Pinecil Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron Tool Expired

These are very good soldering irons for hobbyists and I dare say useful for professionals as well.

We've purchased one of these for all of our engineers and find them pretty useful. They are quite portable if you use them with a 60W+ USBC PD power bank.

To put this in perspective we are a Metcal iron shop. For those who don't know these are $1000+ soldering systems that are the best money can buy (some may argue that the highest end hakko or weller systems are better but let's not debate that here).

If I were advising someone getting started in electronics as a hobbyist or professional with a limited budget I'd be very comfortable suggesting a PINE64 pinecil.

Be sure to also buy the USB C silicone cord. It's a life saver (from accidentally melting your cord with the iron). It's also suitably flexible for soldering work. I've not seen a silicone USBC cord anywhere else, so grab it if you buy one of these irons.

The only downside I found on these units was that they are a little finicky with respect the PD negotiation. They don't always hit 20V 3A as they should with different power banks or chargers to keep an eye on it and YMMV. Make sure you get a charger or bank that will get the full power to the pinecil for best performance.

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I just realized this is a v2 and I have the v1. they may have improved the PD compatibility but I haven't looked at their changelogs.

-edit-

I did some reading and the v2 has some modest improvemnts supporting some of the new USBC PD specs. It can hit a higher wattage in the 80s and is better tuned to the short tips (that are 6ohms) as well as supporting the longer 8ohm tips. Otherwise it's not much different from the ones we use at the office.

If you're looking for a soldering iron, it's simple: get the Pinecil.

Very rarely I approve of a "slickdeal" that's normal sale price, but this device is the exception.

The Sales Pitch
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It's a soldering iron that punches way above its weight class. Even at full MSRP pricing, it's a bargain. The current sale price has been the going rate for several years, but that's no guarantee of future pricing.

It's more than enough soldering iron for most people, including DIY/Makers. It's open-source, excellent build quality, and great wattage. And it's VERY inexpensive. It runs on 24v DC barrel jack power, or more commonly, USB-C PD.

And being open source, you can tweak the functionality and behavior -- the firmware can be reflashed, and you can customize it to suit YOUR needs. And it's perfectly fine as it's shipped too. No need to be a software engineer.

After using it for a few years, if you need something more -- like a desktop soldering station or a beefier portable model, you'll be able to clearly articulate what you need for your specific use case. I've used Hakko and Weller digital soldering stations, your vintage ratshack firestick irons, and several budget desktop stations. The Pinecil is by far my favorite as a DIYer -- it's easy to use and portable.

What to Buy Today from Pinecil
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Grab the Pinecil + gross tips + fine tips + silicone cables + their desktop power supply for your region (it's a pricey USB power supply box, but 100% worth it).

The iron comes with 1x short tip. For most people, you'll be fine with the regular sized tips (though you'll be fine with shorter tips too). If you get the gross and fine sets @ regular length, that gives you a wide variety to choose from for any project that comes your way.

Their power supply is built like a tank. At $38, it's not inexpensive, but having the display panel for how much current you're drawing is a premium feature.

Their silicone USB-C cords are, in a word, fantastic. I've never seen them from any other supplier, and I'd argue it's worth getting multiples. They're supple and flexible, and made with heat resistant silicone. I wouldn't intentionally try burning through them with the iron, but an accidental graze won't even make them flinch -- unlike a normal plastic coated cable.

What to Buy Elsewhere, as a Soldering Iron Isn't Enough
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Get a good soldering iron stand: Pinecil's tiny stand is the only thing that's trashy (it's a third-party item). Also get a stand that has space for a normal "wet" sponge and/or a brass sponge. In fact, get one of each.

Hakko makes a great brass sponge + casing, and Hakko makes great stands with wet sponge holders.

