Is the Hakko FR301 Desoldering tool worth 4X the ZD915 Clone?

Is the Hakko FR-301 desoldering station really worth 4X the price of the Duratool D00672 (clone of the ZS-915)? Here are my thoughts on the subject!
I take a look at sizes, build quality, noise, ease of use, more noise, cleaning blockages, and how well they perform in a completely unscientific head to head test.

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00:00 Intro
00:16 Sucking Solder
01:30 Duratool D00672
02:04 Hakko FR-301
02:12 Comparing Sizes
03:08 Comparing Noise
03:59 Comparing Moos
04:09 Build Quality Hakko FR-301
04:56 Duratool Build Quality
05:43 Cleaning the Duratool
07:28 Cleaning the Hakko FR-301
07:54 Controlling the Duratool
08:17 Controlling the Hakko
09:19 Blockages
11:36 Changing Nozzles - Hakko
12:02 Changing Nozzles - Duratool
13:16 The Hakko Stand
13:43 The Duratool Stand
14:23 Testing the tools
16:09 Is it Worth it?
17:56 Happy Little Diodes

#hakko #duratool #desoldering

[julianbrown]

You do realise it is *much* easier to retrieve the duratool catch tube from the other end. Pull the "rubber" end towards the back and lever it out. Only gets stuck if the tube is completely clogged...

[HappyLittleDiodes]

Great video Lee looking very professional, bright and chirpy, great rhythm to it too. Appreciate the shout-out and the hand-me-down. I must have removed hundreds of chips with my manual pump and this will be a massive massive upgrade. Thanks again

[YarblekRW]

YES, I just gave away my PoS ZD-915 and replaced with with the Hakko. The pain is OVER! This is a great overview of the pros and cons although at around 10:30 when you mention the blockages happen "occasionally". For my unit that "Occasion" was "When in use". In the end it sat unused for over a year before I splurged for a Hakko, in the meantime I used the little manual Engineer SS-02 which works brilliantly for a manual solder sucker...

[JustInspiredKent]

I've had the predecessor, the Hakko 808 for years now. Still going strong. Thanks for sharing!

[wimwiddershins]

I've modded my 915 knockoff with a little bundle of steel wool in the glass. It acts as a filter and the solder cools quickly onto it, every now and then I swap in a new bit.

[skeptic]

Great video. I have started to do some repairing again after a long pause. I have now used a manual pump and I'm pretty good with it but a desoldering tool would certainly save me time. It's such a great feeling when you get something working again.

[minombredepila]

This is the video I needed, Lee. Really appreciate it. I do need to evolve from what I currently have to desolder my components.

[epremeaux]

the exchange rate is brutal. Here in Japan, the Hakko is 22123 yen (About 115 pounds), making it a "yes, yes. All the way YES." decision. I dont do a whole lot of through hole work, but PCB work is my "day job" so between retro computer repairs and work, I use it 6-10 times per year. I would say that even at a much higher price, just the absolute easy cleaning and maintenance of the Hakko, along with super reliable, powerful suction makes it a strong recommendation even for casual solder sucking needs. If, when you pull out the tool, it just WORKS without giving you grief, its worth it. Nothing worse than struggling with a budget tool more than getting work done, to the point that you dread reaching for it. Even if you have to do a full "tear down" of the barrel and containment vessel to clean out a clog, its still SO MUCH EASIER than most other suckers. My only negative on the Hakko is that it is heavy in the hand, so when you are pulling a 40 pin socket or pulling a lot of chips at once, it gets tiring fast (and that atrocious stand lol)

Hakko makes full stations as well.. but the price... ouch.. the FR-400 is a king. Had one at a previous job. Personally, I would avoid "station and tube" type systems unless you do through hole repair all day, every day. Generally, the tube gives you a lot more grief than the FR301's "pump in your palm" design. Its a very short vacuum run. No chance of a pinch, the tube popping off the station or tube deterioration. Or worse, an accidental touching of the tube by the iron tip causing a leak. Much less to go wrong.

