[sdiy] Desolder Station?

[J.D.McEachin]

At 08:06 AM 9/29/01 -0700, patchell wrote:
>    This depends...are you attempting to replace parts or salvage parts?
>
>    To replace parts, I clip it out of the circuit with wire cutters, if at all posible (this is generally the case with IC's, resistors, most capacitors, etc).  I
>then heat the pads up one at a time and remove the rest of the leads one at a time.  Then I just use a cheap desolder pump (basically a spring loaded plunger in a
>tube), and suck the solder out of each hole. 

Chip replacement.  This is EXACTLY how I do things now.  Like I said, I have A LOT of desoldering to do, and if I use this method, I'm going get "Nintendo Thumb" from pressing the plunger on the sucker so many times.

I should have been clearer - I'm not interested in wick, bulbs, suckers, or blowtorches; I want a DESOLDER STATION with a vacuum pump, one that's dependable, easy to clean, and not the cheapest or most expensive.  I have A LOT of desoldering to do.  

Thanks again,
JDM

PS Went through the archives and I appreciate the tips on solder and soldering irons!