Practising with a Desoldering Gun (Gaojie S-993A) - LFC 

German hint: Put some Steel wool in the transparent tube for faster cleaning. This stuff can also hold a lot more solder before you need to change it.

I have had a de-soldering gun for about 2 years and my unit is made by... Anesty Model ZD-915. I have found that instead of flowing more solder on the joint (which fills it up real fast) hold the gun tip on the solder joint a few seconds to let it start melting the solder Then hit the trigger. Works like a charm every-time. Also you only need to clean it when it gets about 1/2 way filled or if it slows down. Great videos I have learned so much from you its crazy.. Please keep it up.. Woody in the USA. By the way.. NEVER use flux.. it will smoke your brains out !!

When you press the trigger to suck out the solder, you should move the nozzle around and flex the pin to get all of the solder out of the hole.

"I should have bought one of these years ago" is exactly what I said to myself after I bought one. lol I bought the Duratool (Zhongdi) ZD-915 about 7 years ago, and it's been a game changer. It's one of those tools that doesn't get used all that often atm, but I used to do repairs of CRT/LCD/plasma TVs and game consoles, and it was a Godsend for that. (and of course, replacing LOTS of DC sockets on laptops. lol) A few tips: Yes, definitely add a bit of fresh solder to the joints first, and preferably a small dab of flux. Also, I would strongly recommend that you hold the board vertically, as this means the desolder gun doesn't need to work against gravity. (A cheap ESD mat helps a lot by stopping the board slipping when it's vertical.) And on multi-layer boards like that, it does usually need a bit longer than you think on the heat before you pull the trigger. So maybe 2-3 seconds. I've seen many people make the mistake of pulling the trigger way too early, and not giving it chance to melt the solder through to the top side of the board. I personally never got on with solder wick over the years. I rarely use it on through-hole stuff now, and only really use it for SMD stuff. Now matter how many decades I'd used it for, I still think it has a greater risk of ripping up traces or removing soldermask. I found that once I got used to the Duratool gun, it's a big help in preventing damage to the pads on the board. You shouldn't put any real pressure on the board while using it, btw. Just enough to keep the nozzle flat on the pad to keep a good air seal. The nozzle should be just large enough to around the pin. It is a bit awkward on the flat pins of those laptop connectors, but the nozzle should ideally sit flat on the pad/via. As others have mentioned, you get used to the knack of wiggling the nozzle about half a second after pulling the trigger. That helps to remove the solder around the pin, but also breaks the "sweat joints". Holding the board vertically helps with that, too, as it's awkward to do the truffle shuffle while the board is horizontal.

Obtain a foot-switch and (with your ability) wire it into the tool; no trigger-movement means better control of the tip placement. Get the de-soldering done and component free in one move if you can, to avoid thermal cycling. This will reduce the risk of damage to pads, vias and PTH's on multi-layer boards.

the trouble you had at the start was you weren't letting it sit on the joint long enough for it to fully melt the solder but when you started adding soldering it got easier, also get some extra tips of different sizes for different joints, it will make your life a whole lot easier

That plugs used in Australia..support from Australia, great tutorials mate, hat's off. 🤙

Hi mate, another great video there. If I may give a tip regarding the potential for blockages, it is to keep your finger on the "trigger" for a little longer, particularly while you take your gun away from the solder. I used to get blockages frequently until I did this.

England’s A/C plugs are so huge! But the removable fuse in them is brilliant!!

Always remember to use flux for soldering, and specially when desoldering with an heat gun. I bought one of these some time ago, unfortunately rubber vacuum seals failed shortly after. Couldn't find replacement parts, I had to ditch it.

I 've been wondering if I should buy one of those or not. This video and viewers' comment gave me clear image of what it can and can not. Those altogether this video is great one.

If you use the edge of a flat head screwdriver, you can pop the collected solder blob off the metal plate fairly easily. Also I think a different tip with a larger opening might help with certain legs of the power jack.

