Velleman VTDESOL3U Vacuum Desoldering Pump with Heater 30W

Excellent quality, but no cleaning rod to clean tip. No extra tips either, but still well worth the price. Way, way, way better than using desoldering braid (but you will still need braid in certain instances since this cannot go everywhere due to it size... also it gets 99% of solder but you may need to get that last bit with braid (true of any type of these desolderers, not just an issue with this particular product). This will lose its ability to suck solder if you do not clean it out periodically… This is very easy by taking a metal bar in hand when the plunger has already been released… And simply pulling… You may need a screwdriver to get under it if you don’t have small fingers. Then the entire yellow cylinder just popped out… Very easy to clean ... but the instructions for doing so are pretty much nonexistent on the package.TIP: If you’re right in the middle of a de-soldering job and you don’t have time to clean it out… You can usually regain the suction temporarily by simply compressing it and releasing the plunger several times while it’s UPSIDE DOWN… If you have big hands you can actually do this with one hand… You would only really want to do this if you are literally right in the middle of desoldering job and you just needed one more good suction to finish up… Otherwise you’d want to take the time to simply clean it out fully as mentioned above.Lastly, If after emptying it you still find that the suction is lacking you may want to get a thin metal rod (piece of a metal coat hanger would work) and insert it into the tip while it’s heated up and with the yellow cylinder removed… This will allow you to break any blockage. of course you have to be very careful because it’s going to be extremely hot… Most times if you just keep it clean, you shouldn’t have any problem with blockage in the main metal tube, but the above procedure works great if you ever do.

I was a bit nervous about buying this because of some bad reviews and I had low expectations because of the price. I am glad to say my doubts were unfounded. I do quite a bit of electronics repair at the circuit board component level. I have been using this for removing through-hole components for about 4 months now and I love this thing. It is saving me so much time.I used to spend a lot of time messing around with the old traditional style solder sucker and a soldering iron but that often didn't work well because the tip couldn't make a good seal without removing the soldering iron, but that allowed the solder to start cooling. Or I would use solder wick to remove solder from the pins and that could be an even worse hassle controlling the length of braid.I have only got a few minor gripes. There is no power switch so you have to unplug it to turn it off. There is also no temperature control. I measured the draw and it pulls about 22 Watts which is gets more than hot enough to melt solder, but in this design it still takes around 5 minutes to reach full temperature when starting out. I ended up pulling out one of my old soldering stations that uses a NEMA 5-15 outlet to connect the soldering iron to it. This gives me a stand to hold it without worrying the tip will melt something and also a rudimentary temperature control, really just a knob that varies the supply voltage.Another thing I have noticed is that if it is used, or left on for too long, part of the handle closer to the heating element gets very hot. Uncomfortably hot. I don't expect first rate thermal management at this price but it should not get hot enough to burn your hand. It hasn't actually burned me, it just gets too hot to hold comfortably. At this point I always turn it off to cool down. I will look into adding some thermal protection when I get time.The last thing about it that I would change, and probably the most irksome, is the two screws at the tip. Just like a soldering iron, you need to tin the tip with fresh solder then wipe it off to get a good transfer of heat. When I go to wipe the tip, those two screw heads snag in the loops of the brass wool tip cleaner I use. It would have been better to use grub screws for this application but, again, the price is low. I will probably replace the screws with grub screws eventually.This is one of those tools that, while maybe not life transforming, definitely makes me wish I had got one years ago. It is well worth the price. Despite the few faults I have found with it, this is a very useful tool and if something happens to this one I will buy another to replace it immediately. If you have to replace through hole components on PC boards, don't hesitate to buy this.

This is the best solder sucker I have had to date. Package arrived quickly. Well done.Update: I had to figure out how to clean it so I came back for another review. I read comments that said cleaning it was very hard and some said it comes apart and some said it does not. I opened a link from another reviewer for a Youtube video and the video was 25 seconds. Mine did come apart, it was VERY easy to do, very very easy to clean and easy to put back together. I did not use my solder sucker to death and until it was utterly plugged before I decided to clean it either. That may be why others had troubles. I decided to clean it at the first hint that it needed it.I have had NO low heating or voltage problems and in fact it heats up almost instantly. If I were to estimate the time I'd say 3 minutes max.I did get a stiff copper wire and gently turned it in the tip which was relatively clean. I also ran it from the backside where the pump fits and gently turned it. The solder had collected in dust and fine particles which I gently scraped with a flathead and it seemed to just fall to pieces with no effort. I wiped all parts with a part of a t-shirt and put it back together.To take it apart I put the tip on the table, put my thumb on the black part that kinda sticks out where the plunger stops when engaged (leave the plunger up and disengaged), I pushed down and pulled out and the entire plunger (the yellow part) popped out easily. To put it back I stuck it back in, pushed down and snapped it back into place. Easy. Or Youtube it.It took me just about 6 minutes to clean it and turn it back on. I have to end this review. It is waiting on me.

I have a suction pump for desoldering that I used with a soldering iron. This tool makes the job so much easier, I won't be using the old pump much anymore. Highly recommend.

J'ai utilisé ce fer à désouder pour enlever des gros condensateur électrolytique dans un "Switching regulator", j'ai du attendre plusieurs minutes avant qu'il soit assez chaud, pour fondre l'étain des deux cotés du circuit imprimé, Le fer collait sur le pc et ne parvenait pas à fondre l'étain. Sur les composants de taille moyenne il y aucun problème.

just replaced my friends sticks on his xbox controller in record time(for me), very pleased with my purchase. It's not the fanciest or most powerful, but for me it was perfect and a nice boost over the low tech solutions previously employed.

The product works fine for the designated wattage and the price range. It is good for de-soldering small points but insufficient heat for larger ones. A similar unit of 75 to 100 watts would be mire useful.

Key is to follow the instructions. Let it warm up - it says 5 minutes - and it works great. I had some teenagers I was teaching to solder and de-solder, and they were using it without problem.