Best hobby soldering iron? Pinecil vs. Miniware, Hakko, Weller and Ersa

Can these soldering iron be used on jewelry?

"We're gonna test thqt" ive heard this one before.

are you impersonating project farm?

...A 50 degree angle is "dated" but the hot wheels themed unit is just missing some more L.E.D. screenspace. Obuty-Kabuty.

No JBC in this comparison?!

68, so close.. hahaha

My Magnastat is just one year younger than me. I'm 50 years old :)

I find that the mini ware ts80, ts80p, ts 101 are all much more expensive for the handle and the tips compared to the pinecel with no advantages over the pinecel v2. Also can confirm that miniware tips are easy to break even when being careful.

Ksger t12 is amazing bang for buck, honestly no complaints from me.

I would love to know how they compare for laying-up and reworking SMD components.

Metcal is #1, JBC maybe #2

Great thorough review for us beginners :) Thanks!!

Just wanted to throw this out there - my yihua 939D+ is great after 3 years and I am able to use hako tips. $55 usd and it’s fast to use and overall reliable. Partner has the hako and honestly I don’t really see a difference

Project Farm crossover?

Just the size and portability of the USB-C ones are worth it. It was always such a hassle to set up my soldering station

Well Er! Well ERRR. Sheshhhhh. Stop saying Vela

Super helpful! Thanks a ton!

Hey Tom, bar charts are great, love them! But a final table with all the data in at the end so we can evaluate what is important to us and compare models would have been really useful as well!

I bough similar type on ali, for 2$, works fine.

I really loved this video and the format. It was very direct and to the point.
I did find the autofocus distracting and might suggest setting manual focus when possible on something like this.
I also really would have loved to see some firmware upgrades tried as footnotes on the ts80/pinecil. The target audience is pretty likely to do that given it's a maker marketed product reviewed on a makers channel.
A final spreadsheet with score on all the tests before recommendations is also always welcome in fast paced information dense comparison.

I was really interested in the comparisons on these though and found your video helpful as I always do. Thanks for the great content!

In 2015 I got myself a very sturdy CHF-LD48 soldering station from my local hardware store. It's built like a tank and works like a charm.
A year later I ordered a set of spezial use tips for it, and yeah, it's been a great soldering station so far.

What about pro skit. I am a noob, and I need to buy a soldering iron. I will using it for electronics and tesla circuits. What should I go for?

Used to work with Ersa irons professionally, they are a joy to use for every occasion, however, changing the tips is the worst thing about it. Those plastic nut holders keep breaking, the plastic gets uncomfortably hot, sometimes the tips jam and you need to remove them forcefully. You really learn to use only one or two tips for any soldering job. Now using the miniware for personal projects. Btw, the firmware updates fix all of the issues

JBC Tools CD-2SQF?

Project farm euro edition?

closer positioning of hand to iron tip means you burn your fingers

:no money changed hands, but I bought this with my own money....makes no sense

Coo Ersa it is thanks

Thank you.

Gordon Freeman

Ts 100 or 101 for the win hands down

Nope ts 100 best bro best

Great video, Pinecil ordered!

great video, good technical analysis is hard to come by

Used a Weller at work and now I'm spoiled with soldering irons. The cable is so heat resistant and soft it heats up in seconds too. Incredible quality

great review, thx

Wele

Hi, what power supply did you use on the Pincecil for these tests?

Easy Choice. The Ersa is not only a great tool for the job, its also a quality build that will last you a very long time. I am still using my Ersa Digital 2000A + Power Tool from over 20 years ago. I use it regularly and its still perfect. I added the micro tool later for SMD work and the long life tips last a really long time.

I would expect a T12 chinese (stm32-based) station, and some TS100 or SH72 irons that use shorter T12 tips for a hobby soldering solution comparison.

missing JBC

Got my Pinecil a couple days ago...and man. Breathtaking coming from crappy Amazon soldering irons.

Got the Pinecil back when it was first coming out... and I've never regretted that decision! When you buy it, just go ahead and get the 4 additional tips!

Finally replacing my 40 year old Radio Shack basic iron... and TIL that soldering irons now need software?!

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️for being a ProjectFarm fan! Love it. Thank you

You can also Just hat up the miniware to a Set temperature with one press of a Button. No need to Set it every time

I don't understand the summary. Your tests show Ersa lack with fast changing the tips and no rubber stands but your final comment is about something else, don't know what exactly. Could you elaborate?

How about the Goot 800 series. Very compact, heats in 6 seconds, tips can be hot swapped by simply pushing tips out with the integrated slide lever. No need to let them cool down. Has programmable high/low temp alarms and soldering alarm for sensitive components. Had mine for 8 years, still going strong.

Hakko with Weller and Ersa are professional classic, standard/trend makers. Miniware and Pinecil extend hobby and amateur soldering to low-medium level of professional models, even if their main purpose is portable soldering. With price of Pinecil V2 it become the leader in this category, TS100/101 killer.