I have the JBC CLMU-A tip cleaner myself, and the thing feels absolutely amazing. Not sure what material the Metcal is made out of, but the JBC is completly made out of aluminium or magnesium, so it feels like a brick. Just pushing down the lid feels like closing a door on a Bentley. The whole thing weighs over 2kg. I think the brush density on the JBC is even higher than the Metcal. And just like the Yihua, the JBC also has a cleaner with non-metal (plastic) brushed (JBC CLUP). According to their website it's for 'gentle tip cleaning'. Probably to maximize the tip life wheb you're using this every day.
I have the older version .. once bougt at a Hamfest for les then 100 euros ... very happy with it . would however never pay the full new retail price :)
@@kittsdiy I agree that the retail price is stupidly high, even though it's a proper built piece of equipment. But sometimes you have to treat yourself :) If anyone can score a used one for a good price, don't hesitate and just buy it. You won't regret it.
@@sdgelectronics Sir can you tell me which tips over M series from Thermaltronics and Metcal's STTC do last longer? Is that true that Thermaltronics tips last longer than Metcal, because lately metcal has lowered it's quality? Thanks for the answer.
well i used to use a brass ball, but eventually got annoyed that it wasnt doing a good enough job. but perhaps because i never used the sponge too, like you mentioned here probably would have helped. anyhow one day quite by accident stumbled quite by accident on using solder wick. i was actually genuinely using this cheap aliexpress copper solder braid for cleaning up.a pcb. and then during the operation it all got curled up around and wraped around my soldering tip. 'useless' i thought and cursing the problem a 2nd time i eventually noticed after removing the soldering iron how amazingly plristine clean it left the tip. Almost like new but also completely covered with a very thin layer of tin. Perfect! So now i just habitually and regularly put a large blob of fresh solder onto the tip and wipe if back off again with the solder wick. And copper being an even softer metal than brass should not abrade or cause any damage the tip. Now in terms of these devices... i think those metcal brushes are excellent. And if we can just buy the brusjes then the rest of this device could be made from low cost parts from 3d printers. Would probably also be worth including another 2nd tool in the same housing like the main iro stand. Or otherwise a vacuum pump for example. To help make the most out of the desk space real estate it occupies.
I just started using the kitchen steel balls as not only were they cheaper but I found the "brass" balls which are intended were actually just coated steel anyway...... clearly somebody is having a laugh
Be careful with the steel wool or the brass coated steel, the will damage the plating on your soldering iron tips. RS sell the genuine brass wool for £2.50 each which seems to work well.
@@ecurepair ah ok... yes i see now. Indeed $50 does seem a bit too much on the high side of things (those metcal ones). So maybe it would be better to instead substitute with some big brass wire brushes. The type meant for polishers / grinders / other power tools etc. Should be more affordable for a DIY project
"accidentally poke your finger in".............that would be some kind of specialist accident, or after a beer or two. Nice review though, albeit I see them as a bit of a luxury unless sitting at the iron all day.
Steve - I have the relatively new Hakko tip cleaner which comes in at about $125 USD. It does a good job, although I wish their brushes were a bit more substantial as the Metcal unit. Agree, not everyone needs one. One thing I don't like about the Hakko is that it's "stay alive" circuit is obviously always on which does warm the case; I simply connected the wal-wart to a remote AC switch and turn it on only when I'm actually working at the bench.
I did see the Hakko FT-710, but it looked like it wouldn't work with my Metcal iron, since the end of the tip wouldn't reach the brushes. Can you remove that cone on the front?
Never mind, I've just found the FT-720, which I didn't know existed. That looks to be a compromise between the cheap build of the Yihua and the electronics complexity of the Metcal and JBC.
Apparently you can replace the brushes on the Yihua with the much more dense brushes from a Quick 310. Not sure if you need to modify those, or it's an instant fit. You can buy those brushes for ~$20. Seems like a good upgrade if you're going for the Yihua. Video where I saw this: ruclips.net/video/d_ehu0AaFG8/видео.html
Been eyeing one of the JBCs for a long time actually. Afaik HAKKO made one at some point too and I think there's still knockoffs of that one on AliExpress too. My main reason to get one is because my brass sponge flicks the molten solder all over my desk. Now I don't mind it on the desk, but it also sticks to the walls and whatever project you're working on.
