Tomlov DM602 Digital Microscope Unboxing and Review

[@XKSteve]

I have been using a Tomlov for months doing Macintosh repairs and could not be happier. I did however disassemble mine and made a rig that fixes it to a custom bracket that fits onto a VESA mount attached to a desk mounted monitor arm so the base is not a restriction (just the desk depth) I also tried various other lights but ended up reusing the Tomlov ones as they are very bright and fully adjustable.

[@BranchusCreations]

We’ll done!

[@Turco949]

That is definitely something I was thinking about doing as the microscopes that come with a flex arm are ridiculously overpriced imho. So, a $20-$30 solid flexible monitor arm that can be modified to be used with a microscope is the way to go.

[@XKSteve]

@@Turco949 It certainly makes it easier to use and has the same advantage of the flex arm scopes in that you can swing it away so that it takes up no desk space at all. Plus you can increase the height way above the design parameters if needed- I have since replaced my Tomlov scope with an Andonstar as the tomlov kept breaking down and after three replacements they just refunded me :( .

[@Gazmassive]

⁠@@XKSteveWhich specific model did you end up getting from Andonstar? My DM501 Pro still hasn’t been shipped yet, and I’ve been offered a refund as they don’t know when supply will be back. Thanks for following up with your experience.

[@XKSteve]

@@Gazmassive I got the Andonstar AD2495-M.comes with three lenses which admittedly have a rather odd fitment method using two screws rather than a more obvious bayonet fitting. one lens is pointless for soldering but the other two are fine. The L lens is great for small IC's/402/805 and 1206 work and the A is perfect for Tants in B or C cases and larger footprint IC like a 68020 or FT232RL. Screen is bright and responds quickly to changes in light. Focus is better on the L but ok on the A especially if you use the vertical adjuster on the side. Happy with mine but like all Chinese electronics the firmware could be better written and some of the mounting solutions are rather ... err... over complicated but as usual I modded mine LOL. I liked my Tomlov but it did have issues with the aforementioned firmware and a rubbish cheapo remote. HTH

[@juliettemoss5048]

I was not expecting to see the fancier version of my cheap microscope on your channel. Bravo! :D

[@WestonP22]

Bought one the other day after watching this video, and it’s awesome! All the time I spent doing pcb work using a handheld magnifying glass is just comical now.

[@feisarplinsky5496]

Thanks Bruce for your review! It was very useful to me and I decided to purchase it, it is truly an excellent microscope and I am very satisfied with it !! Thanks again !! 👍👍

[@77MyEsha]

I am buying the Tomlin DM602 Pro which comes next week., which has the ring light as well as the stem lights, and a transmitter light box for examiing slides. I'm relly excited having watched your video. I will be using mine mainly mainly for looking at pond life and plant samples though. Thanks for a great review!

[@francistheodorecatte]

I have a similar microscope to this, and I'm in the process of mounting it into the center of an old Luxo magnifying desk arm lamp, with the glass removed. that way there's absolutely no limit on the subject size beside the limits of my desk itself (and all the garbage piled onto it...).

[@jamiebaker1035]

Very Cool shirt man.... most excellent!!

[@TheHouseOfMoth]

Nice lil scope!

[@MacCrafter707]

Much bigger screen than mine and I like the light attachment. Mine connects to my computer so that helps.

[@HarperMac]

I was wandering if it has a mounting thread, it would mean that you can take a adjustable boom for better use with larger PCB-s

[@garycroftsmicroscopy]

Would be nice to see how the slides come out, i have the 402 pro and its great for stereoscopic like work but doesn’t replace a compound id like to see what difference the lens make…nice review btw

[@raz-fatz8632]

Sehr Informatives Video und alles sehr gut dokumentiert

[@Killian665]

I can’t seem to solder chips like you did at the 16 min mark. I always end up bridging a bunch of them no matter how many times I go back and forth to distribute it. Is my heat too low or what am I doing wrong? I use a ton of flux

[@TELsBENCH]

HI, were you able to get it to work as a Web cam and also show you the image on the DM602 screen at the same time, It seems to blank out the 602's screen even when using the USB. I know it wont work on the HDMI as you said. Thanks.

[@eddiegeorge972]

THANKS

[@Alan_AB]

Thanks for the review. I'm now considering this scope. Can I ask you, did you buy your scope directly from TomLov or did you buy one despatched from China?

[@endurojimmy3109]

Thanks for this review. Would you think that it would be suitable for watch repairs?

