IMPORTANT UPDATE! Turns out the SS-331H does have a universal switch mode power supply after all. Here's the update video showing this along with a couple mods I made: th-cam.com/video/9eBG7z-2qNE/w-d-xo.html
Hey John, in reference to the location of the power switch, it's a European electric code law that states that the on/off switch has to be a set distance from the power source. I learned this from my same question about welding equipment. If I had to guess nobody is going to come into your shop and arrest you for changing it, but in these days you never know LOL
The point of wiggling the tip is to make sure solder is removed from all sides of the pin and barrel. If a pin is not center on the through hole, it's possible for solder to still be stuck to the pin and the barrel of the through hole and may not be visible. So when you go to pull the part out you can damage the pad or the barrel itself. It's to make sure all solder is completely removed to minimize damage to the PCB. That's what we learned in J standard IPC classes.
@@AnnaVannieuwenhuyse Of course the iron leads have coatings and the last is tin. Simply check leads of components that don't have to transfer a lot of heat.
Wiggling also means it may spring back to one side when you remove heat, potentially contacting the other side after everything solidifies. This is very useful for DIPs. If all the pins seem to be touching a certain side then make sure you remove heat while pulling to the opposite side. This provides notably improved results versus random removal while wiggling.
@@AnnaVannieuwenhuyse, Not only is it possible to solder to iron and some forms of steel, but wellmade soldering iron tips s are coated/plated with iron at the pointy end because, unlike copper, the iron can "wet" to the solder but will resist being dissolved and corroded by molten solder and flux. Component leads are often, but not always, attracted to magnets; Most component leads will have a coppery color when you cut them but they may have iron or nickel mixed with them to make them magnetic, Probably so that it's easy for machines to cut and remove excess component leads when the boards are being manufactured. Component leads are also often coated with tin, but tin is not magnetic. (BTW, most grades of stainless steel will not wet with solder and cannot be soldered to).
Thanks for a thorough clear and to the point review. I like your mentioning the manual and what's in it; too many reviewers think they're to good, to smart or just to big to even look at it; a guy like Louis Rossmann roasted a perfectly good machine just because it operated differently from what he was used to and didn't know how it worked. I just like to know if its English, Chinglish, American, Australian, Canadian or whatever, has it error codes, numbers for replacement parts, and some specs, like you did because just advertisements makes things hard to compare. I'll be the judge for what's good for me. And yeah, I hate a power switch on the back plate too but its good to know it has one. Good to say to clean the gun with the rods after use to prevent clogging (its in the manual F......)
John, I literally just received my Pro's Kit "SS-331" from Banggood today. I placed the order last Friday and it arrived today. This unit is quite AWESOME! I did an "un-boxing" video and mentioned your channel and your reviews etc. After spending a fair amount of time over the past year comparing different units etc., I was leaning VERY hard towards the Pro's Kit "SS-331". I have to say this........it was your video review that finalized my decision to get "SS-331". Also, I have been leaning hard towards the KSGER soldering stations over the past year as well. I have been wanting to upgrade to the "direct drive" technology, I can NOT afford Hakko etc prices. Likewise, due to your videos of KSGER products, I will be ordering a new KSGER set-up within a couple of weeks. Thanks for your time and "research" man! Love the humor and sarcasm in your videos BTW! I can VERY much relate......... All the best from Indiana! Patrick
I have watched some reviews in my time...but, holy cra-! You broke this thing down to the basics and the "what really matters" with such detail! I would buy this product knowing how I could modify it to make it more efficient and improve it from and 8 to a 10 easily. I will be watching more of your reviews because of this breakdown review. So very impressed with your method and details.
Thank you for the tip about the little rubber gasket inside the gun. I was having trouble getting good suction and fixing that did the trick. Have a good one!
Great video! I've been thinking about buying one of these down the road, but I haven't seen any good North America based videos. As a side note, the technique is to hold the gun on the solder, then shake the gun before pulling the trigger to make sure the solder is molten; do not shake the gun when pulling the trigger. Thank you for video, and let me know if you have any questions!
Hello @Rchelicopterfun, After viewing your video and some others, I ordered one and just received it today. Did not had time to test it in real life, but just for the sake of it, I decided to test the ground as you did in the current video, an saw that the ground from the gun to the connector was connected, but from the ground connector on the back, I did not get the signal. So maybe a bit of a warning, after investigating the matter for a while, I realized that the connector was not doing contact to the base. The screw of the connector looked correctly screwed, but the reality was that it was not. The threads are probably a bit on the edge, and are difficult to screw. Just make sure you test this when you get yours.
Wiggling it is just to prevent sweat joints. Also a good indicator for when solder is completely molten. Can start vacuum the moment the lead swings freely
Sweet ! I paused the video and ordered one. Before i saw the video, I did not even know I wanted one of these ! You're inspirational, John ! ;-) I particularly liked the down-to-earth, value-for money perspective. I detest the snooty "every meter should be fluke & every car a rolls" tone of the well incentivised famous influencers. I do the exact opposite of what they recommend & that works very well for me.
@@Rchelicopterfun I have absolutely no doubt about that ; seeing my experience with the Hantek 5102P is exactly same as yours. But it may have been a bad idea to subscribe. You've already opened my eyes to the TS100, which I neither need nor can afford ...but we all know how this it going to end ! ;-) I mean, there's many a more dangerous/shameful/unhealthy way to go bankrupt than buying tools & parts....
Thank you. Very helpful especially as my glass tube sprung off and all the bits ended up on the floor, I didn't know where the silicone washer went. I've got a 'Katsu zd8915' which is basically identical. +1 for the tip of using flux especially on multi layered boards.
Excellent video!! i have the same model Dave had in his video, and from the same distributor Rhino Tools here in Australia. Great tip on making sure you keep the tube clean, they can get clogged however if you make a habit of maintaining there shouldn't be issues. For me the i find 350c and using the wiggle technique best. Thanks again for making the video
@@RchelicopterfunHave had my unit for around 6 years now, have been through two guns. Both were damaged due to me not using and maintaining correctly. first gun got clogged, and had to use a thin drill bit to unclog but it was never the same. The second one i had it at 420c and left it running while talking to my neighbour for about 30 or so minutes, the front nozzle detached. My third is going strong for about 1.5 years now, as im correctly maintaining it and operating at a lower temp . Have a spare just incase, as i find it a must having a desoldering station. Also i use a small amount of grease on the seals, just so im getting the best seal and suction.
Thanks for all that great info! It's much appreciated not only for myself, but others thinking of getting one of these units. I take it the 985 version doesn't have the "idle" function where it ramps down to 200C after 10 minutes of no gun movement detection?
The tube probably gets clogged, because one end has lower temperature than the other. I saved mine by pushing a copper wire of nearly equal diameter into it - copper conducts heat well, so it then melts the tin in the colder end of the tube. Also, flux residues together with dirt on some boards help to clog the tube, so I clean the surface before desoldering, and every 20 or so solder joints I push the cleaning 'rod' through the tube, just to make sure, and that works fine.
