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PSA: That $80 hot air rework station I bought last year just saved a $400 motherboard
I had a gaming PC come in with a dead USB 3.0 port, and the client didn't want to replace the whole board. I was nervous because I'd only used my cheap Yihua station for small stuff like phone charging ports. The trick was getting the old port off without melting the plastic housing on the connector next to it. I taped everything off with kapton, set the air to 350C, and used a lot of flux. It came off clean, the new one went on, and it tested perfect. For a tool I almost didn't buy, it paid for itself five times over on that one job. What's the most you've saved a client by fixing a single small part instead of a full board swap?
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kelly3386mo ago
Kapton tape is a lifesaver for that, right @charlie269? It's wild how a simple barrier can make the difference between a clean fix and a melted mess. Those little saves really prove the value of having the right tools.
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