Changed my mind about buying cheap flux

I used to grab those $6 flux pens from Harbor Freight and call it good. Last week I spent $28 on a proper bottle of ChipQuik flux and it actually saved me a board I'd been fighting with for days. The solder just flowed right instead of balling up like before. Has anyone else had a cheap tool cost them more time than it was worth?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane24413d agoMost Upvoted

How many times have we all learned that lesson the hard way? I spent a whole Saturday once messing with a cheap soldering iron that couldn't keep a steady temp to save its life. Finally gave up, drove to the electronics store, and dropped real money on a Hakko station. That thing paid for itself in the first hour of use. I always tell people, you don't get rich saving $22 on flux or a $40 iron when it costs you a ruined board or a whole day of your time.

phoenix_adams6012d ago

Oh man, ain't that the truth. I still cringe thinking about the hours I wasted fighting with a cheap iron that couldn't hold a temp to save its life. You end up chasing bad joints and burning pads instead of actually getting anything done. It's one of those things where spending a little more upfront feels painful but saves you so much headache later. Like you said, that Hakko probably paid for itself before lunch that first day. Sometimes you just gotta learn the hard way though, right?