Hi John, very exhaustive video, i apreciate it so much! Cause my job, for decades i used (and i still use) top quality brand solder and desoldering workflow station (Weller WMA 1), but untill now i dont have any tool at home, too many hours at work killed my passion for electronics, so at home i only have few screwdrivers :) for only emergency purposes. But now i would like to have a little corner for the necessary to make "first AID" to my old electronics at home. So i was looking around for a good compromise quality/price. Your video is the answere to my questions! Very soon i will take a look for a hot air solder too, may be i will found another good video in your channel!
Thank you for this review. I have been working though a metre of desoldering wich and a manual desoldering pump during the past week which is not fun and was considering buying a Hakko desoldering gun for 400 USD. Not anymore. This SS-331H I can get from Aliexpress for 112 USD and shipping is 7 USD from Spain (I live in Europe)
FYI. Using flux for any desoldering system is a big no-no. It might help a vajaja hair with heat displacement. However, it will do nothing but cause unnecessary clogging of the tip, tube, and filters. Honestly, once you have 100 parts or so under your belt you should be able to use this or any system with ease for the largest of through-hole components without clogging of tip or tube ever! Use the cleaning rod before you shut down daily and before you run your 1st component of the day. Hold tip square to component lead, hold for 2-Mississippi's, before you squeeze trigger, 3-4 on extra-large leads and plains. You should be golden! Thanks for the review! Oh, and wiggling it can cause blindness! JSf
I have an Anesty ZD-915... its that things older brother. I've been using mine for about 2 years now. The pump does get gummed up from flux fumes if you use flux with it. If that happens clean the pump out with IPA and it will work good as new. I have been waiting for the whole thing to die so I can upgrade to a used hakko unit but this thing just keeps going so I am sure that will last you years.
Hi John, thanks for the video. I have been using a Weller DS102P (look under a long time ago) for years. I put together my own station using the Weller iron and a Gast Vacuum pump. The pump is on a foot switch and develops really good vacuum very quickly for the small size of it (rotary vane pump). Anyway in my experience I give the pins a count of 3 to 5 for a plated through hole and I've also found that if I use flux it will erode the tip more quickly and also leaves a reside that will plug your tip. I strongly recommend frequently poking out the tips to keep then clear. I was eyeballing the Pros'kit but as you mentioned it appears to lean toward the 220vac which is inconvenient. I'm going to check out your video on the ps mod. Thanks again!
If you watched that other video by now, you will see these things have a universal voltage PS and can be run at 120V without modification. You just need to use a standard North American IEC power cord. 🙂
Thanks for makin this video. I bought one of these and felt the instructions a bit hard to understand (as is customary with ali express purchases), then found your video.
Been looking at desoldering tools. You have convinced me! There seem to be a lot of these under different badges so time to make a choice. Katsu make some good tools so may go for their version...
Any thoughts about using it to remove solder bridges between the legs of an SMD IC. When I get a bridge I find wick difficult and with a manual sucker as you really need three hands. Dave
For bridging between close leads like that, I find just using an ample amount of good flux cures all. The solder bridging just magically flows away when it's nice and "wet". As for this type of vacuum desoldering station for that; it's not really the intended use and I doubt it would work that well. They are meant for through hole components so the molten solder itself seals the tip to the PCB as you pull vacuum through the hole. There is no sealing round the tip when not held in pool of molten solder so you likely wouldn't get much suction if held against several IC legs with air being pulled in from all around.
I have been looking at reviews to make my decision. I have been looking for something to fit in the "advanced hobbyist" niche. I cannot justify a $300 Hakko, but my retiree budget WILL stretch to $100 - $150. Looks like this is the one.
Do you find there is an audible buzzing noise from the handheld gun during heating? I just got one and have this issue. A forum post by someone also mentioned this buzzing.
fucking good review !!! even for an old dog like me !!! likes your observations as ESD and the measurements !! this is the way to go !! not just "it is nice !!" ... I liked the review and I buy the idea to get the unit ... !!! subscribed ...!
I'm done with Hakko. Their parts support has proven to be poor. For what most Hakko units cost, one can buy a number of new Chinese knock-offs and insure you have parts. By contrast, we bought AirVac desoldering stations in the early 1980's and can still get every single part and reasonably. The only reason we tried Hakko was for field work. Our AirVac units require a compressor which convert 80psi to 30 inches of vacuum and work VERY well.
Just a suggestion. DO NOT put any flux before sucking. Little by little, it eats away the tube inside the heating element. It becomes uneven and starts to clog. It is enough just to disolve the pins with additional solder using an iron and then use the gun. Good luck!
What about the flux that is already on the board or in the additional solder? It should also then cause issues. There is no reason whatsoever that electronics safe flux (low activity flux) would ever micro pit the stainless tube.
@@Rchelicopterfun There is a video by someone talking about why his Hakko desoldering gun started to clog up. My experience is the same. Also, by adding additional leaded solder you vapour away the flux. Of course, there will always be sone of it. But better less than more.
A generalization. Again, totally depends on the type of flux used and its level of activity. Use highly active flux, yes it will pit & clog. Use electronics safe low activity flux, should never happen. Yes, that's my anecdotal experience now using this unit for the better part of four years, adding additional low activity flux or quality Kester 44 rosin core solder when required (about 50% of the time) without any clogging issues. To each their own - use what works :) Better safe than sorry I suppose.
Great review, thank you. I was thinking of buying it as the hakko models cost way too much ... Now the only thing holding me back is the waiting time for shipping from China.
Just to echo your point about cleaning. On my first try I heated the tip and tested the pump and powered off the unit .. totally forgot the tip is initially plugged with solder ... luckily no harm done.
@John Salt do you know where to find the comsumables? I see banggood sells the tips but have you found where to get the filters? Maybe just plain old cotton ball would work?
As I mentioned in the video, they use heat/fire resistant ceramic mat filters only. Lots out there from various vendors (amazon, ebay, aliexpress, etc). or you can make your own from ceramic mat. Google search is your friend.
Great, now I have another thing on my shopping list. I just barely bought wick after 20 years of trying to use the stupid hand held sucker tube thing that you showed.
@Matt Mead - 🙂 Yep, that' s pretty much the same thing I thought when I saw Dave Jones's review of one of these low cost vacuum pump disordering tools and what ultimately bent my rubber arm to get one as well. The only regret I have is not getting it sooner. It has been working great and I can't believe how many times I find myself using it now - reclaiming parts off old boards for projects & repairs. I no longer fear multi layered boards with plated through holes where it seemed I would generally lift a trace or overheat a component more times than not using wick. We won't even talk about the spring loaded suckers total & pathetic lack of performance on a plated through hole.
After watching your videos I decided to give this a purchase. Unboxed it and set everything up. It got to temperature and I pulled the trigger which removed the solder from the tip. After that pulling the trigger no longer seems to engage the vacuum. Panel still lights up and pulling the trigger still engages the blue light on the front of the machine. But when the trigger is pulled the fan goes almost silent. Not getting much satisfaction from BangGood so just figured I would ask someone who has the machine.
