At Eleshop we are often asked what the differences are between This article explains the differences in suction power and noise production between four of our solder vapour extractors.
The solder vapour extractors covered in this article are the:
The Quick 6101A1 is a
The filter system of this extractor consists of 3 filters (prefilter, middle filter, main filter). It is also possible to adjust the suction power of this extractor with a wired remote control. This extractor comes with a flexible extraction arm with round head, 6 pre-filters, 1 centre filter and 1 main filter.
The Weller Zero Smog kit 1 is a
The extractor has a pre-, active carbon and HEPA filter (H13) that captures 99.97% of all particles larger than 0.3 μm. There is also a built-in filter check that indicates when the main filter needs replacing and has four different extraction speeds that can be adjusted with the buttons on the extractor. The Zero-Smog-EL kit 1 is supplied as standard without an exhaust pipe. (Please note! The extractor has the possibility to connect 2 extraction arms but you will have to order these separately).
The Hakko FA430 is a
The extractor has a pre- and HEPA filter (H13) that captures 99.97% of all particles larger than 0.3 μm. There is also a built-in filter check that indicates when the pre- and main filters need to be replaced. Furthermore, the FA430 has three different extraction speeds that can be adjusted with the buttons on the extractor. Please note! The FA430 is supplied without a suction tube. This can be ordered separately via the FA430 product page.
The Eleshop
and
are two identical extractors in terms of internal specifications with the only difference that the FE1B is ESD-safe and the FE1W is not. The prices of the FE1B and FE1W are
These extractors have a pre-, HEPA filter (H13) and a main filter that collect 99.97% of all particles larger than 0.3 μm. Furthermore, these extractors have a rotary knob with which the suction power can easily be adjusted.
The Aoyue FEK-01 is a
This extractor also has an adjustable suction power and features an active carbon filter and HEPA filter. The filter in this extractor is an E11 filter which means that approximately 97% of the particles are collected. Furthermore, two extraction arms, two extraction heads with lighting and two active carbon sub-filters are supplied as standard.
The suction power and noise levels of each of these extractors have been tested for four different suction modes. The results of these tests can be seen below.
Suction power
Attention! The suction power for all extractors is measured with 1 hose connected. For the extractors with several connections the remaining connetor is covered.The suction power of each of these extractors is measured with an anemometer and is displayed in m3/h.
All four extractors are adjustable in suction power. For each extractor we made four measurements that will be displayed from low suction power (mode 1) to high suction power (mode 4) (the Hakko FA430 has only 3 suction modes so for this one the measurement is only done for 3 modes). These results can be found in the table and graph below.
| Model | Modus 1 | Modus 2 | Modus 3 | Modus 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick 6101A1 | 89.7 m3/h | 115.1 m3/h | 143.2 m3/h | 175.3 m3/h |
| Weller Zero-Smog kit 1 | 76.2 m3/h | 116.1 m3/h | 147.5 | 182.6 m3/h |
| Hakko FA430 | - | 191.4 m3/h | 293.1 m3/h | 319.6 m3/h |
| Eleshop FE1B/FE1W | 133.5 m3/h | 166.4 m3/h | 209.4 m3/h | 288.7 m3/h |
| Aoyue FEK-01 | 104.9 m3/h | 115.8 m3/h | 121.2 m3/h | 122.6 m3/h |
Noise production
The noise production of these solder fume extractors for each of the four modes is measured with the UNI-T UT352 decibel meter at a distance of 1 meter. The results of this test can be seen and heard in the video below. When you only see the differences in dB, you will find a table below the video with the noise information of these extractors.| Model | Modus 1 | Modus 2 | Modus 3 | Modus 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick 6101A1 | 55 dB | 57 dB | 63 dB | 69 dB |
| Weller Zero-Smog kit 1 | 54 dB | 64 dB | 67 dB | 76 dB |
| Hakko FA430 | - | 61 dB | 68 dB | 71 dB |
| Eleshop FE1B/FE1W | 50 dB | 54 dB | 57 dB | 62 dB |
| Aoyue FEK-01 | 64 dB | 64 dB | 64 dB | 65 dB |
Conclusion
The FEK-01 is the cheapest extractor of the four. Compared to the other 3 extractors, it makes quite a lot of noise, especially in the low modes. In addition, the suction power is a lot lower than that of the other extractors. Also, for the simultaneous extraction of 2 workstations, a suction power of 50-60 m3/h is required. When two extraction arms are installed and the filter is not completely new, the FEK-01 will probably have difficulty achieving this extraction power. Furthermore, the filter in the Aoyue is not really suitable for use in a professional environment.
Nevertheless
the FEK-01 is an excellent extractor for a small/hobby workplace.
The Quick hangs a bit between the Aoyue and the rest. It has a better suction power than the Aoyue but the range from low suction power to high suction power is smaller than the rest. In terms of noise production the Quick 6101A1 is a lot quieter than the Weller and Hakko which makes it very suitable for large/professional workplaces where sound also plays a role.
The Weller is only inferior to the Hakko and Eleshop extractors in terms of suction power. In the lowest mode it can extract more gently than the other 4 and also makes little noise in this low mode. In the higher modes this sound rises rapidly in dB which makes it significantly louder than the rest. Furthermore, this extractor will
only provide enough suction power in the higher modes to suction 2 workplaces at the same time. This extractor
will therefore also be best used in workplaces where noise is not a major problem.
The Hakko is a beast when it comes to suction power because in all modes it stands out strongly above the other 4 extractors. This does not permeate 1 on 1 in the sound because, for the extraction power, it is average in sound production. Whether this high suction power is a good feature in every situation is questionable (think work with light components) but in terms of raw suction power, the Hakko FA430 is the extraction king. This makes the Hakko suitable for two workplaces at the same time, even in the lower position.
The Eleshop FE1B/FE1W extractors are in terms of price/quality the best extractors in this list. The suction power of these extractors is only inferior to that of the Hakko but this difference is marginal. In addition, these extractors are the quietest of all the extractors in this list, which also makes them very suitable for use in rooms with an office function, or where clients or patients are received. In addition to the good specifications, compared to the Weller and Hakko, they also do this for a very attractive price. This is because Eleshop has these produced under its own brand name with the latest generation of silent/efficient motors. So you don't pay for the brand, but you do pay for good extraction power and the lowest noise production. That is why these extractors are recommended as best from the test.
