Recycling caps from circuit boards - does anybody else here do this?

[Terry F.]

I would trust a good 10 year old cap more than some of the junk modern
caps I'm seeing in everything. These caps often explode after less
than a year. While nothing beats a brand new high quality cap, and
ESR meter will weed out ones that are on their way out.

Hasn't there been a big problem recently with caps from Taiwan having
bad electrolyte?

 

[James Sweet]

Hasn't there been a big problem recently with caps from Taiwan having
bad electrolyte?

It was 5 or 6 years ago, I still run across them on occasion, but most of
the equipment with them has either been repaired or scrapped by now.