Shoutout to the guy who told me my flux was garbage

I was fixing a busted laptop board at my bench, trying to reflow a BGA chip. This older tech from another shop walked by and just said, 'Bro, that flux is trash, you're cooking the board.' I was using some cheap no-name stuff I got online. He handed me a tube of his, said 'Try this, it's the good stuff.' I switched to MG Chemicals 8341, and wow. The solder flows way cleaner now, no more burnt residue or bridges. I used to fight with cold joints for like 20 minutes, now it's done in one pass. I still feel dumb for not knowing the flux type mattered that much. What other basic supplies have you guys upgraded that made a huge difference?

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3 Comments

oliverw466mo ago

It's funny how the cheap version of a basic thing can waste so much time. I had the same thing with thermal paste for years, using whatever came with the cooler. Switched to a decent brand and my temps dropped like ten degrees. Makes you wonder what else you're putting up with.

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andrew6466mo ago

Switched to a decent brand" is the real move.

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dakotab135mo ago

Nah, @oliverw46, I've had the cheap stuff work just fine for years and you're just paying for a name.

1