Hi, to be quite honest I'm very surprised you hadn't acquired one of these earlier. It's important to be able to change and replace the tips, filters, elements and tubes. Spare parts might be difficult to obtain for this unit I'm not familiar with it. Most of these de-soldering guns can take different size hole tips. Having said that, My Hakko 808 element just died and its now classed as obsolete. 😞 I found the Anesty ZD-915 looks like a candidate to replace it and I can apparently use the spare tips that I have for the 808 !! One tip for you, no pun intended, when de-soldering with these guns, yes apply fresh solder or flux and try to put the tip completely over the pin to touch the PCB, then with a light rotary motion melt all the solder before hitting the button to activate the suction. Clean the tip down into the capture chamber often, the capture chamber does not need to be cleaned every time you use it but the tip and down through the element does need regular cleaning. When finished leave some fresh solder on the tip then turn off to reduce tip erosion.

I have one of this desoldering gun about 8 years.I am very satisfied ! I change 3 time the internal power resistor because it will burn after some time of use. Take care one big red 230v capacitor when you open it and discharge it. Try to be faster with desoldering job and dont leave it above 450 C for a long time. You will find also spare nozlles with bigger holes and power resistors on ebay. I clean also after a year the flex ribbon valve inside the gun because it filled with burned flux and it stucked.

I still use solder sucker / desoldering pump but a higher quality one, mostly aluminum. It's much better than cheaper plastic ones and will last longer. Keeps the vacuum better and can be oiled easier. There's a trick to it though : cut a small length of high temperature silicone tube and insert it over the nozzle of the pump - this will allow you to place the tip of the pump directly over the soldering iron tip without melting plastic. So the technique is simple ... add a drop of flux to help heat transfer from soldering iron tip, heat the solder with iron tip that's placed at an angle at the solder joint, maybe add a bit of leaded solder if needed, bring over the pump tip and place it over lead and let it touch the iron tip (silicon tube over nozzle will prevent it from burning) and suck solder. Dump solder on the side, repeat if needed while wiggling the lead with the iron tip. The benefit of the desoldering gun is you can keep the tip directly perpendicular on the board and wiggle the tip / go around lead (to get the lead off the hole walls) and you can use only one hand - the desoldering pump has to be used while holding soldering tip at an angle (so a bit of space used, may be hard to reach some parts) so it needs two hands.

dude your plugs in the UK are MASSIVE in size.

Cool video man, But wiring a uk plug you should leave slack on the earth wire and live and natural roughly to the length needed no slack, so if the live or natural come out if the cable is pulled the slack on the earth wire keeps connected protecting the appliance ✌👍

I bought the S-998P model and it has 3 different size tips and the larger tip is great for removing DC jacks or other big through hole pins.

I used one of these to recap an old Pentium 3 board a few days ago. Actually have the one with two pumps. Very useful piece of equipment. Pro-Tip: That removable orange tube tends to crack after a while, so make sure you get a few replacements on Aliexpress :)

I just bought the Hakko desoldering gun. Cant wait to get it.

The way I’m used to desoldering is just using this weird plastic thing that you pull up a lever and you heat up the solder and you put the weird plastic thing and press a button which causes suction and launches the solder somewhere to another dimension

I think I have the same model. Bought it to help with swapping cherry MX switches out of my keyboard and made it a doddle compared to spending longer with a solder sucker or braid for cleanup. Have to love the death adaptors that always comes with these electronics though.

As someone who has been involved with repairing electronics for over forty years. Please allow me to give you a polite tip. The old methods are always the best. I use a solder sucker, or the solder copper tape you use.

2:05 that sir, is the plug in my country Argentina. Also used in Australia (with insulated pins) and China.

Great channel. You should be proud.

Best to use these at an angle, less likely to stuff up the tube, do not use flux it will gunk up the works. concur with the comment about moving the nozzle around , you want to hear the pin moving, it sounds horrible when it does but your not damaging anything.

That plug is for Australian 240 plugs we have the 3 with earth at the top

I've got one of those manual pumps with a heating element in it, they even sent a spare. It works quite well for under £5 with post about two years ago, I’ve no idea how much the are now. It’s really affective but it does take about five minutes to heat up. Then you have to leave it on the solder a few second and release the pump and Bob's your uncle. The best part is it took so long to come I’d forgotten I’d ordered it so it was a nice surprise. Why is it called Ali Express when things take so long to arrive?

