Thank you for this video! It was extremely helpful as I try to figure out how to use this de- soldering gun. So appreciative of you taking your time to post this!
@@DrCassette I bought one many years ago and never use it, still in the box, I bought maybe 20 tips, filters, two heating elements inclusive. How about your unit? The heating element last? I don't leave my desoldering connected when is not in use. Ten years ago I bought a Hakko 808, is my every day desoldering gun, 10 years without any problem. ZD-915 it was supposed to be the replacement for the 808, but 808 never fail. I repair High End Audio amplifiers and vintage audio gear, throughole desoldering gun is necessary for me. Best Regards.
Maby one reason for the solder to get stuck in the "cold part" of the tube is that the button is released to early so the solder is still in the tube. If you release the button to early, the solder don't have time to get sucked all the way back into the glas chamber. I remember from when I took a course in soldering that it was one of the things the instructor stressed. Keep the button pressed for a second or two after it has sucked upp the solder just to be sure. Solder will not stick to the chamber (glas tube) and the spring if you apply grease to them before use. Clean them well, and use a Q-tip to apply grease to the inside of the glas tube.
I have one of these works quite well. One tip I would suggest is to pull the tube BACK from the front when removing it. MUCH easier than trying to push it forward to get it clear of the back fitting.
Great review, I recently purchased one for work because my manager was reluctant to drop a few thousand on a Hakko. I'm honestly impressed enough to not want a Hakko anymore, spares are dirt cheap too.
Thanks for posting your experiences Although it has it's shortcomings it is made for an economical price so on the whole I think it's a good unit. I just bought the same model and blocked it up after about 20 desoldering joints. Could not clear the blockage so I took the thing apart and it is tricky to get it back together. I drilled out the half inch length of solder blocking the rear of the tube because it was stuck in there solid. I also removed the plastic ziptie holding the vacuum pipe at the top because it reduced the movement of the spring loaded catch at the back and I could not remove the chamber, that allowed just enough movement to get it out when it was re-assembled. Clearing the blockage those cleaners are no good for a solid blockage at the rear of the tube. I got a piece of brass rod the same size as the largest cleaner, removed the tip and heated the brass rod to red hot for about an inch and quickly pushed it into the tube and kept light pressure against the solder and it melted the solder right out, it saved taking it apart again like i did the first time. Stopping the blockage I found it needed to be nearly 400 degrees C, Dont suck as soon as the solder melts, dwell there another half a second and keep the pump going a little longer than you think necessary . That seems to work for me no more problems. I would have took it apart before I used it just like Mike. It must be an engineer thing.
I was thinking about re-capping a vintage stereo receiver and this looked like an economical tool. We'll see how it works out. Thanks for the lessons learned.
Thanks - mine is brand new and of course I took it all apart right out of the box, LOL. Your video has the best description, so far, of how hard it is to get the darn thing back together. Thank you!!
I got the exact same desoldering station too and I always put the part with the felt pad in first, that way it doesn't slide around, then push the rubber front of the solder collecting glass tube in, which needs a bit of force and is a bit nervewrecking, but it does work. i guess it would slide in easier if I'd put a bit of silcon grease onto the rubber seal... But yeah, that seems to be the worst part about the desoldering station. Apart from that, it works great for me.
Suggestion on your clogging issue. Don't open up the tip. When you open up the diameter of the tip, your'e decreasing the suction, which increases the chance that the solder will solidify before it can be sucked all the way through. A better idea would be to change tips when they become enlarged. Also remove the tip prior to cleaning. This will keep your tips in better condition for a longer period of time, and should give you longer, more reliable service between tip replacement. Also, to remove the glass tube... depress the slide release, push the glass tube towards the back of the gun then lift it out from the front.