That was my main complaint with the Pace stand actually, the brass wool doesn't sit deep enough to prevent solder flicking everywhere which is when I started to look for some other options. I've seen two Hakko units, one looks very crappy with open brushes. The other one wouldn't work with my Metcal station as the brushes are too far away from the opening in the front!
@@simonspeaker Looking at the video about this on Hakko's channel this doesn't seem that much better built than the Yihua. Just a basic DC motor driving thin brushes, put in a plastic housing. Could be a good deal for $50, not for $150 imo.
@@SebastiaanSwinkels Yeah Hakko looks like garbage inside. But most likely the Yihua used the wrong plastic, Hakko says they are high temperature: "The FT-720 is equipped with long life fluoroplastic brushes that minimize temperature drop of soldering iron".
Best thumbnail! Haven't seen Kenneth Williams in a long, long time. Now I feel like finding a copy of "Carry On Up The Jungle" to watch this weekend :)
Where i used to work there was an ancient tip cleaner, like this, but instead of two metal brushes it used to sponge rollers, Best of both worlds? I could never find the brand.
It is crazy that they use 24V in to a 5V regulator. I will have expected 9 max 12V and as for the 25V capacitor that was probably designed with at most a 19Vdc power supply in mind. Most Laptop power supply are 19V so maybe they considered one of those still they are overkill in therms of power. And those prices are crazy but I think this is just a very low volume item and thus the reason for the price. The Yihua has a good start and maybe they can improve the design if there is enough demand for such a product.
It's a good point, I'm sure the stepper will run quite happily on a lower voltage so could be worth just swapping the AC adaptor out for something to give more margin. I'm not sure how many they sell, but mine is only serial number 1001...
I'm fairly certain that the capacitor voltage rating is perfectly fine. The unit is designed to run off of a regulated AC adapter...so it should be 24V +/- some small number. If one takes into account the voltage drop across the diode and some small IR losses in the connector and wiring, the potential across the capacitor will be safely below the 25V rating of the capacitor. IMO...
Sorry I'll disagree, a wet sponge has no place on a soldering bench. JBC claims: "There is no need to clean black flux residue from chrome surface of a tip. It is just unattractive but it does not affect soldering performance or tip integrity."
I find the sponge is adequate but not perfect, but to remove solder I just bang the handle on the table and let the inertia flick the solder off. I suppose if you find a single fine brush you could make a simple tip buffer with a cheap low speed motor.
I have the metcal, love it. Brushes do need to be cleaned and refluffed or replaced (trying to find a generic cheaper brushes... lol) Mine sounds pretty louder than that though, maybe its a bad stepper or its vibrating, I tried taping the tray and stuff its still pretty loud (resonates) maybe my pwm is noisier not sure..
Mine doesn't have the resonance that you describe or show in your video. You could use a pencil with an eraser on the end to touch parts inside the box to pinpoint the resonance, but there's really not a lot in there. Maybe it's a noisy stepper or the current on the TI chip was set differently?
@@sdgelectronics @tablatronix Those brushes spin even slower than I thought (couldn't really see it that well in the video). I took a small clip of my CLMU-A for reference: imgur.com/a/aoFALNz
@@jeffrey308 Thanks for the video. Does the JBC use a standard DC motor? Certainly seems to flick the solder off the tip like the Yihua, meaning it's very quick to use. From some brief soldering the solder collects nicely in the tray without going everywhere in the Metcal unit, but it does take a bit longer to use.
