I recently picked up a syringe of Chipquik SMD291 tack flux to play around with, I’m just getting into doing smd stuff… and I find myself using it for just about everything because it’s so easy to use, works a treat, and is fairly easy to clean up. What flux do you like to use? Do you have different ones for different uses, or do you tend to just use one for everything?
I have a hakko desoldering pump and a china clone soldering station. I’m quite happy with the clone soldering station, but when it comes to needing thermal mass (like on a ground plane), I have to admit I turn to the hakko pump as my go-to soldering iron despite it not being intended for that. That thing gets HOT FAST and STAYS HOT.
The hakko desolder gun changed my life… I had NO idea what I was missing before. Actual good solder wick is another QoL upgrade I wish I’d made sooner, the MG Chem wick works so much better than the generic copper braid I’d been using that I still can’t believe it.