Went to changed the desolder bit in my old Pace SX80, and it snapped off about half way down inside the element.
I'll have a go at drilling it out - but decided a new element wouldn't be a bad idea, if only as a spare.
Looked on Ebay - one or two for sale at approx 100-125 quid.
Farnell price 84 quid delivered, and in stock. It's not the sort of thing users wouldn't know where to buy spares for - so WTF?
I've just bought a brand-new copy of an out-of-print book. It cost me £12.95. Before tracking that particular copy down, I looked on Amazon: there was one there for sale, described as "in acceptable condition" - at £599.
I suppose as long as there's a chance that someone will pay an inflated price, some sellers think it's worth giving it a go.
Bert
It's fun to look for Multicomp, Pro Power/Pro Signal and other CPC/Farnell own brands on ebay. Somebody obviously seems to think it a worthwhile business buying bits from Farnell and reselling them on ebay at substantially higher prices.
Theo
Because I've not yet looked into selling things on Amazon or eBay I don't know how true it is but I have heard it said that, if you have no stock of something, it is cheaper, or maybe easier, to ammend the price of the thing you haven't got to such a level that nobody would try and buy this out-of-stock item from you, then ammend it back down again when you have got this product back on your shelves, than to delist and then relist the item on the website.
Nick
I could see that for small orders when they had a minimum charge. Or charged excessive P&P. But this market seems to have got a lot more competitive these days.
It's also a bit different for common consumer bits - many may not know of CPC etc, or be willing to find their way round their website and the palaver of paying by credit card rather than Paypal. But I can't see that applying to Pace spares. ;-)
Yes. If it's a long running listing (and meet other criteria), the listing does better in search results. If they pull the listing they lose the history and the listing isn't as easily found. Hence the incentive to not de-list items that are out of stock.
Theo
Ah. Wondered why they did this. Thanks.
I don't think I've ever encountered one, is it like a soldering iron combined with a solder sucker?
Just for an *element* I'd be more WTF about the price, than the eBay/Farnell difference ...
You'd think that Amazon would have noticed this and provided a "suspend" facility.
What, you mean like when it says
"Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock"
e.g.
Sort of. But has a hole up the middle of the bit etc connected to a vacuum pump via a trap for the solder. They are brilliant devices. There are cheaper ones on the market these days but I've no experience of them.
It's made in the US. I've no doubt the spares are half the UK price there. But I've had it for ages and this is the first replacement needed - and it's not actually failed so I'll forgive it.
Isn't that for items Amazon sell themselves? The other business relates to third-party sellers, I believe. Thanks to everyone for the explanation: fascinating.
Bert
In article , Dave Plowman (News) writes
As you say, they are brilliant devices and as I am sure you know, any electronics workshop where they will do rework will have one. Pretty much guaranteed results every time.
I remember Geoff of CET Ltd having a winge on here about some he had bought and eventually discarded due to dubious reliability and the Pace name rings a bell. Maybe a google groups search will confirm that and offer some help but I don't use that service any more.
I've used Wellers in the past and while parts do wear out they are available and are reasonably priced. Much higher initial cost however and not of any help with your existing equipment.
Have you tried a winge at the manufacturer?
My comment refers to eBay not Amazon.
There's a whole host of unexpected ways that eBay's seller fees/discounts/placement policies impact sellers. For example, if you give a seller less than 5 stars on the 'detailed seller ratings' they get penalised. And if you message a seller to say thanks after a purchase, that automatically opens a dispute case. This can cause sellers to do unusual things to work around the strangeness of eBay's policies.
Theo
That's why I'm surprised not to have seen any, one particular repair workshop at a customer looked after hundreds of vehicle/personal/basestation radios/pagers/modems/muxes that got "heavy" treatment - all closed down now - but three blokes would always have the guts out of something on the bench - I don't remember seeing anything other than a TC soldering iron and sucker or braid used.
Pace is the very expensive US make. ISTR Geoff having tried the cheaper far east ones and finding they didn't last. Other problem is availability of spares in years to come - Pace have quite a good record for keeping spares for older stuff, perhaps because they supply the US military.
Last time I looked I didn't much like the Weller desolder hand piece. And its cost is similar to Pace.
About what?
It's one of those killer tools that you don't know how you managed before without it. However, they were very expensive at one time. First one I saw cost x20 a Weller TC soldering station. So not surprising many managed without. There are quite reasonably priced ones these days from the far east - but they tend to need spares quite often (bits, filters and solder traps etc) and that's what often lets down those makes.
Mine is actually a home made unit using Antex soldering irons and the Pace desolder handset, with a Pace vacuum pump. It was one of those things that was cost effective to build your own - and I'm very pleased with it.
In article , Dave Plowman (News) writes
Ah, that sounds more like it.
Horses for courses I suppose but the Weller is very easy to disassemble, clean and clear blockages. The Pace looks to suck through the handle which sounds problematic for dismantling and clearing.
I had lost track of the new prices on the Wellers, nearly fell off my seat when I saw them. I had only bought bits and tubes which are very reasonable (tubes 4 for 12quid). It also seems they use their standard elements in the desoldering stations too, common parts keeping the costs down.
Anyway, this isn't helping your problem . . .
The fact that one of their bits seized in the element and then broke off?
I don't know if they will have specified the use of anti seize compound or not copaslip for example.
Is the element hollow all the way through? If so I'd expect gentle drifting from the rear to be more successful than drilling. The element walls will be thin and any deviation will ruin it. Also if the walls get thinned then it may make for a nasty 'pop' failure later, possibly taking out what you are working on.
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