11:55 - that is because you are doing it the wrong way. You have to pull the glass tube as far as you can to the black backpiece (once backpiece is loose afcourse), and then lift the glass (or plastic) tube from the front side upwards (still requires a little wiggling, and tension to get it out, but it goes much easier once you do it that way). This desoldering station is very good if you can get it for the right price. I used it for years and never had any major issues with it. Sure the sound is pretty loud, but for a hobbyist you dont run it for hours a day you know. But a advise if you buy this, ALWAYS buy extra spare parts for it, like filters, perhaps heater element, even the plastic gun itself is pretty low price. And it makes the mind more at peace knowing if a cheap part breaks down you can replace it quickly. You could afcourse go for a Hakko or whatever brand you like and pay 10 times more. But this desoldering gun is very good for its price. Althought im using the "Pace SX-25 desoldering gun" (with the footpedal) now, its a very old retro one, but i paid 65 euro for the entire unit including the desolder gun and shipping costs of a dutch market place like Ebay. And to be fair, the Pace wins, that thing is like a beast to remove solder.
Just bought one of these, I did a vertical ic on my arcade monitor chassis last week not fun with just plain old solder wick and flux which is usuallg what I would use, would of had it out in no time under a proper gun but hay ho, I have used my gun to make light work of a couple of flyback transformer and a 40pin Z80 chip on my capcom CPS1 board, wish I had bought one years ago.
If you search for glass reservoir replacements you can find them on Ebay. You'll also find if you clean it out more frequently you won't have anywhere near as much difficulty with huge blobs building up on the spring,
With my gun its really easy to get the glass thing out. Just pull it like you want to reload a gun, that you push the spring back. So as english is not my native language, fingers on glass and pull the glass plus spring to the back of the gun. So it gets of easily. Same with putting it in again.
Never let too much gunk build up in the pipe (the inner of the heating element) otherwise you are in deep trouble... i finally got it solved by getting a flexible steel rod in an 500w powerdrill.. and yes... in hammer mode..... redicoulus, but all other drilling methods before did not shove the gunk out.
Yes, I have had cases where the channel got plugged up so bad I had to force in the cleaning pin using a hammer. I think it was one of those occasions when I broke the medium sized pin...
I have the same desoldering station, and to make it easier for me when removing the tin and not to heat stress the plastic ring, I made an aluminum cooler on the holder in the plastic. It dissipates quite a bit of heat and I can fiddle with my butt as much as I want, the plastic and screws in it are only slightly heated. A simple edit and it's done. It is not a good idea to remove the tin from the tube when cold, but just heat the entire spring with a heat gun and the tin can be removed quite easily.
DrCassette i saw there a completed auction for a broken one that costed 357€ just for the camera. I have all the pieces the camera came with back then.
Not really... I found somebody who sells the glass tube, heating element etc., but the prices are somewhat out of proportion. In fact, buying just the glass tube and having it shipped here would cost more than a complete new desoldering gun. I have a feeling there may be some sellers who get the complete desoldering guns, take them apart and try to sell individual parts at high prices to make a profit.
They seem to be about 10 euros for the set, not so bad. www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-GLASS-REPAIR-SET-ZD-552-Desoldering-Station-ZD-915-ZD-917-ZD-985-ZD-987/153046686416
No offence, but is there some other reason for that assumption in addition to the fact that you seem to be Polish? I'm genuinely asking and not trying to be inappropriate.
Haha, no, this is just an old kitchen table from the 1950s. I don't know what the table top is made from, but it is not heat resistant at all. The soldering iron melts it instantly :)
This might be a stupid question but the little clip on the back that hold the black piece for the Jar should be removable? I'm assuming by pressing the button again it will release have you tried pressing it twice! or keeping your thumb down and moving it back. Maybe using some open cell foam would be better than the pads. You can buy little pads in packets what are felt feet but I would go with quarter of an inch of foam. The plastic piece that melts can you find a metal bottle top that fits on it's snuggly and use epoxy resin to hold it in place, JB weld heat resistant goes up to 350 degrees Celsius actually when you bake it this epoxy it goes rock hard like concrete you could probably make a new piece out of it completely. Can you not put a copper pipe on the end of the inside or myplace that pipe it's rather small? Can get copper pipe used in model making should be the right size something like 3mm. Up the vacuum and maybe heating element? as well there's a piece on a circuitry to boost the pump on carlson's lab he made for his. What about moving the fan off-board get a six inch computer fan or two put it in a little padded box with a flexible hose with a quick release fixing onto the unit what you can get from plumbers merchants the fan could be out of the room or box in a box padded with rockwool.
