Hakko FA400-04 - Smoke Absorber

Works exactly as it should. I think a lot of people reviewing extractors don't have the most reasonable expectations for how these things work (which is a physics problem, not a problem with Hakko). I'll try to briefly cover why this unit is just fine for its price and promise.Pros:Quick setup and use. Pop the filter onto the front grate, plug it in, flip the switch. You're extracting.Good extraction. Anything close to the unit will be pulled through. As the manual notes, the most efficient use of the unit is to lay it face-down with your soldering job directly in front of the unit on your bench, so that the fumes go straight into the unit's lower grill. Used this way, the unit is amazing. Set upright, it does a better job generally clearing a room, e.g. if your shop is full of smoke and you need to leave the unit on for a while to process as much air in the room as it can. Either way, it does exactly what it promises.Hakko also sells a desktop arm. Really, the best way to extract maximum fumes with a unit of this sort would be to buy an arm to hold the unit right above your workspace. The hot fumes naturally rise, meaning it's much easier for the extractor to catch them. If you really want the most bang possible for your buck, fashion some way to hold this unit over your project.Cons / Explaining PhysicsWill not suck air from three feet away. Sorry kids, but physics doesn't work that way. There's no way for a simple fan unit to be able to input a column of air from a distance. What the fan does, is create a low-pressure zone directly in front of the unit. That means air rushes into the unit in a roughly semi-spherical pattern. Yes, you will have to put your soldering job right in front of the unit to get efficient extraction. No, there's nothing Hakko can do to fix that, nor anyone else. If fumes really concern you and you can't get your unit closer to the extractor, either ventilate your whole room (wear a mask and get a restaraunt-style extractor hood), or get an arm to mount this unit directly over your workspace.Isn't deathly silent. I see a lot of people complaining, and really this unit is exactly as loud as fan this size would be sucking air through a filter. It's quiet for its class, although I'm sure it's relatively loud right by your ear under perfectly laboratory conditions. In a real workshop, this is the normal sound of a quality fan. No big deal.The only real con: The slightly bulky plastic construction, although rugged, does cut down on the airflow a bit. This is a smart compromise, valuing durability over raw efficiency, so it's hard to argue. But a little more design effort might have led to let's say 10% more airflow without hurting the durability.Overall: There's a reason this Hakko unit is beloved by many people. It's pretty much exactly what you expect. Get one.Extra tip: If you want your filter to last a little longer you can improvise a simple mesh screen, or use some cotton batting, in front of the carbon filter. A simple screen will prevent the filter from sucking in ambient dust, while still processing all the bad stuff that comes through.

When I started in electronics we really didn't have much concern about lead in solder. I have spent years of my life hunched over a soldering bench breathing in who-knows-what not to mention the various solvents we sprayed on parts to clean them. I'm lucky I did not contract some awful malady from abusing my lungs like this. Who knew? The things we do for a paycheck, right? Now I know better. Lead solder is harmful. Wash hands after using. The smoke from soldering can't be much better for you. This extractor is a good investment in your health. The younger you are, the sooner you should buy one is what I am thinking. This thing is just a fan with a filter mounted in a very substantial housing. You can use it vertically or lay it down flat. Just get one. If nothing else, it stops the smoke from going up into you face and up your nose. Seriously, protect your health.

I got sucked in to the rabbit hole of mechanical keyboards, and decided to build my own custom keyboard. Probably should have went with a hot-swap PCB at first but I had already ordered a PCB from KBDfans and it was a solder PCB. So after watching hours of soldering videos and tutorials I ordered the HAKKO soldering station that is very popular and because I was going to be soldering inside, I ordered this fan as well. I set up the fan directly in front of where I was soldering and I could see the smoke get sucked in. I had to make sure I was soldering near the fan otherwise some smoke could have escaped but as long as you're near it it will suck up the smoke and you'll avoid inhaling it.Happy to report the keyboard works (using it to type this review) and the fan definitely made me feel much safer soldering inside. One final tip for beginningers like myself, get an ESD work mat but also maybe cover your entire work area with posterboard or a bigger board maybe plywood, as little pieces of flux will shoot off in all directions while soldering and you don't want to potentially ruin your kitchen countertop. Also make sure you wear eye protection, and I liked to blow while I was soldering just to guide the smoke towards the fan just to be extra safe. But yeah if you're soldering indoors I would say this product is a must-have. Sorry for the verbose review I just love typing on my new keyboard! It's like heaven for my fingers lol.

I've been soldering an analog synthesizer project with a really dense board, and got tired of inhaling all the nasty fumes. I finally sprung for one of these. I was nervous about getting one as I've read tons of bad reviews about desktop smoke absorbers.If your expectations are in line with reality for a small bench top unit, then you'll like this fan.Specifically, you'll need to solder the board right in front of the fan. On a big board (the synth board is about the size of a mini ATX), you'll need to turn the board so the part being soldered is within a few inches of the front of the fan. Unless you get an industrial quality hood, or something like you'd see over a kitchen stove, or even a small enclosed structure like my pain booth, any fan you get is going to work like that. I personally like the freedom of having this on my bench as a small unit as opposed to a large installation or a respirator.If you have a really cheap iron, the airflow may cool the tip as stated in other reviews. That's not the absorber's fault, though.Noise is fine. It's a small fan so it's not silent, but I've had computers with louder fans.I'm happy with this purchase, and so are my eyes and lungs.

I was expecting more suction. You pretty much have to work in line of sight with this device for it to work, which isn't great. But... it does work and it beats huffing chemicals, especially in close quarters.

HD cord, switch, fan motor, chassis and is a great bench top filtration fan. It’s made by Hakko, nothing else needs to be said.