Hey, mine too! It was a Packard Bell clunker that was selling for cheap when the bleeding edge was 200 MHz. It wasn't too bad, but forget about gaming on that thing unless it's old DOS games, even overclocked to 90 MHz.
My first computer was a 486 DX2-66. Sixty-six MEGAHertz. I once paid $400 for a 400 MEGAbyte HD. And, at the time, it was a great price. My, how fast things change.
@@MyName-tb9oz Hey, it was still a HUGE sight easier to work on those vs the earlier PC-AT and PC-XT models! (Started on one of those myself in 1986. 😂) Edit: Those were 6Mhz and 8Mhz, respectively, though I ran the 2nd one at 12Mhz. Yes, I overclocked the PC in 1986-87. (To be fair, it was done by simply switching a jumper on the motherboard to change the timings back then, LOL)
I just made up a wire with a £3 USB PD trigger module for my TS100. Now I can run it from my laptop PSUs and power banks, most of which can supply 20v 60w. Really handy.
Yup. As I mentioned half way through, you can add PD functionality to the TS100. I think if you aren’t a previous owner though, this pinecil is ace. Cheers
Thanks Adam, I just ordered one of these from your link, I'm pretty excited about this! Shipping to the US via "Standard" is $11.99 USD, and "Preferred Currier Shipping" is $22 USD In case anyone was wanting to know.
Just wanted to let you all know, that I love this thing, I've been using it all the time, I was even able to order a whole kit of tips from Amazon that work with this, because the one it came with is just the small pointy tip. Thank s again Adam for showing us this, Soo much better than a plug in the wall type.
@@PatricksDIY I’m so happy with mine as well. So good for electronics assembly and repair work. Hope you have happy journeys with yours as well. Cheers!
@@michaeljohns1105 I order from Pine64 to California, only paid the $11.99 shipping, did not get charged any aditional VAT or sales tax. and it got to me in a couple weeks. also recommend getting the 4 pack fine tips & Silicone heat resistant USB-C cables as they are good price on pine64. They send you everything for same $11.99 shipping, no extra shipping even when I also added in a PinePower ac power for the pineil & clear case. the tip it comes with is not best style shape, better to get a hoof tip, the 4-pack fine tips they sell includes a nice BC2 hoof tip.
@@james10739 I was looking at the sh75, then the t100, then the sq d60. For the price and for how many good things I've heard, it has to almost cost as much as it takes to produce. Been around for a year, I wonder when the price will increase or if they're really selling many.
@@jordannietos they likely will not increase in price unless the components are affected by the shortages. The main reason being, firstly a community based effort unlike TS100/80 which is just the chinese manufacturers who control everything (and also a bit of the chinese community), Pinecil and Pine64 are very open as you can see on their wiki listing all changes and details and also their reddit forum Secondly the Pinecil is also using an open source software stock and also the whole thing is not purely profit driven which makes it a great choice. Not to mention Pine64 is not just a soldering iron company so they have a good headstart in the hardware and software sector compared to random chinese manus
Thanks for this concise and useful video. It helps me to choose the right soldering iron among many in the market. I like the beautiful accent of your language. I have no problems in listening to your description.
I have one of these on order now - just waiting for it to arrive. I grabbed the extra tip pack as well - a few people commented about the conical tips the extra pack contains the more traditional wedge. Grabbed the cable and a red case as well. I wanted the power supply they had as well but it was out of stock. Might keep an eye out for it though. Looking forward to receiving it - I have a few projects ready to go (my other irons are standard 25w with 40w boost hobbyist style) and I think this is the perfect iron for me. Thanks for the video. Cheers!
Same here, though I didn't get the tip pack. I bought a tip pack for my main soldering iron, and most of them are never likely to be used. I bought both lengths of usb-c cable, and replacement contacts.
@@dalriada842 I just ordered and received a 65W USB-C PD power adapter from Amazon which I plan to use with it when it arrives. UPS advised that my package has made its way to my home city so not long now :-)
@@dalriada842 mine arrived today and it’s awesome :-) That red silicon USB-C cable is really good too. Perfect to use between the iron and the power supply. I’m so glad I heard about this. It’s an awesome little iron to have in my kit. Just perfect and so convenient for all those small jobs!
Thanks! I lost my T100 somehow, still have the accessories but that was going to cost me over 70 bucks to replace. I still have the box and tips, well one tip one was in the unit when it disappeared. So anyhow I put in my order, with accessories came to 44 bucks that was, of course with the 11 buck shipping as well. As far as the Pine64 brand name, I have 2 Pine64 computers, one set up as a desktop, the other as a tablet, both have served me now for several years, while they are sort of obsolete, I still use them from time to time, one in Linux the other in Android, so I do trust the name.
I use the Pine64 PinePower Desktop USB-C port to power my Pinecil v2 iron. Negotiates 20v every time and powers up in 10 sec to 355c. Macbook Pro USB-C power adaptor works great as well.
