Hakko FR-301 - Portable Desoldering Tool

This is probably the best made hand held powered vacuum desoldering device on the market today. At a setting of around 700F (371C) it is more than capable of removing the most stubborn components. Tip change is easy (even hot!) and the unit will extract a lot of components before you need to empty the collector. The unit has a really nice latch system on the solder collector that locks the spring in place so that removal and replacement of the collector is easy. When you replace it you simply push a button to lock the collector in place. I do wish at this price they would include the 0.8, 1.5 and 2mm tips though. I removed over 200 parts of all types off of two quality FR-4 PCB's and it worked without a hitch and without any lifted pads. Now for my gripes: The case is cheap blow molded plastic (the kind of thing you see at Harbor Freight on cheap tool kits) with plastic hinges. This is not the sort of thing that I would expect from a professional tool. Also there is no extra storage room for things that you might need in the field. I better solution would be a case with real latches and a HDPE foam insert that could easilly be modified as needed. In addition the iron stand is a joke. It looks like something that a 5 year old would design. The stand for this device should be stable and fully support the unit sitting on a bench. My Solderwerks BK-3090 (I bought from Circuit Specialists, around 2 years ago and no parts are available WTF? hence the Hakko FR-301 purchase) had a much better case and a far superior iron holder. The sad thing is Hakko does not offer anything better as a bench holder for the FR-301. I have ordered a couple of different 3rd party ones to try but I may just continue to use the Solderwerks holder. I wish I could buy another one of those. Solderwerks tool was junk but at least the stand and case were good. I may have to fabricate or modify my own. As for the case I may just reuse the Solderwerks one. As an engineer Hakko should be ashamed to offer such a great tool with these glaring faults.

I rarely am moved to write a review, but I am so thrilled with this product. I recently got into restoring vintage audio equipment. I started off using the manual copper wick or "solder sucker" tools, which were fine for one or two components, but are just punishing to use when trying to desolder 30 or more components in a single unit. Based on the good reviews, I sprang for the Hakko and I'm so glad I did. It's easy to use, easy to clean, basically foolproof. It's a HUGE time saver and gives a much better result than the manual methods I mentioned.The included tip has been fine for almost all of the normal capacitors, transistors, etc. that I need to remove, but sometimes thicker pins (like jumper pins) won't fit in the tip. The accessory tips are stupidly expensive, so I haven't bought those, instead using the tip I have to sort of melt and vacuum around the solder joint rather than on top of it. It still works to get about 90% of the solder cleaned up, and the wick or manual pump in conjunction with a soldering iron can take care of the rest.My only gripe is that the metal stand is a bit chintzy and the natural coil tension of its thick power cord can sort of push it around quite easily.Not a product complaint, but a safety tip: it's easy to forget that this thing is on. A couple times I have carelessly allowed a cord to drape across the tip only to watch the smoke rise as the insulation on it melts.

The Hakko FR301-03/P is amazing and de-solders small and large through-hole and even small surface mount components quickly and easily, without damage to either the PWB or components. Very strong suction, adjustable/controlled tip temperature, easy to learn to use, easy to clean, easy to change tips. Readily available tips and filters. High quality and comes with a nice case with cleaning tools, spare parts (and a really inadequate stamped stainless steel holder). Note that the OPTIONAL Hakko C1100 soldering iron holder fits this tool perfectly and keeps it stable when not in use - it really should be supplied as "standard" with the FR301-03/P.I bought the Hakko FR301-03/P and tested it against my older, industrial de-soldering tool that has a separate power supply/vacuum source & lines to the de-soldering head (which is large and whose handle gets pretty hot). The all-in-one Hakko FR301-03/P is more agile, the handle stays cool and hence its much easier/quicker to use. It's a Ferrari in comparison and has replaced the older machine completely.Worth every penny.

One of the best tools you can have at your workstation. saves a lot of labor and hassle with components on ground planes. The variety of tips is also worth the investment if you do a lot of desoldering. Don't waste money on cheap suction pens.