Had to choose between a proper desoldering gun and a cheap pump after my iron died

I was in the middle of recapping an old monitor and my 15 year old soldering station finally gave out. Picked the $80 desoldering gun over the $15 pump cause I figured it would pay for itself in time saved. First few joints were rough but after I got the technique down it sucked up everything clean, no more wrestling with braid.

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1 Comment

charles_wilson4h ago

And the thing nobody mentions is how much less likely you are to lift a pad with a gun versus yanking on braid or a cheap pump. That alone is worth the extra cash when you're working on vintage boards where replacement parts are impossible to find. Once you get the angle right it's like moving through butter compared to the old wrestling match.