Just realized I spent way too long fighting with old solder wick

I used to think good desoldering meant a roll of wick and a lot of patience. I'd sit there for 15 minutes on a single multi-pin connector, adding flux, burning through wick, and still leaving junk in the holes. The change came about 8 months ago after a job on a 90s stereo amp where I had to pull 24 pins. A guy at the local shop in Austin told me to stop being stubborn and get a proper desoldering gun. I bought a Hakko FR-301, and it was like night and day. That same connector took maybe 2 minutes, and the through-holes were spotless. I was just making the job harder for myself because that's how I learned. Anyone else have a tool they held out on that totally changed their workflow?

2 comments

2 Comments

susansingh1mo ago

Oh man, that line about making the job harder because that's how you learned really hit home. I did the exact same thing with wick for years, just thinking it was part of the struggle. I finally caved and got a desoldering pump with a silicone tip, and I almost got mad at how easy it made everything. It's crazy what we put up with just because it's the first way we figure something out.

troy_adams1mo ago

My first year in the shop, I must have burned through a whole spool of wick trying to fix one board. The smoke, the frustration... I thought that was just how it was done. Then I saw someone use a simple pump and my whole world changed. It's like we get stuck in these little loops of self-made difficulty. You don't even realize there's a door until someone points it out.