Rant: Why I stopped using flux pens for SMD soldering

I used to swear by flux pens for small board work, but then I visited a repair shop in Austin last month and watched a guy use a syringe of flux paste instead. He showed me how the pens leave uneven residue that can trap junk under components. Now I'm grabbing a $12 syringe off DigiKey and my joints look way cleaner. Has anyone else had better luck with paste over pens?

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joseph_coleman3mo ago

Did you try a tacky flux paste yet? That stuff changed my soldering game completely.

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nancy_davis3mo ago

Actually, I was totally skeptical about tacky flux for the longest time (thought it was just hype, you know?). Finally tried some last month on a tricky SMD job and yeah, I was wrong. It’s just so much easier to control than the liquid stuff.

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