I’m looking for recommendations for a good hot air solder tool/station. There’s a handy Banggood 200W tool ($47) that doesn’t require a big controller box but at 200W it may not do the job in some cases.
There’s also the Quick 957D from Adafruit ($97) that’s 500 plus watts but it takes up lots of bench space with the controller.
Do we have a hot air station? What would you guys and gals recommend for my work bench?
Yes there is one in the shop. No, I have not used it. Frys has a nice SMD rework unit for $99 if you want to save some shipping… 500W
http://frys.com/product/6389401?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
And a digital one if you like digital things
PS. Depending on what you’re doing, a simple mini heat gun may suffice (one with a smallish nozzle)
I think you may even be able to find nozzles to fit a heat gun that can be used for chip DEsoldering.
Yeah I might check out the one at Fry’s. Don’t want the digital version. Of course taxes may offset the shipping cost so it may be a “wash”.
Thanks.
Hey Beau!
I have the 852 in my shop if you’re ever around Highland Village and want to check it out.
Raymond
PS: I still have the book you signed for me. 
Raymond,
Good to hear from you! 
Can you articulate any Pro’s and Con’s on the 852?
I listened to some of the videos by that New York guy that did the video on reworking BGA’s (referenced in a thread in our forum) and he pointed out that the analog versions are much easier to make air/heat adjustments with one hand while still working with the other and without taking your eyes off of your work. It would be nice to have the desolder pen on the 850 but I don’t see it as a deal breaker.
I wouldn’t use any hot air system to do any BGA of size. The tiny ones are OK, but for bigger you really really want infrared.
You might also consider:
(edit: remembered that this was 220v only … bummer. And that’s 220v hot-to-neutral, so no cheating and putting it across split-phase 220v here in the US)
Yeah, didn’t realize that Adafruit didn’t charge sales tax for Texas. But Hey, instant gratification and return-ability has to be worth somethin’ 
I think we have the Aoyue Int899a+ in the electronics room. I’ve used it, seemed to work OK but I’m hardly the right person to judge that
I have the 852A++, and use it with a Metcal hot air board pre-heater.
It works great for what I do, taking fine-pitch parts on and off using solder paste, but I don’t work with BGAs – at least not to this point.
For me the digital settings are nice because I have a configuration that works well and I can just set it there every time.
I ended up buying the one at Fryes. Came with four nozzle tips and has a vacuum pick up tool for those little hot chips.
BGA just heat up the chip slowly. I removed and resoldered a small bga the other day, then I learned about solder balls. Ebay to the rescue. Buy the solder balls and screen stencils cheap. There’s some nice tutorials on youtube on bga rework.
Basically anything that blows hot air with controls on airflow and heat will work.
Regards,
Mark
Be careful with that vacuum tip. If you try to use it without a pick-up tip and the part is hot, it will absolutely melt and deform.
Yeah i noticed that tip in a video and wondered why it did not come with one. I use tweezers for now