+Artyom “Evante” Platonev soldering and brazing are incredibly satisfying. Something about seeing your tools liquefy it and it perfectly wetting a surface. The combined actions of the flux, solder alloy and surface interaraction is just tops.
Bought it half a year ago. Had problems with the capacitance switch while powered from the powerbank, didn't trigger. Stripped it, removed all the funny stuff driving the mosfet and installed a small switch to polarize the gate. I carry it everyday with my 5V 2A powerbank, love it a lot! The look on somebody's face when I pull a soldering iron out of my bag and just run it off a powerbank, priceless. Great for small stuff.
I molded mine the same way & I have images for anyone wishing to do the same mod Just solder the switch to the points marked in red above the mofset drive.google.com/file/d/0B_Jl6r1wRpE-cDRyTHdjMDh4ekk/view?usp=docslist_api
+Dan T new switch via wires to get it out of the case (just a simple monetary push button switch will do, preferably something small that can be hot glued to the case) , the old switch is touch sensitive so it only has one wire so it wouldn't work
Mine arrived yesterday and didn't work. The red light comes on but there was no heat. I opened it up and one of the wires going to the tip wasn't soldered on! The irony. :-)
So Clive, I bought this iron solely because of your review. I must say I'm impressed! Very fast heat, very fast cooling. Stays clean and works just beautifully. Thanks for the review!
Haha! I just tested out the '3D printing clean up tool' version of this and did the same thing with the collet, I thought the cap unscrewed too... Seems like they're the same device.
I've had one of these for the past almost two years, amazing little soldering iron. Very glad it got a great review by big Clive! Only problem with it is its hard to find spare tips for. I have found one site probably 6-12 months back, but forget what it was.
Clive you have opened up the whole world of electronics to me. I had literally 0 interest before I saw a few of your videos and since then I've been left with this massive thirst for knowledge and info. I am going to start soldering like you suggest and then maybe have a go at some of those LED light kits. Thanks again Clive, if we ever happen to be in the same town I will buy you a drink! or dinner ;)
+Julian Ilett have a look at this then!! m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Battery-Powered-Soldering-Iron-8W-3-x-AA-Warranty-On-the-Go-Repairs-New-/301594735006?nav=WATCHING_ACTIVE
Soon as you said "NE555" I started laughing. Never thought I'd see one of those in new production stuff. And the intentional use of the non-ideal specs of the diode is quite a nice touch. The person who designed this thing knows their stuff, and is almost certainly Old School. There's a spot-welder at my dad's auto repair shop that uses one of those to control how long the current is on, triggered by a switch on one of the electrode handles. From what I can tell, the thing's from the 70's or 80's.
They have improved this a lot over the years. I had one before you did your video on them and it was a real pain in the ass to use, kept timing out and didn't read the touch sensor most of the time. I decided to give it another try last year and ordered another. They have fixed the problem, it is no longer a touch sensor, but a push button and she doesn't time out as quickly either. Now it is a nice little iron and can do a lot of work without having to toss it up against the wall to get it to come back on.
This is shockingly very useful for small repairs when you're out and have a portable power bank. I might actually pick one up. I don't know how many times I've wished I had a small soldering iron to fix little things when I'm out of the house.
I have one of these and was similarly impressed. I keep it around in my backpack these days, just in case (I also carry around a power bank for general use). I replaced the dodgy minijack thing in the back with a miniUSB connector, so I wouldn't have to carry around its special snowflake cable. Not something I'd use daily, but having it around has saved my ass a couple times already.
Isn't it amazing? I bought my own and yes, it really works! Just don't try to power it from a computer when trying to solder big heat-sinking components, a power bank is much better.
***** what? NO it doesn't reach over 500 degrees Celsius! That would melt glass! Check your conversion and do NOT use a normal thermometer to measure the temperature of the tip.
+DarkBabylon Yes, that is kinda correct. It does drop on very big joints, but overall it handles joints as big as MOSFETs and linear voltage regulators surprisingly well. If you let it build heat up, it will punch through and is able to keep that temperature pretty well, unless you expect it to be able to solder copper piping.
I use this little iron for re-soldering and repairing USB ports on tablets and phones - it's the perfect sized tip and gives out just enough heat for those tricky little smt solder dabs. Nice to see I wasn't the only one impressed by it!
My one looks just like it and I didn't realise Clive had a video on it until this old video popped up in my recommendations today. Unlike that the one featured here, mine would only run off a mains USB charger, so I did as Clive told me in a comment of another video, bridge out the drain+source pins. It now works well on power banks and great not having it cut out every few seconds. I now use it as my main iron as the power lead is not cumbersome like the chunky lead on my mains iron. It runs for around 4 hours continuous on my 10,000mAh bank. The only minor issue is that it can slide all the way through the hole in a typical soldering iron stand.
+camtheham13 On the 191 tip thermometer the mass of the test point instantly pulled the temperature down to about 250C but it then built up to 430C when it was held on. So imparting bursts of high temperature into the solder joints.
This was a fun little soldering iron while it lasted. It was easy to work on smaller soldering joints with than my previous main soldering iron. However, two weeks ago the tip of mine broke and the price for a new tip wasnt really worth it IMO. So instead I bought myself a pinecil with 11 extra tips so far I'm quite happy with the choice.
I bought one of these to pick up soldering and electronics (as well as a larger 40w unit) and I found that I don't even touch the big iron... the small tip really makes this a handy little device. I made the exact same mistake you did with trying to unscrew the cap, thought it was broke for a while until I pieced that part together. Felt like an idiot, glad to see I'm not the only one who did that It's cool, you can plug it in and within about 5 seconds the tip is ready to go, and the needle tip and low power makes it a lot easier to keep yourself away from all other nearby connections.I haven't really tried anything too heavy with it but it's performed great on everything I've tried it with. Thought the use of the 1/8" /3.5mm jack was a bit odd, never seen it used for power before only audio.
