I finally gave up on my old hot air station and the difference is wild

For years I used a cheap $60 station from a discount site, thinking it was fine for basic board work. Last month I had to replace a BGA chip on a MacBook Pro and the old one just couldn't hold a steady temp, making the job a nightmare. I bit the bullet and bought a Quick 861DW, and the reflow on the first board I did with it was perfect, no cold joints or lifted pads. The heat control is so much more precise, and I'm not fighting the tool anymore. Has anyone else made a similar jump with a specific piece of gear that totally changed your success rate on tricky jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

william_west4d ago

Man, that's the exact same story with my old soldering iron. I used a basic pencil for ages until a tiny surface mount job made me want to throw it out the window. Upgrading to a proper temperature controlled station felt like going from a butter knife to a scalpel. The confidence it gives you on small pads is a total game changer. What kind of jobs are you tackling with the new station?

thomas_black814d ago

Wait, you did surface mount with a basic pencil iron? That's like trying to paint a portrait with a mop. I can't even imagine the frustration, those tiny 0402 caps must have been glued on with hope. My hands are sweating just thinking about it.