You say several times that particular fluxes are hard to clean “because rosin based”, but rosin fluxes are generally considered to be easy to clean with solvents. It’s the modern no-clean fluxes that tend to be very hard to clean. So what is it you consider to be easy to clean??
SMD291 is good. But I like SMD291NL even better — it handles higher temperatures for lead-free better without burning, and still works great for leaded solder, but its biggest advantage over the non-NL version is that the NL version is completely transparent amber, without any cloudiness. This makes it way easier to see what you’re doing.
Also, you should link to the manufacturers’ pages, not distributors.
The thread title is “flux categories” but you don’t actually explain the flux types at all! Never mind that there are numerous systems for categorization, and then orthogonal to that, the different forms in which each category of flux exists. That is, every type of flux (e.g. R/RMA/RA system, RO/RE/OR+L/M/H+0/1 system, or the F-SW system) exists as flux core wire, liquid, and paste/gel.
I use Isopropyl Alcohol and cotton at the tip of tweezers for cleanning. Compare to these that I 've used I made a personal graduation about cleaning.
Use proper flux cleaner. Modern fluxes are not fully soluble in IPA. (Traditional rosin flux is.)
P.S. I updated my first reply after you responded, so you may want to reread it now.
Use proper flux cleaner. Modern fluxes are not fully soluble in IPA. (Traditional rosin flux is.)
I had used the below flux cleaner but I didn't impressed with the results of the cleanning compared to IPA and also smells very bad. If you say that a flux cleaner cleans better than IPA then it will be like that. I will search to find and try another flux cleaner where at least his smell will be more "soft".
Manufacturer Part Number: 84009-AA
Use proper flux cleaner. Modern fluxes are not fully soluble in IPA. (Traditional rosin flux is.)
I had used the below flux cleaner but I didn't impressed with the results of the cleanning compared to IPA and also smells very bad. If you say that a flux cleaner cleans better than IPA then it will be like that. I will search to find and try another flux cleaner where at least his smell will be more "soft".
Manufacturer Part Number: 84009-AA
I’ve used Kontakt LR (aka Kontakt PCC) a lot, and it’s definitely better at cleaning than pure IPA, but the one I really like is Electrolube LFFR (lead-free flux remover). It cleans even better than Kontakt LR, and it smells a whole lot nicer (it uses orange terpenes as part of its solvent blend, which not only clean well but smell lovely).
My current jar of cheap ebay stuff, it's like rosin mixed with wax. Trying to solder with it, well it's pretty weak stuff so it's lousy, but rarely have to worry about shorts with it. So anytime I have to work on SMD IC's, or something I can't easily clean, I use this.
The other stuff I use, MG Chemicals 8342 RA rosin, it's great for eating corrosion and wetting, but it has to be well cleaned off afterwards. There's not much issue with large solder balls, but it can leave a conductive residue, and it spits and crackles everywhere. I've had it get under traces, and mess up a PCB I solder on too many times.
On PCB's or protoboards, if I really want them clean, I use a toothbrush, ISP alcohol, and then soapy water. But yeah, I'm afraid too use that good stuff on chips and certain SMD stuff. I need to find something in between.