At 02:45 AM 6/21/2010, alan.b.pearce@stfc.ac.uk wrote: > > > > But the Weller de-soldering irons work REALLY well. Most of that is > > because of the excellent vacuum generated by the Thomas pump and the > > solenoid valve in the station body. > >The biggest problem with the Weller units is they must be kept clean. >Allowing the solder to build up in the head unit is fatal, and the >operator must be able to regularly dismantle and clean it. When this is >done they work extremely well. Yeah - I guess . . . The reason for my reticence is that I've found that ALL of the de-soldering systems that I've used must be kept clean for them to work well. This is not limited to just the Weller stations. But I'm glad that you bring this up - its really important! A dirty / clogged de-soldering head or filter isn't going to work well at all. I keep pounding that into the guys / gals at our shop and they mostly 'get it' by now. Mostly . The station at my bench (Weller de-soldering, Metcal soldering) ALWAYS works well. Part of that is because I'm careful to keep it clean. dwayne -- Dwayne Reid Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax www.trinity-electronics.com Custom Electronics Design and Manufacturing -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist