What's Your Favorite Desolder Gun?

[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?

It looks as though parts are still available though pace. specifically the glass tube. I've only put about 5 hrs time on mine which I don't think is long enough. Maybe ask me next year. When I first got it I took some boards I have in the junk pile and removed several components it was almost reminiscent of the jump in skill I made when I went from Radio shack soldering pencil iron to a temp controlled soldering iron. It's like a night and day difference.

nosaj

[Enzo]

It is night and day. Like a $40 K-mart guitar, and then a real Strat or Les Paul. How did I get along without this?

Pace is alive and well, the glass tube hasn't changed in years even as models have. Tips and filters are still made, and in fact alternate sources are available for them.. Plano makes tips for example.

[Mick Bailey]

So, is the Pace the one to have - better than say a Metcal or other premium brand?

[Enzo]

All I will say is that Pace is a good quality brand, with good support. That takes nothing away from other good quality brands. Many people are happy with their Hakko gear. I'd imagine Weller makes a good product. I just have never used the other brands. I think it is like guitars. I don't know if Fender is better than Gibson, but either is a good quality instrument and either is better than that $40 K-mart guitar.

[Perkinsman]

I have a few questions about the Pace sx230. What exactly is the point of the glass tube? Is the metal case that the glass tube is in supposed to be loose? What is the purpose of the little piece of cloth inside the glass?

[The Dude]

The glass tube collects the solder. You remove the tube to empty the solder. Glass so that solder doesn't stick to it. The little "cotton ball" is a filter for flux so that it doesn't get into the vacuum pump or clog lines. There is also a round in-line "clothish" filter right at the station. Both of those should be changed regularly.

[Perkinsman]

I don't see any cloth-ish filter (or any filter for that matter) on this one, it has a screw on glass jar both on the inlet and another one inside the unit. I think I've seen those round cloth filters on ebay. Is that supposed to be a secondary filter? I really would love to find a manual for it.

[The Dude]

Mine is a different model. Maybe yours doesn't have the round filter. Mine also doesn't have a glass jar, so it must be a different kind of filter.