Like shabaz , I have a green one which works very well. The secret seems to be to make sure the solder is nicely melted before pressing the button to suck it up.

Neil

Hi!

They can work, but quality varies between manufacturers. I've got one of these tools which is maybe 15 years old, and still works well. If you're buying one, I'd recommend the wide diameter tools instead of the slim 15-mm or so versions.

The one that I have looks identical to this green desoldering pumpgreen desoldering pump it is the same colour too, but I cannot say for sure if it is the same one, since I bought it so long ago.

I have a red 15 mm version from a different manufacturer, and that's very hard to use (for me at least).

Although they are meant to be used with electronics, these solder pumps never really works: 

I always end with up pealed off copper traces and molten plastic when trying to remove pin from a PCB:

Or maybe, I'm using this tool wrongly...

Well, today I learned that old test equipment isn't always up to the task you had in mind . . . . . . . .

Popped down for the yearly visit to the parents and, whilst chatting to my father, we go onto an issue he had had installing a neighbour's electric shower. The old unit had stopped working and, my old man being a sort of builder/plumber type, had said he would fit the replacement.

An easy job it seemed, as it was like for like, and the installation went without many hitches, unfortunately, when trying to run the shower it completely failed to respond! No heating and no neon on the front.

My dad had popped back to the suppliers but they said they couldn't refund him, he had to call Triton directly . . . . . . . they are coming out early January . . . .

As the old unit had stopped, and the new one had failed to start I asked him if it had power, his neon screwdriver had lit up, so he assumed it was all good. I mentioned about switched Live/Neutral circuits and was met with a blank stare.

'Have you got a voltmeter' I asked, 'yes' he replied, 'it's your old one'. He fetched it for me.

Now, if memory serves, I purchased that meter in Coventry in about 1980. As you can see, the packaging has seen better days, what you cannot see is the verdigris on the + lead socket and - worse still - the AA battery terminals.

Well I thought, what's the worst that can happen, it may be almost 40 years old but it seems ok(ish).

Obviously, before venturing around to the neighbour I decided to test it (of course), so I set it to the AC 250V range, used one probe to depress the earth pin shutter and then popped the probes across the 240V mains . . . . . . . . . .

Well, the carpet didn't get burned at least, the case didn't fit together quite as well as it used to, the big bright flash that flew out of it was rather impressive, and the smelly smoke that rolled up our collective nostrils certainly didn't smell overly magic anymore.

As you can see, a nearly 40 year old meter, with pretty thin tracks in the first place, compounded by many years of neglect and corrosion, cannot actually handle 240V any more! Close inspection reveals a few tracks/pads are now absent, and some sections appear to be somewhat shorter and melted.

The inside of the case is a slightly different shade to the original too.

So there you go, you wanted a story - you got one, you wanted pictures - you got those too. My dad now has no multimeter, two 13A fuses less than this morning, and no way to test any he has lying around.

I offered him a replacement meter, he doesn't want one as, in his own words, he doesn't know how to use them . . . . .

A casual observer would argue that the same applies to me too!! 

I sort of tried the fingernail as a sort of chisel / pry bar once, and ended up with a splinter broken off under my finger nail...

Fingernails as splinter storage... Not a pleasant experience in the slightest!

Dan.

Douglas you are SO right!!!! What an eloquent way to respond!

Now that you mention it … when it is fingernails versus Lego …. Lego wins.

Fingernails as prybars  …. great … until they fail.

Fingernails as chisels … maybe .. but it is a good thing they grow back because they will be erased in short order.

Fingernails as scrapers …. sure …. but choose wisely.

Fingernails as wire strippers …. we all try this …. with pretty low success rates.

Fingernails as label removers … good luck with that

Fingernails as a knife ….. don't hold your breath

Fingernails to remove scratch and win …. prepare for disappointment

Fingernails as screw drivers …. fail.

Fingernails as soldering iron tip cleaners …. no …. just no.

When it is fingernails as thermal insulators to pick up hot objects ... it may work, but sooner or later you will regret the choice, most likely sooner.

Thinking about it ... fingernails are likely the tool that have been the most often damaged through improper use. Throughout history, even going all the way back to before other tools were ever invented.

Teeth are not wire strippers,  they really aren't and they aren't the proper tool for splitting lego pieces either!

I was in my 30's when I found out there was a proper tool for splitting lego! 

Thankfully for my smile I found out about proper wire strippers at a much earlier age after a brief dabble with using a sharp kitchen knife which landed me in trouble with my mum.

Dan.

Ouch! I hate it when that happens....

I bet it was a good demonstration of your expertise with expletives.

A workbench is a terrible place to set a hot soldering iron. Always use a proper stand. Last year I set a hot pen-type soldering iron on the bench. The weight of the power cord immediately pulled the iron off the bench landing tip first into my leg at a searing temp of around 260°C. This caused a cauterized puncture wound and a damaged Hakko Fine SMD soldering tip. I still have that particular soldering tip and scar as a reminder.