People used to sometimes overvolt their TS100 to 25V to get about 72 watts out of them. The Pinecil, though, you risk blowing up the USB-C PD circuitry if you run it over 21 volts.
Yeah the 60W rating is from a 24v draw but that's highly inadvisable since the that's the absolute limit the pd chip can supply. I believe 52w is the max it can supply using a DC5525 @21v. 21V / 8.5 ohms = 2.47A 2.47A * 21V = 51.8W
My TS80 has served me well, I don't really need more power for what I do, but my friend has been lusting over the TS100 for some time now and to be honest, I'm leaning towards the pinecil. If for no other reason than you can get spare parts for it. The TS100 was a great value option on release, as were the DS213 and LA104, but now they're expensive enough to not be justifiable for a hobbyist (save your money and buy a basic Rigol!). Same thing has happened to the TS100. The pinecil brings that excellent value back, takes the same tips, and has dual power - couldn't ask for more. I still prefer the form factor of my TS80 (don't like the widened bit on the TS80P, looks pretty silly to me), but if I were to need a new iron, the pinecil would be more than worth a punt.
I've owned the Pinecil for over a year now, Its pretty good for the price, The Red silicone cable, is nice and thick and very flexible, pretty much a perfect cable for soldering or use on your phone :), I do like this setup but I do prefer the LED T12-951 Digital Controller Soldering Station I bought off of aliexpress better, I didn't want an OLD display, just a basic LED Screen, turn it on and a couple seconds later its ready, I don't need a computer, I don't need date and time, etc, I just wanted something basic, easy to use, no fuss, no real menus, etc, something simple. Sure I had to open it up and make a common ground on the metal, but for $50 Canadian, hey you can't go wrong. The Pinecil is great if you like fiddling around and want to get over a learning curve, but if you just want to get it done, the T12-951 is the way to go.
I have a TS100, i wanted the pinecil, but they didn't have the tips i wanted in stock. I mostly wanted it for the usb-C for my big beefy power bank. Then i learned about the usb-C PD trigger modules. So i'll likely use one of my 20v triggers and just make a usb-C to Barrel plug for my TS100. They have two different 4 packs of tips for a great price, but i really wish i could mix and match, since there's a couple from each pack that i want. Oh and i use an old 19v laptop charger from some old dell or cheapo laptop from a long time ago for my TS100. Old 18-20v Laptop chargers are great for TS100s.
Still today the same "issue" with the tips. I don't want a bunch of tips which are useless to me, too. But I would like to have 1-2 more than the one it comes with...
I've been seeing this pop up in my youtube feed quite a bit, and every time I feel like I'm nudging closer to buying one. Tip selection is fairly straightforward, the ones closest to the tips I'm currently using with my old hakko appear to be BC2 and D24. Although I'm tempted by KU and C1 for SMD chips and smaller SMD parts, respectively. Power is a tougher nut to crack. I'm pretty sure I've got a 19v power brick from an old laptop in my power supply bin, so that's probably the cheapest option to start with. I'd just need to solder on a nice silicone cable like you've got to the power brick. Unfortunately most of the pre-terminated silicone leads I've managed to find are
Grab the 1.5m red silicon USB cable they have. it's really good - floppy and soft. i'm using mine with a 65W PD USB-C power adapter I purchased from Amazon. I'm really happy with this iron and would recommend it to anyone who needs something easy, portable and especially if you are working on small boards and/or circuitry. cheers :-)
The TS80(P) uses tips that are kinda like the ones used for professional Weller irons-- they have a 3.5mm stereo connector, so it just clicks in and you're ready to rock. The TS80's buttons are moved back so you're not clicking on them just like the Pinecil. TS80 irons are pretty good in the field because there are QC3 and USB-PD batteries that can supply the power necessary to run the irons, so all you need to solder anywhere is a TS80P and a USB-PD battery like from Anker or Omni. The tip selection is a lot better these days, I think Miniware has like 6 or 8 of them for the TS80 series whereas it was just 2 when it was first released. It's actually not that bad, the massive chisel tip from the initial release really impressed Dave over at EEVBlog. The Pinecil can also run off USB-PD batteries, _and_ it's cheaper, _and_ it's using a RISC-V chip. I kinda wish it used the TS80 tips, but eh, I understand the design decision since the TS100 is more popular, especially among drone pilots (drone battery = easy power source)
EDITED CORRECTED TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Comparing the Pinecil to the TS100 04:58 Single Board Computer? 06:17 Heating Speed Test 07:48 Temperature calibration 08:39 Settings and menus 09:57 Soldering test
I have a TS100 so no need to buy another but I did use your Aliexpress link to buy some tips. Having said that since Aliexpress started adding VAT at the checkout I've found Ebay is often cheaper for buying from China and I could have got the tips for a couple of quid less. So in the end did you decide which iron you prefer to use?
Yeah I’m pleased with it. It moves nicely as is long enough for me. Doesn’t feel too heavy on the end of the iron either. I think it was only $4, so pretty cheap.