@@sdgelectronics I've never took it apart, but since it clearly has some 'intelligent' speed control I suspect it's a stepper motor. When you put a decent amount of force against the brushes it clearly delivers more power to the brushes... if you pull out the tip after this (hehehe) the brushes speed up for half a second and then goes back to it's normal speed. The thing is firmware upgradable (yes, I've updated the firmware in my tip cleaner :| ), so it's more than a basic feedback control. The JBC collects almost all the tin in it's tray, very little goed behind/next to it (see imgur.com/a/8P99zXu )
I'm amazed at how many folks below mention having one these, particularly the more expensive brand units. I'm looking at spending $100 to $200 for a soldering station, handle, rest, and some tips of various sizes and shapes. The idea of spending that much for a tip cleaner seems absurd, especially when a damp sponge and/or the brass shavings work well.
i’ve not used a wet sponge since i got a brass sponge, i think they don’t work. i am annoyed by the tiny solder particles that get everywhere though. might try and engineer a solution- though i think mine might look more like a hole in the side of a coke can 😂 keep it simple stupid
I could see the metcal cleaner being very convenient but I wonder how long the brass brushes last. The cost of the unit itself is not too bad but Id be concerned about having to replace the brushes too often at $50 a pop.
Great vid, I suppose if both units require some level of modification then do the metcal brushes fit in the cheaper unit? wondering what the performance would be like then, then perhaps just limit the current on the motor slightly to slow it down? though a 3D printed design is tempting :)
You could definitely Frankenstein some higher quality brushes into the Yihua. I think a DIY design from the start would probably achieve better results though.
Interesting, I did not know these existed. I am just a hobbyist. Therefore I have no use for these. I tried the metal wooly things but are not to happy with them for regular use. Although they do a better job with the worse crap on the tip. I got fed up replacing the regular (Weller) sponges. So I changed to a piece of folded up coton fabric. (T-shirt :-) Honestly, a sponge works better. But this piece of T-shirt just does not wear out although it is a bit more work getting the tin of the tip. But it doubles up as a "heat sink" for desoldered smd parts. Maybe not nessesary, or even bad, but I like to cool down my desoldered smd parts quick. I think (hope) they than have less wear of the heating.
Sorry, I'm still a little confused about how to use these. Are you supposed to put the whole soldering iron in, and for a long time? Or something different?
Seriously how crazy you have to be to design an iron tip cleaner with a microcontroller, a magnetic field sensor IC, a stepper motor and a driver for it! For God's sake, the only task of this device is to rotate the brushes when a soldering tip appears in the hole, not to land on the moon! Yihua 200C, despite the shortcomings that should be corrected, for example by replacing brushes with ones that are not bald, is priced reasonably and, above all, it is a simple device. The solutions should be as simple as possible but not simpler. P.S. Thank you for the review, it turned out very nice.
Would love to see someone do a DIY version. Price really is absurd. ps. Hope this time my comment goes through, YT keeps deleting my comments (or rather replies to comments I guess) on your other videos. :(
@@sdgelectronics I have the JBC hot tweezer station. It can be very delicate to clean by pushing into the brass wool (i broke a tip gently trying to clean the tips). And it is kind of difficult to get clean with the sponge. Do you have any hot tweezers to try these units with?
Good point, yes, I've just tried it and it works well with the tweezer tips I have. Some of the larger ones (probably bigger than 6mm) would not fit though.
@@sdgelectronics Well. About 2500 NOK. So, 220 pund i guess. Everything is expensive in Norway, due to 25% sales tax. I ordered the Metcal MX-UK4 kit Also, so Even more money after watching your videos…..
Thanks, but not thanks! I also feel the same way about electric knife sharpeners. The idea sounds great, the real life results not so great. Better to take good care of tips and knifes, do some gentle hand polishing if/when needed - than mindlessly poke it into a grinder.
Horrifically priced! LOL! You can probably make one from an old pencil sharpener. You might want to bend the internal bristles towards each other to tighten the gap.
Good grief I can't believe this is even a product, who on earth thinks this is a great idea ? and at 250 quid, who's buying this ? its nuts ! this whole idea of scratching the plated surface is barmy in the first place, it has to do more damage than a damp sponge and I have been using an iron for a very long time, a damp sponge works perfectly fine it always has and always will, this will wear you tip considerably more than the sponge, the manufacturers know this and want you to replace tip's more often, you can buy solid tip cleaners that if used once a month will remove any stubborn build up but if you need more than this consider buying some decent solder, in my opinion you realy took one for the team here.....
