Why does simple solder fume extractor cost £850?

[Faringdon]

Hi Folks,
We had a £850 solder fume extractor and it broke down.
I opened it up to fix it….and at that price, expected to see some “wonder-tronics” inside…but no….
It was name-plated at “85W, 90-265VAC, MADE IN CHINA”, but mains input SMPS was plain old Flyback, 24vout,  with no PFC. Very simple UC3842 one. This fed a dirt simple 3 phase BLDC drive board, using MC33035 in a simplified version of the App Note schematic. This then fed the fixed speed fan. The SMPS was open frame, and  its earth input also went to a huge 70cm by 30cm , 5mm thick, steel plate, on which the SMPS, BLDC drive, and fan , all were mounted. Absolutely no need for such a big heavy metal plate…what a waste. Manufacturing energy to make it must have been very big and wasteful. Outer enclosure was just plastic.

The big metal plate was not at all used for heatsinking. The six TO220 BLDC FETs were mounted Surface mount style on FR4 PCB with no heatsink..just a small  bit of copper pour. One of the FETs had gone short. It was badly charred, along with the PCB around it. Replacing the FET and the MC33035 , AND, dabbing solder on the SMD terminals of all of the res and caps on the BLDC board, fixed it.
The BLDC board was mounted via 4 holes on to 4 metal “split pin” pinions…getting the BLDC PCB on or off those pinions required massive pressure, involving  unfortunate flexing of the BLDC PCB…I could not get the BLDC board off without using a dirty great screwdriver as a lever.
So, was anyone thinking that getting stuff made in China was cheaper?
This isn’t knocking China…they are perfectly honorable in this, simply servicing orders from Middle men in UK.

So howcome this heap of trash cost £840? Was it the “middle man cut”?

[wraper]

This fed a dirt simple 3 phase BLDC drive board, using MC33035 in a simplified version of the App Note schematic. This then fed the fixed speed fan.

Makes no sense whatsoever.

[ataradov]

Cost this much where? Can you link to the product page? The primary theory here is that you were being stupid and overpaid for something, as usual with you.

[Faringdon]

Its a well known product unique in its size (~50cm x 70cm x 30cm) and curved box like appearance, usually grey ish color, youll find it if you search web.

[ataradov]

Dude, WTF is wrong with you?

[HighVoltage]

You have a link to this solder fume extractor for £850 ?

[Gyro]

When I search for 'well known product unique in its size (~50cm x 70cm x 30cm) and curved box like appearance, usually grey ish color', I get picture frames. 

[HwAoRrDk]

Judging by his other thread from a few days ago, it's a Metcal BTX-208. No idea why he's being so mysterious about its identity now when he was explicitly naming it when asking for help repairing it earlier. But then it's Faringdon, so...

And yes, they are £850: https://uk.farnell.com/metcal/btx-208/filter-unit-tip-ext-8-stations/dp/1010138

[ataradov]

Ok, so it is brand name unit from a very expensive brand. The price seems ok for multi-bench unit.

As usual trezz  brain is a mush. Manufacturing good things in China is still expensive. What China adds is the ability to manufacture cheap things cheaper.

[nigelwright7557]

I just use a mains fan off ebay for £9.99 blowing away from me.
It doesnt have a filter but effectively dilutes fumes into the air away from me.
I leave a door open so fumes can get out and fresh air in.
Not ideal but at least I cant smell the fumes now.

[amyk]

The Hakko one is similarly overpriced (but not as extreme as this one). You're paying for the name only.

[Bud]

@OP did they install any fume filters for that money 

[Psi]

Yeah, I also think they are way overpriced for what they are.

I almost bought one twice but couldn't bring myself to pay NZ$1200 for just a box, fan, filter and some flex tube.

So I kept a saved search active on our local online auction site here in NZ and eventually a 2ndhand one came up for NZ$400  (~US200)
so I got that. It was intended to filter the output of a laser cutter when used indoors, but in reality it was just a OEM rebrand of a common floor mount dual port fume extractor.

It actually ended up having a fault and would turn off randomly. but I added some extra bypass caps across the 5V rail on the control panel and that fixed it, pretty sure mains glitches were rebooting the mcu.  Had to 3Dprint some tube adaptors to make the tube I already had fit on its output ports, but that was easy.

[Microdoser]

I put mine together from parts I had lying around. 10ft of 5 inch ducting, a 240V 5 inch inline fan blowing into a 5 inch carbon filter. I made a 1ft extension socket that I plug it and my soldering iron into so every time I turn on my soldering iron, the filter starts.

To make it fancy, I 3D printed a 10 inch duct end and supports that sits 2 inches off the desk. Sucks in fumes from about a foot away.

If I had to buy everything new, it would have been under £200. With a larger inline fan and some Y connectors for the ducting it could filter multiple workstations, and would still come in under £300.

[Jackster]

You could have bought 3 of Farnell's Multicomp extractors for that!
https://uk.farnell.com/multicomp-pro/mp740529/fume-extractor-80w-220vac/dp/3517218?MER=BR-MER-PLP-RECO-STM72157

Still, somewhat over-designed electronics for 3ph fan that had a connector loose when it arrived and the fan after a while is quite noisy.
But at least it looks more professional than a computer fan 

[Microdoser]

You could have bought 3 of Farnell's Multicomp extractors for that!
https://uk.farnell.com/multicomp-pro/mp740529/fume-extractor-80w-220vac/dp/3517218?MER=BR-MER-PLP-RECO-STM72157

Still, somewhat over-designed electronics for 3ph fan that had a connector loose when it arrived and the fan after a while is quite noisy.
But at least it looks more professional than a computer fan 

That extractor has the same design of hose end that I 3D printed. My fan has been running for years now and is still almost silent (you can hear the air move but not the fan running) but then it is designed for years of 24/7 operation with no maintenance.

[tooki]

The SMPS was open frame, and  its earth input also went to a huge 70cm by 30cm , 5mm thick, steel plate, on which the SMPS, BLDC drive, and fan , all were mounted. Absolutely no need for such a big heavy metal plate…what a waste.

My guess is that it helps keep it quiet, by significantly dampening the fan's vibrations. Thin materials can easily vibrate and resonate.

Also, the weight might be needed to make the unit capable of holding up hoses without tipping over.