Had to choose between a hot air station and a soldering iron for an old DVD player board

I was fixing a Panasonic DVD player from 2004 for a neighbor last weekend. There was a cracked capacitor near a plastic connector, and I worried the hot air would melt it. I went with my Hakko soldering iron and a pair of tweezers instead, taking it slow. The cap came off clean and the new one went in without any damage. Has anyone else had to pick between tools on a tight spot like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade4714d agoMost Upvoted

Butter knife as a pry tool" - yeah I've been there too. Just be careful though, some old plastic gets brittle and you might snap a clip if you're not gentle. I've learned that the hard way a few times.

foster.ruby14d ago

I once used a butter knife as a pry tool on a VCR, worked surprisingly well actually.