The sliding black part does not come off. The button is just a latch that locks the black part in place. It does not have any other functionality. Your suggestions are quite creative but I am not going to modify this, certainly not this much.
DrCassette I don't believe it doesn't come off? what about using the bottle top and JB weld, to prevent the plastic from deforming wouldn't take much maybe a medicine bottle they're usually made of metal
@@johnsweda2999 have one just out of the box, and it would be great if the back section just came off. It most definitely does not, or at least I am not able to make it come off. Might be possible to modify by disassembling.
Just go mine today. Thanks for the instructions especially the pitfalls. By the way you can get the glass tube kit on ebay now. ZD915-TUBE-UW Glass Tube Filter Seal Kit 915 917 1010DR 552A D00756 Compatible.
(5:40) - Yes, you can get a replacement glass set for this desoldering gun. It costs £8.00 and you can find it here: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-1-GLASS-SET-FOR-ZD-915-DESOLDERING-GUN-NEW/362207074257?hash=item54553957d1:g:rCcAAOSwYeRZ8I7A >
I bought one and it worked great for 3 months with lite use and cleaned everyother time. It doesn't suck the melted solder after 3 months. Dont buy it buy something else.
Thanks for the review. Do you have by chance hot air station that could be reviewed? With components getting smaller and boards more complex and packed with SMD, desoldering station is more useful for 'traditional' repairs. I noticed Weller analog soldering station (functionally the same as the one with digital display) and I think older Fluke DMM - these last for decades, with Weller parts readily available. The only thing I don't like on Wellers is the 3 or 5 pin connector, which always has the pins broken if in heavy used with frequent cable disconnections - I put regular size XLR into TC201T for heavy duty use: a bit overkill but it serves the purpose.
I have just recently started thinking about getting a hot air station. I'll have to do some more research, but eventually I'll get one, because indeed SMD components are everywhere these days and traditional soldering equipment in many cases just doesn't work for those. In the shelf there is an old Fluke DMM. The LC display went bad on that one. I already found a modern day replacement, but I have not yet had the time to make it work inside the DMM. I never detach the Weller soldering iron from its station so in my case the low quality connector is not an issue.
Seams to be typical of Chinese versions of products, were no real knowledge of the product exists. They just make a cheaper version of a product without considering the implications (or even care) of the results. The issues you found could very easily be corrected on a later version making it a really nice product but they never do! I think that is the main difference between a named and respected manufacturer and the genetic Chinese version.
14:00 Isn't it easier if you put it back (but also get it out) the other way around? Aka, first slide the pad side over the seal and than lower the front. Seems you have more room that way and you can position the filter on the spring first instead of sliding it.
ON mine there is a metal tube sticking into the interior of the glass tube that makes it impossible to slide the front on last. The frone must go on and over the tube first.. Thinking I should just cut that bit of tubing off to make like easier. Now: played with this some more, and tengineer is right. It is easier to put the back in first.
Ja, leider ist das heute auf CZcams nicht mehr die Regel... deswegen war es mir wichtig, gleich am Anfang darauf hinzuweisen, dass ich mich nicht habe kaufen lassen :)
Once I heard the "design flaw" part, it was a turn off for me. I have lost too much time on tols that underperformed due to small issues, fixable to some extent. But as your tools grow in count, so that the "small fixable issues" and you end up spending much time "preparing and fixing" the tools instead of actually spending the time on the work itself.
Seems like you don't know how these desoldering stations are used. I am not cleaning the entire thing after using it for 10 seconds to suck out two solder joints...