Technically, the brass is softer than any plating on the tip so it should not cause damage, but I can't say if that's actually the case since I have no idea what they specifically plate these modern soldering tips with. I think you can also get various grades of brushes to make things gentler on the tip. Like you say, the damp sponge is perfectly good enough for most, though the brass wool or these tip cleaners are good to get rid of the slightly more crusty deposits. I've seen these mainly used in assembly houses at the rework stations.
@@andymouse The issue with a damp sponge (especially if it’s too wet, as many people do) is that the thermal shock of evaporating the water can actually cause microscopic cracks in the plating, especially at the higher temperatures for lead-free. That’s why it wasn’t a problem in the past but is now. I’ve been using brass wool for years and it works great. It’s not harsh at all. Brass or fiberglass brushes are handy for weird tip shapes that a sponge or brass wool can’t get into.
The most infuriating and demeaning thing about this video is how ppl put up with such huge taxes on basically any product. Humanity has been domesticated to the point that they accept as normal exorbitant taxes imposed on their basic daily activities, as if living and earning your living is a sin that needs to be expiated for to the overlords that are themselves beyond filthy rich and unaccountable, and whose riches are not only beyond taxable, but are the taxes that they collect from the enslaved and the domesticated.
My coworker, a graybeard electronics guy, uses one and swears by it. It’s an old Swiss made unit (Clean-o-point, I think) that uses two counter-rotating sponges that rotate at different speeds, so that the sponges clean the solder off themselves. I’ll admit, his tips remain in _excellent_ condition.
200-300 quid for a motor and some little spinning brushes. Overengineered madness. Not really any more useful than a copper scourer ball. That yihua one looks completely pants too.
@@aptsys Well thank you for enlightening me, I did not know Carry on Matron, but I like it very much. :) Probably I am a little biased, because I saw a couple channels "go down" on that stupid "Oh face" YT algorithm thing.. (which i despise "beyond measure". ) I hope that stays a singleton with meaningful background !. Till then. PS: I have a block of pure rosin on a hard sponge soaked in oil based flux.. works a treat. PPS: oRikPSysfu4 .. for anyone else who is interested
I used that Metcal unit as my old job. It was awesome.
I have the JBC CLMU-A tip cleaner myself, and the thing feels absolutely amazing. Not sure what material the Metcal is made out of, but the JBC is completly made out of aluminium or magnesium, so it feels like a brick. Just pushing down the lid feels like closing a door on a Bentley. The whole thing weighs over 2kg.
I think the brush density on the JBC is even higher than the Metcal. And just like the Yihua, the JBC also has a cleaner with non-metal (plastic) brushed (JBC CLUP). According to their website it's for 'gentle tip cleaning'. Probably to maximize the tip life wheb you're using this every day.
I have the older version .. once bougt at a Hamfest for les then 100 euros ... very happy with it . would however never pay the full new retail price :)
@@kittsdiy I agree that the retail price is stupidly high, even though it's a proper built piece of equipment. But sometimes you have to treat yourself :)
If anyone can score a used one for a good price, don't hesitate and just buy it. You won't regret it.
@@jeffrey308 absolutely agreed . My jbc T210 en T245 are also second hand .still my goto soldering stations .
@@kittsdiy Buy once cry once, you never end up disappointed when you buy the best :)
@@69uremum but unfortunately the brushes are $120 USD so you'll cry every time you have to replace the consumable as well
Instant thumbs-up Steve.. Just for the Kenneth Williams 'oooh' association LOL 👍👍
😁 ohh Matron!
@@sdgelectronics
Sir can you tell me which tips over M series from Thermaltronics and Metcal's STTC do last longer?
Is that true that Thermaltronics tips last longer than Metcal, because lately metcal has lowered it's quality?
Thanks for the answer.
well i used to use a brass ball, but eventually got annoyed that it wasnt doing a good enough job. but perhaps because i never used the sponge too, like you mentioned here probably would have helped. anyhow one day quite by accident stumbled quite by accident on using solder wick. i was actually genuinely using this cheap aliexpress copper solder braid for cleaning up.a pcb. and then during the operation it all got curled up around and wraped around my soldering tip. 'useless' i thought and cursing the problem a 2nd time i eventually noticed after removing the soldering iron how amazingly plristine clean it left the tip. Almost like new but also completely covered with a very thin layer of tin. Perfect! So now i just habitually and regularly put a large blob of fresh solder onto the tip and wipe if back off again with the solder wick. And copper being an even softer metal than brass should not abrade or cause any damage the tip.