The pinecil seems like a nice soldering iron. Probably don't need one, as I used a DC boost converter adjusted to 23.5 volts. Yeah, it's a little box at the end of the cord. It works for me!
What's you "boost converter" go to do with anything whatsoever? Sounds like you already have a soldering iron, which is the real reason you don't need another one.
@@johncoops6897 battery powered iron. to get correct performance a t-12 iron needs higher voltage but not exceeding 24 volts. Batteries don't do that. either regulate down or use a common jump pack and boost up.
Yeah... so what? What's all of that got to do with Pinecil? Or put a better way... all of that applies equally to Pinecil, so what's the point of your original comment?
@@johncoops6897 I don't need the pinecil, because I use a boost converter. This makes the TS100 work better which was brought up as a shortcoming in the video, and it also works great with the T-12 based irons which are way better than the TS100.
@@Sylvan_dB - That's the first time that you have mentioned TS100 or any other irons. You need to understand that there is absolutely ZERO context in your previous comments, so they just come across as random statements, kind of like from a person with Tourette's 😂😂
at 8:37 you mention checking the manual? please, where is the manual link? I could only find a wiki for pinecil and it doesn't explain what the menu items do or even how to get to the menu. wiki states name of some menu items, but no details on what they do like Boost temp, what does that do. how do you access the menu when you first plug it in? the + and - buttons just change temp but don't let me get to the menu, they just inceease/ decrease temp when i plug it in. without an online manual I don't know how to. if you have a physical manual, would you be able to scan it online for people thanks.
It uses the ironOS firmware, so you can find their menu instructions here… github.com/Ralim/IronOS/blob/master/Documentation/Menu.md The boost item temporarily increases the tip temperature to help with high mass joints.
Did you know it's now compatible with EPR (Extended Power Range)? So 140 W at 28 V with the proper power supply. Nobody needs that kind of power, really......but it's cool
@@petermikus2363 It's $30 shipping for me to Canada! More than the tool itself. Around C$75 in total. Just going to buy something else. How is it that Aliexpress manages to send stuff that cost $2 with free shipping but they charge this much? And I hear it's not fast shipping either. It takes 1-2 months.
How do you get the iron hotter then 32c iv tried the type c cable you have there and the usb power bank they sell on the website I also ordered a labtop charger since mine doesn't seem to work.
It sad I cant pre-pay the VAT on it due to I live in EU, it gonna come out 60 dollar the postal service here take 25 dollar for paperwork for adding VAT to it
I have a 709A Sunkko spot welder that needs repair it buzzed then blew the fuse and every time you replace it just blows the fuse I was wondering if you’d like to make a video of it as there is no videos on TH-cam of this item been repaired
Its probably got a short somewhere, id start with the transformer, or the mosfet that controls the power output. Mosfets blow often, but the buzzing says transformer to me If its broke, you cant break it more, take it apart and if you are in the US Arrow has cheap parts and really fast shipping.
try to get one of those 65W USB-C laptop chargers so you will get maximum performance from pinecil, 21v/3amp is what you aiming for which is about 63w. lower will work even 12V will work but doesn't heat up as fast or maintain tip as well.
@@Curiosity-108 lower rated mosfets than ts100 I expect. Considering the price that’s ok. Plus it doesn’t matter… the ts80 outperforms the ts100 with only 9 volts (see Marco reps ts80 review). I guess the ts80 tips are better which also explains why they are more expensive compared to ts100 tips.
Just don’t order directly from Pinecil, bc I ordered one from them and 4mo later it still hasn’t come… I asked them about it, but they don’t want to make it right… it kinda sucks. I just threw away $35.
6 x 4.2V = 25.2V at full charge, so technically NO. The Pinecil is rated 24V max. The new Pinecil v2 should take 28V so that would be OK. You need to confirm via reading official specs on that. The other solution is to undercharge your 6S pack to only 4.0V per cell, but you will lose capacity. You could also run it through a 5A Buck/Boost convertor which would mean a constant voltage, rather than the very fast and linear drop off from the 6V pack starting at 25V and dropping out at (say) 18V.
So has the progression been: SH72 -> Miniware TS80P/100 (STM32) -> PINECIL (GD32V RISC-V) -> T12/SQ-D60B ? With the TS80P the best for portability, while TS100 has the higher power if you need it? BTW, any recommended any USB-C PD or QC 3.0 12V-20V 3A portable power warts? MINIX or "Key Power" 100W?
both they do the job so my old ts100 makes my happy... open source or clouse sorce i don't care... because i just solder with i don't spend hours off connecting to computer aand play games on
Connect the Pinecil to the TS100's power supply (24 volts) and you've killed it. The PD chip burns out. This IC is not recommended for new projects. The internal stepdown regulator could handle up to 30 volts. The Pinecil 64 can only handle 20 volts and 60 watts. TS100 and SQ001 handle 24 volts and 65 watts.
