I like them. Mine worked straight out of the box and I was pleased with it. I still use it for small stuff, but I have also got the W.E.P. 862D+ and also a T12 kit I bought and made up and use. Depends on what and where I solder to which I use. The USB one came in handy for working on my scooter and soldering LED lights to the existing lights. I would give it a 9 / 10 :)
Pretty interesting indeed. I wander about the tip connector... The one you soldered the wire and the nut holds it in. Looks a lot like some kind of coaxial connector.
+Lauriemine Yeah 😂 this is why if there was a nuclear holocaust we could not start again because there would be no easily accessible iron for us to smelt and make basic tools to build better furnaces to make better tools to build better machines etc 👍😭
Would be awkward...these irons are great though, so much so that I have multiple ones laying around. Work well with a battery bank although not as powerful as a gas iron, it sort of makes up for it by not consuming gas. If memory serves me correctly, I do believe that the tip is grounded (or +5v) so don't use these on live PCB's. Good video as always 👍
+Lauriemine Thank you 👍 I am going to get another and really try to figure out how it works and draw the schematic. Would be fun as it's pretty simple.
I have a 220Vac soldering iron in a 127Vac region, i converted it to 183Vdc using a capacitor and a diode as rectifier, i definetly know the same feeling.
The crystal on the pcb is actually a vibration switch to switch the iron on. You can either put your finger on the button or tap anywhere on the iron to power it up. :-)
I bought this weird battery powered, two pronged soldering iron that heated up instantly as soon as solder bridged the two prongs. pain in the arse as it never got hot enough. But thats my problem with a lot of these soldering irons, they dont' get hot enough.
+Larry Bundy Jr ha ha oh Larry I know exactly what you are talking about, I think they were called the cold heat or some such bollocks! I had one as well 😂 It had a graphite prong tip and put current through the two halves of the tip, so basically worked as a welder rather than an iron. It was terrible, useless right?! This USB iron is a league better than those. I'm going to put one through its paces and make a few kits.
Nice way to pull some Aqualung into a tech video. Ian Anderson would be proud. I've used one of these USB irons for little fast jobs many times. They work well with a good sized battery bank.
So, just re-watching this vid because I had been linked from watching some Big Clive soldering iron vids. I was just wondering if anyone had ever collected their banana or electronic tat from guessing The Archer's theme tune? ;)
They aren't half bad for what they are. They are quite handy, to be honest. Much more so than you'd think for a 5 buck special. Haven't really had any trouble with the tips either. Used it quite a bit for little odds and ends and have yet to replace the tip, but I did buy a bunch of replacements once I used it a little and started to really like it. They are dirt cheap, but then again so is the entire iron. Of course, they aren't exactly made to the most exacting standards(Heh...), so your results may vary. Quality is probably far more dependent on luck than anything else. Mine's been great so far in the last several months I've used it. And now that I've said that, mine will most likely burst into flames next time I use it. :-)
I'd actually like to see that. It would be really interesting, and I think a lot of people would appreciate having one. Just make sure to have an extinguisher handy. You know, just in case... :-D
I've got the same iron but where you got the metal contact ball timer( it didn't how I describe it else) I have only a spring which is holding the metall ball up!!! look like there are different even on this price!!! I like it for transportation or small works at home,so I didn't have to lift the big iron with me! this I can use on a good Powerbank
I powered mine from a Samsung 2 amp charger, and since you can't turn it off, it got red hot. Vibration sensor didn't help also, I plan to hack it and change the timer resistor and maybe remove de vibration sensor.
The iron. The metal looks burned about 15mm from the tip. The transistor is just put there to turn it on / off from the 555. It has no power regulation. A simple push button would have worked much better.
Hey everyone, I'm thinking of using this as an heating element to heat up water while connecting to a powerbank, can anyone advise whether this is possible or not ? Thanks
Thank you so much for your prompt reply, I have searched all over the net & can't find anything that I can use to heat up water, this is the closest one that I can find, so i wouldn't be short-circuiting it if i only dip the tip in the water, right ? My main concern is that it will destroy my powerbank. Cheers. Please let me know if there are other better solutions. Cheers
I suspect it will not damage anything, however will fail to heat useful volume of water in a measurable way. There isn't enough energy here unless it's a teaspoonful full.
