Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

[jeffescortlx]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

Mine is a Den-On SC-5000. It's an earlier version (I think from the 80s/90s) of the currently produced SC-7000Z: http://www.denondic.co.jp/en/doc_sc7000z.php.

Actually the tips are just over 90mm long.

They sell the new model at http://www.howardelectronics.com/den-on/sc7000.html if anyone's interested. I expect the new one would work much better for lead-free solder. Mine does work very well on 60/40 which I expect is all it was designed for.

It has a switch to reverse the pump for hot air rework. That's pretty neat!

[Agent24]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

Mine is a Den-On SC-5000. It's an earlier version (I think from the 80s/90s) of the currently produced SC-7000Z: http://www.denondic.co.jp/en/doc_sc7000z.php.

Actually the tips are just over 90mm long.

They sell the new model at http://www.howardelectronics.com/den-on/sc7000.html if anyone's interested. I expect the new one would work much better for lead-free solder. Mine does work very well on 60/40 which I expect is all it was designed for.

[keeney123]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

That is like 3 1/8" long for those of you not on metric scale. I agree stj that is huge.

[stj]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

True, but lead-free solder or 63/37 stuff does like to clog the nozzle better than 60/40 too. I can add fresh solder and run 60/40 through my Den-on all day and only stop to clean out the flux residue and the waste solder pipe.

When I start working on lead-free or that 63/37 stuff I have to crank up the heat and even then I sometimes have to pull lumps of solder out of the back end of the nozzle. (Which to be fair, is about 80mm long)

80mm ????
what the hell is it?
most desoldering units the tip&heater are no more than about 50

[jeffescortlx]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

Just an update: But I did get the Hakko FR300 a few days ago, and I did get a chance to use it a few times. So far so good.
Feels nice. It does have a heat light, but wish it had a power light on the back side so it could easily be seen. If it came with different size tips and had a real stand that was included it would be a winner for sure.

[Agent24]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

True, but lead-free solder or 63/37 stuff does like to clog the nozzle better than 60/40 too. I can add fresh solder and run 60/40 through my Den-on all day and only stop to clean out the flux residue and the waste solder pipe.

When I start working on lead-free or that 63/37 stuff I have to crank up the heat and even then I sometimes have to pull lumps of solder out of the back end of the nozzle. (Which to be fair, is about 80mm long)

[stj]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

adding solder is what fluxes up the desoldering tip.

[popeye]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

I would recomend adding leaded solder to the joints you want to clear before desoldering keep the tips clear and you will not have them clogging so much.

[clearchris]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

I did a write up on here about that unit. Still happy with the unit. I cant imagine going back to a plunger type solder sucker.

[Agent24]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

The gun looks the same as the one for the ZD985, if it is, then all things being equal, they are probably much the same.

[jeffescortlx]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

got a link for the 474++ ?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ABJ4AEC?vs=1

Reviews are very positive

[stj]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

got a link for the 474++ ?

[jeffescortlx]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

So what do you guys think is a better China unit, the 474++ or the ZD985?

[montemcguire]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

That makes sense! I have an FR-300 and the tip clogged, but it wasn't solder that clogged it - must have been cooked flux. Other than clogging, which I guess I could prevent by running the cleaning wire through it regularly, it's a really nice tool! Much nicer than the 808 - better balanced, more suction, easily controllable heat, on-off switch.

Thanks for the hint, and I recommend the FR-300 highly. I do mostly SMD, and it's still very useful - a great tool for cleaning and leveling pads after a part has been removed from a PCB.

[Agent24]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

if you dont keep it clear of old flux, it clogs real fast.
think about what your soldering iron tip gets like and how often you wipe it - then remember this is no different except it's on the INSIDE!!!

That's a good way of explaining it.

[stj]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

Ahh right haha I might recap mine soon as I noticed sancon brand caps inside when I replaced the fan only compliant apart from that solid in my opinion

all zhongdi products have one "problem",
they use a black power switch - i hate that!!!
i upgrade them with these:
http://www.rapidonline.com/Electroni...Switches-30262

[stj]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

just remember after you finish using it, clear the nozzle with the spike tool while holding the button down.

if you dont keep it clear of old flux, it clogs real fast.
think about what your soldering iron tip gets like and how often you wipe it - then remember this is no different except it's on the INSIDE!!!

[ReeceyBurger123]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

that's a ZHONGDI - hence the ZD in the model number.
i have one of their soldering stations - they are good for the money.

Ahh right haha I might recap mine soon as I noticed sancon brand caps inside when I replaced the fan only compliant apart from that solid in my opinion

[jeffescortlx]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

I hope it's true what they say "you get what you pay for" because I just ordered the Hakko FR300 & 633 Hakko Holder. It was $290 total.
If it goes through heating elements I'm going to be pissed, and will sell it for a Aoyue 474A++ or ZD985 or even the cheaper S-993A. At least if those go bad it's only $20 for a replacement heater, heck the whole replacement gun for the ZD-985 is only $44.
...I'll just see how it goes.

[Stefan Payne]

Re: Desoldering station vacuum pump. Looking for recommendations.

I see the lf-8800 is $400, it's a combo and would take up a lot of bench space. If I didn't already have a nice solder station I would consider. How's the after sale support?

I got it, not that satisfied though...
Got problems with blocked nozzle, need to go to 400°C with RoHS solder to avoid that most of the time...
The Iron seems to be OK though...

Inside the box you'll also find some SMD tweezers, a cutter, 3 iron stands (at least with my ELV labeled one) and some kind of fume extractor (well, mor or less a 230VAC fan with a switch and some metal around it)...

Though at that price point, I guess it's OK...

all desoldering units are maintainance heavy,
i owned a weller ws80 and used it several hours a day, so i know this well.
unclogging the tip of dried / burned flux, changing filters etc.

Ah, OK; so that's (more or less) normal for those kind of tools?

I think then I shoudn't complain as much, should I?

Especially since you also could get a hot air part (probably not worth it) and also a pair of soldering tweezers for the LF-8800...
that one

I'd highly recomend to buy some other tips for the Iron as well as some other nozzles for the desolder thing...