I think I was just as surprised as Clive, if not more so, when he soldered that resistor; it warmed up quickly, and the solder melted FAST! I was expecting him to have to hold it at the joint for at least 10 seconds or so. This seems to be a fairly decent backup for non-critical (ESD-sensitive, etc.) applications, although I do share Clive's concern over the leakage current. To be fair though, quite a few of the vacuum-tube instruments I own have very similar leakage currents and voltages, or at least the ones to which I have not yet added a 3-wire power cord; my Knight KG-650 R.F. signal generator is a noteworthy death trap (120 VAC on the 'isolated' chassis!). Thanks for the detailed tear-down, Clive!
I'm glad I saw your most recent 2021 version of a rechargeable portable soldering iron. It gave me a chance to compare it to this earlier USB version. The latter type reviewed here by Clive; I would say may have been updated to current day standards. Though like Clive has stated this wee iron could handle a soldering job very well. It fared well during the practical usage test with the given circuit board and various components. The solder flowed smoothly onto the two surfaces to make good electrical contact. I am impressed at how cleanly the joints; with solid connects the little soldering iron made each time.
Thank you so much for this video, I know it's over a year old but I just recently saw it. Was so impressed I bought one. It didn't work. Figuring it would cost more to send back than just buying a new one I just bought another and emailed the company and let them know it was DOA. The day after receiving the replacement I got another. The company had sent me a replacement free of charge. With the second one I was able to fix the first. I now have 3 for the price of 2 and I am very happy with them!! Thanks to this video and you I also know how to remove the replaceable tips.
+ElfNet Gaming Against the alledged 'safe' way, I really don't mind solder fumes - it's not like I solder to any extreme degree anyway but... Next time you try to solder shit - I'd recommend at least respirator. (giggling myself silly;)
I have one in my bag for small jobs. I still can have my 60W iron in there but this one can work from powerbank, which is very useful. I worked once on some server PCBs in server room where just wasn't any power outlet left. It does good job for smaller components, and with chips or bigger things, heat station is better bet. Tips wear out pretty quickly but this just isn't something you use that much.
Just received one via eBay that purported to be the same -- and looks the same externally with "8w" spec, but turns out to be arguably a bit better. Cap a lot easier to pull off. Instead of a finicky touch sensitive switch there's a positive action on/off push button that looks exactly the same, and (as far as I know so far) there's no automatic turn off after 25-30 seconds, you just push the button again to turn it off. Blue LED. Gray collar instead of yellow. $10 from U.S. shipper (so a bit more than from China with a long wait). Heats within 15 seconds, as promoted. Very nice little tool. Thanks for the review!
Kind of put of by the Chinglish instructions: Method: 1.Open the iron burger skull, not to the left twist, pull off can be used directly. If left to turn the screw wrench to Gary, iron head shaking does not connect, unable to work! Then cover the right screw directly pull under it. 2. The product switch is the human body induction switch, the hand holds the handle 5 seconds to begin to heat up, after leaving the handle, the handle will slow down. 3. The power supply is best to convert the USB power supply, computer power supply, or more than ten thousand Ma mobile power supply. Small capacitance of the mobile power will not move!
I have one of these, had it long before your video in fact. She is not without a down side, for one the male plug is troublesome you see I was in the habit of using her for short jobs then just unplugging it from the iron side and laying the plug aside. I had it hooked to a 110 to 5 volt multi outlet USB charger device that puts out lots of power. Anyhow one day the plug fell against something that shorted it out. I could smell something burning, and like an idiot I began to feel around. I now have a perfect mark of that plug on my left hand, man that thing was HOT. My chair nearly burst into flames because the cord was against the upholstery (i do my work in a recliner, not a great idea but the only comfortable place I have to sit any more). I went back to using my regular regulated 110 volt iron and unplug her from the wall when not in use, the little iron is in her box and used only when I have just a couple of joints to solder. Also she gets way to hot if used to say, put together a kit. I have several I was putting together for Christmas to sit on the dash of our motor home that have the traces burned off, We are always living in the motor home in the winter months down in Arizona, avoiding the cold and snow of the Dakotas.
hi clive! awesome channel, i love your videos. recently i've bought one of theese usb soldering irons and i converter the 555 based circuit to run at about 2 hz 50% duty cicle and i removed the touch button and inserted instead a normal push button to force down the timing cap (so all time heater on). with this config the soldering iron is awesome! bye ;)
I find it very funny that this was the next video after a video in which mikeselectricstuff said, word for word, "If you see someone trying to sell a 5V soldering iron, laugh at them"
But Clive you didn't tell us how suprised you were by the USB soldering iron. I was waiting for you to tell us how suprised you were by it. Were you suprised by it? Was it a suprise? I'm suprised you didn't tell us...
Cool, you have just answered some questions that have been bothering me for some time. I first saw one of these on another channel some time ago, and ordered one in from China. It was an earlier model with no touch pad, but seemed like the real deal. The one I have came with a cord that had two plugs on the USB in side, and a USB mini on the output side of the cable. It generated plenty of heat, in fact I had problems with it burning off pads if I held it on for to long. A few days ago I tore down some kits that I had ruined with the iron, an discovered over half the LED's had failed, my guess was that those were the ones where my power pack went dead and I Plugged it into a wall wart. At any rate it now lays in the tool box in my motor home as I deemed it only useful for on the road emergencies. I had thought it the real answer to soldering in my easy chair as it heated up so quickly and was so easy to use. Perhaps I will try the newer version now and see if that works better, and now that I understand where the problems lay, it may solve some problems. Thankfully I found a nicer 110 volt that I can use at my chair now, heats up very fast and has replaceable tips, and a thermostat on the handle that actually works fairly well.
Got it recently and just love it. It's amazing for the little joints i would do anyway, no need to wait for my Antex to heat up anymore. All the short sessions were easily managed even with a Poundland's single cell powerbank.
I got one, and it really does work. Its by no means the best iron ever, but its remarkable how much it doesnt suck. I think it will be hand for times that I want 2 irons at the same time.
+bigclivedotcom You might laugh, but I got stopped once by railway police because my UNI-T UT61C multimeter had accidentally turned on while I was in the train, started beeping (it beeps after about 5 min of inactivity to warn you it is on) I got it out and turned it off. At the same moment the ticket inspector came and "kindly" asked me to follow him after seeing me rummaging through my bag with the multimeter beeping...
