[Elecraft] solder removers

Sun Jan 12 14:49:08 2003

Hi

Sorry I thought you were talking about the standard spring loaded solder
sucker. After looking at the website I see the tools are similar. Sort of a
solder sucker and soldering iron combined. I have not used one of these but
it looks good and the price is very good if it works as good as you say. I
do a lot of repair and prototyping so I can justify the Hakko. Many can not
for the occasional removal job, so this may be the tool of choice for the
average ham. I had experience with the solder sucker with the rubber bulb
and can say they do not work very well. Until I got my Hakko about 10 years
ago I used the large solder sucker shown on the web page and found them to
work pretty good.

As far a the cleaning of the Hakko it is very simple much easer than a Pace
unit. About once a day just pop out the solder catching vial and empty the
solder. Pull any solder blobs in the steel wool with some pliers and
re-install the steel wool. Run the tip cleaning tool through the nozzle a
few times and that's it. Takes about 2 minutes. Every few months I replace
the tip, steel wool and the little round felt filters. I usually clean the
glass vial with WD-40 and a rag and pass the solder tube cleaning tool
through the heater while the tip is removed and the iron is hot. This
procedure takes maybe 15 minutes.

Don Brown
KD5NDB

----- Original Message -----
From: "David A. Belsley" <[email protected]>
To: "Don Brown" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 10:10 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] solder removers

> Several who have responded to me about the GC Solder Popper do not seem to
> realize that the GC unit is, like the Hakko, a single unit with a hollow
> tip that allows the desoldering operation to be done with a single hand
and
> without having to remove the heating element from the pad while the solder
> sucking takes place.  Other than the fact that the GC unit uses a
> spring-loaded pump instead of a motor operated pump, it is identical in
> concept to the Hakko.  And while the GC unit's spring-loaded pump must be
> recocked for each use, this is really a trivial operation.  Further, the
> spring-loaded vacuum pump on the GC is very effective.  I have used this
> unit on many, many occasions, and it has worked every time with a single
> 'shot'.  I will also say that the GC unit is extremely robust and easy to
> care for and clean.  It does not require the exquisite care and feeding
> that, to judge from some posts, the Hakko unit seems to require.  On the
> other side, the continuous pump on the Hakko would clearly be an advantage
> if one were trying to remove a series of  40-pin ICs.  But for most of the
> more casual operations we Hams do, I think you'll find that the GC will
> more than serve the need at a significantly lesser price.
>
> In operation I find that, if the soldered lead was in the center of the
pad
> hole (not touching the side), the lead is free and ready to be removed
> after one shot.  If, however, the lead is pressing against the side of the
> pad, as would be the case if you had bent the leads to the sides to hold
> the component in place during installation, there can be a tiny bit of
> solder left where the lead touches the pad.  There is no way around this
> and it will necessarily be true for any desoldering tool.  Sometimes this
> solder will snap with just a bit of side pressure on the lead (but take
> care not to press too hard) and sometimes you must use your regular iron
to
> heat and push the lead into the center of the pad hole.  When you do this,
> be sure your iron is good and clean so that it does not reintroduce solder
> to the pad.
>
> Again, my friends, it's your call.  But check the GC out at
> <http://www.action-electronics.com/desolder.htm> to be sure we all know
> what we're talking about.  The first thing you'll see on that page is the
> Hakko unit, but scroll down a bit to find the GC model 12-2157.
>
> The real beauty of either of these units is, once you have one, you will
> feel a lot better about undertaking any removal revision.  Just knowing
you
> have it will relieve a lot of anxiety.
>
> best wishes,
>
> dave belsley, w1euy
>
> --On Sunday, January 12, 2003 9:01 AM -0600 Don Brown <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi
> >
> > I have been using solder suckers of one type or another for well over 20
> > years. I have tried them all. The spring loaded type can do quite a good
> > job, as can solder wick, but they do not compare to the solder removal
> > systems using a vacuum pump like the Hakko. Like everything else there
> > good and not so good spring type solder suckers. The best ones are about
> > one inch in diameter and about 12 inches long with a Teflon tip. What I
> > don't like about them is you need to heat the pad with one hand and use
> > the sucker with the other requiring the board to be flat on the bench.
> > The solder must be pulled up hill. Most of the time you will need to
> > repeat this operation several times to get all of the solder out. The
> > repeated heating is not good for the pads so the possibility of lifting
> > the pads is higher.
> >
> > The de-solder stations like Pace, Weller and Hakko use a vacuum pump
> > connected to a special iron with a hollow tip. You apply the tip to the
> > joint and push a button or pull a trigger and the pump starts, removing
> > all the solder and cooling the joint with a rush of air at the same
time.
> > The pump has much more power than any spring type remover and will run
as
> > long as you hold the trigger. You can hold the board in one hand and the
> > remover in the other so the board can be tilted so the solder is pulled
> > down into the nozzle. The nozzle is metal so you can gently rotate the
> > nozzle on the pad as you are sucking the solder out this moves the lead
> > in the hole cleaning the solder from all parts of the hole. I can remove
> > and replace a 40 pin IC in about 5 minutes with the Hakko with no damage
> > to the IC or the board. I would never attempt this with a spring type
> > tool. If I had to use the spring remover I would cut out the IC remove
> > each lead and use the solder sucker to clean the holes. This still
> > requires heating the pads twice.
> >
> > The de-solder stations have usually cost from $300 to $1000 in the past
> > the Hakko 808 is the first time the price is cheap enough for the
> > hobbyists to afford. It is still not cheap but if you can justify it it
> > is well worth the money. I don't have a Hakko 808 I have a Hakko 706.
The
> > difference is the 808 has the pump in the gun and is a one piece unit.
> > the 706 is a two piece unit with a separate pump.
> >
> >
> > Don Brown
> > KD5NDB
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David A. Belsley" <[email protected]>
> > To: <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 4:20 PM
> > Subject: [Elecraft] solder removers
> >
> >
> >> I have seen much made lately of the Hakko 808 desoldering tool.  I have
> >> never used one, but I have no doubt it is a fine piece of equipment.  I
> >> do have, however, the GC Solder Popper (model 12-2157).  It is the same
> >> sort of tool as the Hakko: a one-hand solder-pump that melts and
vacuums
> >> solder in one operation.  You just heat the pad, push the button, and
> >> "schlurp", the solder is gone.  I have used it many, many times,
> >> including for all of the Rev A to B K2 modifications.  And it is simply
> >> wonderful.  Now, as I say, I have not used the Hakko, so I can't really
> >> offer a direct comparison.  But I will say that it is inconceivable to
> >> me that the Hakko could do the job any better than the GC.  The GC does
> >> exactly what is needed, very quickly, very easily.
> >>
> >> There is a difference, however. The GC costs $34.69, while the Hakko
> >> costs $169 ("best price I've found", in the words of one happy camper).
> >> So, for those of you who are looking for a bit of aid in making the Rev
> >> A to B
> > mods
> >> that may be more in the budget, give this tool a look-see.  You can
find
> > it
> >> at <http://www.action-electronics.com/desolder.htm>.  Scroll down the
> >> page a bit to find it.
> >>
> >> I'll provide the usual disclaimer: I have no interest in the GC Solder
> >> Popper other than as a very satisfied user.
> >>
> >>
> >> best wishes,
> >>
> >> dave belsley, w1euy
> >> ----------------------------------
> >> David A. Belsley
> >> Professor of Economics
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------
> David A. Belsley
> Professor of Economics
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