Here a bunch of them have nearly identical 4-digit or 4-character codes after the manufacturer name, so I guess it's not the same model from different manufacturers. I guess they are using the same part? Any clue which?

Thanks so much

Joe

 

https://www.amazon.com/WEP-8786D-I-...-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
is
https://www.amazon.com/YaeCCC-Stati...-5-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
plus a soldering iron.
I used to have the latter. It worked, and it had a reasonably long life until the blower impeller fell apart. But it could be replaced by a standard Sunon part. Not bad for the money.

 

Here a bunch of them have nearly identical 4-digit or 4-character codes after the manufacturer name, so I guess it's not the same model from different manufacturers. I guess they are using the same part? Any clue which?

Thanks so much

Joe

I guess you mean the model numbers such as WEP 8786D-I and SUGON 8650? As I understand it these refer to the original product ID in the past for which these are, more or less, clones. Many of these products originated from major manufacturers, or featured as magazine or blog articles, and are now turned out cheaper (and often more shoddily) by multiple Chinese manufacturers.

 

I just cannot for my entire life understand the desire to put a psu for an air gun and an iron, or an airgun psu and a bench psu, in one box. Don't people understand that if the one fails you're much more likely to have to replace the entire unit?

If so many manufacturers are doing it I guess that means I'm not understanding correctly.

 

I guess you mean the model numbers such as WEP 8786D-I and SUGON 8650? As I understand it these refer to the original product ID in the past for which these are, more or less, clones. Many of these products originated from major manufacturers, or featured as magazine or blog articles, and are now turned out cheaper (and often more shoddily) by multiple Chinese manufacturers.

Huh. I didn't think they'd be that brazen.

 

https://www.amazon.com/WEP-8786D-I-SE-Desoldering-Hot-Air-Nozzles/dp/B0BXN5NXFQ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=U2U3523D1LB1&keywords=680w+rework&qid=1708080661&s=hi&sprefix=680w+rewor,tools,395&sr=1-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
is
https://www.amazon.com/YaeCCC-Station-Digital-Soldering-Stations/dp/B0878GYK2T/ref=sr_1_5?crid=U2U3523D1LB1&keywords=680w+rework&qid=1708080661&s=hi&sprefix=680w+rewor,tools,395&sr=1-5-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
plus a soldering iron.
I used to have the latter. It worked, and it had a reasonably long life until the blower impeller fell apart. But it could be replaced by a standard Sunon part. Not bad for the money.

What do you mean by "a reasonably long life", exactly?

Also, did you have any way of evaluating accuracy of the temp setting?

Thanks again
Joe

 

What do you mean by "a reasonably long life", exactly?

Also, did you have any way of evaluating accuracy of the temp setting?

Thanks again
Joe

Apologies for being vague, but if I’d known you were going to ask, I’d have kept notes. . .
It must have lasted about five years, long enough for me not to be annoyed when it finally gave up.
I waved a thermocouple in front of it once, and was reasonably impressed with the result. However, I do tend to adjust the temperature according to what I am doing.I tend to find that using a higher temperature gets the job done more quickly and does less damage overall. Lower temperature for longer tends to delaminate more tracks.

 

Apologies for being vague, but if I’d known you were going to ask, I’d have kept notes. . .
It must have lasted about five years, long enough for me not to be annoyed when it finally gave up.
I waved a thermocouple in front of it once, and was reasonably impressed with the result. However, I do tend to adjust the temperature according to what I am doing.I tend to find that using a higher temperature gets the job done more quickly and does less damage overall. Lower temperature for longer tends to delaminate more tracks.

I mean, other sources have told me that anything below $100 isn't really worth it. OTOH other sources haven't cited any direct experience.

So I suppose the moral is that I'm willing to risk a few boards if it means getting a gun at that price =p.

 

I mean, other sources have told me that anything below $100 isn't really worth it. OTOH other sources haven't cited any direct experience.

So I suppose the moral is that I'm willing to risk a few boards if it means getting a gun at that price =p.

I don’t think you are likely to ruin any boards, the solder resist starts to discolour a long time before any lasting damage is done. It is even possible to desolder with a paint-stripping heat-gun if you watch what you are doing!
Maybe the “other sources” are In the business of selling >$100 soldering stations? I suspect that longevity is the difference between different products, although I will probably never get chance to find out how long a Weller machine lasts.

 

I mean, surely there's some reason for the existence of Weller units. Otherwise they wouldn't sell at the prices they do.

It's not the consumer market, in .y experience professionals tend not to fall for advertising.

 

We have the current crop of temperature-stabilised Weller soldering stations in the lab. I was issued with a Weller 50w soldering iron when I started my 1st job at Plessey Avionics in 1979. I still have that iron though these days I prefer my TS100 soldering 'pencil' which gets more heat effectively into the joint than that 50w iron. And those Weller soldering stations... of 4, 3 are currently out of service, awaiting parts.

 

I mean, surely there's some reason for the existence of Weller units. Otherwise they wouldn't sell at the prices they do.

It's not the consumer market, in .y experience professionals tend not to fall for advertising.

I'd be intrigued to know how good the Weller hot-air rework tool actually is, but as my Sealey does what I need it to do, why would I spend ten times the price to find out? If it is no better but simply lasts ten times as long, I'd be dead before it is, unless I lived to 110.

 

This is an excellent point. Reliability is a far bigger selling point in a corp environment.

 

We have the current crop of temperature-stabilised Weller soldering stations in the lab. I was issued with a Weller 50w soldering iron when I started my 1st job at Plessey Avionics in 1979. I still have that iron though these days I prefer my TS100 soldering 'pencil' which gets more heat effectively into the joint than that 50w iron. And those Weller soldering stations... of 4, 3 are currently out of service, awaiting parts.

I bought a Weller years ago. I switched to ts100 style because of the "smart" functionality and battery power option.