Aoyue 857A++ vs Aoyue 852A+

[alm]

More vibrations = less durable .

Generalize much? So electronics are more durable than mechanical machines? I would be careful to make any statement to this effect without having enough statistics.

But nonetheless , how do you know it's MORE durable ? You had before ?

How do you know it's less durable?

[T4P]

How do you know it's less durable?

I do not know .

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

How about this generalisation.

More vibrations is generally less durable.

I believe it and unless there are statistics that contradict this I will keep believing it.

[alm]

Everything else being equal, then probably. It's hard go imagine how vibrations increase the life span. In this case you're comparing two very different pieces of equipment: one uses a pump, the other one a centrifugal fan. Other (unknown) factors are probably far more important than vibrations in a pump designed to deal with them.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

Having just purchased ( but not received) an Aoyue 968, which seems to be a diaphragm pump I should actually be on the side of vibrations not mattering.

This is not my field but that wont stop me having  an opinion, but I would say that turbine style pumps
probably vibrate less
generally have less moving parts
probably have seals in less complicated shapes

But on the other hand the Diaphragm pumps have been doing this job for years and as such have proven their reliability in this job.

If my Aoyue 968 fails soon, I will let you know.

[cwhyzee]

Just for reference, I recently acquired an AOYUE int 852A**,  It has a pump in the base unit and an air hose to the the wand.  The noise is very reasonable and for me at least, not bothersome at all.  The intake is connected to a long silicone tube with a fitting for vacuum pick up of components.  Overall I am very pleased with the machine but the air hose for the wand is a little short for my taste.   about 30 cm longer would be perfect for my desk.

[helge]

To people interested in the AOYUE 852, here's what I had to do today (I'll post it here to recycle the thread).

My Aoyue hot air station started acting up lately ( temperature too low by 40-50K), two dead segments on the display which added to the frustiation from the significant vibrations generated by the unit.

We spent some time reverse engineering the thermocouple and control loop circuit (TL431, TL084, heck there's even an NE555 in there) but when we wanted to tweak the pots (after disconnecting and plugging back some connectors) the unit was running again and even got beyond 500°C oO. Those two 3W resistors seem to get quite hot.

Judging by the green corrosion in the dip socket that holds the ICL7101 on the nasty digital voltmeter (which is mounted quite fittingly via blobs of plastic that have been pushed out by burning holes into the display frame) the whole unit might be suffering from faulty contacts due to corrosive flux residues.

The main part of the mains - to - low voltage isolation is provided by the stop mask on the PCB (don't bother figuring out which traces go to the thyristor/triac next to the low voltage stuff).

While we were at it we removed the membrane pump and put it back in only attaching two rubber posts on a diagonal which drastically reduced the vibrations coupled to the housing and desk.

I also used some hot air to probe the temperature stability of the circuits. The display circuit is a mess, it drifts around by >20°C. The main PCB however is surprisingly stable, not much going on there.

The unit is now back in service and I've given up on the display segments. They're gone for good.

[nanofrog]

Quality wise, the Quick861Dx might be of interest (W = 110V US, A = 220V UK, or S = 220V EU so far; all of these are the 1000W versions, not the DE, which is 1200W & 200 lpm airflow). 

It's a professional grade unit that's similar to a Hakko FR-810 in terms of basic design & features, but is a lot less expensive (i.e. $235 v. $750 for the Hakko in the US).  Pump wise, it uses a brushless DC turbine pump, and it works very well I find (1 - 120 lpm airflow). Not terribly noisy either. Unlike all the other Chinese made hot air rework stations I've seen, the heating element is an assembly that fits a socket in the handle (entire stainless steel tube). Nothing to solder, just work with 3 screws should it need replaced. Set the handle in the cradle, and it drops to whatever you set as a setback temp, and if left long enough, shuts off (time is user settable).

(Internal photos of an 861DS).

They make a couple of lower priced models, the 957 and the 957Dx (957 analog innards, 957DW innards). These also use turbine pumps, but are simpler, have fewer features, and are less powerful. They've a lower build cost so aren't as nice internally, but they do get the job done, and appear better constructed than what they compete with.  So if on a tighter budget, either of these may be a better alternative.

For those that would prefer the squirrel fan in handle versions, Pro's Kit SS969 is better built than most it seems. 

For comparison, here's the internals of a Hakko FR-802.

These threads might be of use as well (lots of internal photos too).

• Metcal HCT-900 or Hakko FR-810?
• Hot air guns/rework stations with programmable profile!

Hope this helps.