I've found Chemwick to be better than most actually. There are some REAL crappy
brands of solder wick out there.
Be aware that once you remove the wrapper from any decent solder wick it starts
losing effectiveness over time. It takes a while, but it does happen. Let's put
it this way, unless you're a professional tech using it on a daily basis, don't
buy the 100' roll.
Keeping the sheath on the roll helps, as does keeping it in one of those
plastic toolboxes that "kinda" seal when you close them.
Also any solderwick is hard to use on plated through holes, or holes with
grommets. This is where you gotta keep bringing up fresh wick, someone might
look and think you're wasting it, but that's not so. Got to keep that circuit
board in good shape. Solderwick burns up whether or not it has sucked up alot
of solder. If you just keep laying the heat on it you start lifting pads.
Hitting it repeatedly, but keeping the contact time down to about a second or
so is the way to go.
If your Chemwick was surplus or something it might be old, if it's like 3 or 4
years old it's not as good as it should be, and that's important. We are paid
to be able to change these parts without damaging the equipment. Armed with a
good iron, good wick and the knowhow to use it we should be able to change,
say, an LA7610 about ten times without collateral damage. But I agree that you
definitely need good wick, whatever the brand.
I'll have to try that Dri wick sometime, but up until now I had never heard of
it. I don't do purchasing so I don't hear about every new thing out there.
JURB