Oh so mains voltage present at the tip due to capacitive coupling explains why my Hakko FX-951 and other decent transformer based soldering stations have the tip connected to mains ground? To bleed off the capacitive build up of mains voltage at the tip before it builds to a dangerous level for components?
Either line voltage, wall voltage, or AC. Since our standard is 120V, those refer to that. We have 240V for some applications, but that's rarer, so we refer to it as 240 when needed.
Awesome Video, Schematic & Teardown Clive. Very Cool. I love these Irons & I've been using them for years now and they are fantastic I've had no issues using an Apple plug too. Keep up the great work. Nick.
The same product is sold at Jaycar Electronics in Australia. All 5 soldering irons on the shelf were visibly opened and returned because the previous customers assumed they were broken. It turns out I'm not the only one that twisted off the plastic cap...
I bought myself one of these years ago because it cost less than a new bit for my Antex mini iron (an original but still works) and I just needed to do a quick job to repair a mod, did the job and I was very happy, I have bought a couple of new irons since as I am getting into back into little projects and it is easier than changing bits for different jobs
I was hesitant to buy this based on the Amazon reviews, but based on your tear-down I went ahead and picked it up. Like you I am surprised that it actually works very well. Thank you for the review, it is exactly what I needed for my project.
Hi, I also powered this from a USB output on a extension cord. I wanted to try finishing some wood PLA print. The tip was glowing dark red. Wow. I will have to try with some power bank or batteries as I only need 200C.
Just got mine, BT-8U slightly different toggle switch on body and a 3.5 mono jack to USB cable. It is very light and feels like the weight of a biro and is very comfortable in hand and there is no fight with the power cable. It's actually enjoyable working with it. First Job I gave it was resoldering a microusb socket on to a board on a battery bank of course the wires from the battery to the board broke off so I had to do those wires as well. The pins on usb micro B are about 0.4 mm wide and quite tightly spaced, so having a tip fine enough for my shaky hands to do the job was ideal. I had to use a magnifying glass on my third hand in order to focus on where i was placing the tip. I would have destroyed the board with my regular iron. It's very quick to heat up and cool down and being able to switch the power off I was able to melt the solder on the board for a hole and power off and spin the tip in the hole making reattaching the battery cables much easier. Jobs done and the PCB didn't get overheated. Cost me 12 euro to repair a powerbank that cost me 10 (Amazon charge 21.47 sterling for this 10,800mah juicebank out of stock). So still a win for me. If I hadn't been able to fix the connector I would probably modded the powerbank with a couple of wires to charge from an old powerbank. Thanks Clive for the review it was worth it even with the mark up to get it from Dublin instead of China :) There is an interesting russian video ruclips.net/video/XdJavqX-90U/видео.html where he modified the circuit so it has a variable duty cycle and thus some temperature control. It might be nice to revisit the subject.
When I started to teach myself electronics the 555 timer chip was one I started with it is a really neat chip to play around with but I never would have thought of it in this manner - really cool - Thanks Clive for sharing- two thumbs up !!!
Modified mine to work with an onboard 18650 and used it to solder my car alarm in. Works reaaaallly well and is one of my favorite irons. Initially modified it because I hate proprietary connectors that turn USB into a stupid headphone jack or the like. Anything I get like that instantly gets ripped apart and has a micro female port butchered on. Also stuck a charge controller on it so now I can plug it into any USB socket and have it charge, and then solder cordlessly.
dang good little soldering iron i have had one for a couple of months and it still surprises me as what it can do (if you respect its low-ish power) i would recommend one to anyone BUT NOT to use from a standard PC or laptop. i use it from a converted PC PSU/bench PSU
I bought one of these for a laugh - as I guess most do - but I was very pleasantly surprised. It's perfect for more delicate soldering jobs - it's particularly excellent at soldering header pins onto Arduinos and Raspberry Pi's, runs happily off a powerbank I have and it's faster warming and cooling than my decent 'normal' quality iron. For that odd job every now and again I think it's excellent for the price. I wouldn't fancy using it with a mains charging brick mind!
I wonder if that would work from a USB OTG device? Probably not due to the current limit, but it'd be weird seeing a smartphone or tablet powered soldering iron. . I wouldn't plug it into my gear, that's for sure.
+bigclivedotcom - Yeah, I'd try it on a duff one, but I think it'd be a case of the USB port shutting down on well designed devices, or damage on lesser designs. It thought you'd be in bed, I guess you're a fellow night owl!
+bigclivedotcom maybe a 12v source like a car lighter? the 555 should take it if the other componants are up to spec...then maybe it would have a bit of extra kick?
+danthekilla I'm not 100% but I think the note 4 can supply 2amps using an OTG cable. I'd have to check it by charging another phone with it, but I'm almost certain it can supply back 2amps
I just bought one. Its changed. Has a tactile switch, single click turns it on, when its on single click turns it off. It has a bright blue led inside it that comes on when powered. I haven't taken it apart but I can kind of see through it and I don't see the shake sensor in it.
That thin USB cable drops about 0.7v...changing the cable to a decent one would improve the power output and would probably reach the stated 8w. I did some tests on some USB to micro USB cables, results were (per meter of cable) any where from 0.2v to 1.1v drop @1.5A So the cable plays a big role here.
This looks pretty convincing, I once had one that seemed to try an solder between two pieces of graphite, that was not very good at all and there was a measurable voltage between the 'probes'.
+bigclivedotcom I gave CPC a bollocking over that and they sent me the gas soldering iron I have had in my kit for 7 years, so all's well that ends well! I think for teardown and automotive you really cannot beat the butane beasts! :)
I believe that 555 circuit is the same exact ones they use on vapes. Fundamentally, both products do the samething. I'd love to see one of these soldering irons that accepts an 18650 battery. Would be killer for portability.
Wow. Truly surprising. I said no right away when you mentioned the wattage, but oh did you prove me wrong. I'm into buying this thing, as I usually do repair work outside my little workshop, so this could really come in handy.
