Here’s what I do when removing SMD capacitors from boards. So far I’ve had two lifted pads. One was the very first I removed (whoops!) and the latest was on a SNES where corrosion had weakened the trace and pad. You can’t win them all, just hope you have a via or solder point on the same connection nearby to solder to!

The video records the method I was using at the time. It worked for me most of the time, but those lifted pads are a reason to be careful: minimise force on the pads and make sure the solder is sufficiently molten before lifting the component. If a pad comes away, establish where its connection went before choosing a repair point.

Feel free to share any tips or pointers in the comments, always happy to have some feedback!

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