Am I the only one who thinks a $12 solder sucker beats a $200 desoldering station on old camera boards

Pat Fisher · 2026-10-01T02:50:02.972106+00:00

I picked up a busted Canon AE-1 at a garage sale in Boise for $15 and the wind lever was frozen because of a cold solder joint on the flex board. My buddy swears by his fancy desoldering station he paid $200 for, but I grabbed my $12 solder sucker and some fresh wick and had that joint clean in about 90 seconds. The trick is you have to add a little fresh solder first so the old stuff flows, then hit it fast before the pad lifts. He tried the same board with his station and cooked two traces because the suction was too strong for that thin flex circuit. Anyone else find that simple tools save more boards than the pricey gear does?

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Am I the only one who thinks a $12 solder sucker beats a $200 desoldering station on old camera boards | Camera Repairers - Babble Community