The Yamaha MT8X, released in the early 1990s, is an 8-track cassette multitrack recorder.

A common issue with this model, is the transport switches stop working.

I replaced all the switches in a machine. This was a great excuse to buy a new desoldering tool, to make this repair, and future repairs easy.

To desolder all these switches, I used a Hakko desoldering gun.

This is the Japanese version so it needs 100V. There are videos on how to modify this on Youtube, but I happened to have a 120V to 100V step down converter so I used this to get going quickly. If budget isn’t a problem, there’s also the 120V Hakko US version, but it costs about $100 more.

This tool made the job so much easier, and I feel like it the suction is calibrated well. It’s strong enough to remove the hot solder, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to easily remove the solder pads.

After replacing all the switches, the buttons are super snappy and responsive. The button responds at the same time the make a clicking sound (no need to press hard).

By the way, the buttons I used to replace it are the following:

Here’s a list of all the tools mentioned in this post:

• Hakko – FR-301 Portable Desoldering Tool (100V)
• 120V to 100V step down converter
• 6mm x 6mm x 4.3mm Momentary Tactile Tact Push button switches