Now in terms of these devices... i think those metcal brushes are excellent. And if we can just buy the brusjes then the rest of this device could be made from low cost parts from 3d printers. Would probably also be worth including another 2nd tool in the same housing like the main iro stand. Or otherwise a vacuum pump for example. To help make the most out of the desk space real estate it occupies.
I just started using the kitchen steel balls as not only were they cheaper but I found the "brass" balls which are intended were actually just coated steel anyway...... clearly somebody is having a laugh
Be careful with the steel wool or the brass coated steel, the will damage the plating on your soldering iron tips. RS sell the genuine brass wool for £2.50 each which seems to work well.
You can buy the brushes but they aren't cheap, definitely a DIYable project though. Nice idea with the solder wick!
The replacement metcal brushes go for $50
@@ecurepair ah ok... yes i see now. Indeed $50 does seem a bit too much on the high side of things (those metcal ones). So maybe it would be better to instead substitute with some big brass wire brushes. The type meant for polishers / grinders / other power tools etc. Should be more affordable for a DIY project
"accidentally poke your finger in".............that would be some kind of specialist accident, or after a beer or two. Nice review though, albeit I see them as a bit of a luxury unless sitting at the iron all day.
My kids (6&5) love hanging around my work desk. I could see one of them doing it.
The temptation is always there. A bit like a big button that says do not press...
@@sdgelectronics i guess it would make a good (but gory) video i guess.....:)
Steve - I have the relatively new Hakko tip cleaner which comes in at about $125 USD. It does a good job, although I wish their brushes were a bit more substantial as the Metcal unit. Agree, not everyone needs one. One thing I don't like about the Hakko is that it's "stay alive" circuit is obviously always on which does warm the case; I simply connected the wal-wart to a remote AC switch and turn it on only when I'm actually working at the bench.
I did see the Hakko FT-710, but it looked like it wouldn't work with my Metcal iron, since the end of the tip wouldn't reach the brushes. Can you remove that cone on the front?
Never mind, I've just found the FT-720, which I didn't know existed. That looks to be a compromise between the cheap build of the Yihua and the electronics complexity of the Metcal and JBC.
Apparently you can replace the brushes on the Yihua with the much more dense brushes from a Quick 310. Not sure if you need to modify those, or it's an instant fit. You can buy those brushes for ~$20. Seems like a good upgrade if you're going for the Yihua. Video where I saw this: ruclips.net/video/d_ehu0AaFG8/видео.html
Been eyeing one of the JBCs for a long time actually. Afaik HAKKO made one at some point too and I think there's still knockoffs of that one on AliExpress too. My main reason to get one is because my brass sponge flicks the molten solder all over my desk. Now I don't mind it on the desk, but it also sticks to the walls and whatever project you're working on.
That was my main complaint with the Pace stand actually, the brass wool doesn't sit deep enough to prevent solder flicking everywhere which is when I started to look for some other options. I've seen two Hakko units, one looks very crappy with open brushes. The other one wouldn't work with my Metcal station as the brushes are too far away from the opening in the front!
have a look on the new hakko ft-720 ! 150$ CAD and it seem the best value
@@simonspeaker Looking at the video about this on Hakko's channel this doesn't seem that much better built than the Yihua. Just a basic DC motor driving thin brushes, put in a plastic housing. Could be a good deal for $50, not for $150 imo.
@@simonspeaker just watched a video on the FT720 on Hakko USAs channel. The brushes on that unit look similar if not worse than the Yihua 200C
@@SebastiaanSwinkels Yeah Hakko looks like garbage inside. But most likely the Yihua used the wrong plastic, Hakko says they are high temperature: "The FT-720 is equipped with long life fluoroplastic brushes that minimize temperature drop of soldering iron".
Best thumbnail! Haven't seen Kenneth Williams in a long, long time. Now I feel like finding a copy of "Carry On Up The Jungle" to watch this weekend :)
Where i used to work there was an ancient tip cleaner, like this, but instead of two metal brushes it used to sponge rollers, Best of both worlds? I could never find the brand.
