Hello

For my own needs, I realise a BGA reworking station would be great for hacks. Moreover, I could let a friend operate it to the soldering instead of depending on the external company for the Z hacks.

So I think I may get one.

This one seems interesting (bga reballing to perform CPU swaps, etc), but quite expansive at >5k:
http://www.zeph.com/zt-7.htm

This one is $150, but I wonder how well it may perform.
http://search.ebay.com/7611942555

I would certainly need additional reballing stuff:
http://search.ebay.com/7611294778

Anyway, I'm no pro so I'd rather ask here for suggestions before doing anything. It'd be even better if I could it a used station from within the EU to avoid having to pay duties.

Guylhem

These people make them for other comapnies and sell their own. They are not top quality but I don't think your looking for 1000 units a day for 20 years.

http://www.aoyue.com/en/products.asp

Just checked your links and the eBay one is an Aoyue. I have several of the things they make and have no problem with them.

I have a 968 rework / soldering station and the iron is really good. I normally use a Weller iron, temp controlled but I do prefer the Aoyue to that. The rework part is good and comes with several tips for different shaped chips, there is a full range available.

I also have a 950 tweezer set which is OK but I find the tips a bit to big for modern SM. It's fine for stuff that is a few years old when SM components were a bit bigger.

I just sold an Aoyue pick up tool on eBay, couldn't live with thnoise and din't need it, tweezers work fine still, I don't do enough to need a vacumn tool.

For desoldering I use a Pace, I don't think you can beat them with anything.

I'm no expert in alll that, but I guess that you suggest I get a 968 - so I'll try to! Any suggestion for a tweezer?

Another question - to swap the nand and ram chips (that's for a old SL-6000 project :-) which tips would I need on the 968?

Guylhem

Everything i have read about this stuff has bassically said DIY your own equipment as the extra cost gives no extra benifit for the CASUAL user, only when you are doing it all day long as a job is when there may be a small benifit, i have a couple of articles and there was some info on hackaday.com as well but it seems very easy to build somthing lixe this with a small gas soldering iorn and a pic, an electric iorn would also suffice if you add some fins and a blower to the iorn

then again it could jush be personal preferance, i would rather build somthing like this than pay for somthing youcould build far alot cheaper