Some of the smoke got let out on my boards; the + and - might have gotten a little confused for a moment in time.
I’ve used some different solder suckers, and some different de-soldering braids. I’m looking at solder braids at the moment.
Item:
MG Chemicals 425-NS
Digi-Key Part Number
473-1076-ND
Item:
MG Chemicals 426
Digi-Key Part Number
473-1063-ND
If you think you can help me, that would be great!
With advice on the product?
Pesky little rails. You probably need to take them aside and teach them to mind their own business and stop interfering with each other. 
I hate those hand held solder pumps that skid all over the board whilst jumping out of your hand! 
I much prefer braid. The people who hate braid usually don’t have the iron hot enough but I have a TS100 with boost so no problem. Out of the two you have mentioned I don’t think there is much in it but I would buy the 426 simply because of the 2.54 mm width as opposed to the other that is thinner…that’s my two penneth worth. Oh sorry to hear about the smoke
I used to have one of these spring action suckers with a very low recoil and narrow nozzle.
Most of them have too large a nozzle and the recoil jerk rips tracks off the board
I’ve used one of the Edsyn ‘Soldapullit’ solder suckers for years - hardly ever have a problem so long as the buildup inside is shaken out regularly. Not sure how it’s possible to rip a trace off a board with one of them.
Spend too long heating the pad. Need a bigish, hot tip and high power iron. If the original solder is lead free, place some leaded solder on first.
Same with solder wick. Big hot tip, high power iron, mix some leaded solder with unleaded first. Do not dwell on pads.
Regularly clean out the internals and use a few drops of light oil to help the piston move freely.
Yes, very good advice to reflow leaded onto lead-free joints. Also, if you are wicking and it does not quite empty the hole, fill it with solder again and repeat – it will wick out in one go, provided you place the wick flat against the hole and the side of the iron flat against the wick to transfer heat well.
My favorite wick is Techspray No-Clean #2 (1821-5F is 5 foot and -10F is ten feet). There is also a #1 size that is narrower for tighter spots. Second choice is MG-Chemicals Superwick #423 fine braid. These wicks must have some flux in them to help pull solder in. Bargain no-name braid is crap and you will throw it away.
Braid has a short shelf life, once it oxidises, it is useless.
Maybe you should store it in a sealed box with a dessicant
flux translates to flow. Flux is rosin which is pine tree sap. I have jar of rosin that I apply with a toothpick. The main issue is that enough temperature to melt solder also releases the glue holding the copper on the substrate. Be careful.
Yep! Smash the bits you collect from the tree, dissolve in alcohol (takes about a week), and keep in a sealed jar. Beware: dried rosin in threads of bottle caps is a superb glue.
Spread with toothpicks or cotton buds. Dip dried solder wick or “bargain no-name crap” in bottle to give it a new life.
If you are not into drinking industrial alcohol, use what is left in the bottle, after making the liquid rosin, together with an old fashioned toothbrush, for that “like new” finish to your PCB.
Guys, this discussion is heavily off-topic.
On topic, but not Kicad related, although there is a relation to PCBs.
Just curious, what kind of solder sucker do you uses? Is it one of those spring driven mechanical contraptions?
I’ve never had much luck with those. They sort of work a bit, but that’s about it.
I once had the pleasure of working with a real soldering iron with a real vacuum pump, and those are wonderful. You don’t need no solder braid either for those, and that’s what prompted me to make this remark.
The re-work is needed on boards that I created with KiCad.
Is it “on” topic to create them, and “off” topic to fix them?
Was a Pace soldering station on the bench when I was in the USAF; easy to get spoiled.
Soldering braid expires slowly and many of them are almost worn when you buy it. Models offered in vacuum cans are significantly better but its not a big deal if you need one and have to trash the remaining 9. https://de.rs-online.com/web/p/entlotlitzen/2919338
Always put back your braid in a thight tin can and close the cover instead of simply throwing into the drawer.
For daily work I use a Weller WXDP120 but that instrument needs an air connection why I also use braid for outdoor service.
Most difficult are the multilayer boards with inner planes and leadfree tin with higher melting points. Therefore I use infrared preheater what helps a lot. Desoldering iron is only doing the power for the remaining peak to melt. This avoids high local temperatures what peels of the traces. Its not the desoldering tool what is doing this.
If you desolder your own boards (and to come back to more Kicad specific discussion),
Things I never knew. And I have the ability to vacuum seal too.
I have never had solder wick degrade sitting out on my bench and some have been sitting there for years. Though perhaps I have just not seen it happen yet as I have only been soldering since the 70s. It is also quite low humidity here, if that affects it.
It is an interesting topic with a wealth of experience in the replies. Well worth the read and suitable for this forum although not strictly “how to” with Kicad.
Now, does anyone wish to start a thread on solder or the irons that melt the stuff?
Cuts, Jumpers, and Ugly Bug construction are all valid means in the process to create a final PCB for production.