Lifting traces with a Hakko

demogo

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OK, quick question for you Hakko owners.

I have an 808 that I've used once and it seemed to do a great job when I desoldered components on a chassis (when I had the right tip, that is).

Anyway, I was recently thinking about desoldering a Z80 socket and replacing it and I was warned by several people including an extremely experienced repair tech that it would be non-trivial and risk lifting traces and damaging the board. (The tech also warned that any trace of solder remaining in the holes would cause issues inserting the new socket).

I'm trying to reconcile this with people doing cap kits in 10 minutes using one of these and the tons of other Hakko owners that blaze through jobs with these things.

I have my 808 set to its lowest heat setting (if I recall correctly) but it's still a fair amount hotter than what I'd manually desolder at.

So what's the deal? Is it really that easy to lift traces with these or do other damage?
 
I desolder CPU sockets all the time no problem. I did turn my heat down a bit if I recall I did what the manual suggested but that was years ago and have not altered it since.

Certainly you can lift the pad if you keep it on too long or if you solder and desolder the same via too many times.. And sometimes the pads will lift too if there's nothing (traces) on the bottom. But it's pretty easy to solder it on if that happens, just place you solder iron directly on the new pin when re inserting give it 3-4 seconds then just push the solder down the hole to make sure the solder catepillars to the other side. (I use .20 mm solder)

If you don't get all the solder out just put a dab of solder on the hole and try again. I use my 808 constantly to remove chips and sockets it works great, like anything though practice on something.

It usually takes 3-5 seconds per hole to remove. From application to finish of the hole.
 
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Also I use the a007 nozzle which is a bit smaller than the default nozzle I think
 
Speaking of the 808.

I'm on my second 808, well one was the $88 knockoff that was availble here several years back.

The knockoff didnt last one hole before it fell apart, piece of crap.

My 2nd one, an actual 808, worked great when I first got it but now I'm lucky to get 3 or 4 holes cleared out before I have to clear the tip or clean/change the filter. Another pile of crap.

I'm going back to my soldapult. :) I dont care for these 808's.
 
No don't through the 808 out! Clean the valves on the motors try get clogged after a lot of use!
 
No don't through the 808 out! Clean the valves on the motors try get clogged after a lot of use!


The vacuum seems to be fine when I cover its input with my finger. I'll pull it apart and see if its clear.

I wasnt going to toss it, just not use it.
 
Interesting. Anyway if you want to sell it cheap let me know I would be willing to buy it as is and try to fix as is. As a Backup . I love mine
 
If your 808 is losing suction, you just need to give it a full cleaning, all the way back to the pump valves. There is an excellent page about it here:

http://stevekulpa.net/tools/hakko808-maint01.htm


The 808 is one of the best tools in the electronics trade, and if you can pick up an original, absolutely do so. I have used mine almost every day, for years. The only trick is keeping them clean, which you have to stay on top of.

Also, the knockoffs like the Ayoue are pieces of shit. The build quality is terrible, and the heaters burn out very easily. I've owned one. Don't waste your time or money on one.
 
The 808's are an invaluable tool, they just have to kept clean like everyone else has mentioned. I will gladly buy anyone's 808 which has "lost suction"!

Regarding the OP's question, for the Z80 socket, if you want to be extra careful you can apply a little flux to all the solder joints, then reflow them with fresh solder, then hit them with the 808. If the chip itself is dead and you don't care about it, you can also clip the legs on the parts side. This lets you pull each leg out one by one, making sure the hole is clear first. That can really help with stubborn pins (like power & ground in a 4 layer board), where trying to pry the IC off the top side with a screwdriver will almost certainly pull pads and traces.

Practice first on a junk board!
 
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Pulled the pump apart and it had some residue in there so I cleaned it out and it worked great again!

Turns out that I have the Hakko FR-300.
 
I have an FR300. it eventually wouldn't "click" the trigger anymore. after RTFM it turns out you have to open the yellow cover and unscrew all those black pieces apart. I soak them in isopropyl alcohol per the instructions, and I brush that plaque looking stuff off with a toothbrush later. don't chuck the alcohol out yet though, throw the little tube that holds the sucked solder in there too. cleans all the solder off the walls. that might aid in adding a little bit more life to the paper filters maybe.

I'm still on the stock tip. I can tell it enlarged a little bit, but you have to be really particular about tinning the tip, using the Hakko brass ball tip cleaner, using the cleaning tool for the tip, and periodically removing the tip base and using that screwdriver tool to clean out the heater cylinder.
 
Some boards just don't like being worked on. Typically temperature too high, dirty tips or clogged filters will cause this. Don't despair; anything can be fixed...

Kirk S.

P.S. I've seen the handheld devices and heard a lot of good things about them. I prefer to use the remote vacuum device like an Xytronic 968. All of them require the tips to be replaced because they build up solder that just doesn't want to be removed. I've found that the higher than normal temperatures cause the tips to become damaged and they don't hold a tin very well after a lot of usage.
 
This is how i desolder on any double sided pcb

Make sure all pins of part on stright as in none are bent over/twisted ect

Add new solder to the part you want to remove that just makes it 10X easier then trying to remove 20+ year old solder

Make sure the desoldering gun tip/barrel is clean and has good vacuum no clogs ect

Just take your time with each pin one by one.

When your finished you should be able to easy move the pins by hand with your finger nail if there not free go over that pin/pins again

9 out of 10 i can remove parts by just pressing on the pins and the part usually pops out from PCB

If you find its still no movement don't try and force it out with a screw driver ect as doing this will destroy tracks, pads ect on the top side of pcb

Try first on a scrap junk pcbs and once you get the hang of it a few times and feel happy doing it then work on something that you want to fix don't go straight into fixing a good pcb if you never used one before
 
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Some boards just don't like being worked on. Typically temperature too high, dirty tips or clogged filters will cause this. Don't despair; anything can be fixed...

Kirk S.

P.S. I've seen the handheld devices and heard a lot of good things about them. I prefer to use the remote vacuum device like an Xytronic 968. All of them require the tips to be replaced because they build up solder that just doesn't want to be removed. I've found that the higher than normal temperatures cause the tips to become damaged and they don't hold a tin very well after a lot of usage.

I've got the 968 and a Hakko Fr300. Don't even use the desolder ing iron on the 968 anymore. The Hakko is a much superior tool.
 
Is it expected that when I run into a leg that's bent at an angle in a hole (touching the side) that when I desolder it with the 808, it is more resistant to coming out than one that is straight and secured only by solder?
 
how many of us wiggle the legs with a small pair of needle nose pliers after you de solder them?
 
I always nudge the legs a little bit to pop them loose. If they resist I'll hit that joint with fresh solder and try again.

OK, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to do that or not. I've read that is a bad thing to do and it will cause damage and yet things sometimes don't seem to come out unless I do, even after I've added a little fresh solder.

But this is mostly an issue when the legs/pins are bent at an angle and contacting the side of the hole.
 
OK, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to do that or not. I've read that is a bad thing to do and it will cause damage and yet things sometimes don't seem to come out unless I do, even after I've added a little fresh solder.

But this is mostly an issue when the legs/pins are bent at an angle and contacting the side of the hole.

A little nudge is fine, you just don't want to force a leg. That is when you might cause damage, so touch up with fresh solder and try again.
 
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