Solder Tweezers

RetroViator

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Oct 30, 2021
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So @JDW's video on recapping the Mystic Color Classic
piqued my interest in solder tweezers. I have a tremor (primarily in my non-dominant hand), so I'm always looking for ways to make my tinkering more effective. My iron is the Hakko FX-888D, and they make a tweezer attachment. Any tips or tricks to consider before I put this on my Christmas wishlist?
 

JDW

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@RetroViator
Usage of those tweezers is pretty much what you see in my video. They are very handy. I do not have a tremor in my hand, however, so I’m not sure how adept you would be with them when removing very tiny components. Dealing with tiny components really does require a steady hand. But more than that, having a good microscope is key.

Because I was filming that video, my camera was in the way, and the only thing I had to see those tiny parts was a small loupe lens in my other hand. Being able to see clearly what you’re working on is as critically important as the soldering tools you use.

I personally think the big benefit to the tweezers is that they are safer than hot air and better than merely twisting off the SMD capacitors like some people do. The tweezers allow me to remove the capacitors without damaging them so I can easily test their ESR. I also have some very wide tips for those tweezers that allow you to desolder many SMD IC’s quite easily.

As such, I think the tweezers are an important part of anyone’s desoldering arsenal, if you can afford them. The Hakko branded versions are quite pricey, but I did put a link in the text description under my video to a Chinese made soldering and desoldering station that includes similar tweezers, although probably not up to par with the quality of the Japanese made Hakko.
 

Elemenoh

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A couple of years ago I bought a $50 pair of hot tweezers from Amazon. They were very difficult to align / keep in alignment and didn’t have good heat control.

After upgrading my solder station to a Metcal MX-500, I bought a set of their tweezers. They were about $300 new which is obviously a lot for hobby work. But you get what you pay for. Changing and aligning tips is super easy and they stay aligned. Heat is excellent. It’s great for getting off SMD parts in tight places. I also got some wide blade cartridges for removing SOIC packages. It makes removing things like the SE30 video muxes take just a couple of seconds.

So if you can afford a quality set of hot tweezers I’d definitely recommend going for it. But don’t waste your money on the very cheap stuff.
 
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JDW

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SDG just posted a good video about tweezers.
I skimmed through that video. Seems like the Hakko might be just as good but at a lower cost. He does mention the benefits of tweezers over hot air, which is what I mentioned in my video as well. And like I briefly mentioned, he too showed the poor man's solution -- two soldering irons touching either side of the component. That's easy to do on his test board but harder to do in cramped spaces where you have large components right next to the tiny components you want to desolder. That's why tweezers are easier than using 2 soldering irons.
 
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