Gas Soldering Irons

[pickleye]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy a gas soldering iron, mainly small repairs, odd alarm cable repair, cable to switch or pcb repair, shrinking heat shrink etc.

It's not going to get a lot of work, and I've got a bigger mains one for bigger stuff.

Has any one got a recommendation? I don't want to spend a huge amount of money (about 50 quid), nor throw good money away.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Marvo]

I have one that looks like this except mine's all black.



It works well and I get around 30 mins solid use out of a single charge. It came with several tips but I just carry a small and medium usually. I prefer to use my proper solder station because the temp control is far better but once in awhile when there's nopower around the gas one is a blessing to have.

I also have a couple of other gas irons, one is a Weller the other I'm not sure but they're both crap. It takes them about 5 mins to get hot enough to melt this newfandangled lead free solder so they just sit in a cupboard.

 

[Sidewinder]

I have a couple of old Portasol kits from RS, they don't do them any more.

The Weller irons are better but, £ more.

Mine looks like the one in the pic on this page, but came in a box with soldering tip, hot air tip, blowtorch tim, and hot knife tip some solder, and a small sponge.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/soldering-irons/4336038/

They are not really for PCB work, unless you are in TROUBLE TBH.

My nickname for it is a gas axe!

Whatever you get watch the exhaust port as it will do a good job on surrounding stuff.

 

[Steve3948]

Dare I say CPC do some nice and cheap  :innocent

 

[steptoe]

I used to have a portasol, great iron, until I didnt need it anymore, or so someone else thought,  :|

I have one of these now ,

as said, NOT good for PCB stuff due to the exhaust heating everything around it up,,,,,,

I really must get myself a decent little cheapo mains iron,

I had an Antex, that was ok, I have a weller now that I dont much care for tbh, maybe I got a crap one,  :C

 

[OnOff]

I have a posh refillable job that has died - can't remember make, will take photo (Weller I think, light blue - gas comes out but no spark). Bought for heat shrinking on roofs, in sub zero temps etc. Gave up and used the heat gun in the end!

Also have a small cheapest of the cheap blue plastic one that takes disposable lighters and is made by Rolson - still going!

 

[Sidewinder]

That's the sort of kit my Portasol came like Steps!

I have one of these for heat shrinking:

http://cpc.farnell.com/iroda/mj-330/heat-gun-gas-1300c-micro-jet/dp/SD01110

 

[steptoe]

That's the sort of kit my Portasol came like Steps!

my portasol was 10times the iron this is, 

it was a little yellow one, got it about 27or28 years ago, to say I was ******* raging when it got pinched is a massive understatement,,,,  bad day explode

 

[Sidewinder]

Found it, guess where, CPC!

Doh!

I have two of these:

http://cpc.farnell.com/portasol/portasol-professional/soldering-kit-gas/dp/SD01455

One stays in the workshop, one is in my toolbox at all times, I last used it Friday for legging out a diode for test.

IMHO, worth the £10 more than the budget price in the OP.

I have had both of mine over 10 years now and have only gone through one soldering tip between the two.

 

[pickleye]

Hmmm, decisions decisions,

Its looking like the Portasol at the minute.  Amazon has it for 49.99 delivered and 1 good review plus the "reviews" here.  I was wondering about the cheapos, but I hate wasting money on a "bargin" that doesn't work out.

The Dremil has a lot of good reviews but seems "DIY"

I might just call into CPC tomorrow for a look

There seems to be a pattern emerging...

good ones go missing... :red card

 

[Sidewinder]

IF it is the same as one of the ones that Canoe & I have linked to then they are cheaper in CPC than £49.99

Also, if you are going to stretch, get the piezo one, they were not available when I bought mine, so it is a flint lighter in the lid, it works, but, piezo is better!

 

[Andy™]

one day ill get a job which involves travelling past preston, at a reasonable hour (like when they are open...)

 

[kerching]

Well hello, for I too have a couple of the Portasols and a micro torch -and a micro torch variant that actually blows hot air NOT flames.

Guess where I got them from......?



I am having a self imposed March ban on putting CPC's (My local Corner Shop) name in print so it does not look like i am in there every day




Just passing

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

I use this one at the moment, easy to control the heat. Only problem is it eats the tips which cost almost as much as the iron. On the lower temp work i put additional flux on as this lead free stuff is carp.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/search?text=Pro-Iroda+Solderpro+50+Gas+Soldering+Iron

 

[Apache]

I have the Dremel one that I bought at the tool fair in Harrogate one year. They were on offer for either £20 or £25.

Nice little kit with a good attachment for shrinking heatshrink without scorching. The soldering attachment works well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dremel-Hobby-VersaTip-Heat-Tool/dp/B002LARRQW

 

[steptoe]

this was the portasol one I had,

Im thinking I may well buy another one, best gas iron Ive ever had.

 

[kerching]

I had one of the original orange Portasols......

It went moody on me so i decided to disembowel it to effect a repair

I inadvertently turned it into a flame thrower

I bought a replacemnet unit

Just singeing

 

[Marvo]

Does anyone have a decent battery operated soldering iron? I have 2, one came from RS Components about 10 years ago so it wouldn't have been cheap and another I bought at a trade fair in KwaZulu Natal and they're both absolutely useless. The one from RSjust doesn't get hot enough even with new batteries, the other one gets through batteries in less than 2 minutes and just for good measure it caught fire in my glove-box so I've never risked using it since. I always liked the idea of battery operation because you don't have the hot exhaust issues plus it should make for easier accurate temperature control but I've yet to encounter one that actually solders properly.

 

[Sidewinder]

TBH, the hot exhaust & the rubbishness of battery irons, is one of the reasons I am looking to put a serious inverter in the back of the van, that way I can run a tidy light, a soldering iron, a heat gun a power supply and even do some testing of kit on site if needed to do simple repairs.

 

[Sidewinder]

Go on then what inverter?