[@BranchusCreations]

I think so!

[@outdoororiginal4364]

I am shopping for a microscope and am considering the budget alternative Amscope you have recommended. Any thing I should know before ordering ? Thx

[@SirQuacksalotthe1st]

How would you say this compares to the Andonstar AD407 if you've had a chance to use it or one by them

[@JDW-]

I really appreciated the video, Bruce. Seems almost perfect, with the one big exception that I couldn't use it to solder together an SE Reloaded or SE/30 Reloaded board due to large PCB size. It's really a shame there's no alternative way to mount the LCD so large PCBs can fit nicely under the lens. If it had the ability to accommodate large PCBs, assuming depth perception wasn't such a big loss, it might come close to replacing your large and heavy microscope.

[@garethmills4383]

Hi Bruce. Do really enjoy your videos and really getting into soldering and repairing. Just wondering if you could do a video on soldering temperatures. I often seem to struggle setting the temperature and think I'm going too hot but then colder I don't seem to get the right action. Kind regards, Gareth from "Old South Wales".

[@nerdherd1796]

If you are having problems with solder meting at high temperatures, it might may actually be your tip geometry that is the problem. You want to use the biggest tip that fits with the components you are using. I don't do much small work so I like to use a chisel tip and sometimes a bevel tip. I find the conical tip that comes with most irons to not be not the best in most situations. Heat transfer into the solder is just as important as the temperature. I'm not Bruce and you might already know this, but I hope this may help.

[@corinasechelariu1307]

@@nerdherd1796 Thanks a lot!

[@brucewalker1908]

Hi Bruce. I was wondering if you ever use Soldering Past. If not what would be your reasoning.

[@Temmie321]

Hi, im looking for a microscope to look at coins mainly. This one looks good, but there are so many brands it's confusing. Would you recommend this one over Andonstar AD409? I don't see many reviews of Tomlov, and i read both good and bad about Andonstar.

[@heuerlover]

Thx for that superb review ! I'm into hobby watchmaking and have to examine 3D objects like little wheels .. so ONE question: Depth of field... Maybe you checked?

[@johnnywong83]

how sturdy is the stand that comes with it? Does it wobble much while moving pcb or adjusting focal distance??

[@philmckracken1354]

the screen on mine went out after 1 day, so I sent it back... very sad, it was a pretty sweet scope.

[@ukmk3supra]

Impressive bit of kit! I've been looking for a microscope for a while - the cheapo one i bought a few year back has given up the ghost, and i could do with something that's going to be useful for building up boards - especially the SE/30 Reloaded. For reference, I checked Amazon UK and the prices for these is off the wall (£386 GBP / $675 AUD) - no clue why, as i checked AliExpress and found them for anywhere between 50 to 80% cheaper, from the Tomlov store, direct! At Amazon prices, you could get a trinocular setup with an HDMI camera! :o

[@rpavlik1]

Wow, fancy, a Kioxia (Toshiba storage) brand micro SD card instead of a no name. Must be a pretty fancy unit 😁

[@numberg8238]

Hi Bruce, What sort of tip are you using to solder the IC with the thin legs?

[@nickloss2377]

The menu looks suspiciously like the menu on my dashcam. lol

[@CoilyKoil]

Review starts at 6:00.

[@tomlov]

Thank you very much for such a detailed product review, Awesome!! Keep the wonderful videos coming please. We'd love to feature this video on our social media platform with all of our friends. If it's good with you please reply to give us permission. thanks!!

[@BranchusCreations]

Please do!

[@figofagonagoitis]

Does this smaller version DM601 have the same image quality? Does it use the same optics and electronics with just a smaller screen? The quality of the screen is the same? Resolution, contrast, colors, sharpness, viewing angles ect.

[@tomlov]

@@figofagonagoitis DM601 and DM602 the biggest difference is that the screen is not the same, the image quality is the same!

[@button-puncher]

I wonder if there's a firmware update to allow the local screen to work while the HMDI out is active? I just watched this other channel's video on the 7" version, the DM601, and he's able to use both the screen and the HDMI at the same time. He's running firmware ver AD400.221017.V34-SINGLE7. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJqmY3Swes6geck

[@josephphillips9243]

I've seen on Aliexpress they have the camera on on of those extendable/flexible stands that you can then plug into a monitor. $150. Naturally can't vouch for the quality

[@dolebanana5071]

AD409 Pro

[@Vladimir-hq1ne]

That's why you'd ought not skimp to have a trinocular mic...