I find it funny how you're worried about earthing, when where I live almost none of the wall plugs have the earth terminal connected to begin with :)))

i bought one of these desoldering guns a few years ago the chamber to catch the spent solder started cracking from the heat of the solder i suggest to line it with kapton film hope you get good use with your new tool

A few tips to help you get more out of the desoldering pump. Hold the tip against the solder for at least few seconds and then give it a gentle wiggle, if it doesn't move then the solder hasn't melted, you'll be able to feel when it has, and when the tip moves easily press the button, don't do it before. Give the trigger only a short pull, don't hold it, you're more likely to rip off solder pads if you hold, and that is the big downside of a pump, it's very easy to rip pads clean off the board, especially on older boards or on small data pins. In my experience the tips are not durable at all, they might last a few dozen hours at best so buy a few spares just in case, and for this reason I would avoid using the pump to add solder if you can help it, so prep with a soldering iron first. Be careful when pressing the button, sometimes the motor spinning up can cause the pump to jump and then smack down on the board, dual pump action desoldering pumps are less likely to do this, but it can still be an issue on these cheap units, and when they jump, it's impossible to control where it will land, sometimes to disastrous effect. Just like you would with soldering, use a touch of flux, it'll go a very long way to help you clear the solder out. I'd recommend not using it to clear the holes after removing a component, the holes are at their weakest when empty and this is when you're most likely to have pads ripped out, try to get as much solder out before removing the component, this is especially true on 2 layer or single layer boards where this tool is most useful, because there's usually nothing on the other side to anchor the pad, it can lift the pad really easily or worse. Finally, don't use these on really really old boards, such as on Commodore's, Atari's or old Apple computers, the boards on those things are exceptionally fragile to pads being ripped off due to the less robust manufacturing methods, and mechanical methods of solder removal are a sure bet to having the board destroyed or damaged.

I have the S-998P and my heater stopped working after 6 months. I had to replace the circuit board to fix it. After replacing the circuit board the temperature was not calibrated at all, so I had to reverse-engineer the circuit and figure out how to turn 2 of the 3 potentiometers to get the correct temperature again. I clean my gun after every use, as I fear clogging up the thin tube heading into the chamber. For me it is very easy to just knock the solder off the baffle there with a small screwdriver. Cleans very quickly that way.

Your videos are very informative. You had my upmost respect until I spotted you left your tea bag in your cup of tea!

There is optional you can buy tip with big hole diameter so you can put to big terminal lead,

Got a hakko one. I use the hot air to remove and just clean the holes with the desolder

Is that a tea bag left in your cuppa?...plus as it's only 130 watts shouldn't the plug fuse be a red 3 amp or black 5 amp instead of the brown 13 amp that's in it?

Have you tried using your beard for de soldering ?

Hello, did you ever consider the HAKKO. I am concerned about the fact that they are designed for 100Vish countries and have heard some bad things about our UK power supplies. What do you think?

Additional nozzle heads are sold 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm E-BAY. I ordered extra 2mm and modified it a bit larger.

Oh, you got an Aussie plug out of the box and its a copy of the Hakko 808. Also the dwell time on a grounding plane needs to be a little longer, adding fresh solder dose help, but you need to use the cleaning pin a lot. The plate in front of the filter, can easily pop off once it has cooled, at least with the knock off's I've seen.

for clearing holes, rather than planar wick i have a few clean wires that i dip in flux and pass trough after heating the hole with a conical tip. when the wire is trough i apply heat to the wire and it drags all the solder to itself. caution: the wire WILL heatbite you. :)

Hi tip when sucking up the solder wiggle the gun it will clear all the solder in one go best regards

It's pulling just over .5 of an amp with pump are you still using the 13 amp fuse that came with the plug I couldn't tell

Silicone grease can keep the solder from sticking and make clean up quicker. I also rolled a piece of receipt paper (heat transfer kind) inside the capsule to keep it from yellowing.

Nice vid, I bought one after damaging a board using wick and solder suckers. They are super useful; it is one of those things, that really makes you wonder: How did a live without it?

