Best desoldering station

Choosing a desoldering station 2021

The 4 models that I’ve looked at here for the best desoldering station are all available from Amazon Prime. If you are an Amazon Prime customer you can get you item delivered next day without any extra cost. There is also no problem if you get a faulty device and need to send it back.

The same can’t be said for some other online suppliers. I prefer this extra trust when I’m buying online so unless I can get items a lot cheaper I stick to Amazon Prime.

What is a desoldering station?

A desoldering station is a device for removing molten solder from soldered joints, mainly used for printed circuit boards but it will also remove solder from joints on other things like soldered terminals.

If you’ve soldered something in wrong or you need to replace a faulty component you’ll need to desolder it and a desoldering station is the best device for the job. Especially if you have a lot of desoldering to do. For smaller jobs a solder sucker may suffice and I have an article on them here if you want more information about them.

How does a desoldering station work?

There are a couple of different types of devices known as desoldering stations and they work in different ways. The first one I’ll explain is the type that’s been around for quite a few years. I’ll refer to that as the traditional type of desoldering station.

Traditional desoldering station

A traditional type of desoldering station works by having a body similar in some ways to a soldering iron in that it gets hot enough to melt solder but differs in that the tip is hollow with a hole running through the centre of it. This connects to an electrical pump of some kind which generates suction so the molten solder gets sucked up.

The suction is usually provided when you pull a trigger or press a button. This is continuous as long as you pull the trigger as opposed to a solder sucker which just generates a single sucking action when pressed. It’s a one off and if you haven’t got it in exactly the right place it doesn’t suck anything up.

That’s what’s good about a desolder station you can move the hollow tip around and actuate the continuous suction to remove the solder. It’s a lot easier especially if you have a lot of desoldering to do.

Rework soldering / desoldering station.

These devices are also known as desoldering stations because you can use them to desolder as well as solder. They achieve this in quite a different way to the traditional desoldering station in that they are basically a hot air gun, in fact it’s very hot air.

The hot air does the soldering instead of the tip of a hot soldering iron and you use solder paste instead of the traditional wire form solder. The solder paste is in a thick liquid which solidifies like solder when heat is applied. A rework soldering / desoldering station will provide a narrow jet of very hot air to do this.

As this jet of hot air heats an area up to soldering temperature it heats all the joints up in the area so you can use it to melt all the joints on a soldered device and then remove it with fine long nose pliers or tweezers while the solder is still molten. This is how you can desolder components with a rework station. They are especially useful for surface mount components.

Advantages of a desoldering station

One of the biggest advantages of a desoldering station is you are less likely to damage components or printed circuit boards because of overheating. With a solder sucker or desolder braid you have to use a soldering iron in conjunction with the sucker or braid. As you’re trying to do two things at once it’s easy to apply the iron for too long in your endeavour to desolder. With a desoldering station you only have to concentrate on the one thing at a time.

Hakko FR301-22 Vacuum Desoldering Tool Portable with Carry Case 230V & BS Plug

The Hakko FR301-22 vacuum desoldering tool falls into the traditional desolder station camp as it uses suction as its method of removing solder. If you know anything about soldering and desoldering you will more than likely have heard of the name Hakko. There are very well respected when it comes to soldering or desoldering and you can be sure that you will be getting quality when you buy anything from them.

The suction is excellent although it’s also quite loud. It’s a compromise I’m fine with as I’d sooner have a loud pump than a quiet suction pump that didn’t suck as well. You only use it momentarily so it doesn’t run continuously.

Hakko and clogging

It doesn’t clog too much. It’s not impossible to clog (read my tip about minimising clogging) but it’s not as much as a problem as it was. A few years ago while I was working as a technician I used an expensive Weller desolder station and while it was good at removing molten solder it did get clogged a lot. The Hakko reduces clogging due to an improved heating core.

The Hakko also comes with lots of accessories. There’s nothing worse than getting a piece of kit only to find you have to go and buy lots of things to use it. You also get a carry case for everything to fit tidily away in when it’s not in use.

There are also plenty of different desoldering tips available for whatever you need to desolder.

Hakko are a well respected manufacturer of quality products.
Excellent suction power.
Improved heating core to reduce clogging.
Easy to change temperature from 350C to 500C.
Comes with the accessories you need in a carry case.
Uses N61 nozzles, 16 different types available, long, small, large, oval and others. Hard to imagine a job where you can’t find what you need.

Expensive for a hobbyist.

KATSU Tools 140W Desoldering Rework Station

This is another of the traditional suction type of desolder stations. For some reason the title mentions rework, however this is not a rework station. One of the first things you notice on the Katsu station is the digital display. Although not essential it shows you the temperature which goes from 160C to 480C.

You set the temperature which shows at the bottom of the display with the actual temperature shown above. The display also shows “WAIT” until the actual temperature gets near to the set one.

It has a nice pistol grip and fits well in the hand with your finger over the trigger. The vacuum pump is pretty quiet. Without directly comparing the two I’d say it was quieter than the Hakko.

The Katsu looks the same as the common ZD‑8915 desolder station and although I haven’t tried them I’m pretty sure the parts and accessories are interchangeable.

Katsu rework station accessories

While on the subject of accessories you get 1.0mm, 1.2mm and 1.5mm tips with the Katsu, along with filters and cleaning tools and a decent stand.

Good value for money, a lot cheaper than a Hakko.
Different size tips included.
Digital display of “actual” and “set” temperature.
Good range of accessories.

Performance is not as good as the Hakko FR 301.

