I bought a Hakko FR301 to desolder a few thousand microcontroller based boards that had a through hole battery holder that needed to be changed out. The FR301

I bought a Hakko FR301 to desolder a few thousand microcontroller based boards that had a through hole battery holder that needed to be changed out. The FR301 literally saved me days. As mentioned it needs regular cleaning (not surprising) and I also went through a lot of filters with it. Not sure I could justify one for the odd desoldering job but if you're working with a lot of parts, they are essential. Great product. I would also add you need an extractor fan to go with it, as the fumes will give you a fierce headache. Hakko make those too.