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Hakko FR-301 Desoldering Gun review

AlxUnderBase said:
I used ZD-915 , but i purchased FR-301 from Japan to have a alternative desoldering tool ! Anyway , i also use mechanical like what is in picture with good results :happy:
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Soldapullt works pretty well, but definitely require a lot more finesse and patience. Hakko guns are for people who want to get in and out of there, fast, with very little fuss. I know some people who are so fast with Soldapullt that they make it look like they're using a mechanical gun.
 
I haven't had my 301 very long, so far used it to recap a couple chassis and a Windy power supply, and I'm a fan. Haven't had any clogging issues, works great, makes things so much easier.
 
My 808 is still kicking beyond a decade. Done tons of work with it. It rarely clogs. I desolder pcbs vertically in most situations. It's cleaned using the rod after every use with the tip pointed vertically. It has saved me hundreds upon hundreds of hours in repair.
 
ReplicaX said:
My 808 is still kicking beyond a decade. Done tons of work with it. It rarely clogs. I desolder pcbs vertically in most situations. It's cleaned using the rod after every use with the tip pointed vertically. It has saved me hundreds upon hundreds of hours in repair.
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Is quite known 808 is the far the best one , but are not on the market easly since is discontinued product , but yes , one of the best desoldering tool ever this model !
 
Aurich said:
I haven't had my 301 very long, so far used it to recap a couple chassis and a Windy power supply, and I'm a fan. Haven't had any clogging issues, works great, makes things so much easier.
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Did you happen to make a list of caps for the Windy power supply? I need to do mine soon.
Cheers 🍻
 
Another happy 301 owner here (not sure how long, but probably 3+ years). The manual definitely specifies how to use the tool to avoid clogs. I've never had a clog due to normal use. The only time I got a clog was when I _wasn't_ following the operating procedure AND I accidentally sucked up a ~2mm length of capacitor lead and it clogged the nozzle tip.

As others have said, never operate the desoldering pump in the vertical orientation as you'll be fighting against gravity. As someone else said, use the tip cleaning wire frequently (every ~10 pumps) and remove the whole nozzle to use the shaft cleaning wire every ~30-40 pulls and ALWAYS before you turn the iron off for storage. This is all spelled out in the manual, so sorry to say RFTM, but if you're constantly clogging, did you R the M?

I'd also recommend getting the following parts to have on hand:
  • B1303 Cleaning Drill, 1.0mm - in case you do get a clog in your nozzle
  • N61-10 Desoldering Nozzle 1.6 mm - useful for larger leads, like what you might find on caps in power supplies and CRT chassis
  • B1089 Cleaning Pin 1.6mm - for cleaning the above nozzle
  • 633-01 Iron Holder with 599B Tip Cleaner - a more sturdy stand than the tiny sheet metal stand it's bundled with
If you're thinking about getting an FR-301, my recommendation is to look into eBay discounts. When I bought mine, eBay was in the habit of offering 10% and 20% Off coupon codes. I was able to use one of those codes through the eBay storefront of Tequipment, a licensed Hakko distributor. This is a good way to save some $$ on Hakko products (which generally don't go on sale from what I've been able to determine). I'm not too sure if eBay is still handing out coupons like this regularly but if you're not in a rush it might not be a bad idea to wait a few weeks to see if any discounts come up.
 
ReplicaX said:
My 808 is still kicking beyond a decade. Done tons of work with it. It rarely clogs. I desolder pcbs vertically in most situations. It's cleaned using the rod after every use with the tip pointed vertically. It has saved me hundreds upon hundreds of hours in repair.
Click to expand...

I'm in the 808 camp too. I've had mine for ages also.
 
clam_wattson said:
I'd also recommend getting the following parts to have on hand:
  • B1303 Cleaning Drill, 1.0mm - in case you do get a clog in your nozzle
  • N61-10 Desoldering Nozzle 1.6 mm - useful for larger leads, like what you might find on caps in power supplies and CRT chassis
  • B1089 Cleaning Pin 1.6mm - for cleaning the above nozzle
  • 633-01 Iron Holder with 599B Tip Cleaner - a more sturdy stand than the tiny sheet metal stand it's bundled with
Click to expand...
I’d also suggest an N61-15 and/or N61-16 nozzle which are 3 x 1mm and 4 x 1mm respectively. Handy for the occasional solder tab.

I’ve got a Hakko shopping list that I’ve slowly been adding bits & pieces to, I’ll be adding some of these to the list.
 
I picked an 808 out of the garbage can (literally) at work and the cool thing is you can get all the service parts directly from Hakkko still. So after an order with them (for significantly less than the cost of a new unit) I have a completely rebuilt (new diaphrams in the pumps/check valves/filter) machine. Agree with the previous tips for usage: If possible orient the board vertically and also keep the trigger pulled for a short time after pulling off of the surface.

