When soldering surface-mount parts, half the battle is obtaining a reliable grip on the components when manipulating them into position. Another battle is seeing them !
I lost a really nice pair of VOMM PSF-SA-ESD tweezers, so I was keen to replace them. I couldn’t find a convenient source in the UK, and as a result needed to look for a different brand, with the same shape (1 mm flat tip, known as shape code PSF). I find that size and shape really convenient for the majority of surface mount parts that I use.
I decided to give a couple of Wiha tweezers a try, it's just been a couple of days, but I am currently happy with them!
I tried Wiha models 32325 and 44523 . The former is a little cheaper than the latter, but the 44523 feels better in the hand. Perhaps there is a slightly better surface finish too. To me, the 44523 feels identical, or near-identical to the VOMM ones that I lost, but the 32325 feels pretty great too.
Incidentally, all the documentation on the Internet for the two tweezer models is incorrect; the tweezer datasheets/catalog pages have got the lengths wrong. The lengths in my photo above are correct.
With both of them, I didn’t lose any components during experimentation. They grip the parts reliably, and the tip is a comfortable size and shape for working with typical SMD parts.
The photo below shows the 44523 gripping an 0805-sized resistor and an 0603-sized capacitor.
This two-minute video covers a quick review of the tweezers:
I'd be curious to know what tweezers other people use, and their experiences with them. Different tweezer shapes may suit others better.
Thanks for reading!
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