I have one, removing the glass tube is an absolute bloody nightmare, putting it back .... Well! You'll wished you had never wanted to clean it in first place.
Bit late mate but I'm in the same boat. First time using it a few nights ago and it worked as expected. Tried again today and it just won't suck the solder. I tried moving the large filter pad and it did apply more suction but I don't really want to use the tool like that. Not sure why it's happened so quickly considering I made sure to clean the tool and guarantee it wasn't blocked.
(5:40) - I am sorry, but that tube is not real glass. It is some type of plastic or acrylic. Try scratching it with a Stanley blade. Yeah, it's easy. You can't do that with *_"real glass"_* EDIT: Oops! Er, yup. It is real glass. I just checked mine on my teeth. What an idiot I feel now. It didn't *_look_* like real glass. What a surprise ! Sorry Dr. >
What unnecessary is a long story and slow talking. You know people want to know about these low cost devices and by the sounds of you it has to be a three to four hundred dollar. One to satisfy the one with money to spend. So I bought one and it was worth every penny. I repair tvs daily and never let me done..
Just threw out mine in the dumpster. Terrible, for several reasons, a waste of money. Better to just use a 5 usd plastic manual desolder pump. Now I've bought myself a useful desolder station.
@@DrCassette tip that get cracks and makes black marks in the PCB. Suction power weaker than a 5 usd hand desolder pump. Noisy even when not in use. Get blocked up all the time. Difficult to empty, fraguile glas container, breaks when removed.
The fan indeed is very noisy, and I imagine the suction power could be stronger. The glass container requires some care when removing or reinstalling it, but I have not managed to break mine yet. My pump gets blocked occasionally, but definitely not all the time. I have not had any problems with cracking tips or black marks on the PCB.
@@DrCassette All this type of the desoldering tools require a lo of mantenance. I bought one ZD-915 for replace my old Hakko 808, but my Hakko never fail, my ZD-915 is in the box still. Now I bought the Yihua 948, I am testing for 2 months and works fine. Finally my Hakko 808 clogged often using 1mm nozzles, now I use 1.5mm or more only. Best Regards.
Thank you for this video! It was extremely helpful as I try to figure out how to use this de- soldering gun. So appreciative of you taking your time to post this!
I am glad you found this video helpful :)
@@DrCassette I bought one many years ago and never use it, still in the box, I bought maybe 20 tips, filters, two heating elements inclusive.
How about your unit?
The heating element last?
I don't leave my desoldering connected when is not in use.
Ten years ago I bought a Hakko 808, is my every day desoldering gun, 10 years without any problem.
ZD-915 it was supposed to be the replacement for the 808, but 808 never fail.
I repair High End Audio amplifiers and vintage audio gear, throughole desoldering gun is necessary for me.
Best Regards.
Maby one reason for the solder to get stuck in the "cold part" of the tube is that the button is released to early so the solder is still in the tube.
If you release the button to early, the solder don't have time to get sucked all the way back into the glas chamber.
I remember from when I took a course in soldering that it was one of the things the instructor stressed.
Keep the button pressed for a second or two after it has sucked upp the solder just to be sure.
Solder will not stick to the chamber (glas tube) and the spring if you apply grease to them before use.
Clean them well, and use a Q-tip to apply grease to the inside of the glas tube.
I have one of these works quite well. One tip I would suggest is to pull the tube BACK from the front when removing it. MUCH easier than trying to push it forward to get it clear of the back fitting.
thank you! that helped a lot
very good most useful info once again thank you DC
Great review, I recently purchased one for work because my manager was reluctant to drop a few thousand on a Hakko. I'm honestly impressed enough to not want a Hakko anymore, spares are dirt cheap too.
Thanks for posting your experiences Although it has it's shortcomings it is made for an economical price so on the whole I think it's a good unit.