[eliotmansfield]

manual solder sucker combined with a pre-heat with a heat gun has worked for my occasional use for 40 years

[Ra-zor]

I think my 915 is brilliant to be honest, and almost in daily use, and also very easy to fix when it goes wrong. The pump diaphragm for example is just a standard £3 fish tank pump type, and if the power supply blows, just throw in a cheap generic replacement! (not happened yet), even the entire complete guns are dirt cheap at £25. Throw a half decent 24v fan in there to solve any fan noises (along with removing the fan grill), and do the simple gun mod to allow the black plastic slider on the gun to slide back a few mm further to allow the glass to extract a lot easier (remove the cable tie in the gun on the top of the rubber vacuum tube connected to the black slider and remove about 1mm of material from the screw post if required to allow full rearward travel of the slider for easy removal of the glass tube. Oh and to stop clogging, let the unit fully warm up and then accumulate heat in the metal before use! (I let mine sit for 10 minutes) and virtually never clogs.

[mikefischbein]

I was lucky enough to find the Hakko on clearance at a Microcenter for $130 USD about six months ago. It was open-box but unused. Greatest bargain I've ever found. I've also owned the ZD-985. It worked quite well, but the build quality is much lower than the Hakko, and the ZD-985's gun barrel broke off after about one year of regular use.

[andrewtaylor]

Great video, really nice to see this comparison, and more importantly, it works well for YOU - superb!

[Phil-Sands]

Great review. I never have trouble removing and fitting the glass tube, but my Duratool gun is blue/black and has a lever at the side to release it. Also removing rubber side first and inserting white seal side first is easy.

[kofjb]

Just saw your video. I have a zd985 and my use is occasional since I use it primarily on old/vintage tube radios and gear. I agree with everything you said about the cheaper unit. Clogging tip, cleaning the glass tube and changing tips. I'm currently on my second gun but for my use it's still cheaper than the Hakko. I always clean the pipe while working and always make sure I clean the glass and change the tip before I turn it on.
I don't do this for a living but if I did I would be able to justify the expense of a Hakko.
Great video by the way.

[scorcher]

Mine has none of the cons here it’s a beast says Metcal on it nice video your enjoyable to watch and you learn stuff like buy once cry once

[Mr_Meowingtons]

i had the VEVOR S-993A $100 just like the one you are showing it lasted 3 weeks when the temp control went and it over heated and started glowing RED HOT
got the Hakko FR301 and its a tank!

[TechCowboy]

Thank you. I was always questioning myself on what I paid for the Hakko.

[Pulverrostmannen]

I have a station that is a bit like your Duratool but it has no fan so it stays completely silent, I remove the glass tube at the rubber end first though and I don´t really ever experience that it gets weak suction even if I fill the tube all the way up to the intake side. I think you solder way too cold for the solder to have a chance to flow inside the tube, I pretty much always leave mine at 444C or go down to 380 if I work on a sensitive board. but ALWAYS clean the nozzle with the pin before you turn off the device to make your life easier. when making a deep clean I put the device at 480C and use the pin to loosen harder deposits that build up over time easier. it´s just learning the tool and they work perfectly. I can de-solder tons of stuff before needing to clean the tube. but I had to modify the fastening ring of course. But I would prefer the shape and size of the Duratool handheld type every day of the week over the Hakko myself. the one I use is branded Luxorparts Pro

[imqqmi]

When the Duratool is blocked I can usually unblock it with the 1mm prying tool. Stick it in as far as it goes, grab onto the wire about 5mm away from the nozzle to prevent it bending and push hard. It usually pops free. It does whack the nozzle a bit, but those wear out any way. And when using amtek flux gel I feel it doesn't clog as often. I also use it together with an hot air soldering iron, blowing hot air while the other is sucking doesn't cool the desoldering iron as much internally, and it will melt the solder through the via better. I also heat up the desoldering iron with hot air so I can start desoldering quicker.

Oh and a coin in the glass tube about half way, that will keep the filter much cleaner for longer. Since the coin has a larger mass, tin will solidify instantly on the coin and won't drop down on the exit hole.

But the main benefit of the Hakko is its suction strength with the vacuum pump near the nozzle, it just works better for a sudden suction action. The Duratool must traverse rubber tubing making coming up to vacuum level much slower. This results in tin not being removed as effectively. With the Hakko parts often just drop out. With the duratool you need more persuasion, often at the cost of ripped pads and traces.

[mogwaay]

Great video Lee, loved the demonstration of the Duratool stand eventually falling off and the accurate demonstration of how a cheap solder sucker goes 50% of the time! I rarely do desoldering, once in a blue moon and only the odd chip here and there so my 'upgrade' from the plastic sucker was the Engineering tools metal sucker and I'm happy with that at the moment. However if I was more into repair, I would certainly be looking for a MOOO-tool so nice to know the things to look out for.