The Pinecil's PD chip is only rated for a maximum of 21V and an absolute maximum of 28V. 24V *probably* won't kill the chip if used sparingly, but you're certainly running a risk. That said, even if you were to destroy the PD chip through overvoltage, I believe the Pinecil should still function using the barrel jack.
Mine with a 65W PD adapter will heat up a BC2 tip to 340c in about 14 seconds. It's fast! Using a 40W PD adapter it negotiates about 30W and heats up in 22 seconds.
don't be silly to buy this. it's flooded with Chinese clone now with doubled price. pinecil introduced V2 with PD EPR but has unstable readouts on the display. PD EPR 140w is limited to the 2.20 beta firmware. It's not open source any more due to the Chinese clones. just for fun. not for serious job. V2 hardware doesn't support old V1 updater and dfu any more. You have to dig the SNS channels to find the 2.20 beta firmware and tool. keyword is 'rivermochi'. THEY are not selling it on its original web page and selling it only on AMAZON now. It's Pinecil vs CHINA. David vs Goliath. HAHAHA and it's all made in china.
My first Pentium pc was running at 75Mhz... Less than today's soldering irons.... Oh dear, I am old.
Snap!
Hey, mine too! It was a Packard Bell clunker that was selling for cheap when the bleeding edge was 200 MHz. It wasn't too bad, but forget about gaming on that thing unless it's old DOS games, even overclocked to 90 MHz.
Indeed, but if you go back a bit, you could get a 486DX running at 120MHZ. I think I still have one of those under my workbench in the garage.
My first computer was a 486 DX2-66. Sixty-six MEGAHertz. I once paid $400 for a 400 MEGAbyte HD. And, at the time, it was a great price. My, how fast things change.
@@MyName-tb9oz Hey, it was still a HUGE sight easier to work on those vs the earlier PC-AT and PC-XT models! (Started on one of those myself in 1986. 😂)
Edit: Those were 6Mhz and 8Mhz, respectively, though I ran the 2nd one at 12Mhz. Yes, I overclocked the PC in 1986-87. (To be fair, it was done by simply switching a jumper on the motherboard to change the timings back then, LOL)
I just made up a wire with a £3 USB PD trigger module for my TS100. Now I can run it from my laptop PSUs and power banks, most of which can supply 20v 60w. Really handy.
Yup. As I mentioned half way through, you can add PD functionality to the TS100. I think if you aren’t a previous owner though, this pinecil is ace. Cheers
You can actually purchase USB-PD to barrel jack cables ready-made from aliexpress.
www.aliexpress.com/item/4000826087087.html
I 3d printed a connector to run it off a DeWalt battery
Thanks Adam, I just ordered one of these from your link, I'm pretty excited about this! Shipping to the US via "Standard" is $11.99 USD, and "Preferred Currier Shipping" is $22 USD In case anyone was wanting to know.
Are there any customs charges? Thanks
@@michaeljohns1105 I ordered one into Australia and paid for the "preferred courier shipping". took about a week and there were no customs charges.
Just wanted to let you all know, that I love this thing, I've been using it all the time, I was even able to order a whole kit of tips from Amazon that work with this, because the one it came with is just the small pointy tip. Thank s again Adam for showing us this, Soo much better than a plug in the wall type.
@@PatricksDIY I’m so happy with mine as well. So good for electronics assembly and repair work. Hope you have happy journeys with yours as well. Cheers!
@@michaeljohns1105 I order from Pine64 to California, only paid the $11.99 shipping, did not get charged any aditional VAT or sales tax. and it got to me in a couple weeks. also recommend getting the 4 pack fine tips & Silicone heat resistant USB-C cables as they are good price on pine64. They send you everything for same $11.99 shipping, no extra shipping even when I also added in a PinePower ac power for the pineil & clear case. the tip it comes with is not best style shape, better to get a hoof tip, the 4-pack fine tips they sell includes a nice BC2 hoof tip.
It is crazy they are cranking this out at $25 even with $12 shipping but even at like $60-$70 for the ts100 was a good deal
Gotta get em while they're hot
@@jordannietos I mean I don't think it's a sale or anything I mean inflation will change that number but still a great deal
@@james10739 I was looking at the sh75, then the t100, then the sq d60. For the price and for how many good things I've heard, it has to almost cost as much as it takes to produce. Been around for a year, I wonder when the price will increase or if they're really selling many.
@@jordannietos they likely will not increase in price unless the components are affected by the shortages. The main reason being, firstly a community based effort unlike TS100/80 which is just the chinese manufacturers who control everything (and also a bit of the chinese community), Pinecil and Pine64 are very open as you can see on their wiki listing all changes and details and also their reddit forum
Secondly the Pinecil is also using an open source software stock and also the whole thing is not purely profit driven which makes it a great choice. Not to mention Pine64 is not just a soldering iron company so they have a good headstart in the hardware and software sector compared to random chinese manus
Except you don't get an extra tip I think
Thanks for this concise and useful video. It helps me to choose the right soldering iron among many in the market. I like the beautiful accent of your language. I have no problems in listening to your description.
