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iFixit wants to fix the soldering iron
(www.engadget.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Which is a little odd to me, since I don't think it compares favorably vs either. Maybe against the ts80p because it's significantly lower wattage and more expensive than the other two.
The TS80P is lower wattage, technically, but the heating element is right up at the very tip, instead of having a heating element inside the handle with a long metal piece transmitting the heat. It gets hot way faster than you’d expect, it doesn’t feel like 30W at all.
It punches way, way above its weight. Unless you’re soldering pipes, comparing the wattage to traditional irons is misleading. Love that tiny thing.
Only problem is that this design necessitates proprietary tips that are relatively expensive. Not a fan of that, coming from the no name Global South Especiale 2$ firestarter irons that are the norm where I am. Not the end of the world, but worth keeping in mind.
The one I bought came with a USB-C cable that couldn’t handle the current though. That was the only real red flag. Shame too, that cable seemed like it was silicone coated and would have been ideal.
Yeah I have a ts80p but it struggles with what I usually solder so I've replaced it with a pinecilV2 for mobile soldering which I've been happier with.