Also, I've had a couple really tough clogs (despite the above tips) and even the cleaning wire wouldn't go through. Hakko makes a small precision drill in a pin vise specifically for clearing these tough clogs (available in specific sizes for the tip in use, just like the cleaning wire). I was surprised how quickly and easily the drill clears the clog after trying to force the wire through unsuccessfully.
 
my only problem with FR-301 is probably a "me" thing but I always have a hard time desoldering the ground pin of this specific micro USB port: https://www.amphenol-cs.com/media/wysiwyg/files/drawing/musbk152xx.pdf

Not the ground tabs, which are a snap with N61-15, but the actual GND pin. I crank it up to ~450C and still have to repeat this process of reflow, suck, reflow, suck like 10 times before I can finally clear it. Other than that one pin on this one part it desolders everything I throw at it without any trouble and at much lower temps, including other GND pins on much larger boards. The board these USB ports are on is tiny in comparison to the PCBs in the arcade world, like maybe 12X6cm. Seriously feels cursed and I cringe when I know the port has to come out on the thing I'm working on.
 
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I have an FR-301 and I really like it for what it is when I first started using it, but I hate the fact that the pump/motor is in the unit itself, cause if you let that thing slip a little you can end up damaging your board.

At the recommendation of one of the pros here I ended up getting a cheap knockoff, the ZD-985, It does the job well and no more motor shaking the desolder gun apart. Hell I think the legit Hakko might even fit it :D

 
I love mine. It's absolutely essential to me. I don't know how I managed to do anything without one.

I dropped mine in 2018 and it landed on the tip. I had to epoxy the thing back together. The hexagonal plastic bit before the nozzle also shattered. Heat insulation flange, I think? Anyway, Hakko sent me a replacement for that, for free. That was pretty cool.

hakko_fr-300_epoxy_putty.jpg


Not long ago it started making an awful sound, so I pulled it apart and found that the valve plate is completely shot.

hakko_fr-300_valve_plate.jpg


Unlike before with the flange, it was now nice to see that spare parts are readily available and pretty decently priced too. If you're in Europe, Batterfly in Italy has almost everything available (although not necessarily in stock). A new valve plate was two euros.
 
nem said:
Unlike before with the flange, it was now nice to see that spare parts are readily available and pretty decently priced too. If you're in Europe, Batterfly in Italy has almost everything available (although not necessarily in stock). A new valve plate was two euros.
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Just want to chime in and state that I ordered my FR-301 from them, and it was delivered to my door in less than 24h after ordering (from Italy to Sweden). Very happy with that.
 
nem said:
I love mine. It's absolutely essential to me. I don't know how I managed to do anything without one.

I dropped mine in 2018 and it landed on the tip. I had to epoxy the thing back together. The hexagonal plastic bit before the nozzle also shattered. Heat insulation flange, I think? Anyway, Hakko sent me a replacement for that, for free. That was pretty cool.

hakko_fr-300_epoxy_putty.jpg


Not long ago it started making an awful sound, so I pulled it apart and found that the valve plate is completely shot.

hakko_fr-300_valve_plate.jpg


Unlike before with the flange, it was now nice to see that spare parts are readily available and pretty decently priced too. If you're in Europe, Batterfly in Italy has almost everything available (although not necessarily in stock). A new valve plate was two euros.
Click to expand...
same here, I bought my Hakko FR-301 from Batter fly in Italy: very friendly and super fast shipping.
 
sylphia said:
super fast shipping
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Yeah I mean, when I buy stuff online, getting it quickly is typically priority #1 and Batterfly was insane in that regard. Had it packed and shipped basically immediately, and arrived with DHL early the next day. Very happy to pay a bit extra for that.

So uh yeah, sub-review: batterfly.com are great. Will 100% buy from them next time I need gear
 
buffi said:
Yeah I mean, when I buy stuff online, getting it quickly is typically priority #1 and Batterfly was insane in that regard. Had it packed and shipped basically immediately, and arrived with DHL early the next day. Very happy to pay a bit extra for that.

So uh yeah, sub-review: batterfly.com are great. Will 100% buy from them next time I need gear
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Can say +1 to that, got my stuff from there as well.
 
I recently got an FR-301 after my third ZD-915 died and I decided it was time to upgrade

Took a while to get here with the current supply chain issues but I’ve had it about a month and from the first time I used it, wow

The ZD-915 did a great job for a long time but the FR-301 is a totally different beast. I’m glad I went for the upgrade
 
I have had FR-301 for 2 years now. Have desoldered already far beyond 1000 components with it. No flaws or complaints so far (and none spare parts needed). A great product. Bought it from Batter Fly.
 
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