I have one of these on order now - just waiting for it to arrive. I grabbed the extra tip pack as well - a few people commented about the conical tips the extra pack contains the more traditional wedge. Grabbed the cable and a red case as well. I wanted the power supply they had as well but it was out of stock. Might keep an eye out for it though. Looking forward to receiving it - I have a few projects ready to go (my other irons are standard 25w with 40w boost hobbyist style) and I think this is the perfect iron for me. Thanks for the video. Cheers!
Same here, though I didn't get the tip pack. I bought a tip pack for my main soldering iron, and most of them are never likely to be used. I bought both lengths of usb-c cable, and replacement contacts.
@@dalriada842 I just ordered and received a 65W USB-C PD power adapter from Amazon which I plan to use with it when it arrives. UPS advised that my package has made its way to my home city so not long now :-)
@@dalriada842 mine arrived today and it’s awesome :-) That red silicon USB-C cable is really good too. Perfect to use between the iron and the power supply. I’m so glad I heard about this. It’s an awesome little iron to have in my kit. Just perfect and so convenient for all those small jobs!
Thanks! I lost my T100 somehow, still have the accessories but that was going to cost me over 70 bucks to replace. I still have the box and tips, well one tip one was in the unit when it disappeared. So anyhow I put in my order, with accessories came to 44 bucks that was, of course with the 11 buck shipping as well. As far as the Pine64 brand name, I have 2 Pine64 computers, one set up as a desktop, the other as a tablet, both have served me now for several years, while they are sort of obsolete, I still use them from time to time, one in Linux the other in Android, so I do trust the name.
I lost mine about 4 months, when i was going to move in February 2020 I found it under a radiator 😂😂😂
Thanks for the review, I’m gonna grab one. I currently use the weller wps18mp… will be a nice little upgrade.
I use the Pine64 PinePower Desktop USB-C port to power my Pinecil v2 iron. Negotiates 20v every time and powers up in 10 sec to 355c. Macbook Pro USB-C power adaptor works great as well.
The resistance of the TS100 style tip is around 8.5 ohms, so at 20 volts you're only getting around 45 watts and around 50 watts at 21 volts.
TS100 voltage range is 12V - 24V, so you can get almost 68W of it.
People used to sometimes overvolt their TS100 to 25V to get about 72 watts out of them.
The Pinecil, though, you risk blowing up the USB-C PD circuitry if you run it over 21 volts.
Yeah the 60W rating is from a 24v draw but that's highly inadvisable since the that's the absolute limit the pd chip can supply. I believe 52w is the max it can supply using a DC5525 @21v.
21V / 8.5 ohms = 2.47A
2.47A * 21V = 51.8W
My TS80 has served me well, I don't really need more power for what I do, but my friend has been lusting over the TS100 for some time now and to be honest, I'm leaning towards the pinecil. If for no other reason than you can get spare parts for it.
The TS100 was a great value option on release, as were the DS213 and LA104, but now they're expensive enough to not be justifiable for a hobbyist (save your money and buy a basic Rigol!). Same thing has happened to the TS100. The pinecil brings that excellent value back, takes the same tips, and has dual power - couldn't ask for more. I still prefer the form factor of my TS80 (don't like the widened bit on the TS80P, looks pretty silly to me), but if I were to need a new iron, the pinecil would be more than worth a punt.
I've owned the Pinecil for over a year now, Its pretty good for the price, The Red silicone cable, is nice and thick and very flexible, pretty much a perfect cable for soldering or use on your phone :), I do like this setup but I do prefer the LED T12-951 Digital Controller Soldering Station I bought off of aliexpress better, I didn't want an OLD display, just a basic LED Screen, turn it on and a couple seconds later its ready, I don't need a computer, I don't need date and time, etc, I just wanted something basic, easy to use, no fuss, no real menus, etc, something simple. Sure I had to open it up and make a common ground on the metal, but for $50 Canadian, hey you can't go wrong. The Pinecil is great if you like fiddling around and want to get over a learning curve, but if you just want to get it done, the T12-951 is the way to go.
I have a TS100, i wanted the pinecil, but they didn't have the tips i wanted in stock. I mostly wanted it for the usb-C for my big beefy power bank.
Then i learned about the usb-C PD trigger modules. So i'll likely use one of my 20v triggers and just make a usb-C to Barrel plug for my TS100.
They have two different 4 packs of tips for a great price, but i really wish i could mix and match, since there's a couple from each pack that i want.
Oh and i use an old 19v laptop charger from some old dell or cheapo laptop from a long time ago for my TS100. Old 18-20v Laptop chargers are great for TS100s.
Still today the same "issue" with the tips. I don't want a bunch of tips which are useless to me, too. But I would like to have 1-2 more than the one it comes with...
