One tool that every hobbyist knows he must have in his tool kit is a good reliable soldering iron. But when you’re out on the field, and have to make some quick repair, if there is no power source available, what do you do? This is where nothing comes in handier than a cordless butane soldering iron.
Advanced Butane Tool Technology
Precision Micro-flame
Over this past decade there have been many new developments in the design of butane powered tools. Precision micro-flame technology has led to the micro-engineering of a variety of butane powered products including the butane-torch soldering iron. Now hobbyists as well as professionals have at their fingertips one of the most convenient tools for soldering in a wide range of working environments.
Precision Butane Soldering Torches
Cordless Portable Irons
Cordless butane soldering torches have been a revolution in the DIY community. One of the great advantages of a butane soldering iron torch is in its flexibility. You can use the torch both as a soldering iron and as hot air blower for heat shrinking. The soldering torch has a housing at the tip which encloses the fine tipped flame which heats up the soldering tip. With the soldering tip attached, the tool is used as a soldering iron. The soldering tip can also be removed and the torch can be used with the Hot Air Tip for heat shrinking. This makes the butane soldering torch tool extremely adaptable for a variety of applications. They are easy to use, handy, nifty and cost almost the same as a good quality soldering iron.
Long Operating Time
One to Two Hours Soldering Per Refill
These little hand-held irons can easily run for an hour or two on a single refilling of butane fuel. Their long run times make them the ideal tool for when you want an iron with you out in the field, away from any other power source.
We looked at a variety of torches and give our recommendations for what we feel would be most appropriate for general DIY use.
For DIY, it seems the portable butane soldering torches are more popular due to their versatility.
Aside from the making of jewelry, they can be comfortably used for electronics and craft projects.
I selected what I feel are the top 4 propane torches I looked at, but also selected one propane-oxygen torch as well for comparison.
Soldering Temperatures to Meet the Job
Quick Heat-up Time
Butane irons heat up quickly, as the quick combustion of the gas provides a very quick heat up.
A butane soldering iron can easily give you soldering tip temperatures that will make any soldering quick and efficient. This means soldering can be completed in considerably less time. Quick heat up and high temperature, combined with its long operating time for each refill, makes a butane soldering iron the ideal tool for remote soldering jobs.
Cost Efficiency
Low-cost Butane
Butane fuel is quite cheap, so the refilling of a butane soldering iron is very cost-effective.
Shipping of Butane Fuel
One thing to remember though is that due to shipping safety regulations, items filled with gas cannot be shipped, so any butane soldering iron you purchase on-line will not contain gas. But the butane fuel is readily available at any hardware store or stores that sell household items.
How to Pick the Right Butane Soldering Iron?
How can you be sure the butane soldering iron you choose will give you the best performance for your soldering needs? Various butane-powered irons and soldering kits often come with a variety of features, like snap-on or replaceable tips, stands, sponge cleaning and many more. There are a variety of options to consider when purchasing an iron.
The Top Five Butane Soldering Irons
We looked at some of the best cordless butane soldering irons that are presently available online.
Any one of these tools will complete the job at hand in an efficient manner, and give you years of reliable service. We hope you will find the “unplugged” experience of a butane soldering iron convenient and enjoyable.
We now give our recommendations for what we feel are five of the best irons for general DIY use.
1. Iroda Solderpro 110K Cordless Soldering Iron Kit
First on our list is the 4-in-1 Iroda Solderpro 110K portable butane soldering iron kit. The one thing we really like about the Solder Pro 110K Kit was how complete the whole set is and the quality design of the torch itself. The kit includes the butane torch, solder core, sponge, and a variety of interchangeable tips, including a hot knife tip and hot air blower tip along with the soldering tip. So, this complete kit can be used for a variety of applications.
The soldering torch tool has a very sturdy construction. The soldering tip assembly has a quick 25 second heat up time and the torch can run for 115 minutes on a refill of butane.
