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Finally ditched the solder sucker for a desoldering gun, what took me so long
For 6 years I fought with those blue squeeze bulbs and braided wick on old PCBs, always lifting pads in Phoenix humidity. Last month I dropped $180 on a Hakko FR-301 and cleared a 40-pin IC in under 4 minutes flat. The trick is keeping the tip clean and not rushing the vacuum pull. Anyone else made the switch and never looked back, or am I just late to the party?
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the_sarah2mo ago
Oh man, the FR-301 is a game changer, but I gotta nitpick one thing. Phoenix humidity isn't really what makes pads lift, that's more about heat and how long you're holding the iron on there. The wick and bulb just take longer, so they transfer more heat to the board. Still, yeah, the gun's a huge upgrade, I just wouldn't blame the weather for the old struggle.
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