Other essentials:
- safety glasses (3M or big name brand only - don't trust your eyes to cheaper knockoffs)
- a small ABC fire extinguisher (never solder without one within reach)
- silicone soldering/work mat (protects your table surface and it's heat resistant)
- some flux
- solder wick (Atten brand)
- and finally, solder (leaded or unleaded, Kester brand is great)

Small hand tools to consider:
- picks & spudgers (generic dental picks, black plastic non-conductive probes)
- snips/cutters
- fine tweezers (Rhino brand is excellent)
- pliers (needle nose, at least 2x. One straight and one curved, flat grind without any serrations -- as those cut into delicate items)
- solder sucker (Engineer brand - avoid cheaper ones, you'll hate them as it disassembles and goes flying across the room on the 10th use)
- mini screwdriver set (Wiha or iFixit make excellent options which don't fall apart after a single use. avoid budget offerings)

If you're unsure of which tool brand to choose, here are some excellent ones:
Hakko's in-house "CHP brand", Engineer (japanese brand), Wiha, Wera, Knipex, Weller, Xuron, or Xcelite.
All are various levels of very good to excellent, and will serve a beginner extraordinarily well.

If you didn't get the power supply from Pinecil -- or you need something more portable, strongly consider a high-output, high-capacity battery pack with USB-C. That would make this a truly portable soldering iron.

Extra Nice Things to Get
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Third hands tool:
This is a device that holds what you're working on, usually with movable arms with clips.

My 2 cents: get a larger one that uses a metal plate + flexible tube arms w/ movable board standoffs....instead of the "stereotypical" small two metal arm stand with alligator clips + cast metal base.

That little tiny stand is an exercise in frustration. Or an exercise in how far you can throw it, usually through a window. I've legit seem people turned away from DIY/soldering because of that horrible tool.


Fume Extractor:
Hakko and Weller make excellent units for around $75 or less.

You could also get generic units as small as a 90mm fan w/ a carbon filter. If you don't have one, set up some ventilation (fan) to blow the fumes away from you, open a window, and wear a mask such as P100.

For small amounts of hobby soldering, it greatly reduces any potential risk. Flux is nasty. Leaded solder has lead (obviously), but with lead-free ROHS-approved solder, there's also other nasties when you're using it.

Lighting:
You need to see what you're working on. And there's so many solutions you can use. I personally use either a Zebralight headlamp or a Ridgid-brand "LED Stick Light". That's a 18v battery powered LED light with an articulating head for multiple angles of directed illumination. I have two of those in my kit, which is more than enough for any project, regardless of ambient lighting.


Storage:
For the Pinecil + tips, I use a zippered fabric-coated pencil box from Walmart -- and it's bright pink! No way to get that mixed up with anything else. Soft fabric helps cushion any impacts, zipper stays shut, and it has a semi-rigid form to help protect its contents. You can also use hard plastic Sterilite containers, as they're varied in size and are very affordable -- and clear! (easy to see into on a shelf if you do not have Superman's x-ray vision).

I buy "portion control" plastic bags from Target (ziplock knockoffs) to store my iron and tips. They're tall & narrow ziplock bags which are perfect for these devices.

To store everything, you have many options. A large Sterilite container is good. There are a multitude of toolbox options -- Plano makes an excellent dark greenish/grey large plastic toolbox for under $20.

You can also use an army green or bright orange plastic "ammo" can (any outdoors store or Walmart sells these). Beware of any stigma that may come with using such a container.

I personally have a bit more accessories with additional weight, so I use a Milwaukee Packout "Compact Tool Box" -- a Milwaukee version of the ammo can shape & size, but for tools -- and MUCH larger than any ammo can. I nabbed it during Black Friday on sale, as the normal going rate is WAY too pricey for anyone on a tight budget. But that's a premium option if you're interested in such things.

But most importantly, treat everything you solder with as "contaminated". It'll have trace amounts of lead all over. Isolate your tools and consumables with plastic ziplock or nylon tool pouches, store them in containers that are NEVER reused for other things. Treat soldering as "dirty", and handle it accordingly.


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Finally, learn how to solder. Google "mitch altman soldering" for an excellent how-to.

And for goodness sake, wash your hands after soldering. Never eat or drink when soldering. Lead is a nasty element that happily passes through the blood-brain barrier, and has some horrible side effects that last forever.