In our Eleshop assortment we sell a wide range of hot air soldering stations. Hot air soldering stations are used, among other things, for desoldering and soldering SMD components, for example when the pins are under the component, but also for shrinking heat shrink tubing. In order to make a good choice between all stations, we have selected four stations and compared them with each other.

The stations

Aoyue 852

De Aoyue 852 has the lowest amount of power, 500 W, and the lowest maximum airflow, 23 L/min, of these four hot air solderstations. The temperature range of the Aoyue ranges between 100 °C en 480 °C. The temperature and the airflow are adjustable with rotary knobs and readible from the display. De airflow is being shown with the help of a metal ball in a small tube. This station uses a compressor and therefore has a transport screw under the housing. This screw must be removed before use. The price is the lowest compared to the other stations.


Atten ST-8800D

The Atten ST-8800D hot air soldering station has a power of 800 W and, like the last two hot air soldering stations, has a maximum airflow rate of 120 L/min and a temperature range of 100 °C to 500 °C. This hot air soldering station is the only one of the four stations that uses a fan which is inside the soldering iron. As a result, only a thin power cable goes from the station to the soldering iron and the station is a lot smaller and lighter. A disadvantage of this is that with nozzles with a small diameter, much less air is blown through the nozzle. Furthermore, the station has some extra functions such as an automatic sleep function when you put the soldering iron back in the soldering iron holder, an overheating notification, a good cooling system and 3 buttons to save temperatures and air speeds for quick use. The price of this station is also slightly higher than the price of the Aoyue.


Atten ST-862D

The Atten ST-862D hot air soldering station, just like the Quick 861DW, has a power of 1000 W and a maximum air speed of 120 L / min. The station uses a compressor and has even more functions than the Atten ST-8800D and the Quick 861DW. The ST-862D has a button on the soldering iron, with which the soldering iron can be switched on and off manually and with a long press of the button, you can switch between hot and cold air. This station has the second highest price of the four stations.


Quick 861DW

The Quick 861DW has, like the Atten ST-862D, a power of 1000 W and a maximum airflow rate of 120 L/min. This station also uses a compressor. This hot air soldering station has the same functions as the Atten ST-8800D. Compared to the Atten ST-862D, the Quick's soldering iron turns on automatically when the soldering iron is removed from the soldering iron holder.


Noise production

The noise production of these hot air soldering stations was measured with the UNI-T UT352 decibel meter at a distance of 1 meter. Furthermore, the devices were at the same temperature and the same airflow rate (23 L/min). The results of this test are shown in the table below.

Model Aoyue 852 Atten ST-8800D Atten ST-862D Quick 861DW
Noise production 50.5 dB 48.8 dB 45.9 dB 31.6 dB

Conclusion

The price of the Aoyue 852 and the Atten ST-8800D are the lowest and are very close to each other, but are very different in terms of additional functions and performance. Compared to the performance and built-in functions, the ST-8800D beats the Aoyue. But if, for example, more power is needed when soldering or desoldering larger components, these hot air soldering stations are not enough. Then it is better to look at the 1000 W soldering stations of the Atten and the Quick. The difference between these two soldering stations is in the small differences such as the extra functions, the user-friendliness and the main difference the price, because the price is a lot lower from the ST-862D compared to the Quick 861DW.

Ultimately, we recommend the Atten ST-862D as the best choice for a hot air soldering station due to the combination of the amount of power that makes the station suitable for large components, the extra functions and the price.


Model Aoyue 852 Atten ST-8800D Atten ST-862D Quick 861DW
Power 500 W 800 W 1000 W 1000 W
Maximum airflow rate 23 L/min 120 L/min 120 L/min 120 L/min
Air supply Compressor Fan Compressor Compressor
Additional functionalities
Price € € €€ €€€