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I have this 30W desoldering tool from Velleman which I've used a few times without any issues... until I decided I wanted a finer nozzle.

I turned it on after replacing the tip , and the base just melted: sad :( Note that I did not unscrew the base: the screws just popped out when the plastic melted.

Now the base becomes hotter than the tip, making it effectively useless since the tip does not heat up enough to melt solder.

The spare nozzle look like this: nothing special, just unscrew it and screw the new one in.

I know it' just a cheap tool, but did I do something wrong? I did have to use some force to unscrew the tip when I replaced it (fine, I used pliers) but could that have caused this defect?

Thanks!

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You probably didn't do anything wrong. It's just a cheap tool that broke.

What might help with that kind to soldering iron is to wait until it is cold, then hold the metal barrel while changing the tip. The little screw holes in the plastic aren't all that strong.

That desoldering iron is underpowered for actually doing any work. You generally need more heating power to desolder than to solder. Typical soldering irons start at 25 watts (yes, there are lower rated irons) so the 30 watt is just barely able to remove things you can solder with a low rated iron.

I don't like the spring loaded pumps. They kick when you trigger them, and the tip skitters across the board. All too often, the skittering tip takes the solder pad right off the board.

I'm no friend of the expensive pumps, either.

The best tool I've ever found for removing solder is this thing:

enter image description here

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  • \$\begingroup\$ The link you provided is broken. \$\endgroup\$
    – ElectronSurf
    Apr 14, 2020 at 9:59
  • \$\begingroup\$ @ElectronSurf: Stackexchange replaced my link to Amazon with some kind of affiliate link. I changed it back. I hope it works now. \$\endgroup\$
    – JRE
    Apr 14, 2020 at 10:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ Solder wick is pretty handy for desoldering, too, though it's hard to beat a good suction tool. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hearth
    Apr 14, 2020 at 11:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks! I mostly wanted to make sure, in case I replace this with a more expensive tool, I wasn't doing something wrong that make break stuff again. I had never heard of a desoldering "bulb" but now I might get one. I do use solder wick, but when you are removing a 42-pin DIP IC that is soldered on both sides that's just not enough... EDIT: ...and it's about £75 including taxes to import one from the USA which seems to be the only place where they sell those "bulbs". Sigh! \$\endgroup\$
    – JPDefault
    Apr 14, 2020 at 19:54

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