8 ms·

The 100w and heat resistant storage caps are nice, but that battery pack pricing and the lack of on-device controls makes this not an option for me. $110 cad f

The 100w and heat resistant storage caps are nice, but that battery pack pricing and the lack of on-device controls makes this not an option for me. $110 cad for the soldering iron is semi-reasonable, if a bit high compared to their competitors. $342 for the iron + battery means that's a $230 battery pack, which is absolutely insane. Requiring the battery pack to be able to easily change controls means anyone doing more than super basic work, needs the $342 combo.

myrmidon 2y ago
For tools that you use regularly, it is sometimes worth it to take a step back, put the cost into an absolute perspective and then just get the thing if you know that it's well-made and you use it regularly, instead of getting a cheapish, price-optimized knockoff instead (my experience). I spent over 200$ on a glorified PCB holder and some probes (PCBite), which is in hindsight one of the most useful tools I own and still makes me happy every time I use it (even that alone is kinda worth it over time!). I don't know your financial situation, but just consider: How much do you spend each month on meals/entertainment? Is $300 actually an inappropriate cost for a quality thing that you often need? Note: Iron + station shows up as $250 to me, $350 is the set with some additional bits and bobs.
- 420official 2y ago
  Why buy this for $250 when you get the same thing from a pinecil v2 and use it with any 20v 100w PD USB-c power pack? I'm not seeing any differentiating features.
  - myrmidon 2y ago
    Because I have more trust in ifixit then in pine64 to sell robust, quality tools. And most of what you are going to overpay (?) for this is going to ifixit, which is also a plus. It's like buying merch from a band you like.
    - brailsafe 2y ago
      I love iFixit, but their tools, parts, and kits have been a bit mixed (bit of poor, bit of good) in terms of quality.
      - KingOfCoders 2y ago
        I think their tools are overhyped - not worth the price, you pay for the brand they have built by basically PR (repair scores for iPhones).
        brailsafe 2y ago
        For me it's hard to reconcile what is a good initiative to ostensibly reduce waste, with the reality of ordering at least one of their products. For example I couldn't get a screen replacement at one point unless I ordered a kit, but I needed 2 screens, so I ordered 2 kits and now have redundant, specific, toxic, tools, only some of which actually helped perform the repair. I'm thinking of the heating liquid pad, which gave me a bit of a laugh and didn't work, the plastic spudgers that were too soft to be durable, the precut adhesive strips that almost seemed insultingly ineffective. The actual handles and screwdriver bits were great though, so mixed feelings, I just hate waste.
    - bmurphy1976 2y ago
      I can see why somebody might think that of general pine64 offerings, but the Pinecil is anything but that. It's a significant improvement over my bucket of old soldering irons I inherited and purchased over the years. Unless you are doing some serious heavy duty work, I'm hard pressed to think of a better alternative.
  - spookie 2y ago
    Honestly a pinecil is more than enought to deal with small electronics
- KeplerBoy 2y ago
  But it's just a soldering iron and a weird usb c power bank. Of course one can spend 300$ on it and justify it, but is this actually better than the alternatives? The ts100 and variants of it have been around for a long time, can be adjusted on device and powered by regular usb pd power banks.
- brailsafe 2y ago
  I agree, in general, and also agree with iFixit charging whatever they can for it, but $350 is pretty much what I spend on core food for the month, or 3 pairs of shoes, or 2 pairs of climbing shoes, or a plane ticket to visit my hometown periodically. It is to your point also less than the tax on a new computer, and less than each ram upgrade on a MacBook Pro, or a week-long road trip, or a mountain lift ticket. There are different ways to convince yourself it's worth it, and it may be, but it's kind of a huge jump up if you're not already soldering nearly every day. Like $350 on meals and entertainment or $350 on a soldering iron is quite clear, I need to not buy the iron and reduce my spending a bit.
- disiplus 2y ago
  Is this for professionals?. I need the soldering iron maybe 3 times a year. I'm ok throwing 100eur for something ok/good. But not 300.
  - myrmidon 2y ago
    I think you could justify the soldering iron itself then for like 80€, maybe not the basestation/powerbank. IMO 340€ for the whole set with the wirecutters and tweezers and such is still an ok deal, even though it is slightly expensive, because the accessories are probably good quality also, and there are few things as frustrating as bad wirecutters ;).
  - alias_neo 2y ago
