A BETTER way to replace surface-mount capacitors!

[@border056]

I've replaced more SMD caps than I can count. I'm a fan of the twist method, but the key is to just twist and never ever pull up. The legs are fragile and they'll snap, the cap will fall off. Clear the remaining lets off the pad and you're good to go. I've never pulled a pad.

[@kumarp3074]

I heard this being the best method as well. Using heat either through tweezers or a hot air is supposed to be more difficult if the capacitors are leaking as it seems to raise the melting point of the solder.

[@thomasandrews9355]

i can agree with this. i just rock the cap side to side

[@bzuidgeest]

I think any form of the twist method is just lazy workmanship. Not worth the risk of even a single torn off pad. Not to mention that many applying the method are real butchers that shouldn't be near electronics, for every one that can do it safely there are ten idiots destroying boards.

[@jackdonovan6136]

I've been recapping boards for a good while now and I've always use the twist method and have never run into a problem. Always twist never pull. If I'm working on a super expensive high risk board then the tweezers would be a good option. Hot air seems unnecessary, time consuming, and has its own risks. At the end of the day, do what's comfortable for you. Enjoy your success and learn from your mistakes.

[@gochadc]

I have removed probably over a hundred caps with the twisting method and never had any problems with a pad getting damaged. I agree on the importance of twisting and not pulling or rocking the cap. I had much more problems when trying to use a soldering iron to melt the solder and the hot air station is too slow and can put a lot of stress on the pcb and the components close to the cap. Honestly speaking I find it safer or at least as safe as using a hot air station and I know some people will say I'm lying or things like that, but I really don't see a point on removing the caps any other way.

[@adriansdigitalbasement]

Push down and twist (while pushing the whole time.) See Mr Carlson's video: "Electrolytic Capacitor Removal NO Desoldering Required"

[@PotatoFi]

I appreciate the nuanced look at this. Personally, I had used the twist and push (no upward force) method on about 20 surface mount boards (mostly Macs from the very early 90’s), and have only lifted a couple of pads. When I was trying to desolder with one iron, I was lifting pads left and right. I did end up getting a hot air station, but right as that happened, I stopped recapping boards due to a lifestyle/situation change and haven’t had a chance to use it very much.

[@ohger1]

It really depends on the board. Back in the 90s, I was rebuilding Mitsubishi TV format boards that had a hundred smd electrolytics that had to be replaced. I found these boards would survive the twist method, but I always pushed *down* while I rotated. Saved hours worth of work. Other boards had poor foil bonding and they had to be unsoldred.

[@Mr.Unacceptable]

I have tried using the YIHUA tweezer iron pictured at 6:47. They do not work in a lot of places because the angle is wrong. They are too wide to fit between the other parts of a board in tight spots. The Hakko is a much more useful design.

[@CallanChristensen]

Thanks for the comment, I was about to look at reviews of the cheaper tweezer iron clones, but you saved me the time.

[@OriginalityDaniel]

Handskit has a T12 set with more slim tip design for about 50usd and double the wattage, mine hasn't arrived yet but they appear to be better built than the 938D

[@GenesHand]

That's a shame, Yihua products are great quality ofr the price in my experience and I was considering getting one.

[@Mr.Unacceptable]

@@GenesHand You also have to watch out not many base units will heat both sides of the iron. The tweezers tips are heated on different circuits and separate pins.

[@MaxGoof]

My exact thought when he reached for the cap next to a plastic cable connector was that there would still be a lot of limitations because of the size of the arms and then tips.

[@jkage198]

Great video as always Colin. I would add that just a bit of flux on the pads before desoldering makes things much much easier and quicker in getting components off PCBs.

[@silviuguseila2552]

Can you explain why?

[@epiendless1128]

I'm one of those who has no problem holding two irons. It's my goto solution for any 2 pad SMD. 🙂 We've got SMD tweezers at work, but I never got on with them. I guess they might be more useful if you do a lot of _larger_ SMDs. And with two irons you can have different tips in each, so less changing of bits.

[@Pulverrostmannen]

I mostly go with the twist method, But I usually twist back and forth not pulling on the cap, I found that this stress the pads less than twisting one way only until it breaks off, I actually removed two such caps today with great success :) And I still do have a hot air station

[@ceneblock]

\*heavy panicked breathing\*

[@Pulverrostmannen]

@@ceneblock lol

[@Yreq]

I have exactly the same model of hot-air. Was suspiciously cheap, but it has never let me down. Great tool.