By looking at the transparent fuel reservoir at the base of the tool, it is easy to see how much fuel is remaining so you know how much operating time you have left.
The soldering torch has a water-resistant Piezo ignition system which ignites smoothly. The torch has a convenient, built-in stand to hold the tool between uses and a protective safety cap which makes it convenient for quick storage or carrying in the pocket.
One nice feature about the safety cap is that it will lock the ignition, so the torch cannot accidentally ignite during storage.
The interchangeable tips are easily removed by turning the locking nut collar which holds the tips to the body of the torch. There is no need for tools for changing the tips. This allows for a quick easy change of tips for a variety of applications.
The heat control can be adjusted to deliver soldering temperatures of 842℉ (450℃), and a maximum torch temperature of up to 1300℉ (650℃).
Obviously, a lot went into the design of this soldering iron and kit.
This is a proven Soldering Iron Kit form a company that has been selling butane powered tools since 1988.
- Ready to use 25 seconds after ignition
- Equivalent to a Power Range of 30-125 Watts
- Up to 115 minutes operation per refill
- Tool free tip change
- Built-in stand
- Safety Cap With Piezo Ignition
- Transparent fuel tank lets you see fuel level
- Very few that we could see
2. LEXIVON Butane Soldering Iron Multi-Purpose Kit
Here is another butane soldering iron kit that we liked because it seemed like a very durable unit which comes as a complete set.
This complete set has 13 accessories included in a heavy duty, hard carrying case. Included are six specialty tips which are changed by using the mini wrenches included. The kit is complete with a sponge, solder, and tin for quick convenient soldering in a variety of applications. Clear instructions make operations easy.
We liked the quality of the soldering torch. It is a basic torch, quite durable, having much of the body made of metal construction. The flame controls were easy to operate. The iron claims to have a heat capacity equal to a 125-watt electric soldering iron. With the soldering tip removed, it has a pretty hefty flame that can be easily adjusted. It claims the flame can reach 2400 degrees Fahrenheit and the soldering tips will heat up to 1100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The torch has a protective cap for quick safe storage, and convenient carrying in your pocket.
The fuel reservoir allows for up to 75 minutes run time, and can be refilled in 10 seconds. The fuel tank is made of metal, so is durable. The drawback is you can’t tell for sure how much fuel is remaining or how much operating time you still have.
Since the torch can be used with and without tips, you can use it for a variety of torch applications as well.
Lexivon has a unique warranty policy. Their site states:
Warranty – We’re confident nothing will go wrong, but if it does, we’ll make it right!
Support – Get the most from your products with easy access to email and more.
Offers & Updates – Get special offers, new products or feature updates.
So, I guess you will need to contact them and register on line if you want to find out more about their warranty policy.
- Large hot flame reaches 2,400 ° F
- Complete set of 13 accessories
- Comes with a handy carrying case
- Protective cap for quick safe storage
- You need a wrench to change tips
- Cannot see fuel level
- Manufacturer’s warranty available only through registration
3. Weller P2KC Cordless Soldering Iron Kit
The P2KC a small compact kit that contains a good quality torch. It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, as the torch has a pretty simple but functional design. The construction seems quite good, with a comfortable solid feel in your hand.
The Weller P2KC Solder Iron Kit, comes with the P2KC Soldering Tool, a hot air tip, a hot knife tip, a hot air deflector for heat shrinking of tubing, and a flame tip. Also included with the kit is a sponge and tray, tool holder, and operating instructions.
The P2KC’s Piezo ignition system ignites this torch with a smooth operation of its convenient to operate start-up button. Once the torch is lit the flame can be adjusted to an equivalence of 25 to 75 watts of power.
This iron heats up is a little bit slower than other torches, but will be hot enough to melt solder within 40 seconds and will maintain a good soldering temperature for continuous operations.
