It's "absolutely useless" because it doesn't do the thing its advertised to do, which is extract fumes from your workspace. It dilutes and mixes the air right in front of your face, but your workspace will still gradually fill with solder fumes as you work. If you're an infrequent solderer, that may be fine. But if you are making a habit of soldering, or its your job, get something that actually filters or removes the fumes. I'm giving this advice because I used a setup as effective as yours for years and it caused me health problems through sensitization even though it seemed ok for a long time.
mindcrime|3 years ago
For somebody who solders regularly and or does so for hours on end, I would totally agree with the need for a more purpose built and effective fume extraction setup.
matthews2|3 years ago
If you're just doing a little bit of rework or tacking on bodge wires, I think the small fans are enough just to get the fumes out of your face.