Author Topic: SMD rework station  (Read 907 times)

SMD rework station
« on: 03 January, 2020, 03:06:55 pm »
Anyone got a cheap SMD rework sation like the Aoyou 852A+ ?

If so whats your experience with them like ?

I'm thinking of getting one for doing things like replacing USB ports and power connectors on laptops and other devices. Just hobby use not proffesional.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: SMD rework station
« Reply #1 on: 03 January, 2020, 06:27:20 pm »
I've got a 968A+

Still going strong after a few years of light use.  The soldering iron part works admirably well (but you're probably not interested in that bit).

The hot air does the job, though it overwhelmingly seems to get used for heat-shrink, which isn't particularly challenging.  Works fine on smaller SMD stuff, and I've occasionally made good use of it to de-solder things with more than a couple of pins on a plated-through-hole board, which is a bit brutal (especially if it's a connector with plastic parts), but better than lifting pads.  I did at one point successfully remove (hot air) and replace (drag soldering) one of the memory chips on an old graphics card to see if I could.

My main complaint is that the hot air temperature is set by a couple of membrane switches, and they don't seem to be wearing very well (looks like the 825A+ uses tactiles instead, which is probably an improvment).  Barakta's main complaint is that the pump makes a horrible noise, especially at full blast (which is also used by the soldering iron smoke extraction), and worse if I've left things to rattle on top of the unit.


Re: SMD rework station
« Reply #2 on: 04 January, 2020, 08:41:37 am »
Yes, I've got an  Aoyou 852A+, the one with the raise / lower membrane switches, which don't seem to show signs of wear. The latest, the  Aoyou 852A++ with the white front seems to use actual buttons.

Mine is around 10 years old now, but the use is only occasional. It works fine, and it's the only way that I can rework ICs that have pads underneath. Sometimes it's only needed for a few seconds at a time, while larger items can need it to run for a few minutes. It's never needed any repairs or maintenance at all. It's also good for heatshrink, with the temperature set to about 200 deg C.

As Kim has found, it is noisy, and anything on top will rattle. It uses full power on the air pump when cooling down, and there is a bit of hum from it when in standby mode, but the power switch on the front turns it off completely.

There are now much cheaper hot air rework tools available. I've no experience of any other than the Aoyou 852A+.
Quote from: Kim
Paging Diver300.  Diver300 to the GSM Trimphone, please...

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: SMD rework station
« Reply #3 on: 04 January, 2020, 11:54:36 am »
I'll add that from limited experience, stations like these are much nicer to work with than the cheap hot air guns with the fan in the handpiece, especially when you're trying not to blow small passives off the board while you de-solder an IC.

(OTOH, one of those is probably a good choice for heatshrink, where you don't need the fine control, and it doesn't take up anywhere near as much room on the bench.  I encountered one of those at a hackspace which had been modified with a vertical stand and deflecting nozzle as a dedicated heat-shrink station, freeing both hands to manipulate the cable, which worked really well.)

Re: SMD rework station
« Reply #4 on: 05 January, 2020, 01:05:05 pm »
Thanks all. Looks like I should get one then :)
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.