Metcal Buyers Guide

[Elemenoh]

During a recent chat in the Tinker Different discord, someone asked for a post that acts as a Metcal buyers guide. I'll do my best to get you oriented with common models you should consider, their features, pros/cons, and tips when buying used.

This won't be comprehensive and it'd be great to get additional opinions. So please chime in with any corrections or additional info you might have.

Background​

Metcal makes professional grade soldering tools that use a unique technology called Smart Heat. Here's a summary of how it works (via AI):

Metcal's Smart Heat technology uses the Curie point principle for precise temperature control. Each soldering tip contains a magnetic cartridge that changes its magnetic properties at a specific temperature. When the cartridge reaches its Curie point, it automatically switches from magnetic to non-magnetic, which naturally regulates the heating process.

This means the tip self-regulates to a precise temperature without complex electronics. By selecting different cartridges with specific Curie points, users can achieve consistent, exact temperatures for various soldering tasks. The result is a highly efficient, self-controlling heating system that provides rapid, stable temperature management ideal for precision electronics work.

The bottom line is that you get very fast, stable temperature. And that temperature is determined by the cartridge you're using, not the power supply. The tip gets to temp within a few seconds of powering on the unit and magnets in the hand-piece stand automatically put the cartridge to sleep. Cartridges easily slide in and out, even when hot with a little silicone pad.

There are several different cartridge series:

• 700 series: ~700ºF which is what you'd used for most applications
• 500 series: ~500ºF for heat sensitive applications like low temp solder
• 800 series: ~800ºF
• 900 series: ~900ºF for higher temp applications like getting the frame off of a SE logic board

You can likely get by with only 700 series carts. It might seem like a negative to not be able to adjust the temp at the power supply, but it's actually really nice in my opinion. You never have to think about temperature and the way the system is designed compensates power automatically to maintain the desired temperature for you.

There are an enormous amount of options for cartridge shapes.

Soldering​

There are quite a few different options for solder stations. I'm going to focus on the highest end options, since they can be found quite cheap second hand and have the most options for cartridges.

MX-500​

This was Metcal's top-of-the-line system for many years and was the model I started with. Its cartridges and hand-pieces are compatible with older power supplies like the PS2E-01 and newer ones like the MX-5000 and MX-5200, but not the newest Connection Validation (CV) systems.

It has two hand-piece 40W output channels, though you can only select one at time.

A used working system with power supply, hand-piece (MX-RM3E), work stand and some tips can occasionally be found for about $100-150.

Note: the older MX-500 does not have a screen and usually sells much cheaper used. The newer MX-500 does have a screen. Its only advantage is that it shows when the tip has come to temperature. It’s not worth the extra cost in my opinion.

Compatibility​

Hand-pieces: It would have originally shipped with the MX-RM3E hand-piece, but is also compatible with the MX-H1-AV hand-piece that came out with the latter 5000 series. That hand-piece is a little lighter and has a metal handle. It's nice, but not necessary at all. There is also the MX-H2-UF Ultra Fine hand-piece meant for working with very tiny components on modern boards.

Desoldering: This system is compatible with the MX-DS1 desolder tool, but keep in mind that tool requires shop air for its vacuum. I chose to get a separate Metcal desolder station with pump included.

Tweezers: It is compatible with older MX-Talon and newer MX-PTX tweezers. If you find the Talons very cheap then go for it, but the MX-PTZ are significantly better in my opinion. If you've never used good hot tweezers, the MX-PTZ are mind-blowingly awesome for SMD work.

MX-5000 / MX-5200​

The MX-5000 is a newer model that increased output to 80W and included a built-in display that shows when the tip is at temperature. It's still limited to outputting to one channel at a time.

The MX-5200 is an even newer model that added simultaneous 40W output or 80W single channel output. It's nice to have but definitely not necessary for hobby work.

Either system can be found for around the $200-250 mark if you're patient enough. The best deals are often listings that are shown as non-working but show a photo of the unit on with no hand piece attached and an 'open error' on the screen. That error is expected when a hand piece is not attached.

