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@@ -36,22 +36,41 @@ While a cheap soldering iron is better than no soldering iron, I've come to thin iFixit's new Hub Soldering iron is actually several products. The core is the Smart Soldering Iron for $80. It's powered by USB-C, and comes with beveled 1.5 mm tip. (there are currently six other tips available, and more coming over time. Then there's the Portable Soldering Station for $250 which includes the iron and a battery pack designed for the iron. The final option is the everything version, the $300 Soldering Toolkit which includes the iron, the battery pack, along with useful tools like wire strippers, flush cutters, solder, flux, holder cleaner and more. I tested the latter. -The thing that jumps out at you the most when first opening the kit is the magnetic cap. This is a thing of genius. Not only does it cover the tip, you can put it on when the tip is hot. No waiting to cool, just stick it on when you're done. Every soldering iron should have this cap. +The thing that jumps out at you the most when first opening the kit is the magnetic cap. This is a thing of genius. Not only does it cover the tip, you can put it on even when the tip is hot and it will automatically power down to the idle temperature (which you can set in the app). Every soldering iron should have a cap like this and this feature alone makes iFixit's soldering iron great for beginners. +There are other user-friendly features too, like an LED light system that warns you when the iron is hot, motion sensors to detect when it set it down for a while (which cause it to automatically shut off). The motion sensors can also detect if you drop it and again shut it off automatically. I tested all three of these features and they worked without issue. +Ergonomically the iFixit soldering iron is comfortable to hold, and the trianglular grip means it won't go rolling around if you set it down for a second. The body itself is spare, with just a power button and tk. I love the locking USB-C cable at the top, which ensures you won't accidentally unplug it. + +I don't currently have an board-based projects to test the iron with, but I soldered a few wires together and fixed a balance lead wire on a home built lithium battery which I've been avoiding because it felt like a job that was too fine for my soldering iron. + +In every case what impressed me most was how fast the iron was ready to go. Remove the tip and it's ready to go almost instantly (somewhere between 3 and five seconds in my testing). + +Because I live off primarily solar power, which is mainly (most efficiently) delivered via 12V wall outlets, I have always wanted a USB-C iron. Alas, I don't have any wall outlets that can deliver the needed 100W of power. + +Luckily iFixit's battery pack solves the problem. But before I get into the battery pack and accessories, a word on the tips. They aren't interchangable with similar USB-C irons like the Miniware or open source Pinecil. The problem is that iFixit's soldering iron is delivering 100W of power while other only manage 60W or 80W. One one hand it's nice that this thing can deliver 100W, because it heats up faster and gets hotter. But it is disappointing not to be able to swap tips if you have a bunch from other irons (unlike traditional soldering iron tip, USB-C powered soldering iron tips the temperature sensor and heater core inside the actual tip). iFixit is selling additional tips for $20 each (which is cheaper than some competitors). + +If you opt to get the 55 watt-hour battery combo kit, you've got a nice, truly portable soldering station. The battery pack has two USB-C outputs, which churn out provide 100W of power. The unit can also skip the battery and provide passthrough power if it's plugged into a wall outlet. + +The power pack is also where you can set the temperature of the iron with a good old fashioned knob rather than the web interface. This design is probably going to be main complaint about this iron from those with more soldering experience, namely that there's no way to adjust temperature on the iron, like you can with the tiny, and popular, Penicile. Personally I almost never adjust temperature on the fly. I set the temp for whatever solder I'm using and pretty much leave it there. Because of that I found adjusting the temp through the web-based interface to be easy enough that it didn't bother me. That said, it would be nice to be able to access this interface through the phone. At the moment iFixit's tool depends on the WebSerial protocol which is currently only supported by the desktop version of Chromium browsers (so Chrome, Edge, Vivaldi, etc). iFixit is working on a way to control it via your phone, but at the moment that doesn't work. + +As you would expect iFixit's soldering iron is user repairable. The company even includes a screwdirver and spudger to help you take it apart. I took apart both the iron and the battery pack and am happy to say there it was incredibly simple, there's no weird glues or anything like that. + +I think what iFixit has made here is incredibly well designed and goes a long way toward making soldering more approachable for newcomers, which is what iFixit CEO Kyle Weins tells WIRED was a big part of the project -- demystifying soldering. To that end I think this makes a great way to get started soldering. It's on the pricier side for the all-in-one combo package, but it's all you're ever likely to need and it's repairable. This is also just about the only soldering tool I'd be comfortable gifting should you have a repair enthusiast on your gift list. + + + + + + +--- -n LED warning light that tells you if it’s blistering hot, motion sensors to automatically shut it off if you set it down for a while or it falls from your hand, and a triangular grip to keep it from rolling across a surface. I am not a soldering pro, but so far, these features worked beautifully in my early testing. -You can also turn it off with a dedicated power switch on the handle, instead of having to yank the plug like my old Miniware TS80, and it’s far harder to accidentally yank that plug since it has a locking USB-C cable. -n, battery pack, and a bunch of useful soldering tools. -iFixit, certainly aware of the Pinecil, Miniware, and other USB-C pen-style soldering irons on the market, claims a few things set its iron apart. Its iron can be powered up to 100 watts, whereas it says most tap out at 60W over USB or 88W on DC. The heat-resistant cap should make finishing the job faster. iFixit also touts "A warranty and a US company to talk to" for their gear, as compared to the competition.kkkk -It’s also a slight shame iFixit didn’t adopt the same interchangeable tips as the popular Pinecil and / or Miniware USB-C soldering irons. Even though they plug in roughly the same way and my old Miniware TS80 tips are a perfect fit, they’re not cross-compatible. -iFixit will sell its own additional tips for $20 each, which is actually less than I paid for a good TS80 tip. (Unlike normal soldering iron tips, USB-C ones have heater cores and temperature sensors inside.) Eventually, frustrated by my cheapo for the thousandth time, I upgraded to a slightly nicer soldering setup with a stand (an older version of [this Weller](https://www.amazon.com/Weller-Digital-Soldering-Station-Precision/dp/B09XZBWJ5H/)), but as a tool I never gave it much thought beyond that. |