Surface mount resistors and capacitors come off nicely with two soldering irons. That's why you see a pair of them at my bench.
Removing chips with many pins requires more sophisticated and specialized equipment. I didn't want to spend the money, either. So I just slice the dang chip off with a razor blade. In fact, I sometimes do the same with a DIP package. On a multi-layed board, those pesky ground and power plane connections make it hard to desolder. For me, I just waste the chip, in return for preserving the board. Removing pins one at a time is a lot easier. My technique is to add solder, not remove it. Get solder and flux on that pin, heat it up and pull out with a small pliers or nippers. More solder, not less, is the key to prevent damage to delicate pads and traces.
jh