Not sure what you mean by "seems". Is the vacuum pump working or not? It's very loud & vibrates slightly when the vacuum pump is operating so it's easy to tell if it's not running when you hit the trigger. If you can hear/feel the vacuum pump still when you pull the trigger (meaning it's running), then my best guess without seeing it first hand to do a proper diagnostic, is there is either a blockage in the hose between the pump and the gun tip, or there is leak in the hose/fittings from the pump or gun preventing vacuum from forming. If the desolder tip is loose, vacuum leakage around the outside tip is possible. Glass tube not sealing is also possible. If you pull the hose off the front of the unit and put your finger over the hose bib, can you feel vacuum? If not maybe the filter housing that screws on the front of the unit is not screwed on tight and there is a vacuum leak there? Maybe the screw on filter housing is damaged/cracked? If no vacuum is confirmed at the outlet on the front of the unit, then perhaps one of the hoses inside has come off one of the hose bibs, or the diaphragm pump is faulty. Now, if the pump is not running, but the blue LED indicator still lights (indicating the microswitch in the trigger must be okay), then that would point to a motor issue requiring the unit to opened and the motor tested for both power to the motor & motor operation.
New sub, this was a good review I had one of the Ungars at work but now I am retired and still dabble in this stuff, I like the desolder station. I will buy the step up also. Nice job
Thanks for the sub, but you don't need to waste your $ on a step-up transformer! I have another video I made shortly after this one, showing these things are indeed universal voltage (pinned comment, in the description, and a popup card in this video). Here's the link to that update video: th-cam.com/video/9eBG7z-2qNE/w-d-xo.html
John, I just purchased one of these units, the 1.0mm nozzle that was on the handle appeared to be defective, but the other 2 were fine, I'm wondering if they had a few bad runs on them. Regardless, I purchased another set of SS-331H specific nozzles from Ali. Do you think the tips from the Hakko or the ZD-985 clones are interchangable?
Wow... I just got another model, and just checking out the ones I thought of getting over the years... This one, has a loud fan constantly going and the pump is LOUD compared to what I just got. but, as long as it works!
Never mentioned dimensions, but they are shown in the instructions at 10:47 (172Hx135Wx190L). I specifically & only wanted a bench top vacuum desoldering tool so never even looked twice at the hand held ones.
I think the 24 volt supply that's inside the unit can be switched from 110 to 220. It may even be that the power supply inside accepts 95 to 230 volts or something like that. I'm not sure about the rating of the connector at the rear but a few minutes of investigation should tell you that.
They really should give you a little more room when removing the glass tube. My first time taking the tube out the rubber gasket that goes around the hollow element tube was stuck to the main rubber seal for the glass tube and so I had to remove the glass tube filter side first. I don't think I damaged anything, but now I can put in and remove the glass tube correctly.
It’s not actually that bad once you know that the part that plugs the back of the tube is still compressible/spring-loaded even after you release the back. You pull the tube back while lifting the front out. Plenty of room once you know the trick.
Congratulations on the video...Do you know how to inform us, what is the AC or DC voltage applied to the ceramic heating element? And what is the temperature sensor?
Heater is 80W, 24VDC. I don't understand what you are asking about the temp sensor. If you are asking what type it is, I have no idea. The sensor is encapsulated in the ceramic core of the heating element so I would presume it's a standard thermocouple like most soldering tools with temp feedback - but that is just an educated guess.
@Roger G. Rodrigues - yep, sorry, I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative TC. I've never probed it to find out if resistance increases or decreases with temp rise - all I know is it works 🙂
I have a question How exactly did you remove all the potting compound on both sides of that ECM cont board I spent 1 hr or more just to clear a small area to get at the PTC thermistor and a X2 safety cap from looks of your board I would never have thought it was potted in first place that black stuff is very tenacious
@@Rchelicopterfun I know the patience thing first one I tried busted off a SMD transistor Its so easy to do as you cant see what your probing one wrong move and KAPUT I am trying to help out a friend who owns a HVAC shop, I am v GOod with electronics Rprs except encapsulated stuff UGGH
Excellent, thank you. Unfortunately, FedEx delivered mine in Thailand with the tip broken off the plastic piece that looks like a soda bottle top that attaches to the unit for the vacuum line.
So, make a FedEx claim to get a replacement. Or fix the broken nipple, or get a screw on 1/4" drip irrigation cap to work. Lots of ways I can think of to fix something so simple.
@@Rchelicopterfun That's a lot of work for a $5 part. The packaging is poor and that plastic screw-on connector with the tip for the vacuum line is overly fragile. I suspect a lot of people will break them by accident.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks I have superglued it and ordered a new part from China. Thanks for the great video and again I apologize if I said anything excessive. Best wishes.
Looks like I'm having an issue with the delivery on this. The tracking has stalled at July 1st with the message: "HGH-Hand over to airline failure:Magnetic:马达" Those Chinese characters translate to "Electric motor" so it seems like the airline rejected the package due to the magnets in the motor. All I can do is wait but it doesn't look good.
Finally got mine after 7 weeks! It was shipped again with DHL and arrived in a few days. Initially I had a lot of trouble getting anything off but I got some flux and tried again today. It made things so much easier. Well worth it, thanks again for the review.
do you find that using flux helps lots when using the gun. Does flux get in the gun and make it difficult to clean? I bought this one since it had a switching power supply since I need 110v , thank to you update video
Depends on solder quality - unleaded is a bugger without additional flux, or applying some leaded first. No issues with it if Flux is used, filters just need replacing more often.
These are fantastic devices.......when they work! I have a very similar piece of chinesium equipment. Aoyue 474A. Im constantly having to dissemble and clean the gun part. Dont know if the more expensive name brand ones are any better. If so it would worth the extra expense to me.
Hmm, no such issues with the SS-331 with many cycles now. It has (anecdotally) never clogged once while in operation and I have yet to have it get plugged after usage once cooled down; admittedly, I always run a cleaning rod through it before I power it down and pull vacuum the entire time while doing so. Guess they are all different?
@@Rchelicopterfun The only difference is the shape of the case and the metal spring in mine is a stubby tightly wound cone shape and yours resembles one found in old style spring loaded ink pens.
@@Rchelicopterfun I did not understand sorry, I'm Italian, I use Google translate, could you write in more detail? so that the translation is understood. thanks dear.
Does yours make a terrible pwm buzzing noise when its heating ? Mine emits a very loud buzzing from both the PS and the handpiece when the heat is active..
@@Rchelicopterfun I found my ps case was dented and the transformer ferrite was cracked and loose, was vibrating alot, I wrapped the transformer in electrical tape and a zip tie and it helped alot.
Wow, that's not good (that it was damaged like that). Glad you were able to find the issue and fix most of it. Hopefully it will work well for you for a long time to come. The more I use mine, the more I enjoy it, and the more I realize it's one of those tools that until you've have one, you really don't know how you lived without it. It's actually fun pulling components now 😃
It's Banggood's tub of "Yellow Paste": www.banggood.com/custlink/3vmmn3G82h Lot's of folks seem to like it. I just started using it last year and have been happy with its performance as well. I will melt some of it in the tub, draw it into a syringe, let it cool & solidify. That is what was used in the video & how it was applied.
Hi John, I purchased Micron T 2065 same desolder really, the only issue I have is all the tips that came with unit do not have a hole in them, do I need to drill the hole through so suction occurs?
