Review on Hakko FR 301 Desoldering Tool by Tim Wadman

I've been using Aoyue's fairly cheap desoldering station for a while and it has never worked very well and has always had to be cleaned with PITA. The weapon is quite crudely designed and manufactured. But I digress. I recently had a mission to upgrade my electronic desk to Hakko products. I have a Hakko FX-951 (fantasy), a real Hakko FG-100 and now a Hakko FR-301. I was amazed at how well the FR-301 soaked up the solder - a second or two on medium heat in a small area or through-hole and the solder was gone. What I like: The performance is great! Well designed and made, soldering grip is excellent, cleaning is easy. Not so good: Its volume is a bit heavy, but since it has a built-in vacuum pump, that's to be expected. The recessed power button is in a slightly odd spot on the back of the grip, and it's not very easy to push it far enough to turn it on. The temperature dial is at the very bottom of the handle - I always have to turn everything upside down to see where the dial is. As mentioned, the included curved metal "stand" is an absolute joke. Completely unsuitable for the intended purpose. Buy another stand. I bought a Hakko 633 base and bent the holder a bit and the gun fits perfectly. Conclusion: I am very satisfied with my purchase and would highly recommend it.