Revisiting Hot Air Rework Stations - Which to buy?

Mmm, now that the topic's hot, any first-hand information on this hot air gun?:

8018LCD 220V 450 Degree LCD Adjustable Electronic Heat Hot Air Gun @Banggood

Suffice to say, much better deals can be gotten for it on aliexpress…

Cheers ^:)

Looks nice. It would make a great portable heat shrink tool. Maybe I’ll order one.

I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/YIHUA-858D

Love it, it's been great, reliable. But I know nothing about what's out there to compare with. It's the only hot air station I ever used.

For the 858D, it's like open source, cloned all over, can be modded, etc. Think only certain clones can be modded though, from what I read.

I’ve been looking lately as well. Problem for me is im wanting to upgrade to a higher watt iron as well. Something atleast 70watts. It seems 60 is the max before needing to jump up to big bucks. Under $100 is ok for me.

It’s also hard to choose because as we know these specs can be and are inflated or manipulated by the manufacturer. So I could pay $40 more to get an extra 15watts that don’t really exist.

So, sorry pd, my post is not that helpful :frowning:

I bought a Weller 100 watt temperature controlled soldering iron years ago. It was recalled recently for a faulty power cord. So I sent mine back without the tip and they sent me a replacement with a brand new 700 degree F tip. I use it for soldering large ground planes and chassis grounds. Great product, great company

The product page says "Smartxchoices Pro 2In1 862D+ SMD Soldering Iron Hot Air Rework Station LED Display w/4 Nozzles As Free Gifts (#1)". It looks pretty good. The price is $55.49 (say 45% off).

The iron I use is a Aoyue 9378

It’s 60watt but so far I haven’t been wanting for more power. I do need to get some new tips though, mine are pretty terrible right now.

Thanks, looks similar to the 852D+ I linked earlier

https://www.amazon.com/Smartxchoices-Soldering-Station-Display-Nozzles/dp/B01CBKWG3A

$99 is too much for me this year. I’m not sure about the pump in the base. I’m sure it is more reliable and robust, but it also makes the cord/tube to the unit thicker. Does that get annoying in your experience?

4wheelr’s description is correct.

It looks like the MarkEthan 852D you linked in post #2. Price is the same as posted on weldandsolder.com.($55.59). When you click “add to cart” button there it takes you to Amazon to finish checkout

Edit: your link in post #14 is the one.

I really like the look of those, but man they’re big. No way they would fit on my desk. I wonder if there’s a way to find out how long the cords are.

edit: actually, looking at the scale of the handle, they might not be that big. The box shape just makes it look like it.

The cord/air tube is much thicker, but it hasn’t been a problem for me because it’s very flexible . You may, or may not like it. I’d invite you over to check it out if you ever visit Long Island

The 862D+ looks pretty good right now, I like the completely separate controls for air/iron. I just can’t find any specs on the wattage ratings for each side.

I have the Aoyue 937+ with several Hakko T18 tips. It’s like a whole new solder station with the Hakko tips. They work so much better than the tips that came with the station.

You could almost buy a whole new solder station for the same price :smiley:

The ones I’m finding are a small set for $30+ :open_mouth:

The three I bought were half the price of the solder station. A cylindrical point, 2.4mm chisel tip, and a 3.2mm chisel tip. About 8 bucks each, but they sure work good.

Hello everyone,
You can go to this site and take a look around:

They have a lot of options and parts for replace. By the way, I’m a newbie here and learning a lot, thank you BLF.

bump to see if there are any more opinions out there.


Currently top of my list are:

853D, because it has a small DC power supply built it, which would be convenient and save desk space.

and

862D+, becaue it has knobs for everything instead of messing with holding down buttons.

Either unit would never do for me. I would never give up my Hakko iron - there's no wiggle room there. One time I accidentally cut through the cord to the iron - replacement cost almost as much as the full up iron - I ordered another Hakko without delay. Felt like a complete novice using my backup - totally useless. The Hakko is that good. Dale says pretty much the same thing about his. Dunno how anyone else mods without one, or something comparable.

For $97, but of course just the iron: https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Digital-FX888D-Soldering-Station/dp/B00AWUFVY8

I have no problems with my iron, I’m just worried about having space on desk for two boxes and two power cords. That’s why I’m primarily looking at combo units.