Desoldering station suggestion

[tooki]

Why not use a solder pot in this case? Much less fuss.

Because a DIP desoldering tip like that can fit into places a solder pot can’t.

[knave]

Having something useful for a variety of packages would be a win.

The biggest concern removing DIP is I don't want to damage 45+ year old PCBs.  Removing larger DIP packages undamaged is also important as many are hard to replace.

Having something "usable" for tube sockets and the rest would be good, but a much less frequent occurrence.  I have several spring loaded pumps, they are mediocre at best and require cleanup afterwards.

For SMT hot-air + wick so far seems to work.

I sounds like I should consider the Pace or the Quick despite being a bit of a HAKKO fan, the Pace is a little under $400, the Quick a bit below that and the HAKKO $240.

Almost everything I do is leaded, I'm curious if lead-free makes things more difficult?

[nctnico]

Removing chips from old boards is always iffy. I have used various suction based desoldering irons (Ersa, Pace) over the years but nowadays I used soder wick (the good stuff from Chemtronics) to empty the holes one by one. What helps with older boards is to clean the joints first with alcohol and redo the joints with fresh tin. When a pin/pad is attached to a large plane, I pre-heat using hot air. This and patience usually gets the job done without damage to parts and boards.

[tatel]

Got one of these recently:

https://benl.rs-online.com/web/p/soldering-stations/1372292

I'm sure it can be traced to the chinese manufacturer but I'm quite happy with it.

It looks identical to proskit ss-331
https://aliexpress.com/item/32957483227.html

Yeah, quite happy with it

[tooki]

Removing chips from old boards is always iffy. I have used various suction based desoldering irons (Ersa, Pace) over the years but nowadays I used soder wick (the good stuff from Chemtronics) to empty the holes one by one. What helps with older boards is to clean the joints first with alcohol and redo the joints with fresh tin. When a pin/pad is attached to a large plane, I pre-heat using hot air. This and patience usually gets the job done without damage to parts and boards.

Though I still think that vacuum desoldering using proper technique produces the best results most of the time, for solder wick, try MG Chemicals. It’s braided from way finer wire than the rest, and performs better because of it.

[Arts]

I purchased an Aoyue 474A++ several years ago for under 200 buck. Performs extremely well and has been totally reliable, and it has a lot of hours on it at this point.
As with all desoldering apparatus, regular cleaning and filter replacements are mandatory, as is moistening the filter in the handpiece. Most Hakko consumables are usable.
I also have a JBC DS 5300 desoldering system, but I find the Aoyue handpiece lighter and easier to manage, especially in tight spaces.

[helius]

The Hakko FR301 is one of the heavier handpieces (due to it being an all in one) and has a standard tip range. The stand it comes with is very basic. Consumables and service parts are fairly pricey for what they are but not too bad compared to heater tips. I've not heard any real problems with the latest version of it, should be fine.

The "stand" it comes with is just a folded piece of sheet metal and will transfer enough heat to burn a wooden desk. But there are real stands made by Hakko, they are just an additional purchase. The specified stand is C1100, but it looks like models 607 and 633 will also work.
Hakko also makes quick-tip-change stands that are interesting, Model C5046. How much more complicated than the simple and fast tip changing arrangement of the Pace desolder tools!

[donlisms]

I have a Hakko FR-301 and I don't complain about it much, nor do I wish for something else.  It just works.  I'm not claiming it's the best.

I agree with tooki that the thing is proper technique. I cringe when I see someone using the grind-aggressively-in-circles method; it's so abusive and unnecessary.  Just melt the solder and give it a nudge!

The Hakko replaced a low-cost gun that I bought thinking "How bad could it be?"  Well, poor design and construction, parts not fitting, parts breaking, the passageway blocking up way too often... Finally the broken remains were discarded, without tears.

[tooki]

I agree with tooki that the thing is proper technique. I cringe when I see someone using the grind-aggressively-in-circles method; it's so abusive and unnecessary.  Just melt the solder and give it a nudge!

There’s a happy middle ground, but too much movement is better than the much more common problem that people don’t move the desoldering tip at all, resulting in poor hole clearing and residual adhesion on plated holes.

Pace has great videos showing how to do it right.

[2N3055]

I agree with tooki that the thing is proper technique. I cringe when I see someone using the grind-aggressively-in-circles method; it's so abusive and unnecessary.  Just melt the solder and give it a nudge!

There’s a happy middle ground, but too much movement is better than the much more common problem that people don’t move the desoldering tip at all, resulting in poor hole clearing and residual adhesion on plated holes.

Pace has great videos showing how to do it right.

Moving tip in rotating motion is the useful part of the trick. What needs to be avoided is a pressure towards the board...

[tooki]

Oh, for sure! Feather touch, not like a gorilla!

(The Pace video literally has a man in a gorilla suit showing what not to do! 😂)

https://youtu.be/IqE1KA0OAnM @18:33

[Paceguy]

I have been using Pace for years. You can find used ones on ebay. Parts and tips are available. If you are going to do a lot of de-soldering, better to go with a good quality de-solder station and avoid the cheap ones.