I've been seeing this pop up in my youtube feed quite a bit, and every time I feel like I'm nudging closer to buying one.
Tip selection is fairly straightforward, the ones closest to the tips I'm currently using with my old hakko appear to be BC2 and D24. Although I'm tempted by KU and C1 for SMD chips and smaller SMD parts, respectively.
Power is a tougher nut to crack. I'm pretty sure I've got a 19v power brick from an old laptop in my power supply bin, so that's probably the cheapest option to start with. I'd just need to solder on a nice silicone cable like you've got to the power brick. Unfortunately most of the pre-terminated silicone leads I've managed to find are
Grab the 1.5m red silicon USB cable they have. it's really good - floppy and soft. i'm using mine with a 65W PD USB-C power adapter I purchased from Amazon. I'm really happy with this iron and would recommend it to anyone who needs something easy, portable and especially if you are working on small boards and/or circuitry. cheers :-)
@@wizdude yeah its only like 3-5$ on their site
The TS80(P) uses tips that are kinda like the ones used for professional Weller irons-- they have a 3.5mm stereo connector, so it just clicks in and you're ready to rock. The TS80's buttons are moved back so you're not clicking on them just like the Pinecil. TS80 irons are pretty good in the field because there are QC3 and USB-PD batteries that can supply the power necessary to run the irons, so all you need to solder anywhere is a TS80P and a USB-PD battery like from Anker or Omni. The tip selection is a lot better these days, I think Miniware has like 6 or 8 of them for the TS80 series whereas it was just 2 when it was first released. It's actually not that bad, the massive chisel tip from the initial release really impressed Dave over at EEVBlog.
The Pinecil can also run off USB-PD batteries, _and_ it's cheaper, _and_ it's using a RISC-V chip. I kinda wish it used the TS80 tips, but eh, I understand the design decision since the TS100 is more popular, especially among drone pilots (drone battery = easy power source)
Great video Adam, thanks. Been looking at the TS80-P for some months now, but this is perfect. Bought, cheers!
Great. It just seems to have all the functions I needed. It took about two weeks to arrive for me, so you’ll have to be a little patient!
@@AdamWelchUK Coming to Australia so I'm always patient ;)
Just came in, very happy with it. Managed to get PD2 @ 60W no problems. Cheers for the video
@@AndyMcBlane lmao
EDITED CORRECTED TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
00:44 Comparing the Pinecil to the TS100
04:58 Single Board Computer?
06:17 Heating Speed Test
07:48 Temperature calibration
08:39 Settings and menus
09:57 Soldering test
I have a TS100 so no need to buy another but I did use your Aliexpress link to buy some tips.
Having said that since Aliexpress started adding VAT at the checkout I've found Ebay is often cheaper for buying from China and I could have got the tips for a couple of quid less.
So in the end did you decide which iron you prefer to use?
Thanks very much. I appreciate it. My daily driver is the pinecil mainly because of the usb pd compatibility.
Hey Adam, could you add an Uploads list to the main page? That way people can get to the latest videos a little easier.
My channel page needs a bit of attention doesn’t it. I’ll look into that - thanks.
waiting to buy V2 which is available "soon".
Thanks for this concise video.
Available today 15th September 2022.
The sequre SI012 is similar to the pinecil but can use the long and short tip versions too.
Great video! How’s the red cable working for you? Worth the purchase?
Yeah I’m pleased with it. It moves nicely as is long enough for me. Doesn’t feel too heavy on the end of the iron either. I think it was only $4, so pretty cheap.
The pinecil seems like a nice soldering iron. Probably don't need one, as I used a DC boost converter adjusted to 23.5 volts. Yeah, it's a little box at the end of the cord. It works for me!
What's you "boost converter" go to do with anything whatsoever? Sounds like you already have a soldering iron, which is the real reason you don't need another one.
@@johncoops6897 battery powered iron. to get correct performance a t-12 iron needs higher voltage but not exceeding 24 volts. Batteries don't do that. either regulate down or use a common jump pack and boost up.
Yeah... so what? What's all of that got to do with Pinecil? Or put a better way... all of that applies equally to Pinecil, so what's the point of your original comment?
@@johncoops6897 I don't need the pinecil, because I use a boost converter. This makes the TS100 work better which was brought up as a shortcoming in the video, and it also works great with the T-12 based irons which are way better than the TS100.
@@Sylvan_dB - That's the first time that you have mentioned TS100 or any other irons. You need to understand that there is absolutely ZERO context in your previous comments, so they just come across as random statements, kind of like from a person with Tourette's 😂😂
it would be 100% better if Pine64 did not ship with the conical tip. They could ship it with TS-BC2 which is more useful
at 8:37 you mention checking the manual? please, where is the manual link? I could only find a wiki for pinecil and it doesn't explain what the menu items do or even how to get to the menu. wiki states name of some menu items, but no details on what they do like Boost temp, what does that do. how do you access the menu when you first plug it in? the + and - buttons just change temp but don't let me get to the menu, they just inceease/ decrease temp when i plug it in. without an online manual I don't know how to. if you have a physical manual, would you be able to scan it online for people thanks.
