deskthority

Hi guys..

i'm looking to buy a desoldering station nice cheap one to get started and desolder a couple of keyboards.
it's an older model Aoyue the 474 without the ++ in the name..

i have read that it's good practice to keep a spare nozzle but as i never used such a tool i was wondering what size nozzle should i get.??

they have 3 sizes.
1mm
1.5mm
1.8mm

my guess would be 1.5 but i have no clue..
here's a pic

For me, personally... assuming that your primary role is to desolder keyboards I would go with the 1.8mm.

Reason? When I de-solder keyswitches I drop the desoldering iron directly down onto the joint, the solder melts and the switches pin penetrates into the open iron hole all the way down until flush with the pcb.

Then when you apply pressure, it sucks all the solder away as it has a fairly decent air-tight seal which helps empty the plated hole of the PCB.

__red__ wrote: For me, personally... assuming that your primary role is to desolder keyboards I would go with the 1.8mm.

Reason? When I de-solder keyswitches I drop the desoldering iron directly down onto the joint, the solder melts and the switches pin penetrates into the open iron hole all the way down until flush with the pcb.

Then when you apply pressure, it sucks all the solder away as it has a fairly decent air-tight seal which helps empty the plated hole of the PCB.

Thanks red,

i was all ready to open a keyboard and break out my "Digital Caliper" but figured someone with experience would know better.. really appreciate it..
i tried to measure a pin of a cherry mx swith i had laying around and to be honest i couldn't tell the difference between 1.5 1.8 at all..

But i'l grab an extra 1.8 nozzle perhaps 2 of them to be sure.. shipping is €7 and since i'm going to buy the station might as well grab two 1.8mm nozzles for €5 a pop..

I've found the standard nozzle size on my Aoyue to be a perfect fit. Aoyue also includes a second nozzle in the parts bag, though I've never needed to replace the original one.

it doesn't matter. as long as it fits over the pin you are good. A smaller tip just lets you get right in put the heat in a bit closer, but are more of a pain to clean. 1.5mm is a happy place.