Getting started hobby and learning smd repair

[michael.spivack.50]

On a budget of about 500  and looking to get started learning and hobby use on my own through videos and personal broken items I have like iPhones iPads and MacBooks.    The main three things I foresee needing is a hot air station, soldering iron and stereo microscope.  Already have multimeter and probes.  I have a hot air station picked out (csi 852a++ for about 120). Would like some recommendations on a t12/t15 Hakko type soldering station and scope.  I'm in the US and I see all these hakko fx-951 clones on aliexpress for about 120-130.   Unfortunately they say 220v.  Will they switch to 110v?   That part scares me a little if they are 220v only.   I can live with longer heat and recovery times and maybe even analog and not digital.   Perhaps there's a decent clone out there that is cheaper but just as good as the 951.   

As far as scope.  I really have no idea.  I've read and heard that I'll be needing in the 4.5x to 10x range mostly.  I don't need it to have an arm nor will I need it to have a third viewing port.   I don't intend on doing videos.  I just intend on starting out. 

If anyone has any decent recommendations that fit within the 300 dollar range for the scope and soldering iron.  I'd be really appreciative. 

Thank you
M


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[KL27x]

I would suggest you spend less on the hot air. 858D is much smaller and has a thinner cord. And you can get it for abour 33.00.  If you want a pickup tool, you can get that separately for under 50.00. But for learning/repair work you will not have any use for it. The vacuum pickup tool is useful mainly for batch/volume repetitive assembly tasks.

For iron, you can buy T12 clones much cheaper (and smaller) than 120.00, and without the counterfeit "Hakko" name on it. This would save more money for a scope.

If I were you I would be aiming to spend ~ $400.00 of my 500.00 budget on the scope. 33.00 on hot air. 68.00 on iron and tips. 

[michael.spivack.50]

I would suggest you spend less on the hot air. 858D is much smaller and has a thinner cord. And you can get it for abour 33.00.  If you want a pickup tool, you can get that separately for under 50.00. But for learning/repair work you will not have any use for it. The vacuum pickup tool is useful mainly for batch/volume repetitive assembly tasks.

For iron, you can buy T12 clones much cheaper (and smaller) than 120.00, and without the counterfeit "Hakko" name on it. This would save more money for a scope.

If I were you I would be aiming to spend ~ $400.00 of my 500.00 budget on the scope. 33.00 on hot air. 68.00 on iron and tips.

Thank you for the feedback and information.   I was leaning toward the 852 type hot air not for the vacuum pick up feature but for the fact that the heating element and fan wasn't in the same place the handle.  I was not planning on using the pickup too at all.   If there was a unit that had the fan inside the unit and not handle that would be more appealing to me.  I'll look a little closer at the 858d types and see if I like any of them. 

As far as soldering irons.  Could you point me to a t12 type that's in the 68 dollar price range? I'm having trouble finding that. 

With scope.  I was reading that the amscope se-400z is a decent alternative to the more expensive types.  Not certain though.   But the 190 price tag is appealing.   https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SE400-Z-Professional-Microscope-Magnification/dp/B005C75IVM

I'm not in a big hurry and could buy the scope in pieces and get it completed with some additional Christmas money in a few months.  I just can't justify spending 400 right off the bat on a scope like that for a hobby. 




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[Markybhoy]

You could check out some of the suggestions here -

http://www.microsoldering.com/tools-and-equipment/

http://www.microsoldering.com/beginners-package/

[nanofrog]

• T12 Solder Station
• Iron Stand & Cleaner (Hakko 633-01)

You're looking at $65.44 shipped.  There's a review on this in here somewhere, but I can't recall the brand name (just know I've seen the photos).

Cheaper is possible, but don't underestimate the need for a decent iron holder/stand.

Since you can wait a bit, I'd add ~$100 - 200 as you'll need to buy a few tips for it as well. This budget increase will also allow you to get a Rigol 1054Z and the microscope you've linked (~$605 shipped, not including any T12 tips, of which 5 can allow you to do a lot of different parts/tasks).

Then there's consumables (desolder wick/braid, solder, liquid or paste/gel flux), and perhaps additional hand tools such as cutters, screwdrivers, and a pair of inexpensive tweezers or two. By adding $200 to your initial budget, you should have ~$50 left over for this type of stuff.

[lacek]

For iPhones hot tweezers could be handy. Removing a capacitor that is next to CPU just with hot air may be a bad idea - you would have to shield cpu well enough to ensure it will not spit out solder balls. You can user iphones metal shield to shield the CPU and some kapton tape, but this is 96% solution. Hot tweezers are 100% solution.

If you buy wrong soldering station, then you will need a new one to use hot tweezers.

[KL27x]

Could you point me to a t12 type that's in the 68 dollar price range? I'm having trouble finding that. 

I have a Bakon 750D and a Suhan 616. Both cost in the neighborhood of $25.00 (I think the 110V Bakon was 28ish; the Suhan, around 24.00), but they come with no stand. In addition, I purchased some clone FM-2027 handpieces to rewire for these stations.

FWIW, the Suhan has more peak power, 24.5V vs 19.5V, and it is evident in the warm up time. Bakon takes about 17 second to melt solder; the Suhan can get there in 10 seconds. I'm not sure which has the better/smarter response, though. They both seem to perform fine.

The Bakon uses an Atmel microcontroller and has a digital display. The calibration on mine was accurate within 10C out of the box, per my test equipment. But is has a high school senior project UI. The Suhan is plain and simple analog control, just a single pot and a single bicolor LED for the display. It runs about 25C higher than the dial indicator suggests in the range that matters, although there is a trim pot which I have never bothered to adjust.