You are joking with me right? If not, I suggest you read the manual regarding first use, or re-watch the video and listen/watch to what I say about blocked tips - time index 8:52
@@Rchelicopterfun Hi John thank you for that info I did try this and but it does not suck through, I heated the unit to max then pulled the trigger for a while and still nothing. I will try again though. Thank you
Hi John for an update went into the office and changed over the tip that was installed with device from purchase with a spare that was supplied and sucked straight through as video showed. I think I just got a faulty tip on unit to begin with. Thank you for your assistance and a great video. Kinds regards Llewyn
I already corrected that in the description, in a card link within the video, and in the pinned comment - all of those linking to the universal voltage update video I did: th-cam.com/video/9eBG7z-2qNE/w-d-xo.html
@davefr - I would have to know what type of terminal strip you are refinancing in your question. If it's some large one (for wiring), no, these de-solder vacuum tools are not meant for that type of application. They are specific to PCB component solder removal. The tip has to be able to fit entirely over the component lead on the board in order to pull enough vacuum. I gave the hole sizes in the video of the tips, only you know if they will or won't fit your specific de-solder component application.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks for reply. Then I don't think this would work to well for vintage electronics. (Tube sockets, terminal strips, fairly large wire, switch and control lugs, etc)
I’m done with Hakko as well. They did end of life and I can’t buy an element for the previous gun and the price of the tips/Nozzles are ridiculous.. and the nozzles/tips are not great, they don’t last.
I've found you usually you don't, but if there is lots of oxidation on the tip, it will certainly help by wetting it. Keeping it clean using the cleaning sponge also helps. It's also solder dependent & at what temp you use it at. In short, you will come up with your own tip maintenance procedures based on working experience with the tool.
Perhaps not using it at high enough temp or filters clogged (not enough vacuum). I've never had clogging issues - it's working great going on 18 months now.
I bought the Yihua 948, works very well, I like the short of the barrel, do not clogged. Gun of the SS-331 desoldering looks very well made. Best Regards.
Here's my review of the stand alone S-993A desoldering gun: th-cam.com/video/nVkXeOJSsck/w-d-xo.htmlsi=GfoneDTGcy6lj744 Not as nice to use as this unit, but it works okay if you want a combination unit for field work.
Hi i have the same or better both, the old Zd9.. had 80W and it was boring to wait whilee heat up. I had a new one in exact the same Casing like yours but in different collors. It is also Blak with with blue Grips. I had very much Spareparts from the ZD9xx but ithis Station have to much Power and the Thermocouple is differnt. My is Labeld with 200W yours with 140W i think is both the same. My the 140W on yours sre realistik for accumulate over the Time usage (i find not the correckt word in english=) on my the 200W will be Peak Power when it ist switchinh on. Nice Station my old M9xx one i had vor over 15 Jears. The new is aklso fine an heat very much faster so work temp. Maybee when i polished it with Snakeoil it well realy bring the 200W to the Nozzel =) I wish you a lot of fun with the Desolderinh gun and i hope the new will also work in more than 10 Jears. Have a nice Day Best Regards from Germany
Lead free solder doesn't flow well and may need more flux added or resoldering with some leaded solder first before using the desoldering tool. In short, yes it will work but it all comes down to practice and technique.
IMPORTANT UPDATE! Turns out the SS-331H does have a universal switch mode power supply after all. Here's the update video showing this along with a couple mods I made: th-cam.com/video/9eBG7z-2qNE/w-d-xo.html
Is this station doing its job well as time goes by? A lot of Chinese stuff die early.
Hey John, in reference to the location of the power switch, it's a European electric code law that states that the on/off switch has to be a set distance from the power source. I learned this from my same question about welding equipment. If I had to guess nobody is going to come into your shop and arrest you for changing it, but in these days you never know LOL
@Gassan Ali working great still December 2020
@@ronaldcaflisch2031 Or, just mount another switch, in series, with the "master" switch on the front. :|
@@gassanali8667 Desoldering can be a pita and if your bad at it (like me) this can actually save you some money.
Even though the video is 4 year old, I enjoyed the breakdown, the review, and the hints that were said during the video. Well done.
The point of wiggling the tip is to make sure solder is removed from all sides of the pin and barrel. If a pin is not center on the through hole, it's possible for solder to still be stuck to the pin and the barrel of the through hole and may not be visible. So when you go to pull the part out you can damage the pad or the barrel itself. It's to make sure all solder is completely removed to minimize damage to the PCB. That's what we learned in J standard IPC classes.
Right, but wiggling shortens the tip life as many components leads are made out of IRON.
@@paulcohen1555 No? Component leads are not iron cause you can't solder to those. :p
@@AnnaVannieuwenhuyse Of course the iron leads have coatings and the last is tin.
Simply check leads of components that don't have to transfer a lot of heat.
Wiggling also means it may spring back to one side when you remove heat, potentially contacting the other side after everything solidifies. This is very useful for DIPs. If all the pins seem to be touching a certain side then make sure you remove heat while pulling to the opposite side. This provides notably improved results versus random removal while wiggling.
@@AnnaVannieuwenhuyse, Not only is it possible to solder to iron and some forms of steel, but wellmade soldering iron tips s are coated/plated with iron at the pointy end because, unlike copper, the iron can "wet" to the solder but will resist being dissolved and corroded by molten solder and flux. Component leads are often, but not always, attracted to magnets; Most component leads will have a coppery color when you cut them but they may have iron or nickel mixed with them to make them magnetic, Probably so that it's easy for machines to cut and remove excess component leads when the boards are being manufactured. Component leads are also often coated with tin, but tin is not magnetic. (BTW, most grades of stainless steel will not wet with solder and cannot be soldered to).
Thanks for a thorough clear and to the point review. I like your mentioning the manual and what's in it; too many reviewers think they're to good, to smart or just to big to even look at it; a guy like Louis Rossmann roasted a perfectly good machine just because it operated differently from what he was used to and didn't know how it worked. I just like to know if its English, Chinglish, American, Australian, Canadian or whatever, has it error codes, numbers for replacement parts, and some specs, like you did because just advertisements makes things hard to compare. I'll be the judge for what's good for me. And yeah, I hate a power switch on the back plate too but its good to know it has one. Good to say to clean the gun with the rods after use to prevent clogging (its in the manual F......)
John,
I literally just received my Pro's Kit "SS-331" from Banggood today. I placed the order last Friday and it arrived today. This unit is quite AWESOME! I did an "un-boxing" video and mentioned your channel and your reviews etc.
After spending a fair amount of time over the past year comparing different units etc., I was leaning VERY hard towards the Pro's Kit "SS-331". I have to say this........it was your video review that finalized my decision to get "SS-331".
Also, I have been leaning hard towards the KSGER soldering stations over the past year as well. I have been wanting to upgrade to the "direct drive" technology, I can NOT afford Hakko etc prices. Likewise, due to your videos of KSGER products, I will be ordering a new KSGER set-up within a couple of weeks.
Thanks for your time and "research" man! Love the humor and sarcasm in your videos BTW! I can VERY much relate.........
All the best from Indiana!
Patrick
Thanks for the comments & hope you enjoy your 331 disordering station as much as I've been enjoying mine. 👍
I have watched some reviews in my time...but, holy cra-! You broke this thing down to the basics and the "what really matters" with such detail! I would buy this product knowing how I could modify it to make it more efficient and improve it from and 8 to a 10 easily. I will be watching more of your reviews because of this breakdown review. So very impressed with your method and details.