I have a Hakko hand unit like that, but to be honest I use my trusty green RS de-solder pump most of the time. I think you were a bit quick on the anchor points they take quite a bit of heat before they clear but even then you may still require hot air.

wow I wish my Hakko FR301 came with a stand like that. While your at it buy all the different tip sizes. It is so frustrating when you cant get a HDMI socket off because the big ground pins are usually square shaped and wont fit in the standard tip.

Go for high heat. I use 380c with my one. Otherwise it will clog up sometimes.

your first few attempts I think you should have has some flux and full heat. Also you didn't give the solder a change to melt before you used the vacuum. But great video, you did a nice job. I already have one on order.

I live in Singapore, this is very useful as we also use the uk plug. Great job

Afternoon thanks for the video, very interesting. One question the wattage meter you used to check the power consumption please could tell me the make and model as I have never been sure which one to get to check the power usage of of pc's in use where I am. cheers

I've also recently bought one of these (ZD-915) but looks identical. Have been using it very successfully to remove chips from retro computers without damaging them. The only design issue with these types of guns is that the heating element is only on the tip and not on the whole front end. The problem is if you do not clean the gun with the rod after 10 or so solder sucks, the solder will eventually get stuck inside where the heating element will not melt it. Its really a bugger to remove it then. Happened to me once before I knew about the design problem. If you find suction is getting worse and worse then this is your issue. Use the cleaning rods often and you won't have any issues.

I have an ancient laptop (a Compat SLT/286) that I need to replace the CMOS battery (Dallas clock chip) on. I've been wanting to get one of these desoldering guns to help remove the old chip so I could then solder on a socket and add a new clock chip.

I have a little ceramic tipped bulb solder sucker, not the best but it does the job with some patience. Was only a couple bucks too.

Nice device, but you could do a side-by-side comparison with mechanical soldering pump, not sure how effective it would be on SMD

Those structural parts on the plug don’t get removed even with a $800 station with $60tips the gun is to get circular pads with a pin in the middle

the guns are good and so are desoldering needles l find wick can sometimes remove traces or pads

Put a 3A fuse in it. That flex looks very thin.

Interesting, but, if I do not know how to wire a plug should I be messing about with 240V devices? Probably not.

A little Mineral oil at end of tube and for cheap filter you can replace very often, *20 to 30 minutes* , with HALF a cotton ball. *IMPORTANT TIP, KEEP IT CLEAN IT WILL LAST FOR YEARS. IF YOU DON'T DAMAGED IN A FEW DAYS.* At the end, it sounded plugged up. don't used metal cleaner / pipe rod thingy, unless needed. wears it out fast.

Hey bro please make sure you get a fume extractor for when you’re doing soldering/soldering those fume are really bad

The adapter’s earth pin was also insulated part way up indicating it is dangerous and not to the U.K. standard!!

Should have swapped the 13A fuse for a 3A one in that plug while you were there.

yes, you should give the joints time to heat up through and through!

Welcome to the club, that's game changer when you need to desolder. But it ain't the TS100, you need to give it more time to heat the solder point. BTW, I think the next thing you need to get is a fume extractor I heard that the fumes are kind of toxic.

By now you've probably figured out that you don't clean the metal part of the filter with a soldering iron. The solder comes right off with a pocket screwdriver. Same goes for the tube. And that metal thing pops out of the rubber seal on the Hakko 808 -- your clone looks identical. This tool will save you lots of time on TH power circuits. Great investment.

hello ... a query, with the svod 3 programmer you can program an emmc with cables as with the rt809h (cmd ckl d0)? ... or to make updates to 4k led tv the rt809h is better ... thank you very much

I think a 0.05s touch is already enough, you just need the pump to suck one time or two to get the solder off.

I Use all the tools for desoldering. Wick, Sucker, Hot Air and Desoldering Gun, all depends on what I'm desoldering

NorthridgeFix guy has nice one looks like it works great on his videos. Or NorCal715

I hope you put a 3amp fuse in it.

Mine got a spring in that tube. If you put a spring in, you can put halfway a penny that catches the solder. Much easier cleaning I reckon.

