Aoyue 968A+ Professional SMD Digital Hot Air Rework Station with a Soldering Iron and Vacuum Pickup

Let me just start by saying that I only have about 2 years of soldering experience and I'm certified in IPC-A-610, J-STD-001 W/Space, and IPC-7711/7721. The Aoyue Int968A+ is a fantastic device all around. It's cheap and arrived very quickly.Setting up the system took me about 30 minutes and there's nothing super complicated. The only piece that actually took a good bit of time was the soldering gun holder that attached to the sponge and soldering wire holderThe smoke absorber actually works for me which I thought was just a ridiculous add on but it gets rid of the smoke from the burnt flux no problem. I do all of my work from my home office and soldering smoke is very unpleasant and unwelcome for my wife so I do my best to open up a window or close the door and turn on the fan so it's not as bad but with the smoke absorber, that's not really an issue. It's loud as hell though but that doesn't bother me all that much.The soldering iron heats up very quickly. I do most of my soldering at 400 degrees celsius and it takes about 30-45 seconds from the time I turn it on to heat up to temperature. Soldering with it has been a very typical experience with nothing extraordinary happening. The tip seems to be going bad very quickly but that could be an issue of me not tinning it after every use so take that with a grain of salt. The hot air gun is the reason I bought this kit and it hasn't disappointed. It heats up very quickly and puts out a good amount of airflow. Definitely comparable to the Metcal I'm used to at work. It's very noisy though so it's not something you're going to want to use next to a nursery but it will absolutely get the job done.

I spent most of my electronics life being content with non-descript soldering irons and bulb-style desoldering guns. But on my last recapping project (a transmission densitometer for my darkroom), I pulled up too many traces from the circuit board and decided there had to be a better way. I was turned off by the price of professional soldering equipment, but then came across the Aoyue 8800 Desoldering Gun; and with it, the 968A+ soldering station.I bought both units. I haven't yet used the Desoldering Gun (but soon will), and the 968A+ I received this week and put it through its paces. What a revelation! While I've not yet attempted SMD soldering, the machine looks quite capable. But it is the soldering iron I'm raving about! It comes with ten different tips; in conical, beveled, and chiseled, and in differing sizes down to (I think) 0.5-mm. For the first time I was soldering with a precision instrument, having the perfect tip for the job, and being able to precisely set the tip's temperature so that I could obtain a great solder joint without risking overheating the board or component. I can only describe the experience in superlatives, such as being a master mechanic who now has a shop full of precision tools instead trying to drive a screw with a hammer. Or like the late Ansel Adams' description of the "fine print:" There is a sense of satisfaction and completeness looking at it, whereas with all other prints there is a nagging sense of lack. Using the 968A+'s soldering iron gave me a sense of completeness and satisfaction to my work I never had before.Aoyue makes 30 different tips that fits this machine. I'll definitely be purchasing those. They also sell replacement heating elements for both the hot air gun and the soldering iron. I'll be purchasing extra of those as well.Aoyue also makes "soldering tweezers" that fits this unit. While primarily for SMD work, because of my lack of experience I don't know how useful they would be, but I'll probably be purchasing them as well.Finally, my electronics-repair tools and 8800 Desoldering Gun come with carrying cases. The 968A+ does not. Therefore, I will be purchasing a sturdy camera case large enough to securely pack the entire system (including extra tips and the tweezers) so that nothing gets lost when it's not in use, as well as to conveniently take it to our amateur-radio club when we have "kit / antenna builds." I'm currently looking at the Xit XTHC60, which is appropriately sized to fit this soldering station. Xit XTHC60 Large Hard Photographic Equipment Case with Carrying Handle and Wheels (Black)In summary, I enthusiastically recommend the Aoyue 968A+. This is one of those tools where you wonder how you ever got along without it. My only regret is that I didn't purchase it sooner!

I also ordered this through SRA. Shipped immediately, packed securely. The station is simply fantastic value for the money. Clean construction, certainly well above the fitment and finish I'd expect at this price point. The tubing is all good quality and flexible (and was packed to avoid major crimping). The 10 soldering tips are cleanly finished and should last any hobbyist a long time.A few things to note that you might be wondering about if you've looked at reviews of this station elsewhere:- The soldering iron holder (not shown in the main picture) is designed to accommodate the vacuum tube, and has a side attachment for a solder spool (not seen in the pictures). It's sturdy and wide enough to not fall over even if bumped. Nice!- The air pump is reasonably quiet, and produces no rattles or mystery noises. Bonus: when turned off, the unit does the right thing and cranks up, blows cool air until the hot air gun down to a reasonable temp. (Oh - the temps all read in degrees C). Likewise, the display reads "hot" until the iron is cooled down when shut off. Nice!I had no problems pulling ICs, surface-mount resistors, or anything else from test boards. It's lightning quick to get up to temp (both sides, hot air and iron), too, just a few seconds. Mine came with an extra heating element, an extra filter, additional tubing, 5 different hot air tips, and the aforementioned solder tips.It's just a great deal!