I just bought the same model and blocked it up after about 20 desoldering joints. Could not clear the blockage so I took the thing apart and it is tricky to get it back together. I drilled out the half inch length of solder blocking the rear of the tube because it was stuck in there solid. I also removed the plastic ziptie holding the vacuum pipe at the top because it reduced the movement of the spring loaded catch at the back and I could not remove the chamber, that allowed just enough movement to get it out when it was re-assembled. Clearing the blockage those cleaners are no good for a solid blockage at the rear of the tube. I got a piece of brass rod the same size as the largest cleaner, removed the tip and heated the brass rod to red hot for about an inch and quickly pushed it into the tube and kept light pressure against the solder and it melted the solder right out, it saved taking it apart again like i did the first time. Stopping the blockage I found it needed to be nearly 400 degrees C, Dont suck as soon as the solder melts, dwell there another half a second and keep the pump going a little longer than you think necessary . That seems to work for me no more problems. I would have took it apart before I used it just like Mike. It must be an engineer thing.
Thanks for explaining these things and the review. I’ve been debating whether my minor hobby applications justify this tool.
I was thinking about re-capping a vintage stereo receiver and this looked like an economical tool. We'll see how it works out. Thanks for the lessons learned.
Today you can find the Yihua 948, I have both units and Yihua looks more better built.
Yihua have sleep funtion.
Best Regards.
Thanks - mine is brand new and of course I took it all apart right out of the box, LOL. Your video has the best description, so far, of how hard it is to get the darn thing back together. Thank you!!
He did it wrong
Operator error
I got the exact same desoldering station too and I always put the part with the felt pad in first, that way it doesn't slide around, then push the rubber front of the solder collecting glass tube in, which needs a bit of force and is a bit nervewrecking, but it does work. i guess it would slide in easier if I'd put a bit of silcon grease onto the rubber seal... But yeah, that seems to be the worst part about the desoldering station. Apart from that, it works great for me.
Suggestion on your clogging issue. Don't open up the tip. When you open up the diameter of the tip, your'e decreasing the suction, which increases the chance that the solder will solidify before it can be sucked all the way through. A better idea would be to change tips when they become enlarged. Also remove the tip prior to cleaning. This will keep your tips in better condition for a longer period of time, and should give you longer, more reliable service between tip replacement. Also, to remove the glass tube... depress the slide release, push the glass tube towards the back of the gun then lift it out from the front.
Seems like they used thermoplastic plastic where thermosetting plastic would have been better for keeping the screws in place.
I find putting the glass tube onto the back first is easier.
I agree, I could not get the glass tube in like he showed.
Brilliant, thanks
Sehr Hilfreich und klar erklärt, gutes Video!
Danke! :)
11:55 - that is because you are doing it the wrong way. You have to pull the glass tube as far as you can to the black backpiece (once backpiece is loose afcourse), and then lift the glass (or plastic) tube from the front side upwards (still requires a little wiggling, and tension to get it out, but it goes much easier once you do it that way).
This desoldering station is very good if you can get it for the right price. I used it for years and never had any major issues with it. Sure the sound is pretty loud, but for a hobbyist you dont run it for hours a day you know.
But a advise if you buy this, ALWAYS buy extra spare parts for it, like filters, perhaps heater element, even the plastic gun itself is pretty low price. And it makes the mind more at peace knowing if a cheap part breaks down you can replace it quickly.
You could afcourse go for a Hakko or whatever brand you like and pay 10 times more.
But this desoldering gun is very good for its price.
Althought im using the "Pace SX-25 desoldering gun" (with the footpedal) now, its a very old retro one, but i paid 65 euro for the entire unit including the desolder gun and shipping costs of a dutch market place like Ebay. And to be fair, the Pace wins, that thing is like a beast to remove solder.
thank you! that helped a lot
Just bought one of these, I did a vertical ic on my arcade monitor chassis last week not fun with just plain old solder wick and flux which is usuallg what I would use, would of had it out in no time under a proper gun but hay ho, I have used my gun to make light work of a couple of flyback transformer and a 40pin Z80 chip on my capcom CPS1 board, wish I had bought one years ago.
