Hot tweezers

Aug 28, 2025 Last reply: 10 months ago 9 Replies
P

I’ve been doing some engineering changes on a batch of boards. They’re super low noise preamps for induction coil LF receivers, with negative capacitance and noiseless damping, so the high intrinsic Q of the coils doesn’t limit the bandwidth.



The rework is to accommodate a new batch of coils with improved characteristics. But that’s not what I want to ask about.



The rework involves replacing several 0603 passives on each board. My Metcal hot tweezers are a pain for this.



The usual method is to pull the old part off, tin the pads and touch them with a flux pen, then pick up the new part with the hot tweezers, drop it in place, and press on. When this works, it’s easy and reasonably fast, and it leaves a good-looking result.



I can desolder them fine. However, when putting in the new part, the Metcal tweezers squirm around enough that it’s hard to ensure that both ends contact the pads the same way.



Have any of you got a favorite brand of hot tweezers for small SMTs?



Cheers



Phil Hobbs


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J

The JBC ones align the tips pretty well, but they are quite expensive. Dave Jones reviewed a cheap pair recently (Sequre HT-140) which seemed to do the job. I think they were only about £50.

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M

I find hot air easier, but it takes longer to do. Cheers

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T

Yes, micro nozzle hot air gun and the coils ( any component) will self align....

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C

You can't go far wrong with HAKKO ones, Phil. Even I can use them to good effect.

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J

The Hallo 1003? It's crap. It's like trying to use chopsticks when all your fingers have been cut off.

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S

I'm using Weller WXMT MS / WMRT MS (have both WXR3 and WR3M stations) with different tips and quite happy with those.

Probably should buy their new WXMTS and WXUTS tweezers but quite happy with older ones that I have a whole bunch of tips for.

WXUTS might be nice sometimes but for those bigger parts small size is not all that critical so my old WTA50 tweezers are totally adequate. It is a fancy feeling when you work with a tiny tool with a heavy tip and lots of power like e.g. my rarely used WTP90 and WXP90. The iron is tiny and very light but with a proper tip it melts solder on heavy capacitor leads on multi-layer boards in no time. Very fancy :)

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P

Thanks, all. I just got a set of the Sequre HT140 ones, which look like the business.

I’ll try them out tomorrow when I’m in the lab.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

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P

Pretty good for the price.

The trick seems to be to tin and flux the pads, then drag the tweezer tips backwards across the pads so that the solder melts before the part touches it.

I reworked 12 boards in an hour or so.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

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