Can the USB power units have a ground resistor added to them to drain off the parasitic voltage ? that way you would be able to use a mains powered supply and have a grounded tip at the same time.
My mate has one of these irons and it didn't seem too clever running from usb so we cut off the usb plug and wired it into an old pc power supply that he uses as a bench supply. The iron is absolutely brilliant now and is used more than his "propper" iron :)
I can't believe I haven't seen this video earlier! I have one of these soldering irons and I just love it. It's very fast. seems to be hot enough in about six or seven seconds. I have it in a little kit with a small 18650 power bank and it lasts a pretty good long time. It really does work surprisingly well.
I've ordered a couple of these to play with. I'm hoping I can extend the 'on' time by customising the R/C on pins 6 & 7 of the 555. Greaat to see Julian Ilett giving one a go too. I bet sales are booming!
I was given some electronic waste and i found a 6volt 12watt soldering iron having a look at the plastic it reminds me of that 70's plastic "Fairey 34229" but could not find anymore info on it anyway i was thinking of making a regulator and have it fully isolated and power it from USB C.
Not had a chance to do any proper soldering with it yet. My dog got ill and needed an operation. But I did test it on my soldering iron thermometer and it went up to 430°C. They must have built the heating element right into the very tip of the iron, that seems the only explanation as to why it works so well.
@@bigclivedotcom I thought as much. Now I calculated how long it would run using my 20,000mAh power bank (closer to 17500) and I came to something around 12 hours. 17.5Ah/1.4A (7W/5v). Does that sound right to you? If so, that's fantastic!
The 100n on pin 5 (CV or Control Voltage) is just a decoupling cap (fitted when the pin is not used) and the 555 can be re-triggered. £3.50 post free, worth a look.
Hi Clive... I bought a couple of these after seeing your review. Can't find a source for spare elements/bits but at this price I can just buy a new one and have a handy USB lead for future projects. I use it with a power bank like the one you're using. It won't replace my trusty Antex but it's handy for a quick soldering job which I can do in less time it takes for the Antex to warm up! It's also half the price of an Antex tip.
Working with it no where near mains noise meant I was forever tapping it to keep it on. I bypassed it as others have done and now it just on all the time and brilliant.
at this point, i'm basically watching your videos because soldering is the most satisfying thing to watch ever.
+Artyom “Evante” Platonev Because BigClive's soldering is the most satisfying thing to watch.... FTFY
+Artyom “Evante” Platonev soldering and brazing are incredibly satisfying. Something about seeing your tools liquefy it and it perfectly wetting a surface. The combined actions of the flux, solder alloy and surface interaraction is just tops.
Same herr
Yar, likewise.
Bought it half a year ago. Had problems with the capacitance switch while powered from the powerbank, didn't trigger. Stripped it, removed all the funny stuff driving the mosfet and installed a small switch to polarize the gate. I carry it everyday with my 5V 2A powerbank, love it a lot! The look on somebody's face when I pull a soldering iron out of my bag and just run it off a powerbank, priceless. Great for small stuff.
I molded mine the same way & I have images for anyone wishing to do the same mod
Just solder the switch to the points marked in red above the mofset
drive.google.com/file/d/0B_Jl6r1wRpE-cDRyTHdjMDh4ekk/view?usp=docslist_api
+Dan T new switch via wires to get it out of the case (just a simple monetary push button switch will do, preferably something small that can be hot glued to the case) , the old switch is touch sensitive so it only has one wire so it wouldn't work
Mine arrived yesterday and didn't work. The red light comes on but there was no heat. I opened it up and one of the wires going to the tip wasn't soldered on! The irony. :-)
The 'soldering irony'
order another to solder the first!
Niko Thieling They sent a replacement. ☺️
The irony is also a pun.
You could solder it on with..... oh.
Oh...
OH!
So Clive, I bought this iron solely because of your review. I must say I'm impressed! Very fast heat, very fast cooling. Stays clean and works just beautifully. Thanks for the review!
Don’t care how old this video is.. I watch all your videos I can.. love them all!!
Is there anything they won't power by USB?
+Philip Sempers Waiting for the USB powered truck jump starter.
+FreakSX93 lol
+Philip Sempers USB powered vibrator....oh hang on they've done that one...certainly wouldn't want any earth leakage with that....or would you!? ;)
+blower Combine the idea with Big Clives Tingletron and you may be onto a winner ;)
+FreakSX93 Not directly, but I have seen power banks with jump starter capability that can be charged by USB...
You should mod the USB lead to have a ground clip on the end of it for clipping onto grounded things so the suppression cap isnt an issue
FYI, NE555 can be reset mid-cycle. So if you keep your finger on the button, it should keep heating.
as long as pin 2 is low pin 3 is high.
that doesnt work if powered from a powerbank or other isolated supply, well, mine doesnt! have to 'tap' it to trigger the vibration switch..
Haha! I just tested out the '3D printing clean up tool' version of this and did the same thing with the collet, I thought the cap unscrewed too... Seems like they're the same device.
I've had one of these for the past almost two years, amazing little soldering iron. Very glad it got a great review by big Clive! Only problem with it is its hard to find spare tips for. I have found one site probably 6-12 months back, but forget what it was.
Good old 555, nice to see it's still being used.
+Dave Curran Can't go wrong with them.
+Dave Curran Where I work they use them to drive a laser using it in astable mode.
Clive you have opened up the whole world of electronics to me. I had literally 0 interest before I saw a few of your videos and since then I've been left with this massive thirst for knowledge and info.
I am going to start soldering like you suggest and then maybe have a go at some of those LED light kits.
Thanks again Clive, if we ever happen to be in the same town I will buy you a drink! or dinner ;)
Arrakis Spice Trader Can’t go wrong with LED light kits!
Now that's my kind of soldering iron!
suprised that you have not got one already Julian! !
+Julian Ilett Well we know you got the power banks for the job : ) .
+Julian Ilett Now you know where to throw your mailbag money!
+Julian Ilett have a look at this then!!
m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Battery-Powered-Soldering-Iron-8W-3-x-AA-Warranty-On-the-Go-Repairs-New-/301594735006?nav=WATCHING_ACTIVE
+Barrybados©. haha which one?
