[Lee] has a Hakko FR301 desoldering gun and a Duratool knockoff. He freely admits that the Hakko is probably better, but he wonders if it’s good enough to justify being four times as expensive. He shows both of them off in a recent video that you can see below.

Often, desoldering doesn’t get as much attention as soldering, but for repairs or if you make mistakes — and who doesn’t — it is an essential skill. Many of the differences will be either good or bad, depending on your personal preference. For example, the Hakko is an all-in-one unit, so it doesn’t have a bulky box to sit on your bench. However, that also means the Hakko is larger and heavier. It also lacks controls and indicators the other unit has on the base station box.

What doesn’t come down to personal preference, though, is usability. The Hakko seems much easier to clean and if you’ve ever used a gun like this, you know how often you do have to clean it. If you ever forget to ream the nozzle out regularly during use, you probably won’t forget a second time because unclogging any of these guns can be a nightmare. We like to use a long, stiff wire to push through the barrel frequently when using a tool like this to prevent having to clear it like [Lee] did at the eleven-minute mark.

[Lee] mentions that the Hakko also has more suction and sustains it better. That seems like a clear win. We’ve had expensive guns and cheap ones, and if they don’t suck well or long, you are as well off with a spring-loaded solder puller. In fact, for our money, buying a high-quality hand unit is probably a better deal for most people. It is hard for the pumps to equal the amount of pull you get from a spring.

Nozzle changing is another area where the Hakko shines. Our impression is that the Hakko is clearly better when it comes to creature comforts. However, the real question is how they desolder. The end of the video shows a face-off, and while the Hakko does seem superior, the cheap gun certainly got the job done. [Lee] mentions it may come down to volume. If you desolder constantly, you will likely be happier with the Hakko. However, the cheap gun would be fine for occasional use. Or save your money and invest in a good spring-loaded sucker.

Of course, everyone has their own favorites. We’ve seen custom soldering iron tips that heat whole areas efficiently if you don’t want to use something like Chip Quik. We are always surprised we don’t see more desoldering needles. Meanwhile, if you want to examine all your options, ask [Bil Herd] how he does it.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/43h54-Pb-8M?feature=oembed