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I have several soldering irons. I do mostly small circuit board soldering. My favorite iron is the MINIWARE TS100. I also have a Pinecil, which I like but prefer the TS100.
If you're looking to do small soldering on circuit boards, there are better options then this one.
The required power to solder should fluctuate constantly, to maintain the proper temperature. When you first contact what you are trying to solder, the iron needs a lot of power to heat things up. When everything is hot, the iron no longer needs as much power.
Having a power knob just means you will always have the wrong amounts of power. Either too little or too much. This is arguably worse than the non temperature regulated irons without a knob, because as a novice how are you supposed to know where the knob should go, when an expert wouldn't know either? You're paying extra for a useless knob, and paying more than irons with temperature regulation. Why buy this?!
You'll either have too low of temperatures from too low of power, or over heat what you are soldering from too high of power.
A person new to soldering needs all the help they can get, a tool like this is a hindrance to learning. At a minimum the iron any novice buys should offer temperature regulation. It doesn't need to be adjustable even, but the iron should be able to regulate to an ideal temperature, around 650-700 degrees F, and hold that temperature. The cost to get a temperature regulated iron over this piece of junk is negligible. There are plenty of temperature regulated irons on Amazon which will do an acceptable job in the sub $50 price range.
The pine64 someone posted in this thread is on par with the irons I use in my electronics lab designing power supplies with regards to temperature regulation, and it's less expensive than this useless Weller.
This iron is a waste of money unless maybe you want to use it for wood burning or other related crafts and not soldering.
That will not work except when the iron is just sitting idle. The temperatures will vary wildly while in actual use, since this doesn't have temperature regulation.
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Care to explain to a soldering novice?
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank PeterK2406
I have several soldering irons. I do mostly small circuit board soldering. My favorite iron is the MINIWARE TS100. I also have a Pinecil, which I like but prefer the TS100.
If you're looking to do small soldering on circuit boards, there are better options then this one.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank PeterK2406
Yup. 100%
Also, get their USB-C cable and power brick.
I have several soldering irons. I do mostly small circuit board soldering. My favorite iron is the MINIWARE TS100. I also have a Pinecil, which I like but prefer the TS100.
If you're looking to do small soldering on circuit boards, there are better options then this one.
This would be fine for through hole or just soldering wires together.
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I only see one pinecil on Amazon. Is this what you're referring to? PINECIL – Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron, Small https://a.co/d/itnVzfa
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank LZsoul
If you are in no rush, order from pine64 website for only $26, shipping will take about a month from China. Just got mine on Dec, very happy with it.
https://pine64.com/product/pineci...ring-iron/
https://pine64.com/product/pineci...ring-iron/
Including shipping that's only $2 less than Amazon for me. Any way to reduce shipping?
Also, get their USB-C cable and power brick.
New to soldering also, what does the power brick do for a portable soldering iron?
Did Weller start putting fuses in all their irons or is it still a lucky dip?
https://youtu.be/XUtj-bWHeKY