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?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliverw4613d 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.

andrew64613d ago

Switched to a decent brand" is the real move.