You probably mean through hole; PTH means plated through holes and is usually beyond the capabilities of most DIYers.maybe i'll make my next one PTH!
Soldering SMT devices without a hot air tool is one thing, doing rework on anything with more than 2 pins will be painful with a soldering iron.I also saw tons of SMD Soldering video i had to try it!
I'd recommend troubleshooting in place to avoid the aggravation of removing it without destroying it and/or your board. Lifting pads/traces is easier than you think.maybe i'll desolder the IC and try it on a breakout board :?