If you're doing rework with descrete components, this tool is the bomb!
35+ years ago I started out with one of those short fat blue desoldering tools from Radio Shack ( it's so old I can't even find an image of it). It served me well for many years but its limitation was that it might not clean out the PCB hole the first time and then it took quite a bit more work to loosen the component. After it was mostly shot, I tried the aluminum bodied thing and the one I had broke not long after. I even tried the soldering iron with a squeeze ball on it that I just didn't seem to get the hang of.
I had a project that was going to require desoldering and I wasn't confident in any of those tools so I started looking for a desoldering station. Well, those aren't cheap unless one gets a questionable one from the C H Ina Company. A bit more searching led me to the Hakko line of soldering tools. For my intended usage I narrowed my choice down the FR-300 as shown with this kit available from Amazon and probably other vendors:
The unit has an integrated vacuum pump that runs as long as the yellow trigger is depressed. The yellow knob on the bottom of the handle allows for setting the tip temperature. It is continuously variable. The filter pipe which is the almost clear tube at the top of the unit is where the solder ends up. After desoldering 15 capacitors mine had a small amount of solder in the pipe. Removing it to clean is simple and unlike some cheaper units I saw videos on, this one has a metal plate in front of the filter element which should extend the life of the filter element considerably. A quick tap on the work bench and a flake of solder came off the plate. Looking at the filter element through the bench magnifier shows it too be relatively clean.
Operation is simple. Once the tip has reached operating temperature place the tip down on the joint with the component lead through the tip hole. Once the solder melts wiggle it around a bit to work the solder loose in the hole, press the trigger and presto! the solder is gone. Sometimes I will have to do it again on a double sided joint if the heat didn't warm the under side enough. Once the solder is removed, the component will sometimes fall out on its own or can be removed with a light finger grip. If the component seems loose but doesn't want to come out, repeat the process. I had one capacitor I had to repeat a couple of times and then it fell out--there was a large ground plane on the solder side and a pad on the component side. Perhaps turning up the temperature would have made this a one pull removal.
I am still learning to use this tool. So far it has made desoldering enjoyable! Prior to acquiring this tool desoldering was a chore and kept me from taking on some projects as I had damaged boards in the past using braid and whatnot.
I'll give this five stars out of five.
35+ years ago I started out with one of those short fat blue desoldering tools from Radio Shack ( it's so old I can't even find an image of it). It served me well for many years but its limitation was that it might not clean out the PCB hole the first time and then it took quite a bit more work to loosen the component. After it was mostly shot, I tried the aluminum bodied thing and the one I had broke not long after. I even tried the soldering iron with a squeeze ball on it that I just didn't seem to get the hang of.
I had a project that was going to require desoldering and I wasn't confident in any of those tools so I started looking for a desoldering station. Well, those aren't cheap unless one gets a questionable one from the C H Ina Company. A bit more searching led me to the Hakko line of soldering tools. For my intended usage I narrowed my choice down the FR-300 as shown with this kit available from Amazon and probably other vendors:
The unit has an integrated vacuum pump that runs as long as the yellow trigger is depressed. The yellow knob on the bottom of the handle allows for setting the tip temperature. It is continuously variable. The filter pipe which is the almost clear tube at the top of the unit is where the solder ends up. After desoldering 15 capacitors mine had a small amount of solder in the pipe. Removing it to clean is simple and unlike some cheaper units I saw videos on, this one has a metal plate in front of the filter element which should extend the life of the filter element considerably. A quick tap on the work bench and a flake of solder came off the plate. Looking at the filter element through the bench magnifier shows it too be relatively clean.
Operation is simple. Once the tip has reached operating temperature place the tip down on the joint with the component lead through the tip hole. Once the solder melts wiggle it around a bit to work the solder loose in the hole, press the trigger and presto! the solder is gone. Sometimes I will have to do it again on a double sided joint if the heat didn't warm the under side enough. Once the solder is removed, the component will sometimes fall out on its own or can be removed with a light finger grip. If the component seems loose but doesn't want to come out, repeat the process. I had one capacitor I had to repeat a couple of times and then it fell out--there was a large ground plane on the solder side and a pad on the component side. Perhaps turning up the temperature would have made this a one pull removal.
I am still learning to use this tool. So far it has made desoldering enjoyable! Prior to acquiring this tool desoldering was a chore and kept me from taking on some projects as I had damaged boards in the past using braid and whatnot.
I'll give this five stars out of five.