Beginners hot air rework stations

[execb33f]

I'm purchasing a hot air rework station for beginner projects and hobby work.  Please let me know what low cost hot air rework station you think would be best.  I have listed the ones I have researched so far both here and other places but i'm free to other suggestions.

Thanks!

[electricMN]

You should consider adding this one to your list.

http://gokimco.com/eclipse-pro-s-kit-ss-969e-smd-rework-system.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwx9KpBRCAiZ_tgYKWvhQSJABQjGW-JEm1bzY02O6Qs8cuKQKGrcJ6-LVzQkNVqDwmnL02GRoCK1_w_wcB

I don't have one but from what I've read, it's worth considering and it's probably what I'll get once I decide to bite the bullet.

[Fat]

I have the Sparkfun model. Been great so far and not as noisy as many of the other ones I've seen.  It can be pretty amazing what you can disassemble and assemble with these little stations.

Fat

[execb33f]

I'm really looking forward to it.  Currently I only have a few cheap soldering irons and some vintage soldering guns that my father gave me from the 70's.  I was originally going to get Aoyue 968A+ SMD Digital Hot Air Rework Station http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-968A-Digital-Rework-Station/dp/B006FA481G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429619750&sr=8-1

I was hoping that this would cover both soldering as well as hot air and come with everything I needed.  It has OK reviews, but many people who are serious or even semi-serious about electronics seem to think its garbage. The large majority of everyone who seem to be knowledgeable have recommended the  Hakko Digital FX888D for soldering.  So I've decided on that, now its just down to the hot air station. 

The SparkFun model as well as the Quick 957D sold over at adafruit seem to be the best choices right now, but i'm leaning towards the SparkFun 303d because it appears slightly higher quality and has more replacement parts and accessories available.

[marus25]

Just to give you another option, I have the Aoyue 866 - http://www.sra-solder.com/aoyue-866-all-in-1-digital-hot-air-rework-station-with-pre-heater - overall I'd say it's pretty decent (the preheater can be great if you have boards with large ground planes); has worked fine for me the last year or so I have it.

One thing that I will say is a bit of a downside, is that there is no holder for the hot air gun other than the mount above the board; sometimes if I'm reworking something it's easier to hold the hot air gun in my hand when I'm using it - but that leaves you with no option but to hold the wand in your hand until it cools or balance it on top of the holder (and hope it doesn't fall).

[nanofrog]

I don't have that particular model Quick hot air station, but the innards of an 861DW (861DS in Poland for some reason) are very well constructed.

[execb33f]

I have limited bench space so the pre-heater probably wont be the best tool for me.  Down the road I was thinking of tackling the ControLeo2 reflow oven project for larger pieces. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ControLeo2-Reflow-Oven-Controller-build-kit-open-source-ControLeo-/301222493616?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4622427db0

Seems like most are voting for the Quick 957D.  I know that adafruit generally doesn't like to sell "junk" items and that a lot of their staff uses the items they sell on a regular basis.  It looks pretty sturdy and its a great price.  I'll probably end up going for it. 

[Rasz]

any 858 a/d will be fine for first hotair, you just need to open it up and fix shitty nihao wiring or risk burning your house down/getting electrocuted

I used most of the stuff (repair shops), aouye 850/852/8somethings(hot air and all in one models), clones of aouye designs(super shitty electronics, burning triacs, fire hazards), 858 (got one in my home lab now because im super cheap), and quick 861DS. They all work well, they all push hot air, most of them even manage to do it at the set temperature (the rest you just learn to compensate). Difference is in manufacturing quality and design = longevity. If I wasnt a cheap bastard I would use quick 861, but $250 gets you ten 858s, and like I said at the end of the day they all just push hot air around.

