Vacuum Desoldering Pump

[Bryan]

For general hobby use and removing components from a  multilayer board would this desolder pump be any good. Any one have one, or something else they can recommend.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310653327093?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[metalphreak]

I have one and it works ok. The biggest issue is removing stuff from big ground planes which takes forever for the combo unit to heat up. Also, if you suck most of the solder away, then sometimes there's a bit left that you can't get to heat up without adding more solder. It certainly beats using one of those manual pump action desoldering tools, but it's not a magical device that makes things super easy

[Tita]

It's good but!..if you want something better buy this hakko desoldering gun:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/808-5-808-KIT-P-P-808-KIT-Hakko-Desoldering-Gun-w-Pump-/380677525145?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a2260e99

[bookaboo]

I've always found the old hand pump types just fine, I actually tried two automatic guns that weren't even as good as a £3.00 hand pump.
Also, I've visited repair workshops where engineers are doing a bunch of desoldering and they use the handpumps.

That said, I haven't tried either of the two above so maybe they are a step up.

[Fraser]

I own some very high quality PACE desoldering units and a Circuit Specialists gun type unit. The suction from the base unit is excellent and the gun itself is a hand friendly weight to use. I can certainly recommend it as a budget model that works well. Spares, including complete new guns and all parts are easy to purchase.

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/csi474a.html

[Bryan]

Thanks Aurora, that looks to be the one to get on a budget, Haako is nice but getting out of my budget. Having spare parts available is certainly a plus, something the Ebay item does not appear to have.

[Stonent]

As a kid, I remember using one of those ones that was a modified soldering iron with a hollow tip and a red bulb that you squeezed to suck or blow out the solder. I haven't seen one in a while though.

[Mr Simpleton]

Please read carefully what Metalphreak wrote! I second this, and it can be very hard to get that last drop out so the component will come loose, especially when there is a through plated hole.

Using hot air to remove component and then use the suction to remvoe excessive sloder may be the way to go.

And don't forget the hassle of cleaning the nozzle from old solder.... can be quite tiresom

I

[Fraser]

I must be lucky or have good kit as I have found that, with correct usage, I rarely have a solder blockage or need to clean the tip with the reamer.

The powered vacuum desoldering tools are especially useful when having to desolder masses of capacitors during an equipment recap as is sadly often necessary these days. The pumps on my units are so powerful that they remove the solder around the leads in through hole PCB's better than my good quality manual solder sucker. I do still use my manual solder sucker as I was trained on them and still feel quite at home using one for minor works. There is definitely a need for good technique when using a manual or automatic desoldering tool. That comes with practice. Users new to pumped desoldering tools often make the mistake of setting the tip temperature too low and switching off the vacuum too soon after sucking up the solder, causing blockages in the nozzle pipe. Manufacurers warn about this and have also enhanced their tips to include a better heated tube arrangement to decrease blockage occurances.

As a side note, I picked up a brand new Pace desoldering gun for GBP60 that turned out to be something quite different ! It has a base unit and a gun head and to most it appears to be a normal desoldering gun. It is in fact a SMT/through-hole pcb pad cleaner !

The unit has an axial hot air blower around the main element. The hot air is blown onto the PCB to preheat it and then the rounded tip is applied to any solder on the pads to remove it. The performance is truly amazing. You end up with pads that look like they are a new tinned PCB !
The removal of old solder aids placement of new SMT components. I didn't think I would use the unit much but how wrong I was ! It has been superb. Maybe a normal pumped desoldering station could do the same, but without the pre-heat ? Pace do sell the special tips for such use.

The Pace VF100 cost over GBP1000 normally so its not a hobby unit but I thought I would mention it as what it achieves is helpful to SMT reworking processes. It is also a mean desoldering gun for through hole parts but the tip is a little bulky.

http://competence.com.mx/prods/pace/html/_ShowSystemDetails-1464.html

[ciccio]

Many years ago I bough a similar unit (don't remember the model/manufacturer).
It was similar the Hakko unit, but it had a pulsed pump (an electro magnet driven piston) and not a continuous operation pump  After some use, it needed cleaning, resulting in more than half an hour for removing a 26 pin connector from a single sided PCB. After some time it stopped working and went into the garbage bin.

About 15 years ago  I "went professional", and bough a JBC (old model) station, at the not so low price of one million ITL (about 500 Euros). It worked well for a longer time, but is really underpowered (50 W) and has not enough power when desoldering caps from PC motherboards. Now it still works, but the pump has some problems, and is of limited use.
The problem is that if you have a limited use for the unit, you'll end in spending more time in maintenance than in desoldering.

I ended using  a classic Soldapullt manual pump (not the 3 Euros pumps, they suck.. you need a BIG pump)

Best regards

[qno]

I have had desoldering stations and pumps over the years and used them only a few times.
It id only usable  for THT.

I used the last 30 years a big desoldering pump from Soldapult.
It is very good.

http://nl.farnell.com/edsyn/ds017/desoldering-gun-standard/dp/871345

[ablacon64]

http://nl.farnell.com/edsyn/ds017/desoldering-gun-standard/dp/871345

I have several but that is one of my favorites.

[Bryan]

I have heard good things about the EDSYN products. Do you think the DS017is up to the challenge of desoldering multilayer boards if needed?.

[ciccio]

I have heard good things about the EDSYN products. Do you think the DS017is up to the challenge of desoldering multilayer boards if needed?.

I'ts the one I use.
I've done recapping on PC motherboards,with success (most of the times).
Important: the soldering iron must be POWERFUL and HOT..
Best regards

[ben_r_]

After my research I ended getting the Hakko 808. Still havent used it as I havent been doing much through hole stuff lately, but from all that I read and in the price range I wanted to spend that unit was the best one to get.

[Bryan]

Ended up ordering a DS017. Will how how it performs

[eurofox]

Ended up ordering a DS017. Will how how it performs

I did the same and order one. 

eurofox

[eurofox]

Got mine today from HK, fast shipping 

eurofox

[Bryan]

Great tool, has lot's of vacuum, but I do find it cumbersome to use. Wish they would have designed it so the thumb release is closer to the bottom. Also found the tip really likes to slide around. But still a good product.