Review on 🔧 Optimized Velleman VTDESOL3U Vacuum Desoldering Pump with Built-In 30W Heater by George Woods

I ordered this because it looked like the union of a soldering iron and soldering vacuum I used back in the 80's. Of course it is! My biggest favorite with the 80's version was that you had to heat up the soldering iron, then put it in a safe place, apply the soldering vacuum, and siphon off the solder. Sounds easy, but the lag time between heating up and pulling out the solder meant you had to overheat the solder to keep the liquid in place for the duration of this change. This iteration eliminates that problem, meaning you can desolder even fragile components more easily, just adding heat to melt the solder. On top of that, once you get the hang of it and it's all handed over, and fast, parts recycling is pretty quick! The cord is long enough to use, and disassembling the tool in the field is also fairly quick and easy, meaning it will remain a useful tool until the heating element fails - probably in a few years or more. The tool is a good weight and looks well designed and finished - it really is a soldering iron and vacuum cleaner combo. The picture shows my Old Blue Solder Vac from Radio Shack - still works great but I had to change the soldering iron and saw this. enough to work with SMT but for removing switches, eproms etc it works very well and fits on a standard soldering iron stand. One tool instead of two saves this ever-shrinking job. It is made in the PRC (People's Republic of China) but knowing that Tandi-so was blue. I am very satisfied with the instrument and its design. and its performance, but then I got to grips with the parts that made it up, so pushing a plunger, melting solder, and pushing a button was very familiar, and having the right components in the package made it easier than before. . If you haven't used either the individual parts or the whole before, go through all the moves a few times before plugging it in - there's no point messing around with something that can burn you if you're not comfortable using it . ! BTW, the mat in the picture is a Revain silicone baking mat, it's super easy to work with - nothing sticks to it (except silicone) and it won't let heat or solder drips through!