Compatibility​

Hand-pieces: These would have originally shipped with the MX-H1-AV hand-piece, but is also compatible with the older MX-RM3E hand-piece. The MX-H6-HTD High Thermal Demand is an optional hand-piece meant for working on densely packed boards and other high thermal load applications. It's not needed for hobby work and I've never seen one pop up for sale used and cheap. There is also the MX-H2-UF Ultra Fine hand-piece meant for working with very tiny components on modern boards.

Desoldering: This system is compatible with the MX-DS1 desolder tool, but keep in mind that tool requires shop air for its vacuum. I chose to get a separate Metcal desolder station with pump included.

Tweezers: It is compatible with older MX-Talon and newer MX-PTX tweezers. If you find the Talons very cheap then go for it, but the MX-PTZ are significantly better in my opinion. If you've never used good hot tweezers, the MX-PTZ are mind-blowingly awesome for SMD work.

Connection Validation (CV)​

This is the newest system available. It has the same output specs as the MX-5200 but includes a more robust display that shows you when you have made a good solder joint. It's perhaps nice to have if you're very new to soldering, but is much more expensive and is not backwards compatible with regular MX cartridges or hand-pieces. This model would be most appropriate for a classroom or factory setting. Hobbyists should avoid it. If you really want to get one, they occasionally sell used for ~$500.

Cartridges​

There are hundreds of cartridges to suit whatever your needs are. This is the set I have that serves me well working on vintage Apple stuff. Most can be found for $10-20 and occasionally great deals on a lot of used carts. I've only had one cart go bad on me and it was one I bought new for the PTZ tweezers. A catalog of all MX/CV carts can be found here.

• STTC-005 bevel 30° 1.78mm x 11.7mm
• STTC-007 conical 1.0mm extra long 16.7mm
• STTC-117 chisel 5mm
• STTC-122 conical narrow 0.4mm
• STTC-126 conical 30° bent 0.4mm x short 7.9mm
• STTC-137 chisel 1.8mm
• STTC-140 conical 30° bent narrow 0.4mm
• STTC-145 x2 conical 0.8mm extra long 14.7mm
• SMTC-112 PLCC-20 (Yes, you can take off whole PLCC chips with a flick of your iron!)
• SMTC-113 PLCC-28
• SMTC-114 PLCC-44
• SMTC-1147 hoof 3.3mm 60°

Desoldering​

SP-440​

The SP-440 is Metcal's older desoldering station. It has a pump integrated into the power supply making it quieter at the hand-piece. The hand piece is a pen style that uses Smart Heat cartridges that come in a bunch of different diameters. They're easy to change out even when hot, with a silicone pad. In my experience the chamber rarely clogs and does not need to be cleaned out, much unlike the Hakko FR-301 which, in my experience, was noisy and clogged constantly.

One drawback of this model compared to the MFR-1300 series is that it is only a desoldering tool and does not have an extra port for a soldering iron. If you're just getting into Metcal and want both a soldering and desoldering solution, the other model may make more sense.

Another consideration is that consumables (filters, chamber liners, seals) don't come up for sale often since this is an older model. I have another post where I give some advice about making your own consumables however.

This model can occasionally be found used for $100-200. My setup was $100 and came with all of the different tip sizes, tip cleaning tool and a tool bag.

CAUTION: for some reason, the power supplies frequently come up for sale quite cheap, but the hand-pieces are rarely sold on their own. Only buy a complete system or the hand-piece if you see it come up very cheap. But don't buy the power supply and wait for a hand-piece to show up for sale.

MFR-1300​

The MFR-1300 is Metcal's newer standalone desoldering system. Compared to the SP-440 it has a slightly stronger vacuum, is slightly quieter, has an optional snap-on pistol grip and easy to get consumables.

It also has a second port for a MFR hand-piece such as an iron or tweezers. Note that these hand-pieces are not compatible with the MX systems including their cartridges. If you're just getting into Metcal, then this system may make sense to start with so that you can have both desoldering and soldering in one station, but you may be more limited by cheap used cartridge availability. Still, you could get ~4-6 cartridges at new Metcal prices for the cost of a used MX station and you'd be saving some bench space.

The MFR-1300 with desolder tool and work stand occasionally comes up for sale ~$200. I got one for that price and couldn't be happier with it. It's such a pleasure to use either of these models compared to the Hakko.