I got the 2 pump version The tigger failed after about 3 projects. Pumped stopped moving shortly after.

Death-dapter. Someone's been watching BigCliveDotCom

I've been eyeing one up for ages now. Every time I spend ages with a sucker and wick, cursing profanities and getting very annoyed!! I do have an alternative method for those with good eyesight and a steady hand. The high speed Dremel with micro drills is very effective at clearing the solder from holes but has obvious risks.

is this effective on SMD components? or even those IC chips?

i got a similar one .. i clean it every time i used it and are done with the job i was using it on

what an awesome tool, solder wick is sometimes such a pain to use.

Great video as always. I have the hakko equivalent. When I first learned computer repair the shop I was in used a desoldering gun and I don't think we even had whick lol. So I never really knew how to use whick and just used the gun. Fast forward like 15 years now I found hot air and am like why don't I just use that for everything?! But yea I like the hot air and gun to clean up approach. I've used hot air and solder braid more recently as I'm just trying different workflows but the hot air and gun work great. Also, get different size tips if you haven't already.

HELLO FROM CANADA ..LOVE THE VIDEOS ..QUESTION I BOUGHT A ANTEC 650 VP PLUS .80 PLUS POWER SUPPLY HAVE YOU HAD THESE ARE THEY AS GOOD AS CORSAIR?

that TS100 (yay another TS100-ist!) tip looks like it needs some lovin. unless it's many years old i'm guessing you either use the wet sponge or don't reapply solder to it when you stop using it.

you will need a larger nozzle for that connector and probably a higher temp

the tip is to small for the legs of that power socket if it doesn't seal then it will just suck air ???? and to save your solder just use some flux and give the iron a few seconds to melt the solder before sucking

Dogs love the sound of that thing 😂

I've had the same ("how did I live without it!") reaction since buying my Duratool 80W Desoldering Station for £86 fom CPC Farnell a few months ago ( cpc.farnell.com/duratool/d00672/desoldering-station-uk-eu-plug/dp/SD01384 ). Mine came with three changeable 'tips' which have different size centre holes, spare filters and the cleaning rods. I have found the larger joints (like those on connectors etc) are best tackled with the medium size tip as it works best when the tip is flush with the board (creates a better vacuum). I tend to clean it out after 3 or 4 sessions of removing a couple of components. Hope you continue to enjoy using your new toy as much as I have mine.

2:05 That's an Australian plug.

put thin of thin film of heat compound on the back plate (stops the solder setting on the plate

Wonder about the RS Pro machine and whether it is as it looks exactly the same as the cheap ones but red. Pretty sure the Duratool one is shit from museum folk experience

have you ever tried quickchip or "low melt solder"? I use that and can replace a jack like that in about 2 mins with just an iron and no hot air.

Most parts are available from ZIYANG OL Store on Ali Express, I purchased one in December last year and found parts (apart from the 3 sized of tips) not available in a lot of sites...most parts are available but I've never seen the case advertised for sale anywhere,, I purchased a spare heating element and the waste solder casing also one of the rubber seals that gets hammered and may split, I like to have spare parts in stock because of the long postal wait from Asian suppliers, glad you like the gun, I the same as yourself I wished I had bbought one years ago ...lol..

im saving up too buy the Weller WDD 81V Soldering Station... maybe this will be a cheaper alternative...

Seems you got mine - thats where it got to - thats an aussie/nz plug :D

100w unit needs a 3 amp fuse at 13a you might as well kept old plug on with no fuse just a thought

It works much better if you wiggle the pin in a circular manner while sucking the solder.

That desolder should desolder without putting solder down - can the temperature of the gun go any higher

I named mine the 'Cow', because it sounded like the fisher price barn door toy. Mine was made by DIC a Braid-wick company if I recall right. $350 in 1995. New tips $90. Heating element $150.

@Adamant IT fill the glass tube with loose cotton, that way it'll catch the solder you draw through and you can just change the cotton when it needs cleaned out

how well does it do with silver solder?

That looked like a 13A fuse in there...shouldn't it be 3A ?

I'm sure you didn't re-tighten the neutral connection in the plug...