🙂
Excellent review. I have one still in the box. The idea of moving the main switch to the front is great idea. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching
Thank you for this review and teardown. Been on the seat about ordering this station.
Did you order it Jimbo?
thanks for this! In mine there are no actual assembly instructions at all, so this video filled the gap
Thank you for the tip about the little rubber gasket inside the gun. I was having trouble getting good suction and fixing that did the trick. Have a good one!
Glad it helped 👍
What a beautiful demonstration . Loved it to the core. Thanks a lot for making this informative video . Cheers !!
Thanks - Glad you liked it
Great video! I've been thinking about buying one of these down the road, but I haven't seen any good North America based videos. As a side note, the technique is to hold the gun on the solder, then shake the gun before pulling the trigger to make sure the solder is molten; do not shake the gun when pulling the trigger. Thank you for video, and let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks for the additional "technique" tips.
Hello @Rchelicopterfun, After viewing your video and some others, I ordered one and just received it today. Did not had time to test it in real life, but just for the sake of it, I decided to test the ground as you did in the current video, an saw that the ground from the gun to the connector was connected, but from the ground connector on the back, I did not get the signal. So maybe a bit of a warning, after investigating the matter for a while, I realized that the connector was not doing contact to the base. The screw of the connector looked correctly screwed, but the reality was that it was not. The threads are probably a bit on the edge, and are difficult to screw. Just make sure you test this when you get yours.
Wiggling it is just to prevent sweat joints. Also a good indicator for when solder is completely molten. Can start vacuum the moment the lead swings freely
Sweet ! I paused the video and ordered one. Before i saw the video, I did not even know I wanted one of these ! You're inspirational, John ! ;-)
I particularly liked the down-to-earth, value-for money perspective.
I detest the snooty "every meter should be fluke & every car a rolls" tone of the well incentivised famous influencers.
I do the exact opposite of what they recommend & that works very well for me.
Thanks for the kind feedback. Hope you enjoy your vacuum desoldering station as much as I've been enjoying mine.
@@Rchelicopterfun I have absolutely no doubt about that ; seeing my experience with the Hantek 5102P is exactly same as yours.
But it may have been a bad idea to subscribe. You've already opened my eyes to the TS100, which I neither need nor can afford ...but we all know how this it going to end ! ;-)
I mean, there's many a more dangerous/shameful/unhealthy way to go bankrupt than buying tools & parts....
Soooooo Truuuuuue. 😀
Thank you.
Very helpful especially as my glass tube sprung off and all the bits ended up on the floor, I didn't know where the silicone washer went.
I've got a 'Katsu zd8915' which is basically identical.
+1 for the tip of using flux especially on multi layered boards.
Excellent video!! i have the same model Dave had in his video, and from the same distributor Rhino Tools here in Australia. Great tip on making sure you keep the tube clean, they can get clogged however if you make a habit of maintaining there shouldn't be issues. For me the i find 350c and using the wiggle technique best.
Thanks again for making the video
Thanks for the "wiggle" works best along with 350C. Can I ask how long you have had yours now and how it's holding up?
@@RchelicopterfunHave had my unit for around 6 years now, have been through two guns. Both were damaged due to me not using and maintaining correctly. first gun got clogged, and had to use a thin drill bit to unclog but it was never the same. The second one i had it at 420c and left it running while talking to my neighbour for about 30 or so minutes, the front nozzle detached. My third is going strong for about 1.5 years now, as im correctly maintaining it and operating at a lower temp . Have a spare just incase, as i find it a must having a desoldering station. Also i use a small amount of grease on the seals, just so im getting the best seal and suction.
Thanks for all that great info! It's much appreciated not only for myself, but others thinking of getting one of these units. I take it the 985 version doesn't have the "idle" function where it ramps down to 200C after 10 minutes of no gun movement detection?
@@Rchelicopterfun Not that i have seen, i tend to manually lower the temp to 160c.
The tube probably gets clogged, because one end has lower temperature than the other. I saved mine by pushing a copper wire of nearly equal diameter into it - copper conducts heat well, so it then melts the tin in the colder end of the tube.
Also, flux residues together with dirt on some boards help to clog the tube, so I clean the surface before desoldering, and every 20 or so solder joints I push the cleaning 'rod' through the tube, just to make sure, and that works fine.
Hi John, very exhaustive video, i apreciate it so much!
Cause my job, for decades i used (and i still use) top quality brand solder and desoldering workflow station (Weller WMA 1), but untill now i dont have any tool at home, too many hours at work killed my passion for electronics, so at home i only have few screwdrivers :) for only emergency purposes.
But now i would like to have a little corner for the necessary to make "first AID" to my old electronics at home.
So i was looking around for a good compromise quality/price.
Your video is the answere to my questions!
Very soon i will take a look for a hot air solder too, may be i will found another good video in your channel!
Thank you for the review! It had all I needed and wasn't included in my instruction manual. Cheers!
Enjoy your SS-331 station; mine has been working so well. 👍
Thank you for the review. I have thought about the compact but now I have decided on stationery like this.
Glad it was helpful
Thank you for this review. I have been working though a metre of desoldering wich and a manual desoldering pump during the past week which is not fun and was considering buying a Hakko desoldering gun for 400 USD. Not anymore. This SS-331H I can get from Aliexpress for 112 USD and shipping is 7 USD from Spain (I live in Europe)
FYI. Using flux for any desoldering system is a big no-no. It might help a vajaja hair with heat displacement. However, it will do nothing but cause unnecessary clogging of the tip, tube, and filters.
Honestly, once you have 100 parts or so under your belt you should be able to use this or any system with ease for the largest of through-hole components without clogging of tip or tube ever! Use the cleaning rod before you shut down daily and before you run your 1st component of the day. Hold tip square to component lead, hold for 2-Mississippi's, before you squeeze trigger, 3-4 on extra-large leads and plains. You should be golden! Thanks for the review! Oh, and wiggling it can cause blindness! JSf
Good to know, thanks for the tips. As you said, once you do more, it gets easier & more effective. I too have found flux is generally not necessary.
I have an Anesty ZD-915... its that things older brother. I've been using mine for about 2 years now. The pump does get gummed up from flux fumes if you use flux with it. If that happens clean the pump out with IPA and it will work good as new. I have been waiting for the whole thing to die so I can upgrade to a used hakko unit but this thing just keeps going so I am sure that will last you years.
Thanks for the feedback on your 915 - much appreciated! 👍
Excellent review. I found a Anesty, a rebranded Pro… on Amazon (USA) with the 110v power supply. Thanks for the info!👍
I just noticed the Anesty as well, identical to this except coloration. How has it been working for you in these past 9 months?
Wow excellent video love it I knew nothing about these two hours ago you are a very good teacher very well done @
Glad you enjoyed it
21:27 Seems so easy, yet soooo hard in real life. The level of frustration that I have right now cannot be described with words.
