Hot-air re-work station review?

Well, this wasn't a RoadTest - in fact, I bought the Tenma combination hot air soldering station back in 2014 and I'm still using it to this day. I blogged about it a while back - it's basically a rebadged Atten.

https://goughlui.com/2014/09/29/quick-review-tenma-smd-rework-station-bundle/

- Gough

Well, this wasn't a RoadTest - in fact, I bought the Tenma combination hot air soldering station back in 2014 and I'm still using it to this day. I blogged about it a while back - it's basically a rebadged Atten.

https://goughlui.com/2014/09/29/quick-review-tenma-smd-rework-station-bundle/

- Gough

Hey Gough Lui I just went through your Blog it was awesome!

Gough Lui  wrote:

 

Well, this wasn't a RoadTest - in fact, I bought the Tenma combination hot air soldering station back in 2014 and I'm still using it to this day. I blogged about it a while back - it's basically a rebadged Atten.

https://goughlui.com/2014/09/29/quick-review-tenma-smd-rework-station-bundle/

 

- Gough

Your reviews whether road test or not are quiet a good read. Thanks.

Thanks xeonaj and clem57 - funny how sometimes someone likes something somewhere on the forum and bumps some older content back up the list and then things get re-discovered. That review was ... 2014 ... a whole five years ago. Rather surprisingly, I still have that unit on my desk right now - the original tip is slightly less pointy but the unit is still serving me well, having repaired many items and "earned" its keep in saving me from buying new things. I'd have to say that this was one of my better purchasing decisions - at my hobbyist usage level, it's good enough and durable enough while being affordable. I'd still recommend it despite its small "deceptions" in ratings.

In the distant past, I wrote some small contributions to a computing magazine, then I decided to have my own blog. While I do RoadTests here, I do a lot more "random" things on my own blog - some things as large as RoadTests, others are a bit of "off-the-cuff" opinion. I don't tend to promote it very much - there's always a risk to being famous (i.e. too many visitors, too many questions, etc), but I'm glad you both enjoyed the content. Unfortunately, sometimes time is lacking and weeks can go by between posts ... but I try my best .

Glad to have had a "second home" here at element14 though ... although I tend to use my personal blog here strictly for element14-related postings only.

- Gough

Great blog, Gough!

Fun to see that you also tried some of those inexpensive little smd practice kits.

I did the "flowing water LEDs" smd one using a regular soldering iron... my results are rather ugly but surprisingly still works

I might have to buy a few of the others you have listed

>at my hobbyist usage level, it's good enough and durable enough while being affordable.

I like that you said that. So many reviewers out there tend to push for people to buy the most expensive fanciest industrial tools - for everything, not just limited to tech tools.

Cheers,

-Nico

I actually purchased some more challenging SMD kits - but I haven't found the time or bravery to try my hand at them just yet. Maybe later. But at least the wider pitch SMD ICs can be done with a fine tip and a steady hand. I do have a Metcal PS-900PS-900 but I've decided to save that for later ... since the Tenma does the job for now. Replacement iron assemblies with new tips can be found on sale in the element14 Connect magazine from time to time as well - making it quite affordable to maintain.

- Gough