Soon as you said "NE555" I started laughing. Never thought I'd see one of those in new production stuff. And the intentional use of the non-ideal specs of the diode is quite a nice touch.
The person who designed this thing knows their stuff, and is almost certainly Old School.
There's a spot-welder at my dad's auto repair shop that uses one of those to control how long the current is on, triggered by a switch on one of the electrode handles. From what I can tell, the thing's from the 70's or 80's.
555 can be used for many things, seen details on the 'net of a 555 used as an am radio 😲
They have improved this a lot over the years. I had one before you did your video on them and it was a real pain in the ass to use, kept timing out and didn't read the touch sensor most of the time. I decided to give it another try last year and ordered another. They have fixed the problem, it is no longer a touch sensor, but a push button and she doesn't time out as quickly either. Now it is a nice little iron and can do a lot of work without having to toss it up against the wall to get it to come back on.
I don't think the new ones time out at all.
This is shockingly very useful for small repairs when you're out and have a portable power bank. I might actually pick one up. I don't know how many times I've wished I had a small soldering iron to fix little things when I'm out of the house.
I have one of these and was similarly impressed. I keep it around in my backpack these days, just in case (I also carry around a power bank for general use). I replaced the dodgy minijack thing in the back with a miniUSB connector, so I wouldn't have to carry around its special snowflake cable. Not something I'd use daily, but having it around has saved my ass a couple times already.
+marcan Good upgrade, now tell the chinese.
Isn't it amazing? I bought my own and yes, it really works! Just don't try to power it from a computer when trying to solder big heat-sinking components, a power bank is much better.
***** what? NO it doesn't reach over 500 degrees Celsius! That would melt glass! Check your conversion and do NOT use a normal thermometer to measure the temperature of the tip.
Much like open circuit voltage on batteries there is a thermal capacity thing to worry about. It is likely the temperature could drop like a brick.
+DarkBabylon Yes, that is kinda correct. It does drop on very big joints, but overall it handles joints as big as MOSFETs and linear voltage regulators surprisingly well. If you let it build heat up, it will punch through and is able to keep that temperature pretty well, unless you expect it to be able to solder copper piping.
555 inside, can't be all evil :-) Nice little circuit.
I use this little iron for re-soldering and repairing USB ports on tablets and phones - it's the perfect sized tip and gives out just enough heat for those tricky little smt solder dabs. Nice to see I wasn't the only one impressed by it!
I was as surprised as you how good it actually works. it took me back as I expected nothing really when I purchased one.
My one looks just like it and I didn't realise Clive had a video on it until this old video popped up in my recommendations today. Unlike that the one featured here, mine would only run off a mains USB charger, so I did as Clive told me in a comment of another video, bridge out the drain+source pins. It now works well on power banks and great not having it cut out every few seconds. I now use it as my main iron as the power lead is not cumbersome like the chunky lead on my mains iron. It runs for around 4 hours continuous on my 10,000mAh bank. The only minor issue is that it can slide all the way through the hole in a typical soldering iron stand.
should have tested the temp
+camtheham13 On the 191 tip thermometer the mass of the test point instantly pulled the temperature down to about 250C but it then built up to 430C when it was held on. So imparting bursts of high temperature into the solder joints.
mine easily reaches 900°C (on the hakko 191) if i keep retriggering. the temperature seems to be controlled by the trigger-time :D
This was a fun little soldering iron while it lasted. It was easy to work on smaller soldering joints with than my previous main soldering iron. However, two weeks ago the tip of mine broke and the price for a new tip wasnt really worth it IMO. So instead I bought myself a pinecil with 11 extra tips so far I'm quite happy with the choice.
I bought one of these to pick up soldering and electronics (as well as a larger 40w unit) and I found that I don't even touch the big iron... the small tip really makes this a handy little device. I made the exact same mistake you did with trying to unscrew the cap, thought it was broke for a while until I pieced that part together. Felt like an idiot, glad to see I'm not the only one who did that
It's cool, you can plug it in and within about 5 seconds the tip is ready to go, and the needle tip and low power makes it a lot easier to keep yourself away from all other nearby connections.I haven't really tried anything too heavy with it but it's performed great on everything I've tried it with. Thought the use of the 1/8" /3.5mm jack was a bit odd, never seen it used for power before only audio.
I think I was just as surprised as Clive, if not more so, when he soldered that resistor; it warmed up quickly, and the solder melted FAST! I was expecting him to have to hold it at the joint for at least 10 seconds or so.
This seems to be a fairly decent backup for non-critical (ESD-sensitive, etc.) applications, although I do share Clive's concern over the leakage current. To be fair though, quite a few of the vacuum-tube instruments I own have very similar leakage currents and voltages, or at least the ones to which I have not yet added a 3-wire power cord; my Knight KG-650 R.F. signal generator is a noteworthy death trap (120 VAC on the 'isolated' chassis!). Thanks for the detailed tear-down, Clive!
I'm glad I saw your most recent 2021 version of a rechargeable portable soldering iron. It gave me a chance to compare it to this earlier USB version. The latter type reviewed here by Clive; I would say may have been updated to current day standards. Though like Clive has stated this wee iron could handle a soldering job very well. It fared well during the practical usage test with the given circuit board and various components. The solder flowed smoothly onto the two surfaces to make good electrical contact. I am impressed at how cleanly the joints; with solid connects the little soldering iron made each time.
Thank you so much for this video, I know it's over a year old but I just recently saw it. Was so impressed I bought one. It didn't work. Figuring it would cost more to send back than just buying a new one I just bought another and emailed the company and let them know it was DOA. The day after receiving the replacement I got another. The company had sent me a replacement free of charge. With the second one I was able to fix the first. I now have 3 for the price of 2 and I am very happy with them!! Thanks to this video and you I also know how to remove the replaceable tips.
Seems to be better than the $30 2 AA battery soldering iron I bought a few years ago that can't solder shit.
+ElfNet Gaming Against the alledged 'safe' way, I really don't mind solder fumes - it's not like I solder to any extreme degree anyway but... Next time you try to solder shit - I'd recommend at least respirator.
