What's Your Favorite Desolder Gun?

[Perkinsman]

I want to buy a good, reliable desolder type gun that has the ability to do standard tube amp and audio point to point and circuit board repair work. It would be nice if it was easy to use, clean and find that parts are and will be readily available....for under $400?

[Enzo]

I paid more than that for my Pace unit, but I do like it. I personally do not find it all that useful for point to point. I might occasionally empty out an eyelet with it. But really for me my spring loaded cock it and press the button solder sucker works fine. Now on printed circuit boards, nothing will touch my Pace. I can go down the rows of pins on a 64 pin IC say and have it out in a minute. And my holes are clean and clear.

I know some guys use Weller, and I usually hear good reports on the Hakko. And I am sure there are some current good brands I never heard of. I am not in t he market for another, so I don't pay close attention. My main soldering iron is a Weller WTCP series unit.

One thing I do like having is a tool I have had for 60 years or more - my Weller 100/140 soldering gun. Basic simple old thing, but it works for heavy jobs. And point to point and such often take more heat than my small iron wants to give. The gun still isn't quite enough to solder directly to a Fender chassis, but it solders big solder lugs and heavy wires without fail. They still make them. And I do keep real Weller tips for it, but if I wear out a tip and don't have one, I strip a 5-6" hunk of 12ga wire and bend my own tip. Works like a charm.

[olddawg]

I’ve had both Hako and Pace. The Pace is built better. The Hako is more versatile. I agree with Enzo.. If you are in a shop reworking a lot of the same units that the machine happens to be useful for and saves a lot of time, they are necessary. For most shops seeing a variety of stuff, you are better off using solder wick, braid, a hand pump extractor, ChipQuick, etc.

[The Dude]

I'll add another vote for the Pace. Once you have one, it's hard to imagine working without it. If you hunt around eBay, you can often find good used ones at decent prices.

[nosaj]

I'll add another vote for the Pace. Once you have one, it's hard to imagine working without it. If you hunt around eBay, you can often find good used ones at decent prices.

Same here. I got a pace from ebayFor a $130 couple months ago and it is a night and day difference for PCB stuff. Mine looks like it's from the 70's everything looks like I can repair it. Just a solder iron and an air compressor.

Solder sucker is hard to beat for point to point tube stuff.

nosaj

[olddawg]

Same here. I got a pace from ebayFor a $130 couple months ago and it is a night and day difference for PCB stuff. Mine looks like it's from the 70's everything looks like I can repair it. Just a solder iron and an air compressor.

Solder sucker is hard to beat for point to point tube stuff.
nosaj

Just make sure you have all the parts. The glass tube, the curved metal piece that sets in the tube, and the air line filter holder with the paper filters. They take a lot maintenance and you need a good selection of tips. I always used straightened paper clips, guitar strings, etc to clean them. The pump membrane doesn’t last long if solder dust gets in it.

[nosaj]

Just make sure you have all the parts. The glass tube, the curved metal piece that sets in the tube, and the air line filter holder with the paper filters. They take a lot maintenance and you need a good selection of tips. I always used straightened paper clips, guitar strings, etc to clean them. The pump membrane doesn’t last long if solder dust gets in it.

Yep all that is there. The only thing I have not been able to find is any information on it. It's a SX-25 I believe.
Only one tip is all I have but so far that's been ok.
nosaj

[Enzo]

Oh I keep a supply of tips. I usually use the skinny tips in the little adaptor, but the fat tips work well too and last longer. I always have a spare glass tube in the drawer. You ARE going to break one eventually.

I kept a piece of stiff piano wire stuck in a hunk of styrofoam near the iron. Used it to poke debris out of the tip. Styro was just a convenient parking spot.

[olddawg]

Oh I keep a supply of tips. I usually use the skinny tips in the little adaptor, but the fat tips work well too and last longer. I always have a spare glass tube in the drawer. You ARE going to break one eventually.

I kept a piece of stiff piano wire stuck in a hunk of styrofoam near the iron. Used it to poke debris out of the tip. Styro was just a convenient parking spot.

And that weird cotton plug filter that goes in the glass? I guess you can still get them.

[Enzo]

Sure, they still make them, I buy them by the bag.

[Mick Bailey]

I've had one of these for about 8 years - it was £45 back then. I didn't expect it to be any good and bought it while I was looking around for a used Pace. However, It's surprisingly good and parts are readily available. Maybe it's sold under different brands in different countries. Mine had a phenolic tube but they're now borosilicate glass and the retrofit kit is about £3 - tube, seals, filters, spring etc. It uses a diaphragm pump. It desolders eyelet boards easily and does through-hole. Mine is in use pretty much every working day and it heats up in about three minutes. I got a complete spare gun and vacuum tube for £7.

https://cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d00...yABEgL20vD_BwE

[nevetslab]

I too live with a PACE....an MBT 3-port base unit, SX-70 Desoldering Iron, PS80 iron, ThermoJet. Their tips are expensive, if you buy new thru distribution. Over the years, I watch ebay for deals on new tips from various sellers for both the Soldering and Desoldering irons. And like all desoldering irons, continual maintenance is required to keep the dros chamber empty, and keeping the tip wet and clean. Those little felt filters that go into the glass dros chamber.....I get extended life out of them by poking them out, and picking away at the dirty surface until it's relatively cleaner, then work the part to 'fluff' it back up, and poke it back into the chamber for more use. I do of course keep a supply of new ones on hand. I've discarded the in-line paper filter. I have both their multi-sized cleaning wire tool as well as wound guitar strings in a mandril to keep the tip hole clear. And a spare SX-70 & PS-80, though they're often with my other base unit that I'll travel with, or use at home.

I also use the Weller WTCP with the DS-TCP bulb-activated desoldering attachment....its one of the Military kits...all in a nice grey metal case, which lives in my tool case. Not as elegant as my Pace, but is much simpler to keep working!

[Mick Bailey]

Enzo mentioned his solder gun being useful and today I saw an old Millers Falls 200/260 heavy-duty gun with a 100ft roll of desolder braid and in its original case at a market. I wasn't sure what tips it took - they have a captive nut. When I got home I researched it and found it was a heavy-duty Weller rebranded as Millers Falls. Damn. The time to buy it is when you see it, as they say. It was £10 and I left it there.

[nosaj]

Here is the one I got I only had a $130 total so I offered that shipped and based on info in this thread have figured out how to clean it. I love mine. From what I understand they are from some aircraft facility that was shut down. Sx-230 with a PPS16 powerplant.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/253464053196

nosaj

[Perkinsman]

Here is the one I got I only had a $130 total so I offered that shipped and based on info in this thread have figured out how to clean it. I love mine. From what I understand they are from some aircraft facility that was shut down. Sx-230 with a PPS16 powerplant.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/253464053196

nosaj

Thanks nosaj. I bought the one you sent me the link to. Hopefully it’s easy to use. Do you have a lot of maintenance & are parts easily available?