Nice video and thanks for that. I see some banters going on down there so, I will ask a question. If and when you have time, test to see if the iron tip burns up quick like? Some of the reviews on the tube do not recommend this iron even for a back up use. Cheers
+I_will_get_you There You raise a good point. I sent this one back to its owner, but I will try another one and just use it for real stuff for a while.
Mobile Phone repair on your desk? With this? Oh, you gotta be joking :p Those things are basically big heatsinks, that thing does not in any kind of way have the thermal mass to heat up a phone PCB.
I mean, that thing has basically no thermal capacity... Boards with four layers of copper are like a huge heatsink, you're not gonna be able to remove pretty much anything :P
This iron with a power bank, nice lternative for a gas powered solder irons, for mobile soldering. Definetly getting one.
The gas is great but really not suitable for aeroplane travel and the power bank is really useful for your phone as well.
the gas soldering irons are good i havent had one but i heard there good
My Stop working, It's not even powering up. I can't figure out the problem.
I like them. Mine worked straight out of the box and I was pleased with it. I still use it for small stuff, but I have also got the W.E.P. 862D+ and also a T12 kit I bought and made up and use. Depends on what and where I solder to which I use. The USB one came in handy for working on my scooter and soldering LED lights to the existing lights. I would give it a 9 / 10 :)
Pretty interesting indeed.
I wander about the tip connector... The one you soldered the wire and the nut holds it in. Looks a lot like some kind of coaxial connector.
The complicated instance to where you need to solder a soldering iron.
+Lauriemine Yeah 😂 this is why if there was a nuclear holocaust we could not start again because there would be no easily accessible iron for us to smelt and make basic tools to build better furnaces to make better tools to build better machines etc 👍😭
Would be awkward...these irons are great though, so much so that I have multiple ones laying around. Work well with a battery bank although not as powerful as a gas iron, it sort of makes up for it by not consuming gas. If memory serves me correctly, I do believe that the tip is grounded (or +5v) so don't use these on live PCB's. Good video as always 👍
+Lauriemine Thank you 👍 I am going to get another and really try to figure out how it works and draw the schematic. Would be fun as it's pretty simple.
I have a 220Vac soldering iron in a 127Vac region, i converted it to 183Vdc using a capacitor and a diode as rectifier, i definetly know the same feeling.
The crystal on the pcb is actually a vibration switch to switch the iron on. You can either put your finger on the button or tap anywhere on the iron to power it up. :-)
+Motovlogger Jamie groovy, I'm going to get another one and have a proper play with it 👍
They are good irons for what they are. :-D
+Motovlogger Jamie they look like they are around four quid on eBay delivered, what more could you want for the money 😊
The Backoffice they are very cheap. Almost as cheap as the tips alone. They are great for use with power banks for on the go soldering. :-)
Im going to try it head to head with my gas iron for automotive use. Let the challenge begin!
I bought this weird battery powered, two pronged soldering iron that heated up instantly as soon as solder bridged the two prongs. pain in the arse as it never got hot enough.
But thats my problem with a lot of these soldering irons, they dont' get hot enough.
+Larry Bundy Jr ha ha oh Larry I know exactly what you are talking about, I think they were called the cold heat or some such bollocks! I had one as well 😂
It had a graphite prong tip and put current through the two halves of the tip, so basically worked as a welder rather than an iron. It was terrible, useless right?!
This USB iron is a league better than those. I'm going to put one through its paces and make a few kits.
Nice way to pull some Aqualung into a tech video. Ian Anderson would be proud. I've used one of these USB irons for little fast jobs many times. They work well with a good sized battery bank.
I'll need to watch this again to see where I made a Jethro Tull reference 😊 they are neat little irons arnt they
He was correct in the beginning, london is sh++t, great iron though.
Mine Stop working, It's not even powering up. I can't figure out the problem.
So, just re-watching this vid because I had been linked from watching some Big Clive soldering iron vids. I was just wondering if anyone had ever collected their banana or electronic tat from guessing The Archer's theme tune? ;)
No one has! 😂
Ta lutownica działa jeszcze czy elektronika spaliła się ?
They aren't half bad for what they are. They are quite handy, to be honest. Much more so than you'd think for a 5 buck special. Haven't really had any trouble with the tips either. Used it quite a bit for little odds and ends and have yet to replace the tip, but I did buy a bunch of replacements once I used it a little and started to really like it. They are dirt cheap, but then again so is the entire iron.