It uses the ironOS firmware, so you can find their menu instructions here… github.com/Ralim/IronOS/blob/master/Documentation/Menu.md
The boost item temporarily increases the tip temperature to help with high mass joints.
Did you know it's now compatible with EPR (Extended Power Range)? So 140 W at 28 V with the proper power supply.
Nobody needs that kind of power, really......but it's cool
You can get the newer ts100 version now that can handle 2 different tip versions.
Hi Adam! I'm looking for a new portable soldering iron. Can the Pinecil solder an XT60 connector?
👍 Danke fürs Hochladen!
👍 Thanks for uploading!
👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you!
👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!
I love that you translated what you said!
@@girrrrrrr2 👍 Thanks!
do you have a link for the battery and how you got the hand to keep the power end to charger the t100s ?
Can i use 20watt wall charge power supply that use to charge my cellphone on pencil solder gun?
I've tried to find that ts100 for $70 $60 some of these podcasts have coupons that don't work I bought the mapelectronics
I'm pretty sure it comes with a full SoC, so technically you can still call it an SBC 🤔
Is the Temperature checker calibrated?
The Pine64 looks like a amazing soldering Iron, and that for a mere 25$, sadly its out of stock on the official site
Sure it costa 25$ but youll have to pay 20 more for shipping which kinda sucks where i live at least.
Been out of stock for a while, I heard early August its back
Site says it'll be in stock 2nd of August
In stock again on 15th September 2022.
@@petermikus2363 It's $30 shipping for me to Canada! More than the tool itself. Around C$75 in total. Just going to buy something else.
How is it that Aliexpress manages to send stuff that cost $2 with free shipping but they charge this much? And I hear it's not fast shipping either. It takes 1-2 months.
How do you get the iron hotter then 32c iv tried the type c cable you have there and the usb power bank they sell on the website I also ordered a labtop charger since mine doesn't seem to work.
the 15v might be a limit from your battery pack or power supply.
Nice review video
It sad I cant pre-pay the VAT on it due to I live in EU, it gonna come out 60 dollar
the postal service here take 25 dollar for paperwork for adding VAT to it
Belgium? I have the same issue. There's also the added shipping costs, e.g. 25 USD to BE rather than 11 USD to NL, which makes it even more costly.
PINECIL is the original as they orginally made the software I thought that the TS100 used then later Pine64 made their own soldering iron.
Did you get your breakout board yet? I'll give you one if you pay for postage. Brand new never opened....I just don't need it.
how many watts is it? I'm debating this or that t12 everyone recommends
I have a 709A Sunkko spot welder that needs repair it buzzed then blew the fuse and every time you replace it just blows the fuse I was wondering if you’d like to make a video of it as there is no videos on TH-cam of this item been repaired
Its probably got a short somewhere, id start with the transformer, or the mosfet that controls the power output.
Mosfets blow often, but the buzzing says transformer to me
If its broke, you cant break it more, take it apart and if you are in the US Arrow has cheap parts and really fast shipping.
The Pinecil iron should ship with a different tip. The B2 tip is not very useful so you have to spend money right away to buy a better tip.
I agree it’s not my tip of choice either, but even after adding another $7 tip it’s cheaper than the TS100 and TS80P.
Can I use it with 27000mah power bank???
Did you get charged any import fees when by shipping company bringing it into the uk?
(I've since bought one and didn't)
@@mattsword41 Looks like I'll be placing an order haha. Absolute steal at this price
@@headerahelix so far so good - works really well!
There's no duty as it's
wow thank u so much
I love how you gents from across the pond say solder, pronouncing the “L”. Sollllllderrrr
Well, the "L" is actually there for a reason. Same as every other word with the same spelling.... Folder, Bolder, Older, Golder, Colder, etc.
I bought a type C cable off of Pine64 but does anyone know if you need a certain cube to plug it into the wall or will any work?
You need a Qualcom quick charge or USB Power Delivery power supply that delivers at least 12 volts, but 15 or 20 is better.
try to get one of those 65W USB-C laptop chargers so you will get maximum performance from pinecil, 21v/3amp is what you aiming for which is about 63w. lower will work even 12V will work but doesn't heat up as fast or maintain tip as well.
@@AdamWelchUK so I have an apple 20 watt power brick that plugs into the wall. Will this work for this application?
@@ShepDog2008 Sorry no. Even apple usb-c power bricks will only do 9volt output according to their website. This isn’t enough for the pinecil.
@@ShepDog2008 - why would you ask that question? You need 60W for a Pinecil, and you have 20W so.... guess what?
I installed IronOS on my TS100. So I have no reason to get a Pinecil yet.
Damn it, you made me instantly buy this.
