I finally tried a proper hot air station after years with a cheap heat gun

I used a $40 generic heat gun from the hardware store for surface mount work for ages, but it was a mess. Last month I got a Quick 861DW station, and the difference in control is NIGHT AND DAY. The digital temp readout and steady airflow let me pull a BGA chip from an Xbox One board in under 90 seconds without damaging the pads. Who else has made a switch that felt like going from a hammer to a scalpel?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade471mo agoMost Upvoted

I mean, olivia_lewis9 has a point, but that extra control saves so many boards from getting cooked.

olivia_lewis91mo ago

Honestly seems like overkill for most hobbyist stuff. That cheap heat gun got the job done for years, right? Spending hundreds on a fancy station only makes sense if you're doing this all day for work. Most people just need to fix a few things here and there. The extra control is nice but not worth the price tag for casual use.