[@iiidiy]

Everyone always seems to have an opinion on technique videos... but I really appreciate the time & effort that goes into experimenting and documenting for the rest of us! At the end of the day, people should do what works for them, but it's helpful to have a reference like this video! Thanks

[@Subgunman]

Having worked within the 2way radio industry I have found that two fine tipped soldering irons placing one at each joint of the cap. Tweezer desoldering irons are good for the chip components but marginal for larger surface mount electrolytics. I use a professional Pace rework station that has soldering, desoldering ( for both through hole and surface mount ) and tweezers. Very expensive but as I was once told by a master gunsmith that even if you use the tool one time and it saved you time and money it is worth it’s weight in gold.

[@_droid]

I think it's been mentioned here but I'll say it again: Low melt solder is the way to go if you don't want to spend money on expensive specialized single-use tools. It mixes with the lead and makes a _super_ low-melt alloy. A very little heat from hot air and the parts come right off so fast and easy.

[@langph]

Yes, I tried this too and it works great. It is also very handy for removing connectors without damaging the board.

[@nathanlopes1327]

Here in Brazil it's called "solda salva chip" or IC saving solder. It's very useful although dificult to remove from the pins after you removed them from a board

[@LuMaxQFPV]

This.

[@franciscoferreira-eh1yu]

EXACTLY!

[@franciscoferreira-eh1yu]

Also on top of that the added low melting point wire add a lot of termal mass to the piece, meaning the soldering will be liquid for a lot of time even on massive ground plane. I use it a lot to remove soldered to the board heat sinks

[@rumproast2000]

I learned a technique that has worked well for me for over 20 years now from a Panasonic field technician: He did a lot of cap replacements on their DVCPRO line of video recorders and was called-in to our station to train us on how to do it properly. Essentially, he used a pair of needle-nose pliers to grab the top of the cap firmly in the jaws. Then, while pressing the cap towards the PCB, he'd twist the pliers until the leads broke off. It didn't matter what size of surface mount cap, or whether the caps had leaked or not - the traces were never harmed doing it this way. I believe the pressure against the PCB helps keep the traces stable while the caps are twisted.

[@Knaeckebrotsaege]

This is also the way I usually do it. Seeing him pull straight up on countless occasions in this video is just cringeworthy to the max

[@CaptainCommodore]

I have made several videos in which I snip caps off amiga motherboards, each time people comment saying how it's a cardinal sin to do such but it's worked really well for me and others, good to see it works well for you too

[@polymatt]

Great video as always. I was thinking of getting a pair of the tweezers myself, but my go-to method for delicate SMDs will always be Chip Quik.

[@fully_retractable]

You can twist the caps back, and fourth until you fatigue the legs enough to break without ripping the pads off. What you did was full send.

[@WelcomeToMarkintosh]

What timing! I have one for my Aoyue solder station arriving today. I'd seen JDW use hot tweezers as well. I'm glad to see you like this method too-I feel I've made a good purchase. Thank you for another great video.

[@DatBlueHusky]

the trick that always works is to push down while twisting, it will never break the pads unless its really corroded. I know this method works because ive recapped over 20+ mac boards in last few years.

[@robinsutcliffe_video_art]

exactly, a 100% lateral twist is what you need, downward force helps with equilibrium, and the pads won't come off in the downward angle, only upward

[@CallanChristensen]

Great video! I really appreciate your willingness to try new things and give an honest perspective. Never change! I have tried all the cap removal methods you covered, and my opinions match yours. I completely agree with your conclusions: it all depends on the situation as there are usually many variables at play: board thickness, existing corrosion, physical access, and proximity to heat sensitive parts. It is great to have all methods in your skills toolkit and choose the best one for the particular job. The only extra tip I would add (which is only sometimes applicable) is adding normal or low melt solder to the legs/pads of the stubborn component you are attempting to remove. It can drastically help increase heat penetration to the pads in cases of dried out or corrosion compromised factory solder. Just be sure to remove all "removal assistance" solder completely before soldering in the replacement component.

[@u9Nails]

I was going to mention low-melt solder too! Old rework PCB's are likely leaded, so they should melt easier than the new lead-free solder. But, low-melt solder makes that job so easy that a baby could do it. I have a Turbo-Duo game console to repair tomorrow and low-melt is my go-to for keeping the motherboard pads shiny.

[@RR1976]

Before watching... gonna say that I usually twist them, and they generally snap right off, with no damage to the pads. I replaced THOUSANDS of these when modding recording interfaces at Black Lion Audio. You need to twist one direction, rotate in the other direction, and THEN lift after you hear a slight/light snapping sound.