If you search for glass reservoir replacements you can find them on Ebay. You'll also find if you clean it out more frequently you won't have anywhere near as much difficulty with huge blobs building up on the spring,
With my gun its really easy to get the glass thing out. Just pull it like you want to reload a gun, that you push the spring back. So as english is not my native language, fingers on glass and pull the glass plus spring to the back of the gun. So it gets of easily. Same with putting it in again.
thank you! that helped a lot
a small copper coin halfway the spring solves a lot of the clogging issues.
Never let too much gunk build up in the pipe (the inner of the heating element)
otherwise you are in deep trouble... i finally got it solved by getting a flexible steel rod in an 500w powerdrill.. and yes... in hammer mode..... redicoulus, but all other drilling methods before did not shove the gunk out.
Yes, I have had cases where the channel got plugged up so bad I had to force in the cleaning pin using a hammer. I think it was one of those occasions when I broke the medium sized pin...
and i really tried... 1mm drill bits, a lot of flux, different temperatures... it felt like i was batteling with concrete.
I have the same desoldering station, and to make it easier for me when removing the tin and not to heat stress the plastic ring, I made an aluminum cooler on the holder in the plastic. It dissipates quite a bit of heat and I can fiddle with my butt as much as I want, the plastic and screws in it are only slightly heated. A simple edit and it's done. It is not a good idea to remove the tin from the tube when cold, but just heat the entire spring with a heat gun and the tin can be removed quite easily.
The gr-c1e came. It has a brand new picture tube in it. The owner did that 2 weeks before selling. For 60€
Wow, that's a great deal then!
DrCassette i saw there a completed auction for a broken one that costed 357€ just for the camera. I have all the pieces the camera came with back then.
I did a quick ebay search and there seems to be a parts set with the glass, spring etc. so you seem to be able to get the glass bit as a spare too.
Not really... I found somebody who sells the glass tube, heating element etc., but the prices are somewhat out of proportion. In fact, buying just the glass tube and having it shipped here would cost more than a complete new desoldering gun. I have a feeling there may be some sellers who get the complete desoldering guns, take them apart and try to sell individual parts at high prices to make a profit.
They seem to be about 10 euros for the set, not so bad.
www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-GLASS-REPAIR-SET-ZD-552-Desoldering-Station-ZD-915-ZD-917-ZD-985-ZD-987/153046686416
Okay, I only searched on the German Ebay site and it was not listed there... so these parts are available, but not everywhere.
+Pentti Kantanen
Cool, thanks and it's a Polish distributor - so parts should be good quality.
No offence, but is there some other reason for that assumption in addition to the fact that you seem to be Polish? I'm genuinely asking and not trying to be inappropriate.
It's better for use???
Very nice bench top there. Must be some kind of heat resistant surface.
Haha, no, this is just an old kitchen table from the 1950s. I don't know what the table top is made from, but it is not heat resistant at all. The soldering iron melts it instantly :)
This might be a stupid question but the little clip on the back that hold the black piece for the Jar should be removable? I'm assuming by pressing the button again it will release have you tried pressing it twice! or keeping your thumb down and moving it back. Maybe using some open cell foam would be better than the pads. You can buy little pads in packets what are felt feet but I would go with quarter of an inch of foam. The plastic piece that melts can you find a metal bottle top that fits on it's snuggly and use epoxy resin to hold it in place, JB weld heat resistant goes up to 350 degrees Celsius actually when you bake it this epoxy it goes rock hard like concrete you could probably make a new piece out of it completely. Can you not put a copper pipe on the end of the inside or myplace that pipe it's rather small? Can get copper pipe used in model making should be the right size something like 3mm.
