How can I get hold of a Radio shack desoldering iron?

[berserkfan]

I'm looking for stuff like this Radio shack iron. Fohat recommended it and lots of people online say it's good for 2x PCBs, but it's out of stock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-5-Desoldering-Irons-Four-are-RadioShack-45-W-One-is-60-W-All-heat-up-/161673234161?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25a479c6f1

I want to buy new. Not confident about these irons in the ebay ad.

my goals are to get hold of some desoldering irons suitable for taking on double sided PCBs as painlessly as possible.

I anticipate that my future desoldering needs for double sided PCBs are maybe 400 led joints and 600 regular joints. This works out to 2-3 keyboards. Not worth spending hundreds of dollars to get a Hakko desoldering gun.

Any advice is very welcome. I have no idea what the keywords are on Taobao.

[frosty]

Have you checked Sim Lim Tower (not Sim Lim Square) Basement 1? There are a lot of shops there selling all kinds of soldering related products, got my Hakko Iron and Desoldering Pump from there too.

[berserkfan]

Ah frosty, but I want something like the Radio shack iron-cum-pump.

Those in Sim Lim Tower may sell desoldering irons, or pumps, that operate separately. There are Hakko models that work together (the desoldering gun I mentioned) but these are super expensive and also very heavy and clumsy.

i am also willing to buy from Taobao but I don't know what to search for. Remember, it has to be something like the Radio shack design.

[tjcaustin]

I wouldn't waste the time or money on that ****.  Took me 3 hours and burned 4 switches worth of pads when I used one on a poker (so a 10th the switches and none of the LEDs).  Get a tuned soldapult if you don't have one, find a friend with an 808 or buy one used.

EDIT: Honestly, considering how little I've used mine lately, if you paid shipping, I wouldn't mind loaning you mine (you're on 110v, right?) on a no timeframe basis. 

[vivalarevolución]

I wouldn't waste the time or money on that ****.  Took me 3 hours and burned 4 switches worth of pads when I used one on a poker (so a 10th the switches and none of the LEDs).  Get a tuned soldapult if you don't have one, find a friend with an 808 or buy one used.

EDIT: Honestly, considering how little I've used mine lately, if you paid shipping, I wouldn't mind loaning you mine (you're on 110v, right?) on a no timeframe basis.

What he said.  Wouldn't even bother.  Spend a little more cash and get something that will work better.

[jdcarpe]

Yeah, I started with that bulb desoldering tool from Radio Shack, and I got to where I could use it, but be prepared to replace tips often. I'm talking every 200 joints or so. They are made of a soft metal, and they wear through the side. Not recommended.

I would recommend an Edsyn Soldapullt and your normal iron. That's what I use when I don't want to fire up the Hakko 808. Just don't buy a knockoff Soldapullt. Get a real one direct from Edsyn, or you can buy them through the geekhackers.org storefront.

[berserkfan]

I wouldn't waste the time or money on that ****.  Took me 3 hours and burned 4 switches worth of pads when I used one on a poker (so a 10th the switches and none of the LEDs).  Get a tuned soldapult if you don't have one, find a friend with an 808 or buy one used.

EDIT: Honestly, considering how little I've used mine lately, if you paid shipping, I wouldn't mind loaning you mine (you're on 110v, right?) on a no timeframe basis.

More amazing geekhack generosity! Thanks, but I'm in another country and on 220v. But your feedback is important. As you are an active and experienced modder, if you can screw up a board on these irons it's a big warning for me!

[berserkfan]

Yeah, I started with that bulb desoldering tool from Radio Shack, and I got to where I could use it, but be prepared to replace tips often. I'm talking every 200 joints or so. They are made of a soft metal, and they wear through the side. Not recommended.

I would recommend an Edsyn Soldapullt and your normal iron. That's what I use when I don't want to fire up the Hakko 808. Just don't buy a knockoff Soldapullt. Get a real one direct from Edsyn, or you can buy them through the geekhackers.org storefront.

JD, I have many small, cheap soldapullts here easily available. I suspect that in the long run I am spending 2x or more because these soldapullts die after every few hundred joints.

mY questions are:

1) how long does the edsyn last?
2) is it really that easy to use? I am able to operate these small solder pullers with one hand, but the esyn looks like it's big, clumsy and hard to hold and reload with one hand while my other hand is holding the soldering iron.
3) is it really better at desoldering 2x PCBs, leds, and all those normally hard to desolder things in the mechanical keyboard world?

[jacobolus]

1) how long does the edsyn last?

If you clean it regularly, it should last pretty much forever (or at least several years and many hundreds of keyboards of desoldering). After several dozen keyboards, the rubber o-ring seal might wearing out a bit, but you could replace it easily. Also, you can replace the tip if it starts getting melted out of shape.

If you want to get fancier, you can get mkawa’s version that has krytox lube on the inside of the barrel, and a much fancier material and trickier shape on the seal. See his video https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=57083.0

Just the standard version works great though, as long as you clean it out from time to time.

is it really better at desoldering 2x PCBs, leds, and all those normally hard to desolder things in the mechanical keyboard world?

All of these are easy to desolder with a Soldapullt, in my experience.

[jdcarpe]

Oops, sorry. Forgot to reply, but jacobolus gave the answers I would have, anyway.

[HTN47]

I feel as though it is easier to desolder using the radioshack desoldering iron because it helps to have an iron and a solder sucker built into 1. Using the soldapult is kinda difficult to do with 1 hand, and the radioshack desoldering iron is very fast compared to the regular soldapult, as long as the soldering joint has plenty of solder (the radioshack desoldering iron has a big opening thus if the soldering joint is small, you will not be coming into contact with the entire joint). This is just my personal opinion, and I'm just a newbie starting out so... take it with a grain of salt 
Hope this helps 

[fohat.digs]

it is easier to desolder using the radioshack desoldering iron because it helps to have an iron and a solder sucker built into it

For a cheap piece of equipment, it works pretty well. My soldering gear is rubbish and that is being kindly.

I experienced the hole melting through the side of the tip as jdcarpenter described after about 4-5 standard keyboards and took it back to the store. They gladly replaced the tip but said that they had never seen it happen before.

Now I plan to go to the store and buy some spare tips (@$2-3 each) before "The Shack" evaporates.

[HTN47]

it is easier to desolder using the radioshack desoldering iron because it helps to have an iron and a solder sucker built into it

For a cheap piece of equipment, it works pretty well. My soldering gear is rubbish and that is being kindly.

I experienced the hole melting through the side of the tip as jdcarpenter described after about 4-5 standard keyboards and took it back to the store. They gladly replaced the tip but said that they had never seen it happen before.

Now I plan to go to the store and buy some spare tips (@$2-3 each) before "The Shack" evaporates.

I have yet to experience this problem but I also think that for the price, it's well worth it.
Back to the OP, I think there is an upgraded version of this same desoldering iron with better construction for $24.