[@jhsevs]

4:44 heat up one side first, pry up with a screwdriver, then heat up the other side

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

Honestly, I just cut them as you show at the beginning. It has worked fine for me. I just try to not pull them up too hard.

[@DoubleVGames]

Came across your videos after watching My Life in Gaming a while back. Really appreciate these videos as it gives me some insight on repairing my stuff in the future!

[@Dynorka]

when i swapped the SMDs from the optical unit board of my Gamecube, i added a considerable amount of flux and alternate between both sides with the iron in one hand and a tiny little plyers in the other. It turned out not that beautiful result, some capacitors were a bit out of center when soldering them back this way, but in the end of the day, it was a succesfully job.

[@Kalvinjj]

For your situation (or anyone else reading), with only a soldering iron (I assume) I would advise to get desoldering braid, clean up completely both pads, do NOT tin one of them, let if flat, tin the other. Now you'll heat up the tinned pad only while you place the cap with tweezers, and press it down so it's aligned correctly. Soldering iron away, keep holding till it cools down, then the other pad. You'll probably not need to do anything else, but if you find the alignment not the best you can then press it with tweezers while heating the 2nd pad, you'll have a free hand after all by this time.

[@waxore1142]

Thank you for making this video. I have often wondered what the best way to remove surface mount caps was. I've always just done it with the one soldering iron method. I've seen people twist them off in the past and thought to myself "that can't be safe" what if the pads were damaged by the electrolyte and you did that. You clarified all the options. I have tried the twist method. It does seem pretty easy. but the components I work on are far too expensive to risk. Though I would say I tend to agree with a lot of what people are saying in the threads. A;bout what one guy said in particular. And that is going so far as to say "pushing while twisting" rather than rocking or pulling. If there's any damage on the pad at all that would be when it would lift off the board. And we all know how frustrating that can be. I don't like having to run bodges*sp. They look like crap. And it makes me feel like a hack.

[@civildiscourse2000]

This old thru-hole guy appreciates a thoughtful overview of the subject. I've replaced a few small rectangular components (non-electrolytic caps and resistors) and I can't justify a hot-air station for the minimal rework that I do so this gives me some options. I've only got a hundred or so junk boards to practice on so I'm encouraged...

[@TheGlitchyMario]

In my experience, don’t just rip them up off the pads, but twist them back and forth to wear out the legs on the cap

[@ZackWilliams0]

I use the twist method too - he way the leads on this SMD capacitor type mount, the joints have the least strength if pulling straight up (will want to separate the pads from the board, but have the most strength if you pull horizontally along the length of the solder joint. If you twist the top of the can off above the plastic base, the majority of force is along the horizontal (guided by the plastic base) and either the pins break off in the metal can, or right at the edge of the pads - either case is easy to clean up with flux and braid. Haven't had a lifted pad failure with this method ever. That said,I haven't worked with boards in as bad a condition as was shown in the video. In those cases hot air would seem better, but I'm not sure if you'd be left with good pads/traces in any case.

[@zaxmaxlax]

Thats the way to go, I did this for a living for a while. I had to replace like dozen of those tiny bastards on dozen of boards daily. I tried every method in the book, soldering iron is by far the worst and hot air is too slow. Some pads will eventually break but they were already corroded or weakened.

[@bradnelson3595]

That's a really nice and reasonable roundup of techniques, Colin. Well done.

[@retroanderson]

The twist method is not bad if you wiggle them back and forth and fatigue the metal rather than one big twist. Hot air can also be a problem on multi layer boards and you can’t get enough heat in it if theres big ground planes.

[@noelsharp]

Just used your video to guide me while replacing the capacitor on a vintage sound card for one of my synthesizers. Thanks!

[@roydybing2588]

Tried both hot-air and two soldering irons for removing SMD caps. Two soldering irons is what I've landed on as my preferred method. Much faster than hot air. I'll try the twist method on some gear I don't mind if gets damaged. I know many swear by it - but like you, it seems a bit risky. I've seen Adrian (of the basement) do it by pushing down and twist. Snaps those caps right off. If it saves time, I'm all for it.

[@Infernogigas]

You can also lever up one side while adding some solder. Being gentle enough you can pull up that side off off enough to wick away the excess and just hit the other side really quick boom done. I only ever have to do like one of these at a time it's my go to for this.

[@keyboard_g]

Chris Edwards has a really clean method for the snip method. Sharp flush cutters with a single cut, not hacking away at the cap. It comes off clean. He's been repairing boards for decades at this point and has some solid demos of the method on KZbin.