Up the vacuum and maybe heating element? as well there's a piece on a circuitry to boost the pump on carlson's lab he made for his. What about moving the fan off-board get a six inch computer fan or two put it in a little padded box with a flexible hose with a quick release fixing onto the unit what you can get from plumbers merchants the fan could be out of the room or box in a box padded with rockwool.
The sliding black part does not come off. The button is just a latch that locks the black part in place. It does not have any other functionality. Your suggestions are quite creative but I am not going to modify this, certainly not this much.
DrCassette I don't believe it doesn't come off? what about using the bottle top and JB weld, to prevent the plastic from deforming wouldn't take much maybe a medicine bottle they're usually made of metal
@@johnsweda2999 have one just out of the box, and it would be great if the back section just came off. It most definitely does not, or at least I am not able to make it come off. Might be possible to modify by disassembling.
Just go mine today. Thanks for the instructions especially the pitfalls. By the way you can get the glass tube kit on ebay now. ZD915-TUBE-UW Glass Tube Filter Seal Kit 915 917 1010DR 552A D00756 Compatible.
When you say MY , I got the message
The glass tube looks like an after market gas filter for hot rods.
Thank you .... this is very instructive! 73 - KF6IF
The brand of this thing is actually Zhongdi if I remember good. I have a hot air station from this kind.
its also branded as "anesty"..... but a lot of chinese products cross brand
(8:20) - Why not just remove the tip and then push the thick cleaning pin through what is left ?
>
(5:40) - Yes, you can get a replacement glass set for this desoldering gun.
It costs £8.00 and you can find it here:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-1-GLASS-SET-FOR-ZD-915-DESOLDERING-GUN-NEW/362207074257?hash=item54553957d1:g:rCcAAOSwYeRZ8I7A
>
I bought one and it worked great for 3 months with lite use and cleaned everyother time. It doesn't suck the melted solder after 3 months. Dont buy it buy something else.
Mine still works after all these years, but I would say it has lost some of it suction power. Not sure why...
Thanks for the review. Do you have by chance hot air station that could be reviewed?
With components getting smaller and boards more complex and packed with SMD, desoldering station is more useful for 'traditional' repairs.
I noticed Weller analog soldering station (functionally the same as the one with digital display) and I think older Fluke DMM - these last for decades, with Weller parts readily available. The only thing I don't like on Wellers is the 3 or 5 pin connector, which always has the pins broken if in heavy used with frequent cable disconnections - I put regular size XLR into TC201T for heavy duty use: a bit overkill but it serves the purpose.
I have just recently started thinking about getting a hot air station. I'll have to do some more research, but eventually I'll get one, because indeed SMD components are everywhere these days and traditional soldering equipment in many cases just doesn't work for those.
In the shelf there is an old Fluke DMM. The LC display went bad on that one. I already found a modern day replacement, but I have not yet had the time to make it work inside the DMM.
I never detach the Weller soldering iron from its station so in my case the low quality connector is not an issue.
Seams to be typical of Chinese versions of products, were no real knowledge of the product exists. They just make a cheaper version of a product without considering the implications (or even care) of the results.
The issues you found could very easily be corrected on a later version making it a really nice product but they never do! I think that is the main difference between a named and respected manufacturer and the genetic Chinese version.
14:00 Isn't it easier if you put it back (but also get it out) the other way around? Aka, first slide the pad side over the seal and than lower the front. Seems you have more room that way and you can position the filter on the spring first instead of sliding it.
I have the same model for work and I do that, much easier. The back has also a little spring, and you just push it back and it just slides in
ON mine there is a metal tube sticking into the interior of the glass tube that makes it impossible to slide the front on last. The frone must go on and over the tube first.. Thinking I should just cut that bit of tubing off to make like easier.
Now: played with this some more, and tengineer is right. It is easier to put the back in first.
