aoyue 128 vs hakko ft-700

[Findingmyway]

Any comments on these 2 cleaners. I know the hakko is s better but is it worth the price difference. I also know getting one of these isn't really nevessary but indulge me.

[wblock]

Operation looks really similar, manual switch for both.

The Aoyue power switch is on the back, the Hakko on the side.

The Aoyue has a power brick and claims 18W usage.  Hakko appears to be direct AC, claims 4.5W usage.

Aoyue case is mostly plastic, Hakko is metal.

Quality of the brushes with the Aoyue could be a concern.  Too coarse or tough and they will gouge the plating on the tip.  Ideally, it would be really fine brass rather than steel treated to look like brass.

The first part of the Aoyue manual is about replacing the motor.  Hmm.  The Hakko manual mentions the brushes as a replacement part, but does not show how to replace them.

There is a Quick 310 which is similar to the Hakko and might be worth considering.  Again, the brush quality is a concern.

Please post a review if you get any of these.

[nanofrog]

There is a Quick 310 which is similar to the Hakko and might be worth considering.  Again, the brush quality is a concern.

If their hot air rework station quality is anything to go by, I suspect it won't be a problem in Quick's case.

[MrSlack]

I own Aoyue kit (their 936 clone) and to be honest it's unreliable and poorly built. The iron falls to bits regularly when I'm using it.

I'd skip their stuff if I'm honest.

[smbaker]

I own Aoyue kit (their 936 clone) and to be honest it's unreliable and poorly built.

I've had an Aoyue 852A++ hot air station since ~ 2010 and haven't had any problems with it. It's the only hot air station I've ever owned, so I really have nothing to compare it against though.

FWIW, When I saw this thread, I couldn't resist ordering another gadget. The Aoyue 128 is on the way. I'm not entirely sure the logic of my decision, as I could have bought quite a few tips for $50. If it turns out to be obvious crap, I'll send it back. I'll post a review when I get it.

[smbaker]

My video review of the Aoyue 128 is up at:

http://youtu.be/kXXah8bnoFk

Overall, the construction is pretty cheap. Lots of plastic. It did clean up the soldering tip that I tried it on (video shows the before and after). I'm not sure yet how satisfied I am with it; I might need to clean a few more tips and get an overall feel for the usefulness and durability before I reach a conclusion. $50 seems like a lot for something that's a motor, two brash brushes, a couple small sealed ball bearings, and a bunch of plastic.

The bristles seem fairly fine to me, and seem like real brass, although I'll admit I'm not an expert in the metallurgy of tiny bristles. I can stick my finger in the thing and it doesn't hurt me in the slightest.

Scott

[MrSlack]

Thanks for the review. Not that terrible for them. Basic rs540 motor by the looks.

Question is: does it stay put? Some of the cheap Chinese things I bought wouldn't stay put so I have epoxied UK 2p coins into the base to give them more mass and friction.

[smbaker]

Question is: does it stay put? Some of the cheap Chinese things I bought wouldn't stay put so I have epoxied UK 2p coins into the base to give them more mass and friction.

It seems to stay put, but I wouldn't mind if it was a little bit heavier either. There are four rubber feet on the bottom that keep it from getting pushed around too easily.

Scott

[Findingmyway]

Thanks SMBaker for your video. I went with tha Hakko polisher and I know there is a huge price difference but I am glad I did. You get what you paid for. That Aoyue is very loud and noisy compared to the Hakko. I will do a video review once I get it. It's an xmass gift from the wife I only got a chance to plug it in and turn it on...