Lost $120 on a fake motherboard repair kit, don't be me

Bought one of those "all-in-one" BGA rework kits off an auction site last month. Thought I was saving money vs sending boards out. First real job was a laptop that wouldn't post. Followed the included guide exactly. Reflowed the chip and it fired up. Felt like a genius for about 20 minutes. Then it died again. Tried twice more, same result. Ended up buying a used board for $85 anyway. The kit was junk, the heat spread was all over the place. Anybody else get burned by cheap rework gear? What's the minimum you'd actually trust for occasional board work?

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the_holly12d ago

Did you actually check the temperature curve or just trust the guide?