Solder paste vs flux debate: Which one is actually wasting your time?

I spent 2 years reballing PS4s with cheap solder paste and a heat gun until a guy at a repair shop in Portland showed me that I should have been using liquid flux and fresh solder balls all along, and now I'm wondering if half the board repair tricks we share here are just bad habits, has anyone else had that moment where you realized the standard way you learned online was completely backwards?

2 comments

2 Comments

clark.iris16d ago

Spent a whole summer wondering why my reflows were failing before realizing I was using the wrong flux. Turns out the internet can teach you bad habits just as fast as good ones.

shanel1316d ago

Man, I don't know if I'd call it "completely backwards" but more like you just gotta test stuff for yourself. I've been doing board work for years and what works for some people is a total mess for others. The whole solder paste vs flux thing gets blown way out of proportion honestly. Like yeah liquid flux and fresh balls are probably better for something precise like PS4 reballing, but for basic reflows I've had good luck with cheap paste. People act like using the wrong flux will brick your board when really it just means you gotta clean it better or use more heat.