Soldering irons are another story altogether, you have thermal mass, different designs of heaters, tips, placement of thermocouple etc.
Hakko is not that good, it has nothing on JBC PACE WELLER ERSA or METCAL , good noname is comparable, and good chinese brands can be better (xytronic, quick).

ps aoyue 866 is a toy for an amateur one man cellphone repair operation, that preheater is too weak and small for anything else

[Refrigerator]

I have a Yihua ( yeeehaw ) 858D, which works great thus far. I paid 53 € for it shipped to my door. 
Ps: please note that those other no-name brand jobs have crap temperature readout, if you have to go cheap stick to the less-crap brands like Atten or Yihua.

[Rasz]

I have a Yihua ( yeeehaw ) 858D, which works great thus far. I paid 53 € for it shipped to my door. 
Ps: please note that those other no-name brand jobs have crap temperature readout, if you have to go cheap stick to the less-crap brands like Atten or Yihua.

there are no less crap 858Ds (unless you reflash yours with modded firmware), they all lie about temp when they reach near set level

[GreyWoolfe]

I have a YiHua 858D.  I opened it up and everything was wired correctly.  I have used it a couple of times and it performs well.  I paid ~$52 USD shipped.

[nanofrog]

Hakko is not that good, it has nothing on JBC PACE WELLER ERSA or METCAL , good noname is comparable, and good chinese brands can be better (xytronic, quick)

Are you sure you've used a genuine Hakko to base this on, and if so, what was it compared to? 

I ask, as they've always outperformed the equivalent Chinese clone out of the box as a general rule (genuine 936 v. 936 copy, genuine FX-888D v. FX-888D copy ...). Adding genuine Hakko tips to the clones tends to help, as does swapping out the heating elements for Hakko parts as well (leave the control unit as-is), but it's a hybrid of clone & genuine Hakko at this point.

Now if you're comparing a genuine FX-888D to the best from JBC, Weller, ... OTOH, the other brands will outperform the entry level FX-888D rather significantly. But do keep in mind, you're comparing the most basic station Hakko offers to top-end models from these other vendors.

Hakko also makes better performing units, such as the FX-950/1 units (uses cartridge tips), and the FX-100, which is an induction unit (other models too, up to 300W on a single iron). These other models would be more appropriate for comparisons to the tier 1 brands you mentioned ^^^ (i.e. keep as close to apple v. apple comparisons as possible). They may still get beaten by the competition, but the gap is smaller, as is the price difference.  Would be a good show to watch though IMHO. 

For disclosure, I own the following at home:

• Weller WD1 control unit, WSP80 iron, WMP iron, WDH10T Stop & Go stand, and WDH10 stand (no switch).
• Quick 861DW for hot air rework (110V version of the 861DS).
• Tenma 21-10135 hot air preheater (not identical, but a cheap copy of a Hakko FR-820).

No genuine Hakko whatsoever.

[codeboy2k]

ps aoyue 866 is a toy for an amateur one man cellphone repair operation, that preheater is too weak and small for anything else

I'm no amateur and I'm not into cell phone repairs, and I'm looking to one-day buy a pre-heater.  So what do you suggest if not the 866 ?

Thanks

[dteck]

Honestly I use a cheapo soldering/hot air station. And so far It hasn't done me wrong.
It came with one iron tip and three hot air tips.
eBay auction: #231061165797
the only thing I've done is buy some Hakko iron tips.
eBay auction: #310661609693

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Don't forget these http://www.circuitspecialists.com/blackjack-solderwerks-hot-air-&-soldering-iron-combo-system.html guys.

[Rasz]

Are you sure you've used a genuine Hakko to base this on, and if so, what was it compared to? 

pretty sure Uni lab was stocked with legit equipment , Wellers, Solomons and Hakko entry level stations. Hakko was nothing special compared to wes51, good quality tight fit tip ceramic heater soldering station like many others (solomons, Xytronix or quicks).

I ask, as they've always outperformed the equivalent Chinese clone out of the box as a general rule (genuine 936 v. 936 copy, genuine FX-888D v. FX-888D copy ...). Adding genuine Hakko tips to the clones tends to help, as does swapping out the heating elements for Hakko parts as well (leave the control unit as-is), but it's a hybrid of clone & genuine Hakko at this point.

