Affordable desoldering pen?...

[tooki]

Combined with that the trap filter (if using the cleanable glass tube) and front and rear handpiece rubber grommets would take care of most of the service parts pertaining to the SX90 handpiece.
[...]
For my SX100 I have the "trap kit" which gives me two additional glass trap tubes and misc parts.

I'm planning to use the disposable traps, which I think all SX-90s should be able to accommodate, is that correct? I assume those are essentially alternatives to the glass tube.

Yes. Again, the SX-90 and SX-100 are identical. The SX-80 is nearly identical (it used a slightly different heater), but can actually be upgraded to an SX-90 by replacing the heater. (The SX-90/100 heater accepts the current desoldering tips with the flared tube end.)

The consumables (filters, rubber seals, solder collection tubes, etc.) are identical for the SX-80/90/100.

With that said, I'm not sure what the big advantage of the paper collection tubes is; they're quite expensive compared to just emptying out the glass tube. (Tip: smear the inside of the glass tube with a bit of oil, which prevents flux residues from adhering so ferociously. Makes cleaning much easier.)

[Rax]

With that said, I'm not sure what the big advantage of the paper collection tubes is; they're quite expensive compared to just emptying out the glass tube.

Huge advantage for me is - at least from the vantage point of one that hasn't had one in my hands to properly evaluate - easier and safer disposal of leaded waste. Cost is the least of my concerns from that perspective.

[tooki]

Easier, sure. Safer? I mean… i don’t think it makes any difference. Either way you’re either putting it in the trash, or into e-waste if you wanna be super conscientious. Either way, as long as you’re not eating the solder and wash your hands when you’re done, I don’t think there’s any significant hazard.

I’d say that the only difference in hazards between the paper and the glass tubes is the risk of cracking a glass tube, which I did manage to do once. (Learn from my fail and oil the inside of the glass, so the flux won’t stick to the sides and cause the solder waste to stick, too.)

[Rax]

Is anyone aware of a way to check the vacuum on an MBT250 station? I am just about to have the entire set - handpiece + tips, cartridge, etc. - station, etc.), and would be interested to figure some sort of way to estimate its performance. No flags this far, but still.

Given that I got all these things second hand, and the lack of prior exposure to Pace stuff (verified to work well, or new), it's difficult to assess if this stuff I have is working well (what to expect).

[tooki]

You could use a vacuum gauge to see if it’s working to spec. The manual lists the pressure.

[Rax]

You could use a vacuum gauge to see if it’s working to spec. The manual lists the pressure.

You're absolutely right - duh!! - so I need to find a suitable vacuum gauge and see what it tells me.

[Rax]

I am seeing about 16.5 in. Hg from a cheap vacuum gauge. Per spec, I should see 20, I think.

Has anyone else tried to measure this? Am I totally out of spec?

If yes, I could either get a pump rebuild kit (about USD $50), or maybe the whole pump (though that doesn't seem likely to be necessary).

[Rax]

I am seeing about 16.5 in. Hg from a cheap vacuum gauge. Per spec, I should see 20, I think.

Better/tighter connection between the gauge and the vacuum port returns a solid 18 in. Hg... Can't imagine I should expect much better than this.
But I'd be very interested to hear if others have tried this and what the measurements returned.

[tooki]

Since you probably don’t know how accurate your gauge is, I’d say that’s just fine.

What matters far more is that you keep the filters clean. Flux-saturated filters will KILL your suction. The other thing is the rubber seals. In particular, the front seal (the one sealing the collection tube to the desoldering tip) is in nearly different contact with the heater, so it degrades over the years. But it’s a $6 part, so just treat it as a consumable. Also, make sure the seals are clean. Dust and gunk on them will also cause leakage.

[Rax]

So, things seem largely OK with my newly put together desoldering system. Vacuum seems OK, there's heat, there's suction, etc.

But, upon verifying with a cheap thermometer ("Walfront 191") the temperature at the tip vs. what's displayed on the station don't coincide. I'm less degrees at the tip by something like 25-50C and more. This is with brand new tips.

I have somewhat good reasons to think the thermometer works OK as my FR-301 seems pretty dead on. Big grain of salt on my assumptions on why I trust the thermometer, as I've replaced the heater on the FR-301 and then just now readjusted. So I don't know 100% objectively the thermometer doesn't lie to me, but I'll go with it for now. At a minimum I see absolutely dead on differentials between the different adjustments on the Hakko.

What could cause this mismatch between the temperature displayed on the station and the temperature at the tip? Defective heater on handpiece? Misadjustment/miscalibration of the station? Something else?

If I need to buy another heater, my whole strategy is... shot. I just about could have bought a new SX-100 with the overall investment. Well, not quite, but I'm staring at my law of diminishing returns graph and I am not excited.

[Shock]

You can calibrate the station and optionally enter or dial tip temp offsets (depending on model) to get more accurate control if you need to. You might want to ensure the tip thermometer is accurate though before starting. The procedure on that kind of stuff is in the manual.

[Rax]

You can calibrate the station and optionally enter or dial tip temp offsets (depending on model) to get more accurate control if you need to.

Isn't >50C too much for that, though? Also, I don't seem to be able to reach even 400C reliably.

[Shock]

You can try measuring at various temps to see how well it tracks. I don't think 50C is too unreasonable, but am unsure on the max adjustment. I went through it a few years ago on mine but I'd have to reread it all now and want to avoid messing around on my own station.

The heaters plug in so it's not impossible to remove them and take comparative measurements against another one to see if the heater is good. There are some different part numbers used across the handpieces and stations so you want to ensure you're matching to the same heater.

Here is a video I caught a while back, Tooki or others may know some more about the differences, I've never looked into it. I'm pretty sure we have different heaters so I don't know how much help there I can be.

This thread is getting a bit long so if you run out of participation and need a deep dive perhaps start a new appropriately titled thread and include images of the handpiece and heater and station with firmware version, along with models and part numbers. It makes easier to understand what you are working with.

[tooki]

This thread is getting a bit long so if you run out of participation and need a deep dive perhaps start a new appropriately titled thread and include images of the handpiece and heater and station with firmware version, along with models and part numbers. It makes easier to understand what you are working with.

With the caveat that Pace has the unfortunate habit of reusing part numbers, often keeping them the same as they update the model number. (For example, the SensaTemp SX-80 and SX-90 have the same part number, even though the SX-90 has a different heater.) So careful description of what one has in front of them is critical.

[Rax]

I got a chance - finally! - to use this new gear tonight. As a reminder, what I have is an SX-90, an MBT PPS 85A, an assortment of tips and a bunch of other accessories.

The impressions this far are excellent. The handpiece has the maneuverability I was looking for and more, there's healthy suction - this is exactly what I was looking for. The board and traces are getting the treatment very well, each action just removes all solder (first time I used it, I had to pull my lighted magnifier and take a long, closeup look, as I didn't believe the solder was all gone from the hole, but upon pulling the leg, it just came out of the eyelet... magic!).

In a nutshell, it seems to offer me the reassurance and ruggedness to go long nights of rework and not worry about a thing. This is simply amazing - desoldering/rework has been my nemesis for a long time (as much as I need it all the time). I dreaded it most of the time, but it seems this may have just made it fun for a change.

This is amazing news.

[Shock]

Good to get it up and running, congrats. I must admit that series has aged well, super robust looking stations by today's standards.