[@thebishtable]

I'd give the "Two Soldering Irons" method more consideration. It's by far the most popular method I've seen and used in a professional rework shop. As an added bonus, for projects requiring two different types of tips you no longer have to wait for the iron to cool to switch between tips.

[@oliviervuille519]

You’re perfectly right. Last time I recapped a board, I was so bored with the hot air gun that I remembered having a second soldering station. I gave it a try and it’s really THE good method. Even better with sole flux applied before desoldering.

[@JDW-]

We're definitely kindred spirits, Colin. I concur absolutely. I lived a long time without a hot air station, but now I see I could have done better work more efficiently if I had been using one all those years. Hakko brand Hot Tweezers are also my goto SMD cap removal solution most of the time, with the only caveat that the round cylinder part of each arm is sometimes not high enough if you have tall connectors, relays or similar components surrounding an SMD cap. But that's where the hot air station comes in handy. Thanks for a great video.

[@jaredkusner1137]

Thanks for a great class on this. I am preparing to rework an Tektronix scope and want to do a nice, safe job. I really enjoyed the class a lot and plan to read a lot of the comments also as this is new to me. Thanks again.

[@jamesdecross1035]

You make quite a compelling case for using the right tools for the job, here. It's something I wish to try, so thank you!

[@felixcosty]

Thanks for the video. My inexpensive hot air rework was one that was wire wrong, so deleted the fuse and power cable, and added a combo PC power cord / fuse / power switch to the back. The front power switch was rewired to be another switch for the hot end, now you can lift the handle and nothing will happen till you activate the old power switch. Now it works way better the thing does not heat up till I want it to. Well worth the mod.

[@rfmerrill]

I'm personally tempted to try the twist method first because it's so quick. I think it's worth mentioning that it should take VERY little force. If the cap doesn't twist and pop off effortlessly, I stop and switch to hot air or tweezers.

[@fm00078]

Hey Colin, how's it going. 😉: Soldering iron Kits have special attachments, the one I'm mainly referring to is the 'Nozzle Reducer'. Try making one for your Hot Air unit(s) which will not only reduce & localize it's flow but bent to direct it near 90 degrees thus the hot air being minutely directed where you need it and less where its not. GREAT VIDEOS, THANKS!!!+!

[@telectrochannel7656]

Hi! Try PUSH and twist. It's a better option !!!

[@dougcox835]

I'm old school and I have absolutely no issues with 2 irons and that works in so many other areas as well. I like to keep one with a relatively large tip to heat ground planes or large parts and the other with a small tip for most work. There are also other tricks that work. Like instead of using hot air for a DIP chip all you need to do is to glob a lot of solder bridging the pins into one mass of metal. Do that on both sides and use two irons to melt it all at once and it lifts right off. We become so accustomed to not bridging pads that the concept seems alien but it works great. Solder wick works as well. Wick the solder from the pads and with nothing holding the pins the part will just pop off. You do need to be certain that it's all wicked off though. A little bit too much solder left on a small pad can pull it right off. wick works best with large parts. Using wick is an art as well to get it right. But you can always add more and try again if you can't get it all on the first go.

[@Stefan_Payne]

The way Mr. Carlson (from Carlsons Lab) recommends it is to push down and twist it, fatiguing the cap so that the caps solder points are left on the Board...

[@vswitchzero]

Great video! I've always been nervous using hot air for cap removal as I've seen videos of some exploding. I've never dared to just rip/twist them off either, but I'm guilty of using the cutting method, and have had success with it so far. But as you mentioned, the condition of the board and the joints matter. I think the angle the cut is made is important too - I always go parallel to the pads and use very sharp side cutters. A bit of electolyte gets on the tool and PCB doing this, but as you mentioned, no problem if cleaned up right away. I'd love to try to get a pair of Hakko tweezers like those. They seem great for situations where you don't want to break out the hot air station and sheild things with foil and kapton tape just to remove a single passive component. Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@maxtornogood]

I was just watching Adrian Black & he has done the twist method many times without any issue.

[@jowi_24seven43]

Super interesting that everyone has their preference. Adrian Black from Adrian's digital basement _just_ talked about it in his latest video. He mentioned he never had an issue with the twisting method provided you push down at the same time. Never seen the heated pliers before so that's a new one.

[@nuckenfutz9983]

I've used numerous of these methods, but what I found most consistent was low melt solder, with either a soldering iron or hot air. Agitate the joint to ensure the low melt adequately mixes.