Of course, they aren't exactly made to the most exacting standards(Heh...), so your results may vary. Quality is probably far more dependent on luck than anything else. Mine's been great so far in the last several months I've used it. And now that I've said that, mine will most likely burst into flames next time I use it. :-)
+Thor I might get 25 of them on Ali Baba and do a QC video testing them 😂 Then give them away as prizes.
I'd actually like to see that. It would be really interesting, and I think a lot of people would appreciate having one.
Just make sure to have an extinguisher handy. You know, just in case... :-D
+Thor I always do! 😂
I've got the same iron but where you got the metal contact ball timer( it didn't how I describe it else) I have only a spring which is holding the metall ball up!!! look like there are different even on this price!!! I like it for transportation or small works at home,so I didn't have to lift the big iron with me! this I can use on a good Powerbank
Sounds like yours has a simple switch, probably more reliable
backofficeshow I didn't know but it doesn't doing something in anyway!!! 😂😂😂
If it works then it's good 😂
only thing is, it heat's up continuously!!! but till today it didn't burned trough and works!!!
diIdn't expect it to melt solder.
+johny Me neither, but It's surprisingly good. Would make a great portable with a good battery pack
recomended, good tool :)
Fatální Průjem Definitely worth having in your desk drawer for emergencies
I powered mine from a Samsung 2 amp charger, and since you can't turn it off, it got red hot. Vibration sensor didn't help also, I plan to hack it and change the timer resistor and maybe remove de vibration sensor.
+Adrian Staicu did the iron get hot or the charger?
The iron. The metal looks burned about 15mm from the tip. The transistor is just put there to turn it on / off from the 555. It has no power regulation. A simple push button would have worked much better.
+Adrian Staicu I will have to open one up again, seems like they overcomplicated the design Vs production values
Hey everyone, I'm thinking of using this as an heating element to heat up water while connecting to a powerbank, can anyone advise whether this is possible or not ? Thanks
It's possible but not the best way to do it, there are dedicated gadgets for that
Thank you so much for your prompt reply, I have searched all over the net & can't find anything that I can use to heat up water, this is the closest one that I can find, so i wouldn't be short-circuiting it if i only dip the tip in the water, right ? My main concern is that it will destroy my powerbank. Cheers. Please let me know if there are other better solutions. Cheers
I suspect it will not damage anything, however will fail to heat useful volume of water in a measurable way. There isn't enough energy here unless it's a teaspoonful full.
So I guess a regular coffee mug size will be inefficient then ?
Hard to say, but you might raise it a few degrees. I did a video somewhere on making a hearing element.
Nice video and thanks for that. I see some banters going on down there so, I will ask a question. If and when you have time, test to see if the iron tip burns up quick like? Some of the reviews on the tube do not recommend this iron even for a back up use.
Cheers
+I_will_get_you There You raise a good point. I sent this one back to its owner, but I will try another one and just use it for real stuff for a while.
I just remembered, it must have been the Big C or Julian's channel.
+I_will_get_you There pah, what would they know 😂 😂
Yes. Ignorance is bliss! Which is my life moto! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂
+I_will_get_you There I need to make myself more ignorant as my bliss is still out of reach, way out of reach 😂
How are you use a soldering iron to fix the soldering iron. >.< That's sacrilegious! joke.
Mobile Phone repair on your desk? With this? Oh, you gotta be joking :p Those things are basically big heatsinks, that thing does not in any kind of way have the thermal mass to heat up a phone PCB.
To remove small SMD stuff, sure it does. Clearly its not going to work on any chips, but an iron is pretty much useless on those anyway.
I mean, that thing has basically no thermal capacity... Boards with four layers of copper are like a huge heatsink, you're not gonna be able to remove pretty much anything :P
I use mine on PC ports no probs.
title says fixed. wheres the fix?
+Mike Mcmillan at precisely 7:41
a soldring iron you need a soldring iron to fix befor you can use it to make and fix things
+CalTheTroll - games music and thats it that's how soldering irons evolve 😂
Ft. Backoffice Ez Fix :D name it
Spiffy! I might change the cord on this to silicone if i had one, but seems mildly useful for when mains isn't available.
Great video!
Two quid of China's finest!
+Steve Fisher very nice for the money
Sending you one this week.
*very exciting!*
Go watch Bigclive at least he is technically competant.
The 100th like
It truly is a special day, hooray! Coincidentally I just opened another of these irons for my daily use!
backofficeshow i think that those soldering irons are not that shitty, and they are even handy
They are pretty good for quick fixes and safer to use than my gas one