What do you think of this solder/hot air machine?

MrSoftware

Joined Oct 29, 2013
2,188
I haven't used that particular one, but check the length of the wires, they look fairly short which seems to be normal for this price point. After using one of these budget stations myself then switching to a name brand, one of my favorite improvements was the increased length of the wires.
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,843
same thing, unbranded (mind you, is Anesty a 'brand'?) even cheaper here....

Good old 'wun hung lo' quality I suspect...

Same thing on Amazon at £65 gets 4.8/5 in 19 reviews...
 

Thread Starter

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
It has arrived, it survived the journey and all works as it should. I will be doing some practice with the hot air before I use it in anger.
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,843
Odd question, but how heavy are the hot air gun & soldering iron? I recently bouught a TS100 iron because its very light. I have severely reduced arm strength and can no longer hold the bigger iron on my older N78AR temp controlled station for any length of time.
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,843
Wow that's light, as long a the cables don't unbalance it. The TS100 is perfectly balanced with the lightweight silicone cable to the power supply being offset by the 100mm tip with the integral element. Does this one have the tip & element combined in one or separate?
 

Thread Starter

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
Wow that's light, as long a the cables don't unbalance it. The TS100 is perfectly balanced with the lightweight silicone cable to the power supply being offset by the 100mm tip with the integral element. Does this one have the tip & element combined in one or separate?
They are separate. The tip is hollow and fits around the element. Look from 3:30 here:
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Thank you for the nice review. Anxious to get mine with soldering iron too. Nice to know about the twist lock for the tips instead of a clamp. So obvious.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
My station just arrived -- 2 days late due to FedEx.

My main interest is the hot air, so that is what I tested briefly. My nozzles are clamp-on type, not partial turn. I would have preferred the partial turn type and may substitute small springs for the screws. The U-shaped holder has a magnet in it. That turns off the heat when the collar of the gun is in its field. You can also turn it off with any external magnet. I used a small neodymium magnet to test. Nice feature.

Set temp to 290°C and compared to my Fluke TC meter. Nozzle was about 6 mm diameter. Regulation at blower speeds less than 5 (half way) was not as good as at 6 and above. Above 6, its was pretty close (few degrees). Much quieter than my non-regulated Wagner heat gun. First impression for that part is pretty good, at least for now.
 

BobaMosfet

Joined Jul 1, 2009
2,110
Just my $0.02 if someone else hadn't mentioned it. Purchasing the unit is one expense- tips and other pieces after are another- make sure you know the ongoing cost of what else you'll have to purchase. Also-- try to find reviews. Main thing is that it must be able to maintain the temperature accurately.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
The soldering tips are a concern, but not really. With a tiny, hobby lathe, I am more than able to bore out commercial tips to fit, should I be so inclined, The made-in-China soldering tips appear to be iron plated. They are weakly magnetic. I have not checked the price of replacement tips, but assume they are no more than the cost of typical Plato tips that can be bored to fit.

Am I about to throw away by 25+ year old, trusty Edsyn 951SX Loner soldering iron? No way. The only tip I have use is the short cone. If this gizmo works out, I will buy more of that style, if possible. (That is the default tip it comes with.) If not, the temperature controlled air gun is worth the price by itself, IMHO.

EDIT:
Worked for about 10 minutes to test hot air and soldering. Turned both tools off, but left unit plugged into wall socket. After about an hour, unit was dead. Unplugged, waited about an hour, plugged unit back into wall, it goes through boot, but then dies. Tapped unit against counter, and both tools came alive.


Repeated process again this morning. Unplugged period was 30 minutes. Still required tapping unit on counter to make it work. Reported to eBay seller. Will update with response.

EDIT: SEE UPDATE BELOW (POST #21)
 
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