    It's hard to place exactly at its price point. At the full kit price it's approaching the cost of a mid-range Hakko soldering station which you can use all day every day. I see this is a potential "better quality" portable option for a professional (than something like a Pinecil and a TS100), that might want to carry it around or use it when not at a desk, but the quality and performance remains to be seen (though I do trust iFixit). At £240 in the UK, it's about 2.5x the cost of the Pinecil + Powerbank (which I already had). If I didn't have a Hakko soldering station and wanted something portable but capable to use fairly regularly, this seems like a good option. For everyone else, if you already own a PD powerbank, the ~£25-30 (~£50 with a bunch of tips) for a Pinecil is _much_ more palatable.
- alias_neo 2y ago
  While I agree with all of your points on determining value, it's never that simple, and is often determined, in someone's mind, by the comparison made. The comparison here is a Pinecil. I've been using a Pinecil for a couple of years now, I power it from a USB-PD power bank that's already in my backpack, and charges everything else I carry, and has more capacity and a lower price than this one, and the Pinecil without the power bank is much cheaper and more functional with its buttons and display than this iron alone; I don't need a PC (and I don't use Chrome anyway, though I do really like the WebSerial configuration). I already own a Hakko soldering station, but I find I reach for the Pinecil 99% of the time due to convenience; only when I know I'll be doing a _lot_ of soldering in one go, and I'm going to do it at my desk, do I get the Hakko out. This looks like a nice iron, and I'm all for supporting repairability (and iFixit in general), if someone will use it as their main station, and assuming this can perform, it seems like an excellent option. For everyone else, a Pinecil and that powerbank you already have is an excellent option at a trivially low price. EDIT: Fixed some typos
- foldr 2y ago
  The TS80P is very nicely made and can be obtained for around $70. It's only 30W, but this newer generation of irons has a much more efficient tip design, so it works much better than the wattage would suggest (if you're comparing to a Hakko or something).
kwiens 2y ago
We designed the system to work for people at a variety of price points. If you just buy the iron, you have access to all the settings in our web console: https://www.ifixit.com/fixhub/console https://www.ifixit.com/fixhub/console The iron persists settings when you unplug it. You can change the sleep timer and timeout, set target temperatures, calibrate the accelerometer, and more. The Power Station is nice to have, but you don't lose any functionality without it.
- thesh4d0w 2y ago
  I was a kickstarter backer of the pokit who thought "oh that's cool", and it just sits in my drawer because I don't want to have to use an app to use basic functionality on my tools. I learned my lesson on that one and I know if I bought this soldering iron I would have the same issue. I'd rather use other soldering irons because I don't have to plug them into my computer to change the temperature between tasks. FWIW this is just my $0.02. I'm sure you'll still sell lots, but if that had an onboard display + buttons then I'd have ordered one right away for the other nice tweaks you've done.
  - brailsafe 2y ago
    I feel the same way, but did just realize that because they used web serial, you could use the iron to make yourself a little 3D interface, could be a fun project.
  - jinzo 2y ago
    I'm running a TS80 with IronOS as my daily driver for device/cable connection on the field (relatively thin cables) and some misc PCB repairs. And I set the temperature (and other settings, like sleep) once and that's it. I know I'm probably a niche user, but I see this working very nicely (it looks better quality, I like the connector design they used more, ect) for me, if/when the TS80 kicks the dust. YMMV, but I think you can get a lot of mileage with a setup like that. Thinking about it, even my 'stationary' old Weller is used as an ON/OFF affair 98% of the time.
  - Eji1700 2y ago
    Yep, i'm much of the same opinion. It's a much sillier product, but I had a annova sous vide forever ago that died. Looked around, heard Joule was the "go to" these days, got one. Gave it the fuck away eventually after the 15th time the app lagged or wouldn't work or whatever. I'm sick and tired of my tools (yes it's a cooking tool) having the audacity to require an app. I get there's a lot of possible functionality that an app provides, but the annova I replaced it with still has a functional interface so I don't have to fuck with it for the basics. I don't even see what the workflow would be to use their web interface on this iron?
RF_Savage 2y ago
At $342 I'd rather buy the production line JBC from Weidinger and spend the difference on tips or another handle.