Aaa
Thank you for that though
BTW it will work fine with 24V. Not sure why they only rated it for 21 V
Great - glad someone has tested that. Thanks.
on pine64 website on soldering iron picture it says 24V.I was wondering why they say 21V in description?
@@Curiosity-108 lower rated mosfets than ts100 I expect. Considering the price that’s ok. Plus it doesn’t matter… the ts80 outperforms the ts100 with only 9 volts (see Marco reps ts80 review). I guess the ts80 tips are better which also explains why they are more expensive compared to ts100 tips.
Just don’t order directly from Pinecil, bc I ordered one from them and 4mo later it still hasn’t come… I asked them about it, but they don’t want to make it right… it kinda sucks. I just threw away $35.
ts100 takes 6s batteries which is around 25v. would pinecil handle that?
6 x 4.2V = 25.2V at full charge, so technically NO. The Pinecil is rated 24V max.
The new Pinecil v2 should take 28V so that would be OK. You need to confirm via reading official specs on that.
The other solution is to undercharge your 6S pack to only 4.0V per cell, but you will lose capacity. You could also run it through a 5A Buck/Boost convertor which would mean a constant voltage, rather than the very fast and linear drop off from the 6V pack starting at 25V and dropping out at (say) 18V.
@@johncoops6897 thanks man, interesting thing is ts100 on paper takes 24v max too but I had no problem using fully charged 6S.
Hi Adam. Any chance of a link to the STL file for the Lidl 20 volt battery adaptor. Cheers.
Sure - www.thingiverse.com/thing:4539148
So has the progression been: SH72 -> Miniware TS80P/100 (STM32) -> PINECIL (GD32V RISC-V) -> T12/SQ-D60B ?
With the TS80P the best for portability, while TS100 has the higher power if you need it?
BTW, any recommended any USB-C PD or QC 3.0 12V-20V 3A portable power warts? MINIX or "Key Power" 100W?
Any discount coupon code?
It's already discounted. They don't need to discount it anyway, when they cannot keep up with supply at $25 each.
both they do the job so my old ts100 makes my happy... open source or clouse sorce i don't care... because i just solder with i don't spend hours off connecting to computer aand play games on
It's a nice little soldering iron but now it's 70 Euro on Amazon.
don't get it from amazon then
@@ThylineTheGay I already got it :))
Because you bought it from a reseller. Pine64 don't sell their goods on Amazon themselves.
@@headerahelix Pine64 have an official Amazon store.
@@johncoops6897 Not in Europe they dont. Hence him saying 70 euros.
30$ for shipping to the EU country. I don't think so...
they should of made it compatible with 24v
Triple 777 thumbs up!
Connect the Pinecil to the TS100's power supply (24 volts) and you've killed it.
The PD chip burns out. This IC is not recommended for new projects.
The internal stepdown regulator could handle up to 30 volts.
The Pinecil 64 can only handle 20 volts and 60 watts.
TS100 and SQ001 handle 24 volts and 65 watts.
You tested?
The Pinecil's PD chip is only rated for a maximum of 21V and an absolute maximum of 28V. 24V *probably* won't kill the chip if used sparingly, but you're certainly running a risk.
That said, even if you were to destroy the PD chip through overvoltage, I believe the Pinecil should still function using the barrel jack.
The TS100 power supply is a barrel jack. So you won't kill the PD chip in the Pinecil because that is connected to the UB Type-C connector. DOH.
Theres no way a soldering iron can heat up to 355 celsius in ten seconds?? My wall powered soldering iron takes five minutes.
Those have tiny tips, so the thermal mass is lower.
Mine with a 65W PD adapter will heat up a BC2 tip to 340c in about 14 seconds. It's fast! Using a 40W PD adapter it negotiates about 30W and heats up in 22 seconds.
I can comment
Technology..?
I just ordered one but what a joke. I would never use a soldering iron as an SBC. If you want an SBC you buy one you dont use a soldering iron.
Nothing for Germany, Tax is 56€ ..... 56+25=81€
10 months later its 45€ lowest price... Fak...
It never changed price. Always been USD $25 + shipping.
It’s not available on the site any more. It’s only being sold on Amazon by A seller named Pine64
$39.99.
@@averagereviews3389 - it's sold on the manufacturer's website. The price is $25 plus shipping.
Do you still recommend this? I heard they officially lowered the power rating to remove 24v
i heard that was for safety reasons. it should be just as good
don't be silly to buy this. it's flooded with Chinese clone now with doubled price. pinecil introduced V2 with PD EPR but has unstable readouts on the display. PD EPR 140w is limited to the 2.20 beta firmware. It's not open source any more due to the Chinese clones. just for fun. not for serious job. V2 hardware doesn't support old V1 updater and dfu any more. You have to dig the SNS channels to find the 2.20 beta firmware and tool. keyword is 'rivermochi'. THEY are not selling it on its original web page and selling it only on AMAZON now. It's Pinecil vs CHINA. David vs Goliath. HAHAHA and it's all made in china.