Wow. Haven't expected this kind of video at all. My deepest respect and thanks!
I think I'd prefer the Yihua. Easier to maintain, nothing that can't be easily replaced. A bit of plastic could solve the splatter issue.
It is crazy that they use 24V in to a 5V regulator. I will have expected 9 max 12V and as for the 25V capacitor that was probably designed with at most a 19Vdc power supply in mind. Most Laptop power supply are 19V so maybe they considered one of those still they are overkill in therms of power. And those prices are crazy but I think this is just a very low volume item and thus the reason for the price.
The Yihua has a good start and maybe they can improve the design if there is enough demand for such a product.
It's a good point, I'm sure the stepper will run quite happily on a lower voltage so could be worth just swapping the AC adaptor out for something to give more margin. I'm not sure how many they sell, but mine is only serial number 1001...
@@sdgelectronics I guess they started at 1000 so congratulation on getting the second unit ever produced :)
I'm fairly certain that the capacitor voltage rating is perfectly fine. The unit is designed to run off of a regulated AC adapter...so it should be 24V +/- some small number. If one takes into account the voltage drop across the diode and some small IR losses in the connector and wiring, the potential across the capacitor will be safely below the 25V rating of the capacitor. IMO...
@@CDN_Torsten It came with a switch-mode power supply. The output measured 24.33V
Sorry I'll disagree, a wet sponge has no place on a soldering bench.
JBC claims: "There is no need to clean black flux residue from chrome surface of a tip. It is just unattractive but it does not affect soldering performance or tip integrity."
I find the sponge is adequate but not perfect, but to remove solder I just bang the handle on the table and let the inertia flick the solder off. I suppose if you find a single fine brush you could make a simple tip buffer with a cheap low speed motor.
I have the metcal, love it. Brushes do need to be cleaned and refluffed or replaced (trying to find a generic cheaper brushes... lol) Mine sounds pretty louder than that though, maybe its a bad stepper or its vibrating, I tried taping the tray and stuff its still pretty loud (resonates) maybe my pwm is noisier not sure..
I actually have a video lol , mfg said it was normal.. shrug ruclips.net/video/fJXtQfd6nOQ/видео.html
Mine doesn't have the resonance that you describe or show in your video. You could use a pencil with an eraser on the end to touch parts inside the box to pinpoint the resonance, but there's really not a lot in there. Maybe it's a noisy stepper or the current on the TI chip was set differently?
@@sdgelectronics @tablatronix Those brushes spin even slower than I thought (couldn't really see it that well in the video). I took a small clip of my CLMU-A for reference: imgur.com/a/aoFALNz
@@jeffrey308 Thanks for the video. Does the JBC use a standard DC motor? Certainly seems to flick the solder off the tip like the Yihua, meaning it's very quick to use. From some brief soldering the solder collects nicely in the tray without going everywhere in the Metcal unit, but it does take a bit longer to use.
@@sdgelectronics I've never took it apart, but since it clearly has some 'intelligent' speed control I suspect it's a stepper motor. When you put a decent amount of force against the brushes it clearly delivers more power to the brushes... if you pull out the tip after this (hehehe) the brushes speed up for half a second and then goes back to it's normal speed. The thing is firmware upgradable (yes, I've updated the firmware in my tip cleaner :| ), so it's more than a basic feedback control.
The JBC collects almost all the tin in it's tray, very little goed behind/next to it (see imgur.com/a/8P99zXu )
Wow, didn't even know these devices exist.
I'm amazed at how many folks below mention having one these, particularly the more expensive brand units. I'm looking at spending $100 to $200 for a soldering station, handle, rest, and some tips of various sizes and shapes. The idea of spending that much for a tip cleaner seems absurd, especially when a damp sponge and/or the brass shavings work well.
if you're soldering once a month maybe
These machines are specifically made for the American market as it's essential for them to clean their tips after 'soddering' 😁
lol-la-lol-la-lol Best comment
I've been hesitant about sponges but I think I'll reconsider reincorporating them in my day-to-day soldering task.