Hot Air​

Like all the other gear there are a bunch of options, but I'll share my experience with two of the higher end models.

HCT-900​

This is Metcal's high end 'normal' hot air station. It has two simple knobs and is compatible with typical nozzles. It works great. They can be found for about $200 occasionally.

HCT-1000​

This is Metcal's flagship hot air station. In short, it's a bad option for most hobby work. It has some neat tricks like 4 stage programable heat profiles, multiple external thermocouples and connectivity to sync with the PCT-1000 preheater. Further, they come up surprisingly cheap sometimes. I found one for $150 once. But it's a total hassle to use for hobby work. It's all digitally controlled. There's no simple knob and on-switch. You can set up one of the programs to be a continuous set temperature but it's overly complicated for most work.

This model should only be considered if you need to do BGA rework. In conjunction with a PCT-1000 preheater and its advanced workstand, you'd have a very solid BGA solution at home. Otherwise, stick with the HCT-900

Preheaters​

The advice above about hot air applies to preheaters. A model like the PCT-100 is a simple one knob setup where the PCT-1000 is a complex setup meant to work with the HCT-1000 hot air station.

Thermaltronics​

Another option is to go with Thermaltronics rather than Metcal. Thermaltronics equipment is all Metcal compatible built to a lower price point. There's nothing wrong with that, but I think it's better to stick with used Metcal instead and take advantage of depreciated hardware that is extremely well built rather than newer, cost reduced clones.

There is also a project on the internet somewhere where someone built their own Metcal compatible power supply. But I think it's only designed for 220V electric supply.

OK International aka OKI​

OK International is Metcal’s parent company. I don’t know the corporate and product history in detail. It’s worth noting that some older OKI branded devices are identical to Metcal branded versions and just have a different sticker. This is most common on the hot air stations like the HCT-900. In fact, searching for OKI in addition to Metcal may be a good way to find a deal.

Marketing and Model Numbers​

Metcal's marketing is pretty terrible. The model numbers can be very confusing to newcomers and their website is not well curated. Often product pages will lack basic info like a photo or compatibility notes.

One important thing to understand is that they have separate model numbers for each individual component of a system and for the combos of those components in a system.

Example 1

MX-500P	MX-500 Power Supply
MX-RM6E	hand-piece that comes with a current MX-500 system
MX-500-RNKIT	work stand for the MX-RM6E hand-piece
MX-500S	kit containing all of the above
MX-500SPT	kit with MX-500P power supply, MX-PTZ tweezers and a work stand
MX-500DS	kit with MX-500P power supply, MX-RM6E hand-piece, MX-DS1 desoldering tool and work stands

Example 2

MFR-PS1300	MFR-1300 Power Supply / pump
MFR-H5-DS-C	Desolder tool that's compatible with the MFR-1300 power supply
MFR-WSDSU	work stand for the MFR desolder tool
MFR-1350	kit containing all of the above
MFR-H1-SC2	MFR hand-piece
MFR-WSSR	work stand for the MFR hand-piece
MFR-1351	kit containing all of the above (solder and desolder tools)

Because of this, searching used listings can be confusing. Someone might list something as a MFR-1300 desoldering system or some other variant like MFR-1351. I'd recommend searching for something simpler like "Metcal MFR" and browse the listings from there.

Wrap-up​

I hope this is a helpful resource. Please let me know if you have any questions, corrections or additional info. In summary you can get excellent professional grade tools for pennies on the dollar if you're patient and keep an eye out. You shouldn't have to spend more than $200 on any of these systems.

Recommendations for most hobbyists

• Solder station:
  • MX-500 power supply with either MX-RM3E or MX-H1-AV hand piece and any compatible work stand for about $100
• Desolder station:
  • If you already have a Metcal solder station, get the SP-440 for about $100-200.
  • If you don't have a Metcal solder station consider the MFR-1300 for about $200 and get a MFR compatible hand piece for another $100.
• Hot Air:
  • HCT-900 for under $200
• Preheater:
  • PCT-100 for $100-150
• BGA Rework:
  • HCT-1000 + PCT-1000 + Advance Tool Holder for ~$400-600

 

[JDW]

Being a FORUM dweller exclusively, I am always overjoyed to see posts like this on the main forum.

Thank you, @Elemenoh !