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I’ve considered that before but never actually got one. For soldering SMD a small hotplate was a difference like day and night already. How cheap could I get away with when buying a hot air station/gun?
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The Quick 861DW has been a hobbyist favorite for a long time, and comes in at ~$300 (USD)
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An 858-style station costs roughly 1/10th of that and should be fine for hobbyist use; many commercial repair shops use them too.
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Or similar/clones, like the Atten ST-862D.
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