[@nezbrun872]

I'm amazed so few use soldering tweezers. One possible problem with your Hakko is that it might struggle to get in tight spots. I've used Weller WMRT with RTW1 tweezer tip for about 15 years. Not cheap, possibly a Rolls Royce solution. I've had to replace the tip once and that was recently. Great for getting in tight spots. Mostly I use it for reworking 0402s and 0603s as well as electrolytics.

[@davidkclayton]

I have all the soldering tools except for tweezers and a Reflow oven. They are on my shopping list. Currently I use the double soldering iron trick.

[@Null_Experis]

I have a soldering tweezer, so I use that when I can, but the cutting method is also pretty good. Just remember to clean up the juices.

[@thirstyCactus]

Thanks for sharing your findings! Regarding the twist method, I've heard that applying a compressive force, pushing the component into the board while twisting, is less likely to delaminate pads. In my experience, PCB pads are less susceptible to delamination from shearing forces (parallel to the board), than pulling forces, perpendicular to the board.

[@lucasjokiel]

Good overview of the techniques! No bias, pretty much all of the options. Thumbs up!

[@jamesbrown99991]

I had to replace 600 caps off 300 custom boards (my fault in design); it was super simple just to twist them off without lifting away from the board. There were no casualties, or even a slight inkling of damage to the PCB.

[@eddiepires3998]

Great video , I learned a lot. I prefer to use two soldering irons and am fortunate to have a reasonable quality hot-air station , so I hope it is't overkill but I use all three tools , alternating between them as required.

[@foxyloon]

I've honestly had good results with the twist method on multiple occasions. It requires good judgement and a bit of finesse, though. Don't ever yank or pull on the caps, always press into the board while twisting. Hot air or soldering irons aren't always effective, especially on those caps that leaked badly. The corrosion is usually bad enough that the pads are caked in an oxide that won't melt without considerable effort. Frankly, if a pad does lift, that usually means the electrolyte corroded it so badly it would have to be repaired anyway.

[@therealjammit]

I was going to say this and you brought it up. Using two pencil irons, one in each hand. I've had some pretty good luck doing it that way and I guess for me it's fairly easy to do.

[@wilsvgaddiction4456]

I used to remove SMD caps with an iron, slowly and one side at a time. I was recently converted. I was recapping an N64 and it was in bad shape and figured I'd give the twist method a shot since I was short on time. Took me maybe 60 seconds to remove all caps by twisting and pulling off. Then I did another board, and another one. No damage to the pads and I could clear the whole board in the time it took to remove a single cap before. I won't be going back to the old method unless the board is particularly brittle.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

I always use the snip or squeeze and twist method on these Capacitors. It works well on lead free soldered boards 👍 I've also seen people who made their own split tip iron with fat copper wire. Hot Air doesn't work well without adding more solder first.

[@gieselats]

I am learning a lot from your footage. Thank you Colleen. Keep up the good work.

[@PhilXavierSierraJones]

NEVER LIFT UP THE CAPACITORS!!!! The trick is to put DOWNWARD pressure as you twist them, and not lift up as you twist. If you lift up, that almost guarantees the pad also lifting up.

[@waynecox5315]

I like to use Chip Quik indium SMD removal solder. It really works well removing many types of SMD parts

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

many ways to do things. you do what works best for you. I cut, but one snip, and you need to remove the two teets leftover before debraiding. not sawing through them as you showed. Hot air is ok. but depending on the damage level, the old solder wont melt. again, you do what works for you

[@SianaGearz]

Yeah solder chemically damaged by electrolyte affecting it for a long time turns into some sort of non melting crystalline substance, it's not even metal at that stage any longer i don't think, perhaps a type of salt or ceramic.

[@TehSmokeyMan]

Boy am I glad that my electronics work still revolves around THT parts (and I intend to keep it that way, seeing as I work with own designs) but even then I agree that a hot air gun is a handy and versatile tool; I regularly use it alongside my desoldering iron (if "Ol' Slurpy" can't get the chip loose, a bit of hot air will usually do the trick)😁 And yeah, ripping parts loose can really do a number on your pads (for instance; when desoldering cables, they may feel loose enough and you may think all the solder has melted...But you don't want to pull too hard..... Ask me how I know)😅

[@ixamraxi]

Someone has been watching Mr Carlsons Lab? Learned this method from his channel what feels like almost a decade ago. Nice to see its catching on.

[@Gerkozielman]

Good and honest comparison video Colin. thanks for the video.