(giggling myself silly;)
wdavid parks lol
+ElfNet Gaming Made the same mistake and ordered this one today (4€) to replace it ;D
+ElfNet Gaming i have the same usb soldering iron, it is marvelous! Also, i dont use a usb port, but a smartphone charger.
+Στέλιος Αρβανίτης in this video Clive doesn't recommend this cause it can harm your components
Is there anything you can't do with a 555?
Yes, yes there is. A lot.
Get laid
Wow that's cool! I might have to get one now.
Also +3 internets for conversational use of "aplomb"!
I just got mine and put it to the test.
This thing is delightful!
Seriously nice for small work!
Michael Thompson i've got wone already and i'm a kid
I have one in my bag for small jobs. I still can have my 60W iron in there but this one can work from powerbank, which is very useful. I worked once on some server PCBs in server room where just wasn't any power outlet left. It does good job for smaller components, and with chips or bigger things, heat station is better bet. Tips wear out pretty quickly but this just isn't something you use that much.
Well for small components and USB, why not a TS80?
Just received one via eBay that purported to be the same -- and looks the same externally with "8w" spec, but turns out to be arguably a bit better. Cap a lot easier to pull off. Instead of a finicky touch sensitive switch there's a positive action on/off push button that looks exactly the same, and (as far as I know so far) there's no automatic turn off after 25-30 seconds, you just push the button again to turn it off. Blue LED. Gray collar instead of yellow. $10 from U.S. shipper (so a bit more than from China with a long wait). Heats within 15 seconds, as promoted. Very nice little tool. Thanks for the review!
Kind of put of by the Chinglish instructions:
Method:
1.Open the iron burger skull, not to the left twist, pull off can be used directly. If left to turn the screw wrench to Gary, iron head shaking does not connect, unable to work! Then cover the right screw directly pull under it.
2. The product switch is the human body induction switch, the hand holds the handle 5 seconds to begin to heat up, after leaving the handle, the handle will slow down.
3. The power supply is best to convert the USB power supply, computer power supply, or more than ten thousand Ma mobile power supply. Small capacitance of the mobile power will not move!
Such a clever yet simple circuit to control the iron power! Not heard of 555 being used in decades!
I have one of these, had it long before your video in fact. She is not without a down side, for one the male plug is troublesome you see I was in the habit of using her for short jobs then just unplugging it from the iron side and laying the plug aside. I had it hooked to a 110 to 5 volt multi outlet USB charger device that puts out lots of power. Anyhow one day the plug fell against something that shorted it out. I could smell something burning, and like an idiot I began to feel around. I now have a perfect mark of that plug on my left hand, man that thing was HOT. My chair nearly burst into flames because the cord was against the upholstery (i do my work in a recliner, not a great idea but the only comfortable place I have to sit any more). I went back to using my regular regulated 110 volt iron and unplug her from the wall when not in use, the little iron is in her box and used only when I have just a couple of joints to solder. Also she gets way to hot if used to say, put together a kit. I have several I was putting together for Christmas to sit on the dash of our motor home that have the traces burned off, We are always living in the motor home in the winter months down in Arizona, avoiding the cold and snow of the Dakotas.
hi clive! awesome channel, i love your videos.
recently i've bought one of theese usb soldering irons and i converter the 555 based circuit to run at about 2 hz 50% duty cicle and i removed the touch button and inserted instead a normal push button to force down the timing cap (so all time heater on). with this config the soldering iron is awesome!
bye ;)
Tesla4Ever could I ask, what switch did you use, did you glue it in or was there somewhere to solder it?
I find it very funny that this was the next video after a video in which mikeselectricstuff said, word for word, "If you see someone trying to sell a 5V soldering iron, laugh at them"
Thank you very much. I thought mine were defective. That bit about the collar saved me.
But can you do one inch copper plumbing pipes?
But Clive you didn't tell us how suprised you were by the USB soldering iron.
I was waiting for you to tell us how suprised you were by it.
Were you suprised by it? Was it a suprise? I'm suprised you didn't tell us...
Cool, you have just answered some questions that have been bothering me for some time. I first saw one of these on another channel some time ago, and ordered one in from China. It was an earlier model with no touch pad, but seemed like the real deal. The one I have came with a cord that had two plugs on the USB in side, and a USB mini on the output side of the cable. It generated plenty of heat, in fact I had problems with it burning off pads if I held it on for to long. A few days ago I tore down some kits that I had ruined with the iron, an discovered over half the LED's had failed, my guess was that those were the ones where my power pack went dead and I Plugged it into a wall wart. At any rate it now lays in the tool box in my motor home as I deemed it only useful for on the road emergencies. I had thought it the real answer to soldering in my easy chair as it heated up so quickly and was so easy to use. Perhaps I will try the newer version now and see if that works better, and now that I understand where the problems lay, it may solve some problems. Thankfully I found a nicer 110 volt that I can use at my chair now, heats up very fast and has replaceable tips, and a thermostat on the handle that actually works fairly well.
Got it recently and just love it. It's amazing for the little joints i would do anyway, no need to wait for my Antex to heat up anymore. All the short sessions were easily managed even with a Poundland's single cell powerbank.
Hi Clive, great video, bought one a few weeks ago, works fine. Quick tip, spare pack of tip sections are available from Maplin
Martin
I got one, and it really does work. Its by no means the best iron ever, but its remarkable how much it doesnt suck. I think it will be hand for times that I want 2 irons at the same time.
I bought this little soldering iron, and it is amazing. I am not some pro but, I done many home projects with it, fixing some stuf etc.
right, so ill buy this, and make my projects at the bus stop while i wait, and get arrested for making shifty things in plain view... bit dodgy...
+Tony Fleetwood Just make sure it's got a digital readout and makes beep-beep noises while you mutter about "bombs".
+bigclivedotcom
I fucking love you, crack me the fuck up.