So long as they aren't completely soaked, they do a good job. Throw them away if there's any sign of crumbling though.
I do not need something fansy to clean my tip . This in my opinion is just luxury .
To be onest i like first to use my 599B tip cleaner to get rid of the solder and then i use the sponge for get rid of the flux .
I've never had a problem just using the brass sponge.
ooooh matron! Guess they are aimed at someone who wll be doing lots of soldering.👍👍
Immediate thumbs up for the thumbnail.
There are other options that are cheaper nowadays on both Conrad and RS-components. Would be nice to see how they compare.
i’ve not used a wet sponge since i got a brass sponge, i think they don’t work.
i am annoyed by the tiny solder particles that get everywhere though. might try and engineer a solution- though i think mine might look more like a hole in the side of a coke can 😂 keep it simple stupid
I could see the metcal cleaner being very convenient but I wonder how long the brass brushes last. The cost of the unit itself is not too bad but Id be concerned about having to replace the brushes too often at $50 a pop.
Time will tell. I do a fair amount of soldering so I'm sure I'll be mentioning/complaining when I pay out for new brushes.
Great vid, I suppose if both units require some level of modification then do the metcal brushes fit in the cheaper unit? wondering what the performance would be like then, then perhaps just limit the current on the motor slightly to slow it down? though a 3D printed design is tempting :)
You could definitely Frankenstein some higher quality brushes into the Yihua. I think a DIY design from the start would probably achieve better results though.
Interesting, I did not know these existed. I am just a hobbyist. Therefore I have no use for these. I tried the metal wooly things but are not to happy with them for regular use. Although they do a better job with the worse crap on the tip. I got fed up replacing the regular (Weller) sponges. So I changed to a piece of folded up coton fabric. (T-shirt :-) Honestly, a sponge works better. But this piece of T-shirt just does not wear out although it is a bit more work getting the tin of the tip. But it doubles up as a "heat sink" for desoldered smd parts. Maybe not nessesary, or even bad, but I like to cool down my desoldered smd parts quick. I think (hope) they than have less wear of the heating.
I made on of these. I found it severely detinned the tip in short order.
Sorry, I'm still a little confused about how to use these. Are you supposed to put the whole soldering iron in, and for a long time? Or something different?
Just poke the tip in before every solder joint (or few), just as you would wipe the tip on the sponge or in the brass wool
@@sdgelectronics I'm sorry, the answer we were looking for was "Just the tip, and only for a minute".
Good thumbnail!
Excellent overview, thank you for this video. I saw the Yihua one on AliExpress and I was wondering whether it is useful.
Seriously how crazy you have to be to design an iron tip cleaner with a microcontroller, a magnetic field sensor IC, a stepper motor and a driver for it!
For God's sake, the only task of this device is to rotate the brushes when a soldering tip appears in the hole, not to land on the moon!
Yihua 200C, despite the shortcomings that should be corrected, for example by replacing brushes with ones that are not bald, is priced reasonably and, above all, it is a simple device.
The solutions should be as simple as possible but not simpler.
P.S. Thank you for the review, it turned out very nice.
I have a Hakko one on order for work and I'm curious to see how it works in comparison now!
I came for Kenneth, stayed to see how 200 quid looked on a small motor with brushes..
Would love to see someone do a DIY version. Price really is absurd.
ps. Hope this time my comment goes through, YT keeps deleting my comments (or rather replies to comments I guess) on your other videos. :(
For DIY, the brushes look like those used for cleaning rifle barrels.
great video! follow up after a few weeks, please! I could never justify the price, but if you think so, i might just get one.
I'll definitely give an update with further use. I don't think many can justify the Metcal or JBC ones though for home use.
@@sdgelectronics I have the JBC hot tweezer station. It can be very delicate to clean by pushing into the brass wool (i broke a tip gently trying to clean the tips). And it is kind of difficult to get clean with the sponge. Do you have any hot tweezers to try these units with?
Good point, yes, I've just tried it and it works well with the tweezer tips I have. Some of the larger ones (probably bigger than 6mm) would not fit though.
So 200 pounds for inductive switch and some brushes, i would be ok with it if not for the plastic gears and crappy capacitor
Makes you figure you can save so much cleaning your stuff yourself
I just got mine today.
