Shortlist · Bench accessories
Soldering bench add-ons
Add-ons for a home soldering bench once the station is chosen: a 7-inch digital microscope, two bench smoke absorbers and spare C245 tips.
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Once the station is sorted
A station gets you soldering. These add-ons make the work easier to see, healthier to breathe and more flexible.
Magnification
Hayve 7‑inch 1200X digital microscope (DM9)
Pick it if: Small surface-mount parts and phone-board repair
- Why it's here
- A 7-inch screen microscope sold by a store named 'Hayve Official Store', so you work looking at a screen rather than through eyepieces.
- Watch out
- Working distance and field of view are not stated, and '1200X' is a marketing figure. We have not confirmed who runs the store.
- Tip ecosystem
- Not stated
- Heater power (stated)
- Not stated
- Mains voltage variant
- Not stated
- Plug type
- Not stated
Fume control (120 V, maker-documented)
Hakko FA‑400 bench smoke absorber (120 V, carbon filter)
Pick it if: Occasional soldering, used close to the joint with the room ventilated
- Why it's here
- American Hakko lists the FA400-04 as a 120 V North American model, and its spec table shows a MET Labs safety mark.
- Watch out
- The standard filter is activated carbon, not HEPA, which HSE says limits bench boxes. We have not looked the MET mark up in MET's directory. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or Hakko.
- Tip ecosystem
- Not stated
- Heater power (stated)
- Not stated
- Mains voltage variant
- 110-120V
- Plug type
- Not stated
Values are the manufacturer's specs unless marked.
Fume absorber with helping hands
YIHUA 948DQ‑I fume extractor with helping hands
Pick it if: Regular soldering indoors
- Why it's here
- A bench extractor with two helping hands, sold with a US plug option.
- Watch out
- Filter effectiveness is unverified, the AliExpress listing gives the voltage only as 'Others', and it is not a substitute for ventilation. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or YIHUA OFFICIAL STORE before you buy.
- Tip ecosystem
- Not stated
- Heater power (stated)
- Not stated
- Mains voltage variant
- Not stated
- Plug type
- A/B
Values are the seller's claims unless marked.
Spare tips (C245)
HZY C245‑series replacement tips
Pick it if: C245 stations needing extra tip shapes
- Why it's here
- Third-party C245-format tips sold in shapes including C245-K (knife) and C245-I (conical), for C245 handles such as the one the YIHUA 982-III seller lists in its C245 set.
- Watch out
- Fit to a specific handle and tip quality are unverified. These are C245-compatible tips, not genuine JBC parts.
- Tip ecosystem
- C245
- Heater power (stated)
- Not stated
- Mains voltage variant
- Not stated
- Plug type
- Not stated
Values are the seller's claims unless marked.
What to judge them by
- Microscope: working distance, not "X". Digital magnification figures depend on the screen; Andonstar, for example, quotes up to 300x for its AD409 on a 27-inch monitor.[1] The space under the lens matters more: AmScope quotes 200 mm for its SM-6TZ stereo microscope.[2] The Hayve listing states neither working distance nor field of view.
- Smoke absorber: capture, filters and ventilation. The UK's Health and Safety Executive lists rosin flux fume as a top cause of occupational asthma and says bench-mounted boxes are of limited use unless fitted with a HEPA filter.[3] The EPA adds that filtration does not replace ventilation.[4] Neither pick has a HEPA filter. Hakko's FA-400 is the better documented: American Hakko lists the FA400-04 as a 120 V North American model, its spec table shows a MET Labs mark, and its standard filter is activated carbon.[5] The YIHUA listing gives its voltage only as "Others" but adds helping hands.
- Spare tips: the right system. These are C245-compatible tips. The YIHUA 982-III seller lists a C245 set, but a YIHUA-branded spec page shows only C115 and C210 handles, so confirm which handle you have before ordering.[6]
The microscopes overview and fume extraction overview explain each choice in more depth.