myrmidon 2y ago

For tools that you use regularly, it is sometimes worth it to take a step back, put the cost into an absolute perspective and then just get the thing if you know that it's well-made and you use it regularly, instead of getting a cheapish, price-optimized knockoff instead (my experience). I spent over 200$ on a glorified PCB holder and some probes (PCBite), which is in hindsight one of the most useful tools I own and still makes me happy every time I use it (even that alone is kinda worth it over time!). I don't know your financial situation, but just consider: How much do you spend each month on meals/entertainment? Is $300 actually an inappropriate cost for a quality thing that you often need? Note: Iron + station shows up as $250 to me, $350 is the set with some additional bits and bobs.

420official 2y ago
Why buy this for $250 when you get the same thing from a pinecil v2 and use it with any 20v 100w PD USB-c power pack? I'm not seeing any differentiating features.
- myrmidon 2y ago
  Because I have more trust in ifixit then in pine64 to sell robust, quality tools. And most of what you are going to overpay (?) for this is going to ifixit, which is also a plus. It's like buying merch from a band you like.
  - brailsafe 2y ago
    I love iFixit, but their tools, parts, and kits have been a bit mixed (bit of poor, bit of good) in terms of quality.
    - KingOfCoders 2y ago
      I think their tools are overhyped - not worth the price, you pay for the brand they have built by basically PR (repair scores for iPhones).
      - brailsafe 2y ago
        For me it's hard to reconcile what is a good initiative to ostensibly reduce waste, with the reality of ordering at least one of their products. For example I couldn't get a screen replacement at one point unless I ordered a kit, but I needed 2 screens, so I ordered 2 kits and now have redundant, specific, toxic, tools, only some of which actually helped perform the repair. I'm thinking of the heating liquid pad, which gave me a bit of a laugh and didn't work, the plastic spudgers that were too soft to be durable, the precut adhesive strips that almost seemed insultingly ineffective. The actual handles and screwdriver bits were great though, so mixed feelings, I just hate waste.
  - bmurphy1976 2y ago
    I can see why somebody might think that of general pine64 offerings, but the Pinecil is anything but that. It's a significant improvement over my bucket of old soldering irons I inherited and purchased over the years. Unless you are doing some serious heavy duty work, I'm hard pressed to think of a better alternative.
- spookie 2y ago
  Honestly a pinecil is more than enought to deal with small electronics
KeplerBoy 2y ago
But it's just a soldering iron and a weird usb c power bank. Of course one can spend 300$ on it and justify it, but is this actually better than the alternatives? The ts100 and variants of it have been around for a long time, can be adjusted on device and powered by regular usb pd power banks.
brailsafe 2y ago
I agree, in general, and also agree with iFixit charging whatever they can for it, but $350 is pretty much what I spend on core food for the month, or 3 pairs of shoes, or 2 pairs of climbing shoes, or a plane ticket to visit my hometown periodically. It is to your point also less than the tax on a new computer, and less than each ram upgrade on a MacBook Pro, or a week-long road trip, or a mountain lift ticket. There are different ways to convince yourself it's worth it, and it may be, but it's kind of a huge jump up if you're not already soldering nearly every day. Like $350 on meals and entertainment or $350 on a soldering iron is quite clear, I need to not buy the iron and reduce my spending a bit.
disiplus 2y ago
Is this for professionals?. I need the soldering iron maybe 3 times a year. I'm ok throwing 100eur for something ok/good. But not 300.
- myrmidon 2y ago
  I think you could justify the soldering iron itself then for like 80€, maybe not the basestation/powerbank. IMO 340€ for the whole set with the wirecutters and tweezers and such is still an ok deal, even though it is slightly expensive, because the accessories are probably good quality also, and there are few things as frustrating as bad wirecutters ;).
- alias_neo 2y ago
  It's hard to place exactly at its price point. At the full kit price it's approaching the cost of a mid-range Hakko soldering station which you can use all day every day. I see this is a potential "better quality" portable option for a professional (than something like a Pinecil and a TS100), that might want to carry it around or use it when not at a desk, but the quality and performance remains to be seen (though I do trust iFixit). At £240 in the UK, it's about 2.5x the cost of the Pinecil + Powerbank (which I already had). If I didn't have a Hakko soldering station and wanted something portable but capable to use fairly regularly, this seems like a good option. For everyone else, if you already own a PD powerbank, the ~£25-30 (~£50 with a bunch of tips) for a Pinecil is _much_ more palatable.
alias_neo 2y ago
While I agree with all of your points on determining value, it's never that simple, and is often determined, in someone's mind, by the comparison made. The comparison here is a Pinecil. I've been using a Pinecil for a couple of years now, I power it from a USB-PD power bank that's already in my backpack, and charges everything else I carry, and has more capacity and a lower price than this one, and the Pinecil without the power bank is much cheaper and more functional with its buttons and display than this iron alone; I don't need a PC (and I don't use Chrome anyway, though I do really like the WebSerial configuration). I already own a Hakko soldering station, but I find I reach for the Pinecil 99% of the time due to convenience; only when I know I'll be doing a _lot_ of soldering in one go, and I'm going to do it at my desk, do I get the Hakko out. This looks like a nice iron, and I'm all for supporting repairability (and iFixit in general), if someone will use it as their main station, and assuming this can perform, it seems like an excellent option. For everyone else, a Pinecil and that powerbank you already have is an excellent option at a trivially low price. EDIT: Fixed some typos
foldr 2y ago
The TS80P is very nicely made and can be obtained for around $70. It's only 30W, but this newer generation of irons has a much more efficient tip design, so it works much better than the wattage would suggest (if you're comparing to a Hakko or something).

