SMD Soldering

[Michael Hill]

Honestly, I would shy away from the SMD toaster ovens. They're really just toys that kinda do the job. Heat distribution is terrible in them and even the metal grates you put them on can be disastrous. Plus, you still have to get stencils made, unless you want to try to put paste on the pads by hand (have fun with that).

[asid61]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

Honestly, I would shy away from the SMD toaster ovens. They're really just toys that kinda do the job. Heat distribution is terrible in them and even the metal grates you put them on can be disastrous. Plus, you still have to get stencils made, unless you want to try to put paste on the pads by hand (have fun with that).

I have done the paste by hand. It's really not that hard for the standard types of smd stuff with legs and tiny resistors; just use a toothpick to apply. Unless you've got a ton of circuits to solder, in which case it makes sense to invest in a stencil.
I don't use the grate. I use a large metal plate that came with the oven, and that seems to do the job.
For stuff like QFN I would be worried about proper positioning, but you can hardly solder those by hand easily either.
I don't know about heat transfer, but I have done quite a few boards with my $20 toaster, including a sensitive high power LED board. With my shaky fingers I do not want to SMDs by hand (although I imagine it would involve a lot of cussing).