[@izzzzzz6]

A great hot air station is the original analogue style Quick (857DW). Small looking station with two knobs and two displays. The one you will stumble across is probably the fake or cheap version with a yellowish oval sticker on the front. The good one has a yellowish rectangular sticker on the front. This one has a brushless variable speed fan and a better looking main board. The good one also has a small QR code on the rear. Having the two knobs is priceless. Fast adjustments, something you get a true feel for, no annoying buttons to keep pressing.

[@GomerPyleM14]

I work in a machine shop at a company that specializes in capacitors but ones a'lot larger then these of course lol So it's funny seeing these little guys compared to the ones we make that go into heavy equipment and aerospace.

[@TMS5100]

Been through the same journey as well. Bought them all. Hot air really is the best option. And get a good vacuum desoldering tool like a hakko FR-300

[@DanHendricks]

The hot tweezers is great but doesn’t solve the problem of getting the new cap on like the rework station does either. Great video though! I want one now

[@Mr.Unacceptable]

A simple iron puts them back on without heating the cap or melting the plastic. How do you stop the plastic from melting when using a rework to install them?

[@thomasluggiero3413]

When you buy the 858D, just test the ground pin on the pwoer cord with the metal chassis with a multimeter. I bought one off Amazon like 2 years ago and still going strong.

[@RetrOrigin]

low temp solder is also great for removing SMD components. As the name implies, it melts at lower temps than regular solder and stays liquid longer.

[@chrisbalfour466]

It might be cheaper to buy a chunk of Bismuth metal and cut or melt off bits of it to use for that purpose. It also makes a great paperweight.

[@electroshed]

Had to replace 7 caps on a board, non leaky, just gone off spec due to heat - first tried the soldering iron approach, tore a pad off, for the remaining 6 caps, I applied the push down and twist with pliers method, all 6 caps came away, absolutely no issues with the pads. Also, if you're worried about caps exploding due to heat during removal, stab a hole in the top of the can first, it'll stop any pressure building up :)

[@russellzauner]

Metcal has several variants of lower cost stations for home use and JBC tools has also released some lower cost versions - both of them have a variety of "tweezers"(I call them "paddles" lol, bc usually they're the width of the row of pins you're desoldering). Still, use lots of no clean/low solids flux - flux is your friend; keep your rework boards warm and everything works a little better. Also remember that in most cases the melting temperatures of of the original solder and the temperature required to rework it are different - solders contain balls of different material of different sizes suspended in flux, for most paste applications, which is 99% of electronic manufacturing today. Using some small, softer, eutectic particles of solder mixed with larger higher temp alloy balls allow a lower initial melt temperature but once they're melted and mixed the melt temperature and hardness of the overall material is higher (obviously good for things like high temperature applications and reliability over time); that's why it's so hard to rework some boards, particularly if they're lead-free (in general lead-free solders are higher melt temperature so become harder to rework after initial melt). Metcal parts can be found super cheap at online resale portals, since they've been around forever they've also been liquidated from thousands of dismantled/failed tech companies. If you're going to spend 500 USD or more, though, JBC is the way to go. The part that had me switch from Metcal in the end was that Metcal is high performance but uses RF heat generation to do so, and sprays EMI. Most of the time it's not an issue but don't get things like handheld oscopes/spectrum analyzers near them or your test/data will be swamped out. JBC equipment doesn't seem to bother a scope probe waved over it, so it's okay to have around if you're making sensitive measurements in your lab.

[@MrPotatoShed]

Thanks for this. I've always done the twist method, but I don't know if I have the skills/knowledge to fix a ripped pad, so I might give hot air a try next time. :)

[@scotttait2197]

As an EE who prefers being practical, I can state the twist method works , nothing has ever been solved by throwing cash at it , but there's people who think spending money makes them better theres no substitute for technique 👍

[@Notpoop906]

A tip on purchasing hot air rework stations and soldering irons on the cheaper side is to look at the amazon reviews. If you're lucky you will find one from someone who's actually opened it up and checked if it is electrically safe to use. It's more common than you would think. I've looked at a few tools / small appliances and seen photographed reviews from people saying why or why not the items are electrically safe.

[@Knaeckebrotsaege]

A lot of reviews criticizing products on amazon get censored away though. Been affected by this on 4 different occasions where my reviews warning of subpar and/or fake components and completely unsafe devices got deleted by amazon for "violating amazons review terms" somehow. I'm now banned from writing _any_ reviews site-wide. Turns out amazon *really* doesn't like when you hurt their bottom line in any way, even if it's at the cost of customers getting burnt with fake crap or devices that can and will electrocute their users/buyers

[@vote4jellodk]

I work electronics manufacturing. Tweezers or two regular irons are the way my rework people remove caps. None of our caps have electrolytic leak though. Low temp solder also makes it easier as well.

