Serious question, has anyone else tried the new heat gun from Harbor Freight for stuck lens elements?

I've been using my old Weller for years, but the tip broke last month and I grabbed the new Bauer model on a whim. The difference is wild. The Weller got hot fast, but the heat was all over the place. The Bauer has a much more focused nozzle and a digital temp readout. I used it on a stuck 50mm f/1.8 from a Canon AE-1 that had been sitting in a garage. Set it to 250 degrees, did short 5-second bursts around the mount, and the whole ring came loose in under a minute. My old method with the Weller would have taken three times as long and risked cooking the lubricant inside. The control just feels way safer for the glass. Anyone have a different brand they swear by for this kind of job?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige_ellis591mo ago

That point about the wider heat spread is interesting. Makes me wonder if the lens age and mount material matter more than the tool. I had a newer Nikon with a plastic bayonet that warped from even heat. Had to use a hair dryer on low from a distance instead.

diana6901mo ago

My old Weller is still my go-to for stuck helicoids. The wider heat spread actually helps avoid hot spots that can crack older brass mounts. I've never had a problem with cooking the grease if I keep it moving.

max3301mo ago

Actually, the idea that wider heat helps avoid hot spots is a bit off. A focused nozzle lets you aim the heat exactly where you need it, like just on the threaded ring. With a wider spread, you're still heating the whole area, you just can't control where the peak temperature is. I mean, I've seen a brass mount crack because someone was waving a wider gun around trying to avoid the glass, and they ended up heating one spot way more by accident. A tight beam with short bursts seems safer to me, idk.