FR-301 Portable Desoldering Tool

Good value for someone who knows what they are getting. Yes, this is the eastern Japanese version. Eastern Japan's electrical grid is 100v at 50hz. Western Japan is 110/120v at 60hz. Two different power grids on one island country.This can be made to safely work here in North America with a simple, cheap mod. It has been listed here in the reviews, a number of electronics websites like eevblog, and even a YouTube video showing a step by step.You can also use an inverter if you have one, but it should be at least 500 watts at a minimum. The nominal wattage value for this version is approximately 100 watts. However during heatup, it can jump more than four times the nominal value. If your inverter can't deliver that, it will keep blowing it's fuses.You get everything in this version that you do with the US version with exception of the manual. Of course you get the Japanese version of that.This unit works very well for its intended purposes. It's a portable/field desoldering tool. It was never intended to be a bench tool. It is heavy compared to bench based desoldering tools. It will fatigue your wrists quickly if you try to desolder several 40 pin dip chips. I use this on arcade machines that getting the boards to the bench is more of a pita. So I can more easily bring this tool to the machine and it's grat for that. I use a couple of pace desoldering machines at the bench. They are night and day better but used in a different environment because it's the bench.You will want to get a couple of different sized tips, cleaning rods, filter packs, and a hakko 633 stand with the money you save getting this version.You can use this as a one and only desoldering tool at the bench, but be ready to learn it's quirks. It requires more frequent cleaning than a bench model, it's heavy at a couple of pounds compared to 6 to 8 oz of a bench model, and it's balanced very poorly because it needs to have the pump in the unit itself. All of this can really irritate the user unless they are aware of these issues up front.The 1.0mm included tip is a wee bit to large for many leads and you will struggle to make it work. Get a 0.8 mm for things like passive components like resistors, and capacitors.This really is a good value, for a good tool. Just mod it or use a good inverter. If you run it off 120v it will slowly overdrive and kill the pump. The single most complex and expensive item to replace. It's great for bringing the tool to the thing your working on when you can't easily work the other way.***EDIT***I just thought I would add in the fact that the heating element is the same one on the American model, and doesn't require modding. It can safely run on 100v or 120v. It's the pump that needs a pair of 300ohm resistors to replace the ones already on the circuit board. Or the power inverter. The pump replacement would have to be the Japanese model if you don't do the mod because of the power differences.

This makes desoldering (specially through hole) 1000000x faster, better and cleaner. This is a time saver! Go get yourself one! With all the difference size nozzle and quick change, you don't need your old manual pump tool.This is the JP domestic version, it supposed to only work with 100v. At 120v the pump does work at 20% higher than spec, but just think of it a turbocharged pump now. The heating element part stays fine, that part is regulated.You can research this on the internet and find way to mod the unit to spec the same as the US version.

Is it a necessary tool for desoldering, no.Does it make desoldering much easier, absolutely, but within reason (You would really only use this for thru-hole desoldering)First thing you'll notice when you get it is that it feels like a kids toy or like you're holding an overpriced hot glue gun. Having said that, it does perform much better than you would initially think. You feel no heat transference when holding the tool, the tip gets up to temperature very quickly and it sucks up the solder really quickly.It's easy to empty out the slag catch and change out the tips with the provided tools.The tool is not too big in the hand, very light, and easy to handle.

This is the 100V Japanese version with a standard USA 2 prong AC plug. If you have a Variac you can obviously set it to 100V and use without issue. After looking inside and testing, it will run "without issue" using 120V, see disclaimer below. It does not come "used", the standard practice for irons is to put solder on the tip before putting in storage to prevent oxidation.Based on the manual there are 2 major heating element part classes, 100V-127V (35 Ohms) and 220V-240V (160 Ohms). This one obviously has the 100V-127V heater. The only confusing thing about this is the OEM replacement parts list for the heater has individual SKUs for 100-110V, 120V, 127V, 220V.The the other main part is the heater temperature sensor but it is spec'd for 100V-220V so this shouldn't be a problem for using with 120V. The important point is since the heater is temperature controlled along with an available calibration potentiometer, the difference between 100V and 120V is just the duty cycle, time on in order to maintain set temperature. Because of this I don't believe there is any harm done when supplied with 120V.The major caveat is that the vacuum motor RPM does scale with the AC voltage. It's not a lot but you can audibly hear the difference even between 100V vs. 110V, it's a higher RPM. I can't say for certain but it could shorten the motor's life but it might not matter in grand scheme of its lifespan. The flip side is you're getting a little more suction, not that it really needs it.The "power supply" PCB is the "same" board across 100V-220V units with the critical difference being 1 or 2 power resistors and their values. Hakko sells the 120V PCB for an affordable amount so any DIYers could attempt to swap it if desired. The AC cord and motor connection are through-hole soldered while the heater is connectorized.Overall the unit is really nice and Hakko does a great job offering replacement parts for basically everything inside. The only negative thing I'll say about it is the power cord is kind of springy and slippery, however it's not too hard to swap it with a new one if you wanted.

It works ok as I have a way to reduce my 120v to 110 but it just feels weaker. I thought I'd save a few bucks over the USA version but all thing considered the USA version is probably better. Still nice to have for the few times I'll use it though.