Finally tried a hot air station over soldering tweezers for SMD work

I've been using soldering tweezers for years to remove small SMD components, but last month I borrowed a buddy's hot air station. The difference was night and day - I got a resistor off in 5 seconds that would've taken me a minute with tweezers. Plus no more worry about lifting pads when I'm working on old boards. Has anyone else made this switch and found it faster for certain repairs?

3 comments

3 Comments

thompson.reese19d ago

Yeah my shaky hands definitely prefer the hot air route.

the_faith18d ago

Hot air is great for small parts, but a good iron with a fine tip works better for shaky hands overall.

leodavis19d ago

Getting a cheap silicone mat from Amazon saved me more times than I can count. Keeps the board from sliding around and catches any solder splashes that miss the pad. Your mileage may vary on the mat size, but a 12x18 inch one handles most small projects.