Tech & Gadgets · Head-to-head
Weller Zero Smog EL Kit 1 vs Hakko FA-400 Smoke Absorber
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Solder Fume Extractors: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Weller is the only unit here whose own documentation names an H13 particle filter and an activated carbon filter working together, which is what rosin flux fume actually calls for. The Hakko FA-400 is a fraction of the money and does far less, but Hakko is straight about what it does.
Weller Zero Smog EL Kit 1
Buy itThe only unit here whose manual specifies a particle filter and an activated carbon filter working together, with the airflow and vacuum numbers to go with it.
- Weller's manual specifies a combined H13 filter rated at 99.95 percent particle separation down to 0.12 um in combination with an activated carbon filter.
- Published figures are unusually complete: 150 m3/h maximum quantity supplied, 2,500 Pa maximum vacuum at 230 V and 2,100 Pa at 120 V, 110 W power draw.
- An M5 pre-filter changes separately from the main cartridge, and a filter warning light plus a documented replacement schedule tell you when the carbon is spent.
- Big and heavy for a hobby desk at 335 x 360 x 445 mm and 8.6 kg, and Weller positions it for placement under or beside the bench rather than on it.
- Weller does not publish a noise figure for this unit.
- The manual states it is designed as a surface extraction unit and is not suitable for extracting fumes directly from the soldering gun.
Hakko FA-400 Smoke Absorber
Buy itA carbon pad in front of a small fan, but Hakko publishes real numbers for it and says outright that the airflow figure was taken with the filter installed.
- Hakko publishes maximum suction of 1.0 to 1.1 m3/min mounted vertically and 0.4 to 0.5 m3/min horizontally, and states that the figure is measured with a filter present.
- Noise is published at 48 dB on 50 Hz and 51 dB on 60 Hz, measured one metre from the face of the unit.
- Carries Hakko's ESD SAFE marking, which the company defines by an electrostatic attenuation test to MIL-STD-3010A method 4046, and weighs only 0.91 kg.
- The standard A1001 filter is urethane foam with carbon: Hakko lists it at 12 g new with a maximum absorbing weight of 4 g, so the gas-phase capacity is small.
- The optional 999-198 particulate filter is not HEPA rated, and Hakko requires the unit to stand vertically when it is fitted.
- At around one cubic metre per minute the intake has to sit within a few centimetres of the tip to catch the plume at all.
Side by side
| Weller Zero Smog EL Kit 1 | Hakko FA-400 Smoke Absorber | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Someone soldering most days, or covering two benches, who wants a maker that documents the gas stage as clearly as the particle stage. | Occasional hobby soldering where the realistic goal is keeping the plume off your face rather than cleaning the room's air. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $ · budget |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Weller Zero Smog EL Kit 1 - The only unit here whose manual specifies a particle filter and an activated carbon filter working together, with the airflow and vacuum numbers to go with it. Choose the Hakko FA-400 Smoke Absorber instead if occasional hobby soldering where the realistic goal is keeping the plume off your face rather than cleaning the room's air.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Solder Fume Extractors: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).