+bigclivedotcom It has to have 2 different brightly coloured liquids in containers too. I'd suggest irn bru and mountain dew
+bigclivedotcom You might laugh, but I got stopped once by railway police because my UNI-T UT61C multimeter had accidentally turned on while I was in the train, started beeping (it beeps after about 5 min of inactivity to warn you it is on) I got it out and turned it off. At the same moment the ticket inspector came and "kindly" asked me to follow him after seeing me rummaging through my bag with the multimeter beeping...
+DarthBlazer Clive's got a wacky sense of humor. That's what I like about him.
The good performance is all due to the near perfect thermal coupling between the heater wire and the tip because those are one indivisible part.
Oh so mains voltage present at the tip due to capacitive coupling explains why my Hakko FX-951 and other decent transformer based soldering stations have the tip connected to mains ground?
To bleed off the capacitive build up of mains voltage at the tip before it builds to a dangerous level for components?
Been enjoying your videos for awhile, Clive. Keep em up!
Side note, as an American, I still can't get used to hearing "mains"
What do Americans call it?
+Alexander Krivács Schrøder ac power, usually
Either line voltage, wall voltage, or AC. Since our standard is 120V, those refer to that. We have 240V for some applications, but that's rarer, so we refer to it as 240 when needed.
I got mine today, but in 2016 a huge description of this soldering device. Useful one video 🎉Thank you!
8:15 damn waste of a joint then.
Awesome Video, Schematic & Teardown Clive. Very Cool. I love these Irons & I've been using them for years now and they are fantastic I've had no issues using an Apple plug too. Keep up the great work. Nick.
I am using this for over one year, and for small projects it works perfectly
Delivered from China for less than 30% of the price of a Metcal tip. Mindblowing. Not sure if I'd ever need one but can't resist buying one.
The same product is sold at Jaycar Electronics in Australia. All 5 soldering irons on the shelf were visibly opened and returned because the previous customers assumed they were broken. It turns out I'm not the only one that twisted off the plastic cap...
I bought myself one of these years ago because it cost less than a new bit for my Antex mini iron (an original but still works) and I just needed to do a quick job to repair a mod, did the job and I was very happy, I have bought a couple of new irons since as I am getting into back into little projects and it is easier than changing bits for different jobs
I was hesitant to buy this based on the Amazon reviews, but based on your tear-down I went ahead and picked it up. Like you I am surprised that it actually works very well. Thank you for the review, it is exactly what I needed for my project.
Hi, I also powered this from a USB output on a extension cord. I wanted to try finishing some wood PLA print. The tip was glowing dark red. Wow. I will have to try with some power bank or batteries as I only need 200C.
Clive, you should try out the TS100 soldering iron if you're looking for something that can be powered from a DC supply directly.
Just got mine, BT-8U slightly different toggle switch on body and a 3.5 mono jack to USB cable. It is very light and feels like the weight of a biro and is very comfortable in hand and there is no fight with the power cable. It's actually enjoyable working with it.
First Job I gave it was resoldering a microusb socket on to a board on a battery bank of course the wires from the battery to the board broke off so I had to do those wires as well. The pins on usb micro B are about 0.4 mm wide and quite tightly spaced, so having a tip fine enough for my shaky hands to do the job was ideal. I had to use a magnifying glass on my third hand in order to focus on where i was placing the tip. I would have destroyed the board with my regular iron.
It's very quick to heat up and cool down and being able to switch the power off I was able to melt the solder on the board for a hole and power off and spin the tip in the hole making reattaching the battery cables much easier. Jobs done and the PCB didn't get overheated.
Cost me 12 euro to repair a powerbank that cost me 10 (Amazon charge 21.47 sterling for this 10,800mah juicebank out of stock). So still a win for me. If I hadn't been able to fix the connector I would probably modded the powerbank with a couple of wires to charge from an old powerbank. Thanks Clive for the review it was worth it even with the mark up to get it from Dublin instead of China :)
There is an interesting russian video ruclips.net/video/XdJavqX-90U/видео.html where he modified the circuit so it has a variable duty cycle and thus some temperature control. It might be nice to revisit the subject.
When I started to teach myself electronics the 555 timer chip was one I started with it is a really neat chip to play around with but I never would have thought of it in this manner - really cool - Thanks Clive for sharing- two thumbs up !!!
Modified mine to work with an onboard 18650 and used it to solder my car alarm in. Works reaaaallly well and is one of my favorite irons. Initially modified it because I hate proprietary connectors that turn USB into a stupid headphone jack or the like. Anything I get like that instantly gets ripped apart and has a micro female port butchered on. Also stuck a charge controller on it so now I can plug it into any USB socket and have it charge, and then solder cordlessly.
I'm sold. Just placed my order for 2 of them on eBay.
Thanks for the great review!
+Gregory Thomas Me also.
+Gregory Thomas well said me also I'm getting me one of these
Hey, what a great little tool for the small stuff ! Its not like we all dont have several soldering irons but, its just a handy little tool !
dang good little soldering iron i have had one for a couple of months and it still surprises me as what it can do (if you respect its low-ish power) i would recommend one to anyone BUT NOT to use from a standard PC or laptop. i use it from a converted PC PSU/bench PSU
I bought one of these for a laugh - as I guess most do - but I was very pleasantly surprised. It's perfect for more delicate soldering jobs - it's particularly excellent at soldering header pins onto Arduinos and Raspberry Pi's, runs happily off a powerbank I have and it's faster warming and cooling than my decent 'normal' quality iron. For that odd job every now and again I think it's excellent for the price. I wouldn't fancy using it with a mains charging brick mind!
A surprising find and looks like it could be really handy for quick, light jobs in the field.
Bought one a few months ago, love it for small patch jobs with a 5 dollar usb battery. 10 dollars for a workable portable soldering iron.
would you be able to just loop a wire around the metal screw on collar and ground it that way?
finally, a good youtuber that comes from the uk
I'm sold! Perfect for those quick fixes where you don't want to bring out the big soldering station.
I wonder if that would work from a USB OTG device? Probably not due to the current limit, but it'd be weird seeing a smartphone or tablet powered soldering iron. . I wouldn't plug it into my gear, that's for sure.
+ProdigalPorcupine I wouldn't try to pull that much current from a smartphone.
