TIL a $5 tube of flux can save a $300 laptop repair

I was trying to reflow a cracked BGA on a Dell motherboard for a customer, and after three failed attempts with my old paste, I switched to a fresh tube of MG Chemicals 835 flux. The solder flowed perfectly on the first try with the new flux, and the machine booted right up. Has anyone else found that fresh flux makes that big of a difference on older, oxidized boards?

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3 Comments

eva6665mo ago

Seriously? It's just flux.

4

patkelly4mo ago

Have you tried different brands of flux or just stuck with one?

3

spencer_thomas45mo ago

Fresh flux is a game changer for sure. I had the same thing happen with an old Xbox board, the old paste just wouldn't flow right. New tube fixed it in one go.

1