Did you manage to get a good price?
@@sdgelectronics Well. About 2500 NOK. So, 220 pund i guess. Everything is expensive in Norway, due to 25% sales tax.
I ordered the Metcal MX-UK4 kit Also, so Even more money after watching your videos…..
First I thought the 3rd one on the bench was a electronic jbc tip cleaner
Maybe i will try the yihua
True Brit
"Hopefully" limit reached.
Nice thumbnail.
Thanks, but not thanks!
I also feel the same way about electric knife sharpeners. The idea sounds great, the real life results not so great.
Better to take good care of tips and knifes, do some gentle hand polishing if/when needed - than mindlessly poke it into a grinder.
It's definitely not for everyone and the plain sponge has served me well for 30 years...
Horrifically priced! LOL! You can probably make one from an old pencil sharpener. You might want to bend the internal bristles towards each other to tighten the gap.
Good grief I can't believe this is even a product, who on earth thinks this is a great idea ? and at 250 quid, who's buying this ? its nuts ! this whole idea of scratching the plated surface is barmy in the first place, it has to do more damage than a damp sponge and I have been using an iron for a very long time, a damp sponge works perfectly fine it always has and always will, this will wear you tip considerably more than the sponge, the manufacturers know this and want you to replace tip's more often, you can buy solid tip cleaners that if used once a month will remove any stubborn build up but if you need more than this consider buying some decent solder, in my opinion you realy took one for the team here.....
Technically, the brass is softer than any plating on the tip so it should not cause damage, but I can't say if that's actually the case since I have no idea what they specifically plate these modern soldering tips with. I think you can also get various grades of brushes to make things gentler on the tip. Like you say, the damp sponge is perfectly good enough for most, though the brass wool or these tip cleaners are good to get rid of the slightly more crusty deposits. I've seen these mainly used in assembly houses at the rework stations.
@@sdgelectronics The price made me very angry, its incredible !
@@andymouse The issue with a damp sponge (especially if it’s too wet, as many people do) is that the thermal shock of evaporating the water can actually cause microscopic cracks in the plating, especially at the higher temperatures for lead-free. That’s why it wasn’t a problem in the past but is now.
I’ve been using brass wool for years and it works great. It’s not harsh at all.
Brass or fiberglass brushes are handy for weird tip shapes that a sponge or brass wool can’t get into.
Looks like a pencil sharpener.
The most infuriating and demeaning thing about this video is how ppl put up with such huge taxes on basically any product. Humanity has been domesticated to the point that they accept as normal exorbitant taxes imposed on their basic daily activities, as if living and earning your living is a sin that needs to be expiated for to the overlords that are themselves beyond filthy rich and unaccountable, and whose riches are not only beyond taxable, but are the taxes that they collect from the enslaved and the domesticated.
First electric screwdrivers, now this..
Wouldn't use one even for free.
My coworker, a graybeard electronics guy, uses one and swears by it. It’s an old Swiss made unit (Clean-o-point, I think) that uses two counter-rotating sponges that rotate at different speeds, so that the sponges clean the solder off themselves. I’ll admit, his tips remain in _excellent_ condition.
200-300 quid for a motor and some little spinning brushes. Overengineered madness. Not really any more useful than a copper scourer ball. That yihua one looks completely pants too.
Ah, too bad, we have reached click bait "Oh face" thumbnails, time to unsubscribe. Good luck for the future !
Either you missed the joke or somehow you don't know who Kenneth Williams is????
@@aptsys probably both.. enlighten me.
@@tinygriffy The joke is the euphemism "polishing your tip", and Kenneth - oooh matron!! From the carry on films.
@@aptsys Well thank you for enlightening me, I did not know Carry on Matron, but I like it very much. :)
Probably I am a little biased, because I saw a couple channels "go down" on that stupid "Oh face" YT algorithm thing.. (which i despise "beyond measure". ) I hope that stays a singleton with meaningful background !. Till then.
PS: I have a block of pure rosin on a hard sponge soaked in oil based flux.. works a treat.
PPS: oRikPSysfu4 .. for anyone else who is interested