kwiens 2y ago

We designed the system to work for people at a variety of price points. If you just buy the iron, you have access to all the settings in our web console: https://www.ifixit.com/fixhub/console https://www.ifixit.com/fixhub/console The iron persists settings when you unplug it. You can change the sleep timer and timeout, set target temperatures, calibrate the accelerometer, and more. The Power Station is nice to have, but you don't lose any functionality without it.

thesh4d0w 2y ago
I was a kickstarter backer of the pokit who thought "oh that's cool", and it just sits in my drawer because I don't want to have to use an app to use basic functionality on my tools. I learned my lesson on that one and I know if I bought this soldering iron I would have the same issue. I'd rather use other soldering irons because I don't have to plug them into my computer to change the temperature between tasks. FWIW this is just my $0.02. I'm sure you'll still sell lots, but if that had an onboard display + buttons then I'd have ordered one right away for the other nice tweaks you've done.
- brailsafe 2y ago
  I feel the same way, but did just realize that because they used web serial, you could use the iron to make yourself a little 3D interface, could be a fun project.
- jinzo 2y ago
  I'm running a TS80 with IronOS as my daily driver for device/cable connection on the field (relatively thin cables) and some misc PCB repairs. And I set the temperature (and other settings, like sleep) once and that's it. I know I'm probably a niche user, but I see this working very nicely (it looks better quality, I like the connector design they used more, ect) for me, if/when the TS80 kicks the dust. YMMV, but I think you can get a lot of mileage with a setup like that. Thinking about it, even my 'stationary' old Weller is used as an ON/OFF affair 98% of the time.
- Eji1700 2y ago
  Yep, i'm much of the same opinion. It's a much sillier product, but I had a annova sous vide forever ago that died. Looked around, heard Joule was the "go to" these days, got one. Gave it the fuck away eventually after the 15th time the app lagged or wouldn't work or whatever. I'm sick and tired of my tools (yes it's a cooking tool) having the audacity to require an app. I get there's a lot of possible functionality that an app provides, but the annova I replaced it with still has a functional interface so I don't have to fuck with it for the basics. I don't even see what the workflow would be to use their web interface on this iron?

RF_Savage 2y ago

At $342 I'd rather buy the production line JBC from Weidinger and spend the difference on tips or another handle.