...helps the seal and the slurp action.
Btw, the guy that really taught me to solder (after I thought I knew it all...) will not touch any of the vacuum machines. He has been soldering on Mil stuff for a few decades.
As I said...hope that helps.
Peace!
You know Sons, I've always liked those suckers (the $21.00 ones) and I've had several, but I just got a new one and it's awful. Almost useless. I'm not sure what's wrong with it, but I have the sneaking suspicion they're cutting the quality. I can't put my finger on why it's different, but I'm reluctant to buy another one. I thought an electric one would be a step up.
adrianh
Well-known member
Scenaria;
Get the Hakko;
Yes Metcal makes some stuff better but the Hakko is 95%
the same in this case.
Get the 472D the one with the internal pump that makes the vacuum.
http://www.hakkousa.com/products.asp?PID=472D-02&Page=1
Get the Hakko;
Yes Metcal makes some stuff better but the Hakko is 95%
the same in this case.
Get the 472D the one with the internal pump that makes the vacuum.
http://www.hakkousa.com/products.asp?PID=472D-02&Page=1
SonsOfThunder
Well-known member
[quote author="jrmintz"]I just got a new one and it's awful. Almost useless. I'm not sure what's wrong with it.[/quote] Seth, Try the oil trick! Wesson or 3-in-One...don't use WD40!! Liquid Wrench should work okay as well. I didn't think it would make a lot of diff...but it was night and day for me. If not, try a different O-ring.
Scen... I've found that the toughest PCBs I ever messed with were on @RT products. In my opinion, they are designed poorly with too small an annular ring. Nothing (that I could find) makes those desolder any better!! I finally decided to resort to clipping all the legs on whatever I was replacing, plucking each leg from molten solder, and then suck the old solder out. Well designed PCBs WILL allow you to desolder EASILY! (If you think this is one of my pet peeves you are right...the 2nd one is JERKS who put the reference designators under the component!! THIS IS POOR LAYOUT FOLKS!! Inconsiderate PCB designers tork me badly!
Btw, those smaller suckers, don't...and I mean that in a bad way.
HTH!
Charlie
Scen... I've found that the toughest PCBs I ever messed with were on @RT products. In my opinion, they are designed poorly with too small an annular ring. Nothing (that I could find) makes those desolder any better!! I finally decided to resort to clipping all the legs on whatever I was replacing, plucking each leg from molten solder, and then suck the old solder out. Well designed PCBs WILL allow you to desolder EASILY! (If you think this is one of my pet peeves you are right...the 2nd one is JERKS who put the reference designators under the component!! THIS IS POOR LAYOUT FOLKS!! Inconsiderate PCB designers tork me badly!
Btw, those smaller suckers, don't...and I mean that in a bad way.
HTH!
Charlie
This thing works very well as compared to a solder sucker and solder wick. I doubt it out does a fancy tool but it sure is cheap.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F009%5F007%5F004&product%5Fid=64%2D2060
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F009%5F007%5F004&product%5Fid=64%2D2060
NewYorkDave
Well-known member
I like the good ol' Soldapult, too. (The big one, not the little one they used to sell at Rat Shack). Keep the o-ring lubricated with silicon spray, and be sure to open it up and empty out the solder bits often. For finer work, braid is hard to beat.
I've used vacuum-type desoldering stations and some of them work well, but I'm accustomed to the simpler tools.
I've used vacuum-type desoldering stations and some of them work well, but I'm accustomed to the simpler tools.
BradAvenson
Well-known member
I would get the metcal. You not only get a great desoldering station, you also have compressed air, and one of the best soldering irons ever. I use all of these items almost daily in my shop.
take the braid and kinda stretch it out sideways, place it over the joint to be desoldered, heat the braid on top of the joint and it wicks it up. By stretching it out, you increase the surface area and you make it thinner so it heats faster, IVe found that work the best for me. Sometimes you can melt some solder on top of the braid to speed things up. Every time I order braid I always wind up getting a different kind and some work better than others, because Im a super genius, Ive never written down which works the best with the kester I like to use. Why make things easy, right?
dave
dave
tmbg
Well-known member
braid is VERY easy to use...
Just dip it in liquid rosin flux first, and use a hot iron. It'll suck up ANYTHING under those circumstances. Better than a cheapie solder sucker, definitely.
BTW, I use RatShack braid.
Just dip it in liquid rosin flux first, and use a hot iron. It'll suck up ANYTHING under those circumstances. Better than a cheapie solder sucker, definitely.
BTW, I use RatShack braid.
SSLtech
Well-known member
[quote author="Scenaria"]I couldnt imagine using a sucker :\[/quote]
....Mmmm...mmmm.mmmmmmmfffff.... mm mmm mmmmmffffff
I can hardly resist...
:wink:
Keith
....Mmmm...mmmm.mmmmmmmfffff.... mm mmm mmmmmffffff
I can hardly resist...
:wink:
Keith
NewYorkDave
Well-known member
TMBG is right: dip the braid in flux and it'll work a lot better. Be prepared to clean the PCB afterwards... but you should be doing that anyway.
Be careful not to overheat the pads, of course, or they may lift...
Be careful not to overheat the pads, of course, or they may lift...
thats the nice thing about the vaccum pump that trumps everything Ive used including that radio shack iron with the squeegee thing. You wind up heating for wayyy less and thats especially so with plated holes. I never have any luck removing components from plated holes with braid, I usually have to do one side and then flip the board and put the braid on the component side as well. Even though all the solder will melt, it wont wick through the hole sometimes on the pad side. With the vaccum, its got so much force it sucks all kinds of liqufied solder through any plated holes and Ive only lifted a pad once on an anciet board with my hakko. Its sorta like the difference between shaving your cat with one of those push lawn mower from the stone age or using a modern norelco. Both will get the job done but one is messier (in more ways than one) than the other. The pump isnt a substitute for the wick in all situations though.
can you tell Im a big fan of the hakko? Ask winston, he knows.
dave
can you tell Im a big fan of the hakko? Ask winston, he knows.
dave
the push mower sounds like fun though :green:
my hakko solder station came today ... that fisher price FM-102
damn nice.. heats up soo fast
I opted for the Metcal de-solder (as I could get this one new for about the same as a used hakko) I dont think it'll be a dissapointment..
my hakko solder station came today ... that fisher price FM-102
damn nice.. heats up soo fast
I opted for the Metcal de-solder (as I could get this one new for about the same as a used hakko) I dont think it'll be a dissapointment..