I wouldn't feel undergunned with either of these stations, but I don't know anything about the longevity. (I have 6 soldering stations, so this doesn't bother me )

I was leaning toward the 852 type hot air not for the vacuum pick up feature but for the fact that the heating element and fan wasn't in the same place the handle.  I was not planning on using the pickup too at all.   If there was a unit that had the fan inside the unit and not handle that would be more appealing to me.

The type with the "fan" in the unit don't have a fan. They use a diaphragm pump. The advantage of this is that it can create a vacuum for a pickup tool. And it can maintain enough pressure to work despite a long hose. The only real way to take advantage of this latter benefit is in conjunction with micro hot air wands. The regular size wand that comes with device that you have listed in OP is not much different than an 858D wand.

Putting the fan in the handle means you can make the cord lighter and more flexible. This is a huge advantage. It also allows much, much higher max air flow and faster cooldown. Overall, I find the fan-in-handle to be more ergonomic largely due to the cord. I personally found no advantage with the diaphragm pump style of hot air station in my own usage.

[NivagSwerdna]

I have cheapo UYUE 8586 and a 10x stereo WIDEFIELD scope (it was Russian but very like the AmScope etc), some 0.35 solder, a flux pen, some desoldering braid, IPA and some bud things for cleaning...  that's about all you need.

Louis Rossman's videos are a must to get an idea how it works.

[michael.spivack.50]

I have cheapo UYUE 8586 and a 10x stereo WIDEFIELD scope (it was Russian but very like the AmScope etc), some 0.35 solder, a flux pen, some desoldering braid, IPA and some bud things for cleaning...  that's about all you need.

Louis Rossman's videos are a must to get an idea how it works.

Can you link me the cheaper 10x stereo microscope.   All my searches come up with Bosch and Lomb or amscope I just can't seem to find any cheaper scopes


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[Yansi]

I am very afraid that for $500 one can not set up much usable lab for repairing such high density stuff as phones. 

[NivagSwerdna]

I have cheapo UYUE 8586 and a 10x stereo WIDEFIELD scope (it was Russian but very like the AmScope etc), some 0.35 solder, a flux pen, some desoldering braid, IPA and some bud things for cleaning...  that's about all you need.

Louis Rossman's videos are a must to get an idea how it works.

Can you link me the cheaper 10x stereo microscope.   All my searches come up with Bosch and Lomb or amscope I just can't seem to find any cheaper scopes


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I'm based in the UK so I went for... http://www.microglobe.co.uk/zenith-stl-80-x10x20-long-arm-stereoscopic-microscope-p-8276.html

You will have to source one locally or pay £££ for shipping.... it's heavy.

I <3 my microscope.  You can get nicer but this was the price/feature/quality I could justify to myself.

[michael.spivack.50]

I have cheapo UYUE 8586 and a 10x stereo WIDEFIELD scope (it was Russian but very like the AmScope etc), some 0.35 solder, a flux pen, some desoldering braid, IPA and some bud things for cleaning...  that's about all you need.

Louis Rossman's videos are a must to get an idea how it works.

Can you link me the cheaper 10x stereo microscope.   All my searches come up with Bosch and Lomb or amscope I just can't seem to find any cheaper scopes


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I'm based in the UK so I went for... http://www.microglobe.co.uk/zenith-stl-80-x10x20-long-arm-stereoscopic-microscope-p-8276.html

You will have to source one locally or pay £££ for shipping.... it's heavy.

I <3 my microscope.  You can get nicer but this was the price/feature/quality I could justify to myself.

I wish I was in the U.K.   That might be an option.  Don't see any local sources for zenith in the us.  May have to go the amazon amscope route. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005C75IVM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505733597&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=se400-z&dpPl=1&dpID=41TC4CDublL&ref=plSrch.

Looks like a similar product to what you linked.  Only visible difference is the led light.  Which I can live with.   


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[minho]

I am very afraid that for $500 one can not set up much usable lab for repairing such high density stuff as phones. 

I totally agree with Yansi. I think the OP has to be honest with him/herself. Is it for hobby use or for fixing phones? Those are two very different things. Sure you can start out on a low budget and see if you like it before upgrading but if you're seriously considering poking around on an iPhone logic board, good tools matter (unless you're already a skilled micro-solderer). The Quick 861DW/Hakko 951 are good choices. As for the microscope, don't underestimate the boom arm. You can't effectively work on electronics with a lab-type microscope.

[nanofrog]

The Quick 861DW/Hakko 951 are good choices.

FWIW, the Quick 861DW compares well to a Hakko FR-810, and the UI is intuitive and easy to use too. And for those in the US/CAN, the Hakko FX-951 is a no-brainer IMHO (one heck of a value at ~$240 shipped). 

And a boom stand is a must IMHO; preferably a dual arm as it's more stable IME. A 3.5x - 45x binocular or trinocular zoom model from Amscope or similar will do the trick (most bang for the buck AFIAK for a new unit).

[michael.spivack.50]

To everyone that replied thank you for the wonderful information.   I ended up taking advice into consideration as well as advice posted in other threads.  I ended up being able to get an amscope sm-3b, a used but certified fx 951, and a quick 861dw.   All of them work beautifully.  Need to still get a .5 Barlow for the scope.    But that’s not an immediate accessory.  Probably can wait til Christmas.   


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