Hi John, thanks for the video. I have been using a Weller DS102P (look under a long time ago) for years. I put together my own station using the Weller iron and a Gast Vacuum pump. The pump is on a foot switch and develops really good vacuum very quickly for the small size of it (rotary vane pump). Anyway in my experience I give the pins a count of 3 to 5 for a plated through hole and I've also found that if I use flux it will erode the tip more quickly and also leaves a reside that will plug your tip. I strongly recommend frequently poking out the tips to keep then clear. I was eyeballing the Pros'kit but as you mentioned it appears to lean toward the 220vac which is inconvenient. I'm going to check out your video on the ps mod. Thanks again!
If you watched that other video by now, you will see these things have a universal voltage PS and can be run at 120V without modification. You just need to use a standard North American IEC power cord. 🙂
Thanks for makin this video. I bought one of these and felt the instructions a bit hard to understand (as is customary with ali express purchases), then found your video.
Thanks for watching & glad it helped.
Great ,detailed review mate!
I have some other tools from Pros'kit and they are all very reliable and cheap in comparison with branded ones.
Thanks and good to know that you've had positive experiences as well with other tools from Pro's kit.
Been looking at desoldering tools. You have convinced me! There seem to be a lot of these under different badges so time to make a choice. Katsu make some good tools so may go for their version...
I've seen the Yihua 948 station on Amazon, and I'm wondering if they're as good as this.
Excellent video, good quality review! I also watched the update on the power supply. I have this on my wish list as well. Good information!
Glad it was helpful!
Any thoughts about using it to remove solder bridges between the legs of an SMD IC.
When I get a bridge I find wick difficult and with a manual sucker as you really need three hands.
Dave
For bridging between close leads like that, I find just using an ample amount of good flux cures all. The solder bridging just magically flows away when it's nice and "wet".
As for this type of vacuum desoldering station for that; it's not really the intended use and I doubt it would work that well. They are meant for through hole components so the molten solder itself seals the tip to the PCB as you pull vacuum through the hole. There is no sealing round the tip when not held in pool of molten solder so you likely wouldn't get much suction if held against several IC legs with air being pulled in from all around.
I have been looking at reviews to make my decision. I have been looking for something to fit in the "advanced hobbyist" niche. I cannot justify a $300 Hakko, but my retiree budget WILL stretch to $100 - $150. Looks like this is the one.
Do you find there is an audible buzzing noise from the handheld gun during heating? I just got one and have this issue. A forum post by someone also mentioned this buzzing.
Not an issue - normal operation noise of the heating element frequency (pulse rate of the MOSFET).
I thought it was part of the motion sensing part of the handle and was giving audio feedback. I don't know. Either way mine does that too.
fucking good review !!! even for an old dog like me !!! likes your observations as ESD and the measurements !! this is the way to go !! not just "it is nice !!" ...
I liked the review and I buy the idea to get the unit ... !!! subscribed ...!
Awesome review! covers everything I want to know. Thanks.
I'm done with Hakko. Their parts support has proven to be poor. For what most Hakko units cost, one can buy a number of new Chinese knock-offs and insure you have parts. By contrast, we bought AirVac desoldering stations in the early 1980's and can still get every single part and reasonably. The only reason we tried Hakko was for field work. Our AirVac units require a compressor which convert 80psi to 30 inches of vacuum and work VERY well.
Good comprehensive review John. The plug on that lead is Australian btw.
Thanks for the plug type correction.
@@Rchelicopterfun yup Aussie new Zealand and believe it or not Chinese plug type
Also used here in Argentina but live and neutral swapped from Australia. Thanks for the great video!
Stick a bit of stainless steel wool in front of the filter to protect it works well for me
Great job! it made my decision easier. I just purchase the station through your link. Thanks again for your nice review.
Hope you enjoy yours too.
@John Salt Have u used any of the desoldering guns from WEP or Yihua?
Just a suggestion. DO NOT put any flux before sucking. Little by little, it eats away the tube inside the heating element. It becomes uneven and starts to clog. It is enough just to disolve the pins with additional solder using an iron and then use the gun. Good luck!
What about the flux that is already on the board or in the additional solder? It should also then cause issues. There is no reason whatsoever that electronics safe flux (low activity flux) would ever micro pit the stainless tube.
@@Rchelicopterfun There is a video by someone talking about why his Hakko desoldering gun started to clog up. My experience is the same. Also, by adding additional leaded solder you vapour away the flux. Of course, there will always be sone of it. But better less than more.
A generalization. Again, totally depends on the type of flux used and its level of activity. Use highly active flux, yes it will pit & clog. Use electronics safe low activity flux, should never happen. Yes, that's my anecdotal experience now using this unit for the better part of four years, adding additional low activity flux or quality Kester 44 rosin core solder when required (about 50% of the time) without any clogging issues. To each their own - use what works :) Better safe than sorry I suppose.
Great review, thank you.
I was thinking of buying it as the hakko models cost way too much ... Now the only thing holding me back is the waiting time for shipping from China.
Got one yesterday and found the same .. the power supply handles 100-240v. This thing is a treat for removing stuff with more than two pins.
Just to echo your point about cleaning. On my first try I heated the tip and tested the pump and powered off the unit .. totally forgot the tip is initially plugged with solder ... luckily no harm done.
@John Salt do you know where to find the comsumables? I see banggood sells the tips but have you found where to get the filters? Maybe just plain old cotton ball would work?
As I mentioned in the video, they use heat/fire resistant ceramic mat filters only. Lots out there from various vendors (amazon, ebay, aliexpress, etc). or you can make your own from ceramic mat. Google search is your friend.
Thank you very much for your explanatory video, very useful.
Glad it was helpful
Very good review Sir. I have just bought one.😊
Nice - hope you enjoy yours too. Mine is still working great! 🙂
You can put small piece of Brillo for easy cleaning of the old solder
The best review All in One 👍
Thanks - Glad you found it useful 🙂
Great, now I have another thing on my shopping list. I just barely bought wick after 20 years of trying to use the stupid hand held sucker tube thing that you showed.
@Matt Mead - 🙂 Yep, that' s pretty much the same thing I thought when I saw Dave Jones's review of one of these low cost vacuum pump disordering tools and what ultimately bent my rubber arm to get one as well. The only regret I have is not getting it sooner. It has been working great and I can't believe how many times I find myself using it now - reclaiming parts off old boards for projects & repairs. I no longer fear multi layered boards with plated through holes where it seemed I would generally lift a trace or overheat a component more times than not using wick. We won't even talk about the spring loaded suckers total & pathetic lack of performance on a plated through hole.
Excellent review. Thanks for that job ! Greetings from 230V country lol ;)
Thanks for watching
Brilliant review, wonder if the din pins can allow it to double up as a soldering station by fitting with a soldering pen
After watching your videos I decided to give this a purchase. Unboxed it and set everything up. It got to temperature and I pulled the trigger which removed the solder from the tip. After that pulling the trigger no longer seems to engage the vacuum. Panel still lights up and pulling the trigger still engages the blue light on the front of the machine. But when the trigger is pulled the fan goes almost silent. Not getting much satisfaction from BangGood so just figured I would ask someone who has the machine.
Not sure what you mean by "seems". Is the vacuum pump working or not? It's very loud & vibrates slightly when the vacuum pump is operating so it's easy to tell if it's not running when you hit the trigger.
If you can hear/feel the vacuum pump still when you pull the trigger (meaning it's running), then my best guess without seeing it first hand to do a proper diagnostic, is there is either a blockage in the hose between the pump and the gun tip, or there is leak in the hose/fittings from the pump or gun preventing vacuum from forming. If the desolder tip is loose, vacuum leakage around the outside tip is possible. Glass tube not sealing is also possible. If you pull the hose off the front of the unit and put your finger over the hose bib, can you feel vacuum? If not maybe the filter housing that screws on the front of the unit is not screwed on tight and there is a vacuum leak there? Maybe the screw on filter housing is damaged/cracked? If no vacuum is confirmed at the outlet on the front of the unit, then perhaps one of the hoses inside has come off one of the hose bibs, or the diaphragm pump is faulty.
Now, if the pump is not running, but the blue LED indicator still lights (indicating the microswitch in the trigger must be okay), then that would point to a motor issue requiring the unit to opened and the motor tested for both power to the motor & motor operation.
New sub, this was a good review I had one of the Ungars at work but now I am retired and still dabble in this stuff, I like the desolder station. I will buy the step up also. Nice job
Thanks for the sub, but you don't need to waste your $ on a step-up transformer! I have another video I made shortly after this one, showing these things are indeed universal voltage (pinned comment, in the description, and a popup card in this video). Here's the link to that update video: th-cam.com/video/9eBG7z-2qNE/w-d-xo.html
@@Rchelicopterfun Excellent, thank you for the link
John, I just purchased one of these units, the 1.0mm nozzle that was on the handle appeared to be defective, but the other 2 were fine, I'm wondering if they had a few bad runs on them. Regardless, I purchased another set of SS-331H specific nozzles from Ali. Do you think the tips from the Hakko or the ZD-985 clones are interchangable?
No idea on if the Hakko tips would fit. I've seen all the same replacement tips however listed for all of these clones (ZD-915, ZD-985, ZD-987 etc).
Wow... I just got another model, and just checking out the ones I thought of getting over the years... This one, has a loud fan constantly going and the pump is LOUD compared to what I just got. but, as long as it works!
Hi! Could you please confirm if sensor is PTC thermistor or Thermocouple?? Thanks in advance
Many thanks for the review John! A quick question about the board you used for the desoldering demo - was it a lead-free soldering?
Lead free.
excellent review, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.
I'm looking at a desoldering station. I'm trying to learn to fix radios. I am an Extra Class ham operator and trying to teach myself repair.
Can you push that cleaning wire till to the metal spring?
Does it also beep every 5 minutes while off?
Hi, thanks for your time doing this review, looking for a de solder gun/station very nice easy to follow video. :)
Thanks for watching!
Headquarter is in Taiwan .. they have branches in Mainland China though .. good clear presentation ..
Thanks for the info.
Great review! Though I am not sure if you mentioned the dimension. Is the size almost similar to computer AVR? What do you think about the S-993A?
Never mentioned dimensions, but they are shown in the instructions at 10:47 (172Hx135Wx190L). I specifically & only wanted a bench top vacuum desoldering tool so never even looked twice at the hand held ones.
@@Rchelicopterfun thanks
I think the 24 volt supply that's inside the unit can be switched from 110 to 220. It may even be that the power supply inside accepts 95 to 230 volts or something like that. I'm not sure about the rating of the connector at the rear but a few minutes of investigation should tell you that.
Yes, it's universal voltage as per first pinned comment. See update video: th-cam.com/video/9eBG7z-2qNE/w-d-xo.html
They really should give you a little more room when removing the glass tube. My first time taking the tube out the rubber gasket that goes around the hollow element tube was stuck to the main rubber seal for the glass tube and so I had to remove the glass tube filter side first. I don't think I damaged anything, but now I can put in and remove the glass tube correctly.
It’s not actually that bad once you know that the part that plugs the back of the tube is still compressible/spring-loaded even after you release the back. You pull the tube back while lifting the front out. Plenty of room once you know the trick.
What is the name of this three volt prong? I.e. NEMA style etc..
Congratulations on the video...Do you know how to inform us, what is the AC or DC voltage applied to the ceramic heating element? And what is the temperature sensor?
Heater is 80W, 24VDC. I don't understand what you are asking about the temp sensor. If you are asking what type it is, I have no idea. The sensor is encapsulated in the ceramic core of the heating element so I would presume it's a standard thermocouple like most soldering tools with temp feedback - but that is just an educated guess.
@@Rchelicopterfun I was in doubt if it is NTC or PTC, this was the reason for my question. Thank you very much for the quick reply.
@Roger G. Rodrigues - yep, sorry, I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative TC. I've never probed it to find out if resistance increases or decreases with temp rise - all I know is it works 🙂
Awesome REVIEW !!! THANKS !!!
Thanks - Glad you liked it
I have a question How exactly did you remove all the potting compound on both sides of that ECM cont board I spent 1 hr or more just to clear a small area to get at the PTC thermistor and a X2 safety cap from looks of your board I would never have thought it was potted in first place that black stuff is very tenacious
A stereo microscope, dental & plastic pick, tiny brush, isopropanol, the patience of a saint, and about 3 hours of my life I'll never get back 😜
@@Rchelicopterfun I know the patience thing first one I tried busted off a SMD transistor Its so easy to do as you cant see what your probing one wrong move and KAPUT
I am trying to help out a friend who owns a HVAC shop, I am v GOod with electronics Rprs except encapsulated stuff UGGH
Excellent, thank you. Unfortunately, FedEx delivered mine in Thailand with the tip broken off the plastic piece that looks like a soda bottle top that attaches to the unit for the vacuum line.
So, make a FedEx claim to get a replacement. Or fix the broken nipple, or get a screw on 1/4" drip irrigation cap to work. Lots of ways I can think of to fix something so simple.
@@Rchelicopterfun That's a lot of work for a $5 part. The packaging is poor and that plastic screw-on connector with the tip for the vacuum line is overly fragile. I suspect a lot of people will break them by accident.
As I said, lots of ways to fix it.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks I have superglued it and ordered a new part from China. Thanks for the great video and again I apologize if I said anything excessive. Best wishes.
Glad you figured out an easy fix to get it working until the new part arrives. Have fun 🙂
Looks like I'm having an issue with the delivery on this. The tracking has stalled at July 1st with the message: "HGH-Hand over to airline failure:Magnetic:马达" Those Chinese characters translate to "Electric motor" so it seems like the airline rejected the package due to the magnets in the motor. All I can do is wait but it doesn't look good.
Finally got mine after 7 weeks! It was shipped again with DHL and arrived in a few days. Initially I had a lot of trouble getting anything off but I got some flux and tried again today. It made things so much easier. Well worth it, thanks again for the review.
do you find that using flux helps lots when using the gun. Does flux get in the gun and make it difficult to clean? I bought this one since it had a switching power supply since I need 110v , thank to you update video
Depends on solder quality - unleaded is a bugger without additional flux, or applying some leaded first. No issues with it if Flux is used, filters just need replacing more often.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks I will try it out. I use flux with the manual suction pumps. So far I am impressed with this machine, thanks
These are fantastic devices.......when they work!
I have a very similar piece of chinesium equipment. Aoyue 474A. Im constantly having to dissemble and clean the gun part.