[@camarol88]

To disolder, you have to solder. Got some gel flux, apply it to desired component pads, apply new fresh solder, apply a bit more flux, apply heat in a circular motion to warm up the PCB surrounding the component (in a pre-heating fassion) and have the tweezers holding the component and this one just comes off.

[@OutThere458]

Seriously. Good soldering technique like this will get you much further.

[@iamdarkyoshi]

Personally I think I'm going to stick with the twist method. I twist them back and forth until the leads break at the base of the cap, then I remove the plastic spacer and desolder the remains of the leads. I have hot air but it's tricky to get the entire underside of the cap melted enough to take it off especially on high thermal mass boards. I'd be worried about heat degrading the PCB or nearby parts. But that's the beauty of hobby projects, the correct technique is whatever works best for you. If that's milling the capacitor off with a CNC machine, then so be it lol

[@d614gakadoug9]

It is nearby parts that concern me with crude hot air methods. I seems a lot of people like to crank up their hot air to the max or at lest over 400 °C. If you suddenly heat a ceramic cap with air that hot you may cause cracking of the dielectric that isn't visible. Electrolytic caps often have ceramic caps nearby and it is the ceramic caps that take a lot of the high-frequency ripple current. If you damage the ceramic cap the electrolytic cap, assuming the circuit even still works properly, takes more ripple current that intended and its life is considerably shortened as a result. Failed ceramic caps also allow high frequency energy to travel further in the circuit board which can compromise reliability.

[@vhfgamer]

From day one I have always just applied fresh solder, heated one leg, lifted it, heated the other leg, and gently wiped it off the board. I've never once had to resort to that violent ripping method. Not even on heavily corroded solder from leaky caps. Also I would like to note... I own the hot tweezers. They go with my rework station. I don't bother using them because it's so much easier and quick (and safer) to just use the soldering iron.

[@Cristi4n_Ariel]

Yeah, I use the same method. The extra solder distributes the heat around the pad more efficiently.

[@vhfgamer]

@@Cristi4n_Ariel And it also negates the issue of old crusty (possibly lead free) solder with corrosion. Because the lead free stuff doesn't like to cooperate when removing components.

[@Rezendes]

Another simple method I don't think you mentioned is to use a soldering iron and Low Melt solder. Low Melt is like magic and once you hit each leg with some it will stay melted for more than enough time to easy lift the cap off even after you have removed the iron. No prep for heat dissipation, no exploding caps from hot air or melting plastic, no torn pads, only downside is low melt is expensive but a little goes a Long way.

[@OutThere458]

I was going to suggest low-melt too, but you have to be careful to clean it off thoroughly. I do not use it frequently. I would apply and fully wick off standard solder on the pads where low-melt was used, probably twice, before feeling comfortable that the low-melt alloy was completely removed.

[@Rezendes]

@@OutThere458 you make a good point, low melt should at least wick up very nicely. I would observe how long the solder takes to solidify once you remove the iron and judge from that if it's chemistry is mostly standard solder level.

[@dontbetonit813]

I've use this method and never had any problems.

[@ChewyChicken589]

The rework station is definitely the safest way. I actually have that same model and it has been good for me so far. One more thing, sometimes they will glue capacitors down to help them hold to the board and the twisting method will pull up the pad with the glue. The rework station will melt the glue which is another reason why it is the safest way

[@drywinddotnet]

As always, a high quality, entertaining (in a fellow geek sense), and informative vid.

[@dr_jaymz]

Those exact type of capacitors have vertical contacts through plastic so when you twist the capacitor it causes a rotation, that is why it doesn't pull the pad off the board and it works nearly all of the time. Just pulling them upward will pull off a pad, and heating the pad in anyway makes them determined to come off. If they come off when you twist them then you have bigger problems the pad already de-laminated.

[@darwiniandude]

Hi Colin. Love your videos. My first SMD recap was my Amiga 4000, luckily it all went well. I really took my time. I used locking tweezers I was given from a surgeon to hold the base of the cap to stop it moving, then cut away the top and made my way down to eventually remove each one. However I have SMD rework gear now. What I now consider to be the best method is to use hot air, but to first melt the solder on each leg (or all legs on an IC) using QuickChip Alloy... it combines with the solder already there so it now melts at 60ºC instead of 200-300 or whatever. So then you can use less hot air, or cheaper hot air tools, and not stress nearby components as much. So melt the existing solder with that first, then all the solders legs will soften easily at 60ºC. I consider this the least invasive approach, and essential for large ICs if you're attempting it without board heaters etc.