KATSU 2 in 1 Electric Digital Display Heating Gun Soldering Iron Station

This is a combination unit of a soldering iron and heat gun so it de-solders by applying heat by blowing hot air out to melt all the solder of the device you want to remove. The combination of a soldering iron makes this a useful addition if you don’t have a lot of bench space.

The KATSU 2 in 1 Electric Digital Display Heating Gun Soldering Iron Station has the soldering iron plug into the left socket while the heat gun plugs in to the right socket. Both have power switches which is great, you don’t have to have the soldering iron turned on if you’re not using it, brilliantly simple but not everyone does it!

I also like the fact that it has a silicon lead on it as opposed to the nylon one that most manufacturers use. Silicon is far more flexible and gives you much better handling. Once you’ve used a soldering tool with a silicon lead you don’t like the stiff nylon ones any more.

Along with the separate power switches, each section has its own temperature control. It’s simple to alter and heats up quickly with the blower control in the centre and you get a selection of tips for the blower, directing the heat specifically for different jobs.

Katsu helpful tip

One tip if you get the KATSU 2 in 1 Electric Digital Display Heating Gun Soldering Iron Station, don’t bother with the sponge. Get one of the brass tip cleaners. They are far better than messing around with damp sponges.

Combined soldering and rework station if bench space is tight.
Each section is self contained with individual power and temperature settings.
Super flexible silicon lead.
A useful selection of tips for the heat gun.
At the price, it feels like you get a lot for what you pay.

Manufactured in China so quality may be an issue.

Desoldering Station Hot Air Gun Station Tools Yihua 959D

This is another rework station that desolders by heating all the solder pads on a device at the same time while you remove it with tweezers once the solder starts to melt.

This is about as simple as it gets when it comes to a rework / desoldering station. The Yihua 959D is compact and nicely put together. I personally like the recessed hex machine screws, it looks a quality product and there’s a nice solidity to it. If you just want to try out hot air reworking for the first time it’s the perfect introduction machine.

You can program and store three temperature settings which are displayed on the front panel, along with the lead and power switch. The air gun sits on the side of the machine and you get three different nozzles.

If you want to get more they are the “standard” 22mm type of which there are plenty available.

Very simple to use.
Three temperature presets that are easy to store and access.
Very inexpensive.
You can be set up and reworking within minutes of unpacking.

Only three nozzles included, yes I’m struggling to find anything to criticise when I think of the price!

Desolder station tip

Make sure it only sucks up solder

If you desolder components by cutting the leads off to leave the leg to be desoldered be careful that the leg doesn’t get sucked up into the desolder station as a build-up of them can cause your desolder station too get a serious blockage. They are also a lot harder to unblock than a solder sucker as the hollow tube runs through the centre of the desoldering body and it’s not easy to get into.

Desoldering methods

How you go about a specific desoldering job depends on what you’re desoldering. Also if you want to save the component you’re removing. If it’s an expensive component that you want to re-use or if you want to take it out so you can test it makes a difference as if it faulty or damaged you can just cut its legs off with your cutters from the component side. It makes desoldering it a lot easier if you only have to do one leg at a time. You can desolder it and then see if its loose.

If you are new to desoldering I have an article for beginners here.

If you’ve got something like an integrated circuit with lots of legs you can desolder them all and find that the component still won’t budge because one or more of the legs is still attached by a small sliver of solder.

This is where the rework soldering / desoldering station has an advantage as it heats up all the solder in an area.

Desoldering on double sided printed circuit boards

It’s even harder to desolder from double sided plated through hole boards because the holes have copper all around the inside of the hole right through the depth of the board and it only takes a small bit of solder inside the hole to keep the component leg soldered. Also you won’t be able to see it as it’s inside the component hole.

If the component is faulty and you cut it away leaving just separate legs to desolder. Be careful that you don’t suck them up into your desoldering station as this is a sure fire way to clog it up.

Single sided boards are easier to desolder as the holes the components go through only attach to the component pad on the track side of the board and not all the way through as they do on a double sided plated through hole. They are also easier to damage as the pads are only attached to one side and too much heat can cause them to lift. This is not what you want to happen as they can be a right pain to try to repair and sometimes the pad breaks from the track as well

Sometimes even a desoldering station will struggle to remove all the solder from a double sided plated through component hole. It sounds counterproductive but try resoldering the joint and then try to desolder it again. Sometime putting more fresh solder on helps get rid of the old as well.

If there’s too small an amount left it’s hard to get enough suction. You may be better off using desolder braid. It acts like a sponge in the way it soaks solder up. It is one of the best techniques for removing small amounts of solder.

Final thoughts and summing up.

If you are serious about desoldering or have a lot to do the best tool is a desolder station. They are specifically designed to desolder but they are quite expensive if electronics is just a hobby for you. If you can afford one though they are the best thing for desoldering.

There’s no easy answer as to what’s the best desoldering station. If you look at suction desoldering stations the Hakko is a better performing station than the Katsu. It also feels better quality but it’s also far more expensive. The Katsu is a good choice for many people who want a better and easier way to desolder than a simple solder sucker tool but if you can afford it the Hakko FR301-22 is a better tool.

The rework stations are a lot cheaper than the two suction types and obviously do a different job. If I had to choose and money wasn’t an option I’d go for the Hakko FR301-22 as I find the suction desoldering stations to be more useful, however I would also get the Katsu 2 in 1 for the times you need to work with SMD devices and at the price you can’t argue. With both of those machines you’re going to be able to do almost everything.

You get what you pay for however there is one exception. That is a solder sucker that is by far the best desoldering tool I have found for the price. Its performance is the closest thing to rival the performance of a desoldering station, you can read how good it is here.

​Best desoldering station