Dont know if the more expensive name brand ones are any better. If so it would worth the extra expense to me.
Hmm, no such issues with the SS-331 with many cycles now. It has (anecdotally) never clogged once while in operation and I have yet to have it get plugged after usage once cooled down; admittedly, I always run a cleaning rod through it before I power it down and pull vacuum the entire time while doing so. Guess they are all different?
@@Rchelicopterfun The only difference is the shape of the case and the metal spring in mine is a stubby tightly wound cone shape and yours resembles one found in old style spring loaded ink pens.
hello friend, do you think it's a good buy on 100 dollars, including all the kit etc ??? would you recommend this purchase to me? thank you.
It's your call if you feel it's a tool worth purchasing.
@@Rchelicopterfun I did not understand sorry, I'm Italian, I use Google translate, could you write in more detail? so that the translation is understood. thanks dear.
I have same one. Not used to it yet so used the soldering iron and solder sucker. I call it the Moo Cow cos it sounds like a Cow Mooing. 19:01
18:58 what's the name of the device you using to measure it's vacuuming strength??
Automotive vacuum gauge.
I bought this and it is OK, problem is only it has powers switch on behind
Does yours make a terrible pwm buzzing noise when its heating ? Mine emits a very loud buzzing from both the PS and the handpiece when the heat is active..
Hums a little bit, not a loud buzzing however.
@@Rchelicopterfun I found my ps case was dented and the transformer ferrite was cracked and loose, was vibrating alot, I wrapped the transformer in electrical tape and a zip tie and it helped alot.
Wow, that's not good (that it was damaged like that). Glad you were able to find the issue and fix most of it. Hopefully it will work well for you for a long time to come. The more I use mine, the more I enjoy it, and the more I realize it's one of those tools that until you've have one, you really don't know how you lived without it. It's actually fun pulling components now 😃
Nice video ! thank you !
by the way, what is the brand of your flux ??
It's Banggood's tub of "Yellow Paste": www.banggood.com/custlink/3vmmn3G82h
Lot's of folks seem to like it. I just started using it last year and have been happy with its performance as well. I will melt some of it in the tub, draw it into a syringe, let it cool & solidify. That is what was used in the video & how it was applied.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thank you very much for the information ! :-)
Hi John, I purchased Micron T 2065 same desolder really, the only issue I have is all the tips that came with unit do not have a hole in them, do I need to drill the hole through so suction occurs?
You are joking with me right? If not, I suggest you read the manual regarding first use, or re-watch the video and listen/watch to what I say about blocked tips - time index 8:52
@@Rchelicopterfun Hi John thank you for that info I did try this and but it does not suck through, I heated the unit to max then pulled the trigger for a while and still nothing. I will try again though. Thank you
Hi John for an update went into the office and changed over the tip that was installed with device from purchase with a spare that was supplied and sucked straight through as video showed. I think I just got a faulty tip on unit to begin with. Thank you for your assistance and a great video. Kinds regards Llewyn
I'm told the Power Supply is a universal 100 - 240VAC. Try using a standard US power cable.
I already corrected that in the description, in a card link within the video, and in the pinned comment - all of those linking to the universal voltage update video I did: th-cam.com/video/9eBG7z-2qNE/w-d-xo.html
In your opinion would one of these be useful in vintage electronics that has larger solder terminal strips?
@davefr - I would have to know what type of terminal strip you are refinancing in your question. If it's some large one (for wiring), no, these de-solder vacuum tools are not meant for that type of application. They are specific to PCB component solder removal. The tip has to be able to fit entirely over the component lead on the board in order to pull enough vacuum. I gave the hole sizes in the video of the tips, only you know if they will or won't fit your specific de-solder component application.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks for reply. Then I don't think this would work to well for vintage electronics. (Tube sockets, terminal strips, fairly large wire, switch and control lugs, etc)
If u are into electronics now is a good time to born
I’m done with Hakko as well. They did end of life and I can’t buy an element for the previous gun and the price of the tips/Nozzles are ridiculous.. and the nozzles/tips are not great, they don’t last.
AHHH, good video, now i need to order one of these ! Say goodbye to Wick :P Thanks ! Liked & Subscribed !
Thanks for the sub & thumb-up :)
@@Rchelicopterfun N.p :P thanks for the good content and returned favor :P
Does anyone know if you can buy nozzles for this smaller than 1mm diameter?
Muy bueno el video, se ve que es una herramienta util para desoldar más rapido
молодец мужик!!!! 👍 Очень понравилось полное описание!
do you need to 'wet' the guns 'tip' with solder, like you do with soldering irons ?
I've found you usually you don't, but if there is lots of oxidation on the tip, it will certainly help by wetting it. Keeping it clean using the cleaning sponge also helps. It's also solder dependent & at what temp you use it at. In short, you will come up with your own tip maintenance procedures based on working experience with the tool.
I think the best way to put low melting solder then use the flux and gun
Always get clogged even after cleaning it
How can solve this problem
Please help
Perhaps not using it at high enough temp or filters clogged (not enough vacuum). I've never had clogging issues - it's working great going on 18 months now.
It starts you off at such a low temperature that my guess would be that. Increase it to at least 350C and see if it still clogs on you.
hello i bought today i wanted to ask how does automatic sleep work, thank you
I cover sleep @ time index 10:53
@@Rchelicopterfun thanx
The item says it is not available when I click the link
The Banggood link works fine when I just tried it.
I bought the Yihua 948, works very well, I like the short of the barrel, do not clogged.
Gun of the SS-331 desoldering looks very well made.
Best Regards.
hey man is there Desolder gun without that big box i mean just gun with UK plug and temp control.
Here's my review of the stand alone S-993A desoldering gun: th-cam.com/video/nVkXeOJSsck/w-d-xo.htmlsi=GfoneDTGcy6lj744
Not as nice to use as this unit, but it works okay if you want a combination unit for field work.
@@Rchelicopterfun why expensive i google it and over 80$
How on earth would I know, I don't build or market the things. By the way, $80 is a bargain considering the Hakko FR-301 gun is around $200.
@@Rchelicopterfun i found "YIHUA 30W 929D-V" its perfect
How cost is this,&where is available
Hi i have the same or better both, the old Zd9.. had 80W and it was boring to wait whilee heat up. I had a new one in exact the same Casing like yours but in different collors.
It is also Blak with with blue Grips. I had very much Spareparts from the ZD9xx but ithis Station have to much Power and the Thermocouple is differnt.
My is Labeld with 200W yours with 140W i think is both the same.
My the 140W on yours sre realistik for accumulate over the Time usage (i find not the correckt word in english=) on my the 200W will be Peak Power when it ist switchinh on.
Nice Station my old M9xx one i had vor over 15 Jears. The new is aklso fine an heat very much faster so work temp.
Maybee when i polished it with Snakeoil it well realy bring the 200W to the Nozzel =)
I wish you a lot of fun with the Desolderinh gun and i hope the new will also work in more than 10 Jears. Have a nice Day Best Regards from Germany
Thanks for the info.
Fantastic!
Is this helpfull for Lead Free Soldered pins?
Lead free solder doesn't flow well and may need more flux added or resoldering with some leaded solder first before using the desoldering tool. In short, yes it will work but it all comes down to practice and technique.