I agree, I wasnt comparing to counterfeit, or noname pieces of crap. There are good clones tho, 'original' aouye 907 might be comparable, but nowadays market is flooded with copies of copies of clones and you end up with cheapest common denominator clone with generic baku/atten/yihua/saike sticker and falling out tips made out of whoknowswhat with loose pieces of metal to make it fit.

Now if you're comparing a genuine FX-888D to the best from JBC, Weller, ... OTOH, the other brands will outperform the entry level FX-888D rather significantly. But do keep in mind, you're comparing the most basic station Hakko offers to top-end models from these other vendors.

Weller WESD51 is just as good if not better. But why bother when same money buys you induction heated XYtronic LF-3000/Quick 203h which is in another league altogether?

Hakko also makes better performing units, such as the FX-950/1 units (uses cartridge tips), and the FX-100, which is an induction unit (other models too, up to 300W on a single iron). These other models would be more appropriate for comparisons to the tier 1 brands you mentioned ^^^ (i.e. keep as close to apple v. apple comparisons as possible). They may still get beaten by the competition, but the gap is smaller, as is the price difference.  Would be a good show to watch though IMHO. 

at many times the price why recommend ancient technology 888D when you can buy $140 FX951 equivalent from quick, xytronix or even atten?

For disclosure, I own the following at home:

• Weller WD1 control unit, WSP80 iron, WMP iron, WDH10T Stop & Go stand, and WDH10 stand (no switch).
• Quick 861DW for hot air rework (110V version of the 861DS).
• Tenma 21-10135 hot air preheater (not identical, but a cheap copy of a Hakko FR-820).

No genuine Hakko whatsoever.

I only own cheap crap because Im cheap But If I was going to buy induction heated station I would go for the ones I mentioned earlier, whole set at WP80 handle price.

ps aoyue 866 is a toy for an amateur one man cellphone repair operation, that preheater is too weak and small for anything else

I'm no amateur and I'm not into cell phone repairs, and I'm looking to one-day buy a pre-heater.  So what do you suggest if not the 866 ?

what will you use it on? shops I worked at build their preheaters from scratch, much cheaper (~10x) and you can customize for your exact use case (both were mainly servicing laptops)
you need to take into account size and power (number of layers, amount of heavy copper power layers etc). 866 might be ok for small thin phone pcbs, but will do nothing for pc motherboard, modern 12 layer graphic card laminate, or bigger BGAs

something like this
http://www.jovy-systems.com/en/products/bga-rework-stations/bga-rework-re-8500.html
is a good service centre workhorse, you can DIY comparable system for ~$300

edit:
http://www.jameco.com/1/1/4774-lf-3000-90-watt-high-frequency-high-heat-capacity-soldering-station.html
3 months wait time (wtf), but $110
or just go one model up
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2181503_-1
$135

there is no reason to buy non induction heating station at that price point now

[codeboy2k]

That jovy looks nice.  But I'm the type that will probably start with a homebrew pre-heater, especially if something like the 866 is just good enough for cell phones. I don't want to limit myself to cell phone repairs.

I'm in the design business, and not in the repair business at all, but I thought I might like to get into that as a side job, but I'm not there yet.  I just wouldn't want to start with something that limits me out of the gate.

Thanks for your tips!

[GreyWoolfe]

Honestly I use a cheapo soldering/hot air station. And so far It hasn't done me wrong.
It came with one iron tip and three hot air tips.
eBay auction: #231061165797
the only thing I've done is buy some Hakko iron tips.
eBay auction: #310661609693

Those aren't Hakko tips.  At $7.99, that gets you 1 genuine tip, not 10.  Don't be surprised if they don't work well or don't last very long.

[nanofrog]

Weller WESD51 is just as good if not better.