[@LucaBlightOfHighland]

After a couple of failed attempts with the soldering iron I started to follow the "just snap it" philosophy on the game gear on which I performed recap, but the situation there is a bit particular, because they are normal capacitors with through leads that were packaged to be mounted SMD

[@guilhermephsor]

what I found is that sometimes the glue that holds the copper on the pcb is damaged by the corrosion too.

[@gustinian]

I'm happy with the twin soldering iron technique - it's certainly cheaper than the tweezers if you won't need them often.

[@paradoxflyer]

Thank you for covering different methods, I need to recap a pc engine duo but I wasn't sure what method to use

[@InssiAjaton]

Just a couple of days ago I saw another interesting desoldering tip on youtube In short, it works on through hole multi pin parts ans surface wing shape pins. You form a suitable thickness copper wire and solder it along the row of pins. Preferably low melting point (eutectic tin-lead alloy) solder. If you are dealing with dual in line parts, you solder your copper wire as a loop around. Then you have (one or two) soldering iron tip(s) heating the wire(s). Use a wide chisel tip and the heat spreads along the copper wire (plus fair amount of applied solder) all the way and the part detaches easily. On thru hole parts, you may need to straighten the often bent two corner pins as preparation before the desoldering operation. Sorry, I don't know if the SMT capacitors could be removed this way. As mentioned, I saw this two days ago and have not tested it myself yet.

[@Jerry_from_analytics]

I've just replaced 27 caps on Roland XP-50 using twist motion and had no problems. Legs pull out real easy this way, but then you have to snip them a little and remove the plastic base. Then desolder what's left and clean up with a wick and IPA. No extra equipment necessary than a basic small soldering iron.

[@PonderSmoke860]

Great video. Always happy to see more tips and tricks.

[@Lazydiv]

Saw a video here from Mr SolderFix. Did desoldering with just one iron with a copper wire wraped around with solder to desolder many points at once. Was on connectors but should work i think

[@TomTechVideos]

I have two hands, so I use the two soldering irons method with ease. The drawback is that the tips get contaminated with molten plastic and needs cleaning or replacing afterwards.

[@Dinnye01]

So, you are taking on this battle? :D nice video, by the way! As always.

[@PaulMiller-mn3me]

Adrian steps up as first challenger!

[@Dinnye01]

@@PaulMiller-mn3me I was, in particular, thinking about him.

[@stephanemignot100]

@@PaulMiller-mn3me If that works for him I don't see where is the problem. Chris Edwards went after him too If I remember well.

[@bzuidgeest]

​@@PaulMiller-mn3meAdrian at least has experience. Advertising this method to heavy handed noobs is a no for me. It leaves me to clean up the damage they do.

[@kensgold]

Heres a trick for those of us on a budget. if you have decently thick copper wire, or even a paperclip. you can bend the wire into a shape that will touch both pads. solder it to each pad. then use it as a heat pipe to spread the heat from your iron through the copper wire to the other pad.

[@needfuldoer4531]

I grab SMD electrolytics with pliers and wiggle them back and forth like a loose tooth, while lightly pressing down into the board. This always fatigues the legs, almost always where they bend 90 degrees to form the foot. Once one leg is free, I change the angle to twist around the vertical part of the other leg. Once the cap comes off, all that's left are the pieces of leg embedded in the solder on the pad, and I always clean the pads up with flux, fresh solder, and wick anyway. I have yet to lift any pads this way, unlike when I was trying to use heat. The trick is to wiggle the cap with a ton of repetitions and very little force.

[@ville_syrjala]

Yes, although I tend to use the snips method for caps myself. In my experience it's quite hard to lift traces/pads without heat, but with enough heat and just a tiny bit of mechanical force it becomes quite easy to make a big mess. I was rather surprised how easily I managed to lift traces when practicing with hot air on some scrap boards (even decent quality ones).

[@kironoschannel]

I've always been terrified of twisting or ripping surface mount caps. When I'm at home I use the snipping method since I don't have a hot air station. However, when I'm at work I have access to a good one and use that if I can. For me it depends on what I'm working on, how expensive it is to replace, and how difficult the removal process will be.

[@y_x2]

You can easily remove an electrolytic cap with a simple soldering machine and an exacto, you unsolder one side only with the exacto pushing on the side to lift the pin then you do the other side with the iron only. The hot tweezer is what you need for ceramic parts.

[@hateWinVista]

A video on repair tips and tricks is an instant click to me.