+bigclivedotcom - Yeah, I'd try it on a duff one, but I think it'd be a case of the USB port shutting down on well designed devices, or damage on lesser designs. It thought you'd be in bed, I guess you're a fellow night owl!
+bigclivedotcom maybe a 12v source like a car lighter? the 555 should take it if the other componants are up to spec...then maybe it would have a bit of extra kick?
+ProdigalPorcupine Windows phones like the Lumia 950xl can supply 2.1 amps at 5 volt with USB on the go. I would assume similar for android.
+danthekilla I'm not 100% but I think the note 4 can supply 2amps using an OTG cable. I'd have to check it by charging another phone with it, but I'm almost certain it can supply back 2amps
I just bought one. Its changed. Has a tactile switch, single click turns it on, when its on single click turns it off. It has a bright blue led inside it that comes on when powered. I haven't taken it apart but I can kind of see through it and I don't see the shake sensor in it.
I took it apart. Has a couple of transistors and I think a SCR. It kind of looks like a flip flop.
It's a simple two transistor toggle circuit inside. I was hoping it might go off after a delay, but it doesn't.
I'm amazed as you are that it actually manages to function, but I'll be sticking to my Portasol butane-powered iron for mobile work.
That thin USB cable drops about 0.7v...changing the cable to a decent one would improve the power output and would probably reach the stated 8w.
I did some tests on some USB to micro USB cables, results were (per meter of cable) any where from 0.2v to 1.1v drop @1.5A
So the cable plays a big role here.
Wonder if the element would handle a slightly higher voltage to give it a bit more oomph soldering slightly larger joints?
This looks pretty convincing, I once had one that seemed to try an solder between two pieces of graphite, that was not very good at all and there was a measurable voltage between the 'probes'.
+The Backoffice the Cold Heat device was absolutely terrible. There's a reason it was being pushed by hard telemarketing.
+bigclivedotcom I gave CPC a bollocking over that and they sent me the gas soldering iron I have had in my kit for 7 years, so all's well that ends well! I think for teardown and automotive you really cannot beat the butane beasts! :)
I believe that 555 circuit is the same exact ones they use on vapes. Fundamentally, both products do the samething. I'd love to see one of these soldering irons that accepts an 18650 battery. Would be killer for portability.
USB 3.1 can actually supply 100W at 12V, iirc. But it still depends on the controller (for handshaking) and its power supply, of course.
Wow. Truly surprising. I said no right away when you mentioned the wattage, but oh did you prove me wrong. I'm into buying this thing, as I usually do repair work outside my little workshop, so this could really come in handy.
Can the USB power units have a ground resistor added to them to drain off the parasitic voltage ? that way you would be able to use a mains powered supply and have a grounded tip at the same time.
i like this little tool... im wondering how it would work on a 12v 2.1A USB car charger.... it might be a good cheep tool to have on the boat.
My mate has one of these irons and it didn't seem too clever running from usb so we cut off the usb plug and wired it into an old pc power supply that he uses as a bench supply. The iron is absolutely brilliant now and is used more than his "propper" iron :)
Kindly include teardown and schematic of Aneng LT-100 professional USB soldering iron. Thanks
I wonder if there is a simple mod which will reduce the mains leakage. A supression capacitor across the power rails for example?
mine arrived earlier this week and I also unscrewed the cap and wondered why it wouldn't work for a minute!..a handy tool for next to no money!
Clive are you surprised how good it is it looks good to me just simple it works
I can't believe I haven't seen this video earlier! I have one of these soldering irons and I just love it.
It's very fast. seems to be hot enough in about six or seven seconds.
I have it in a little kit with a small 18650 power bank and it lasts a pretty good long time.
It really does work surprisingly well.
Could you use this safely from the usb ports on your computer?
I've ordered a couple of these to play with. I'm hoping I can extend the 'on' time by customising the R/C on pins 6 & 7 of the 555. Greaat to see Julian Ilett giving one a go too. I bet sales are booming!
Just increasing the value of the electrolytic capacitor would be easiest. It's not a bad time though.
I was given some electronic waste and i found a 6volt 12watt soldering iron having a look at the plastic it reminds me of that 70's plastic "Fairey 34229" but could not find anymore info on it anyway i was thinking of making a regulator and have it fully isolated and power it from USB C.
Not had a chance to do any proper soldering with it yet. My dog got ill and needed an operation. But I did test it on my soldering iron thermometer and it went up to 430°C. They must have built the heating element right into the very tip of the iron, that seems the only explanation as to why it works so well.
It is. The wire goes right down the middle and the coil in in the tip.
@@bigclivedotcom I thought as much. Now I calculated how long it would run using my 20,000mAh power bank (closer to 17500) and I came to something around 12 hours. 17.5Ah/1.4A (7W/5v). Does that sound right to you? If so, that's fantastic!
couldn't you get rid of the live reference by switching the polarity on the element?
I don't quite see the problem with the iron floating at line voltage. If the thing you are soldering on is not grounded you should be fine, right?
I'd be interested in a comparison between this and one of those "cold heat" soldering irons.
+Andy Lundell The Cold Heat irons are an abomination. They are not suitable for electronic work at all.
DC5525 Mini Portable 65W Programmable TS100 LCD Digital Electric Soldering Iron
Have you tried this one?
Should do a teardown of one of those cheap $8 adjustable soldering irons that look identical to the Hakko iron and takes the same tips.
The 100n on pin 5 (CV or Control Voltage) is just a decoupling cap (fitted when the pin is not used) and the 555 can be re-triggered. £3.50 post free, worth a look.
is there a simple circuit someone could add to stop that 120v carry?
Hi Clive...
I bought a couple of these after seeing your review. Can't find a source for spare elements/bits but at this price I can just buy a new one and have a handy USB lead for future projects. I use it with a power bank like the one you're using. It won't replace my trusty Antex but it's handy for a quick soldering job which I can do in less time it takes for the Antex to warm up! It's also half the price of an Antex tip.
Working with it no where near mains noise meant I was forever tapping it to keep it on. I bypassed it as others have done and now it just on all the time and brilliant.