Engineer SS-02 Solder Suction Device

Its a nice looking solder sucker, but there are many design flaws here. I dont understand why anyone would like this sucker and I question the reviews quite frankly. Its not a good value because its sooo UN-reliable - you WILL get frustrated if you buy this thing - I bought two of them and I gave up. If you are doing a job, then make sure you have another ones handy and ready to use. The SS-02 will fail at the worst moment possible. When I first got it, I spent the money to get what I thought would be the best. I ignored all of the negative reviews talking about how it will jam or clog up easily, I shouldve listened and went the other way. The Ergonomic Handle is a piece of slick metal tubing that you should wrap some grip tape around to make it easier to spring load with one hand. The special silicone tip, is a snippet of tubing that actually works very well - its literally the best part of the sucker. It does backfire when decompressed and jars the project youre working on but thats the nature of the beast. Just squeeze it tighter in your had and that will absorb the shock, rather hold it like a pen which will amplify the jarring. My biggest complaint is that it clogs CONSTANTLY and it is very time consuming to fix it every time it quits working. I use anti-stik weld slag repellent / lubricant like what came inside of it originally, and it still does not hold up. Im constantly drilling out the tip and finishing it with a tip file so not to widen the whole at all and keep the surface smooth inside. ( I am a metal fabricator BTW) A soldering gun will not loosen the bits that harden inside the tip so that doesnt work. If the makers are listening, you really really need to replace the metal cone end where it unscrews with a heat resistant plastic. The metal is cold and hardens the solder instantly as it tries to pass through the canal. It cools too fast - before it can be sucked past the inside of the tip,.. it just becomes a solid plug soldering itself shut and the cleaning rod will not push it out. If you push too hard, it will bend the shaft and affect performance after until you take it all apart and straighten it perfectly to line up with the hole again. I have never had a cheapie blue and silver plastic solder sucker clog, not ever. I went and bought some silicone heat resistant tubing at a automotive store for $1 and put the tips on them myself with lots extra to spare, because it works so well. Theyre so cheap, I just keep 5-6 of them laying there cocked and ready so nothing interrupts the job. Then I reload them and do it again. This ends up being cheaper times over than this thing was - and much faster too. Because solder does not stick to plastic tips. Whoever engineered this thing, just wasnt thinking. If you buy it, I hope it works for you more than a few jobs. If it doesnt then you should tell people so maybe the company will fix the issue. If they did, this would be a really good quality solder sucker. But right now, it eats up a lot of time and money being unreliable. I suspect many people who write their reviews, do it after the first use while theyre excited and happy. Then it fails and they never get around to mentioning the let down and frustration it caused them. I just dont see how it could possibly last considering the issues it has. IDK, thats just me I guess. Every time I get it working, it fails after a few times all over again and I waited too long to return it so its trash. Have a good one and good luck!

Great solder sucker, I would hand-down recommend this one over the $5 cheap plastic plunger style solder suckers or even the one with the manual pump. This one actually is able to suction smaller joints while the others cant at all. And it is easy to clear out any stuck debris. The only better solder sucker would be the powered solder suckers that are for more geared towards professional use.

Was using a plastic tool previously and its like night and day. I wish it were cheaper, but with how well it works I can justify the purchase. Didnt get clogged up to where it needed to be disassembled, everything came right out when pressing the plunger, the suction is great and 9 times out of 10 gets all the solder the first try, and made this part of the project enjoyable rather than a loathsome hassle. Would absolutely recommend.

was highly recommended by some people in the mechanical keyboard community, and Im glad I picked one up

The replaceable high temperature nozzle is a plus. Overall the device is well suited for desoldering a multi layer PCB populated with small to medium sized pin components. I used it to repair a refrigerator control board that had failed form C PCB mount relays. I managed to remove the defective parts and open the plate through holes to put the new relays on.

It works amazingly well! I was surprised. Very pleased with my purchase. Highly recommend

It works amazing every time. 100% recommended

Probably the nicest solder sucker ever made, and works great. The silicone nib for a tip conforms to uneven joints making a better air seal. The anodized aluminum construction is fun to fiddle with, too, when not actually using it. If you use one of these tools occasionally, its well worth picking this up!

This is the only solder sucker you should ever buy. It is worth every penny. I’ve been using mine for about 6 months now and no signs of wear or degraded performance. No other solder sucker works as well and trust me, I’ve tried more than enough to know this. I still find the need for solder wick once in a while. But it is very seldom that I find myself using it nowadays.

Doing small solder pads works great with this - definitely an upgrade. However, doing larger solder pads make a blockage that needs to be manually cleared upon every actuation: very cumbersome.