This would be it's most direct competition IMHO, and based on US pricing, both are competitively priced vs. one another.

But why bother when same money buys you induction heated XYtronic LF-3000/Quick 203h which is in another league altogether?

Not tried these, but induction definitely wouldn't be in the same league as either the WES/D51 or FX-888D from a technology POV. Better comparison would be Metcal, Thermaltronics, or the Hakko FX-100.

No idea on performance of the Quick or Xytronics, so I can't comment there. Would be nice to see it first hand though, as would tip quality. 

If they compare well to the real thing, but don't cost near the same, they'd end up being exceptional deals.

... when you can buy $140 FX951 equivalent from quick, xytronix or even atten?

You wouldn't get a genuine Hakko FX-951 for that (~$267 here in the US).

As per performance, again, that's something that would have to be compared to the real thing.  Tip quality too.

For disclosure, I own the following at home:

• Weller WD1 control unit, WSP80 iron, WMP iron, WDH10T Stop & Go stand, and WDH10 stand (no switch).
• Quick 861DW for hot air rework (110V version of the 861DS).
• Tenma 21-10135 hot air preheater (not identical, but a cheap copy of a Hakko FR-820).

No genuine Hakko whatsoever.

I only own cheap crap because Im cheap But If I was going to buy induction heated station I would go for the ones I mentioned earlier, whole set at WP80 handle price.[/quote]
I'm cheap too, but I don't want garbage either (false economy situation).

Wasn't aware of Quick at the time I purchased the irons, and not sure I'd have gambled on it if I was. The FX-951 wasn't out at the time, and I got a decent deal on the WD1001 I started with (added everything else over time).

Regarding the hot air rework station, wrapper posted about his 861DS as well as photos of the internals. We also exchanged PM's on the subject, and his information definitely helped to swing me in the direction of Quick, as Hakko, JBC, and so on, were too expensive. Saw a couple of used units I ended up passing on, only after having checked the cost of replacement parts (Pace in particular).

[Rasz]

But why bother when same money buys you induction heated XYtronic LF-3000/Quick 203h which is in another league altogether?

Not tried these, but induction definitely wouldn't be in the same league as either the WES/D51 or FX-888D from a technology POV. Better comparison would be Metcal, Thermaltronics, or the Hakko FX-100.

Not when they _cost the same_ as 888/51 . Think about it, would you pick 888 if you could have weller wp80 experience for same money?

when you can buy $140 FX951 equivalent from quick, xytronix or even atten?

You wouldn't get a genuine Hakko FX-951 for that (~$267 here in the US).

Because its half the price, and works just as well They (XYtronic/Quick) are targeting professional market, repair shops, service centers etc, equipment meant to be used 8 hours a day 6 days a week.

No idea on performance of the Quick or Xytronics, so I can't comment there. Would be nice to see it first hand though, as would tip quality. 

If they compare well to the real thing, but don't cost near the same, they'd end up being exceptional deals.
As per performance, again, that's something that would have to be compared to the real thing.  Tip quality too.

What can I say other that try it?
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/review-and-teardown-of-xytonic-lf-3000-soldering-station/


btw LF8800 and LF853D are weller wp80 compatible (tips and maybe even whole handles), ~$400 gets you soldering iron, hotair, desoldering iron and tweezers. Dont know about 853, but I used 8800 and it was very nice and build like a tank. Again targeting 24/7 work environment, not amateur once per week usage.
LF-2000 appears to also be wp80 compatible, and is ~$100

I'm cheap too, but I don't want garbage either (false economy situation).

judging by your kit youre smart, not cheap
Smart is buying 861 because it will last you a very long time, cheap is buying $30 858d (like I did) and being aware it will die sooner or later leaving me waiting a week (while I order another piece of crap 858) with no tool . Im not even guessing, this is how it went in one of the places I worked, we went thru three cheap hotairs before owner finally realized reliability is a thing and got 861DS