...not a paid review: sofort Daumen hoch ;)
Ja, leider ist das heute auf CZcams nicht mehr die Regel... deswegen war es mir wichtig, gleich am Anfang darauf hinzuweisen, dass ich mich nicht habe kaufen lassen :)
The on the back of the gun goes in first
thank you! that helped a lot
Buy some tips and drill them to your own sizing
wonder why none of these ever have a universal holder for left or right side...... not everyone is right handed
Once I heard the "design flaw" part, it was a turn off for me. I have lost too much time on tols that underperformed due to small issues, fixable to some extent.
But as your tools grow in count, so that the "small fixable issues" and you end up spending much time "preparing and fixing" the tools instead of actually spending the time on the work itself.
Every time you use it clean it ,simple as that
Seems like you don't know how these desoldering stations are used. I am not cleaning the entire thing after using it for 10 seconds to suck out two solder joints...
I have one, removing the glass tube is an absolute bloody nightmare, putting it back .... Well! You'll wished you had never wanted to clean it in first place.
@@DrCassette that's right I don't know how to use them ..ok
These kinds of machines are made to prevent that exact thing. Cleaning it every time you’re using it.
Is a DC or AC motor installed in this station?
As far as I know there is a 12 V DC motor installed in this device.
Is it a brushless DC motor?
That I don't know.
@@faustsmith nope, it has brushes
@@JohnDoe-es5xh Manufacturer should have installed an AC motor as they are mote durable than DC motors.
Anyone else lose suction with this model despite cleaning it etc?
Bit late mate but I'm in the same boat. First time using it a few nights ago and it worked as expected. Tried again today and it just won't suck the solder.
I tried moving the large filter pad and it did apply more suction but I don't really want to use the tool like that. Not sure why it's happened so quickly considering I made sure to clean the tool and guarantee it wasn't blocked.
The fan is overvoltage thats why it is so loud. Check this vid czcams.com/video/2zr097eMff0/video.html
what a desolder iron review without desoldering any parts ?????
If you need somebody to show you how to use a desoldering iron, you'll have to go somewhere else.
This is not exactly a review, he explains the usual problems that he has found. This video is very very useful. Thanks for sharing, DrCassette.
@@DrCassette I know how to use a desoldering gun, but I would have liked to have seen how well the thing works.
(5:40) - I am sorry, but that tube is not real glass.
It is some type of plastic or acrylic.
Try scratching it with a Stanley blade.
Yeah, it's easy.
You can't do that with *_"real glass"_*
EDIT:
Oops!
Er, yup.
It is real glass.
I just checked mine on my teeth.
What an idiot I feel now.
It didn't *_look_* like real glass.
What a surprise !
Sorry Dr.
>
why you don´t show, how it works. So, the video make no sense.
It is self explanatory how it works. If you don't know how to solder and unsolder components, this video is not for you.
What unnecessary is a long story and slow talking. You know people want to know about these low cost devices and by the sounds of you it has to be a three to four hundred dollar. One to satisfy the one with money to spend. So I bought one and it was worth every penny. I repair tvs daily and never let me done..
Just threw out mine in the dumpster. Terrible, for several reasons, a waste of money. Better to just use a 5 usd plastic manual desolder pump.
Now I've bought myself a useful desolder station.
Your comment would be much more helpful if you explained the "several reasons"!
@@DrCassette tip that get cracks and makes black marks in the PCB. Suction power weaker than a 5 usd hand desolder pump. Noisy even when not in use. Get blocked up all the time. Difficult to empty, fraguile glas container, breaks when removed.
The fan indeed is very noisy, and I imagine the suction power could be stronger. The glass container requires some care when removing or reinstalling it, but I have not managed to break mine yet. My pump gets blocked occasionally, but definitely not all the time. I have not had any problems with cracking tips or black marks on the PCB.
@@DrCassette All this type of the desoldering tools require a lo of mantenance.
I bought one ZD-915 for replace my old Hakko 808, but my Hakko never fail, my ZD-915 is in the box still.
Now I bought the Yihua 948, I am testing for 2 months and works fine.
Finally my Hakko 808 clogged often using 1mm nozzles, now I use 1.5mm or more only.
Best Regards.