Gas capacity allows for up to 1 hour of continuous use, ample for most jobs, and can be conveniently refilled in less than 20 seconds. You will have minimal disruption of working time.
When you replace the heat resistant cap, the cap will lock an automatic cut-off switch to prevent the torch from lighting accidentally when not in use. As the cap is heat resistant, you can toss it in your toolbox without having to wait for cooling off.
- Sturdy construction
- Piezo Push-button ignition
- Heat resistant cap locks cut-off switch
- Compact convenient kit
- Slower heat-up time
- Smaller fuel tank
- Comparatively higher price
4. Dremel 2000-01 VersaTip Precision Butane Torch Mini Welder
One of the easier to use butane soldering torches is this nifty little Dremel 2000-01 Mini Welder. The ignition switch has a safety lock incorporated into it and the torch is easy to light up. Sliding the flame lock in place allows the soldering iron to be used for continuous soldering. This makes the Dremel 2000-01 an esthetically appealing, comfortable and safe torch to use.
This cordless butane soldering torch handles quite nicely for a variety of applications. This torch is very adaptable for soldering, heat shrinking, wood burning, plastic cutting, heating, and other hobby & craft projects.
The variable temperature control allows you to adjust the temperature and size of the flame for precise work on delicate projects. The operating temperature can be adjusted to operate form 1022° F to 2192° F
The butane refillable tank holds enough fuel to run for up to 75 minutes, giving a good operating time so you can get your job done without interrupting your work for refilling.
Because of its reasonable price we felt it was an impressive tool that any serious DIY hobbyist could affordably add to their tool kit.
Dremel backs this soldering torch with a two-year limited warranty, so you can us it with confidence. One serious drawback with this unit tough is that replacement soldering tips are no longer available on line.
- Simple design, easy to operate
- Variable temperature control
- Sturdy construction
- Safety ignition switch
- Flame lock-on mechanism
- Two-year limited warranty
- Needs tool to change tips
- Few accessories
- Cannot see fuel level
- Replacement soldering tips not available on line.
5. POWER PROBE Butane Soldering Kit
This was a hard call. The POWER PROBE Kit is a reasonably priced economical solution for someone looking for an entry level, cordless soldering kit, and seems like a promising tool, but we found mixed reactions on line.
If you’re only going to be doing occasional soldering and you won’t be giving this torch a large volume of use, we feel this is a good torch to handle most basic simple soldering projects.
One of the key highlights of this butane powered soldering torch is its long run time. It can run for 2 hours on a single refill. It has an electronic ignition and the flame is adjustable. The maximum flame temperature this torch will reach is 930 degrees Fahrenheit.
There are a few accessory tips that come with the kit such as a hot knife, heat deflector, solder and tool for changing tips.
The manufacturer may have dropped the ball a bit in that the iron does not have a stand. This can make using this torch a bit of a head-scratcher when it comes time to set the torch down.
There seem to be mixed opinions about the durability of the Power Probe. Some say they have problems with the ignition right from the get-go, and some say that it is a reliable tool.
One review may sum it up quite fairly. “If Power Probe could make this more durable, and work consistently for more than half a year I would give this a 5-star rating.”
We noticed on Amazon that this torch claims the power source is “battery powered” and that the item weighs “0.01 ounces,” so there seems to be some inconsistency in the product information. It looks like a fairly decent soldering torch, but we’ve noticed these few red flags.
- Two hour run time per refill
- Simple design, easy to operate
- Reasonable heat-up time and temperature
- Organized Durable Case
- Lowest priced
- Only a few basic accessories
- No stand
- Mixed reviews about durability
Butane Soldering Irons - Final Scores
| CORDLESS SOLDERING IRON | POWER RANGE | RUN TIME | TEMPERATURE | BUY NOW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solderpro 110K | 30-125 Watts | 115 Minutes | Tip: 842℉ Flame: 1300℉ | link |
| Lexivon | 30-125 Watts | 75 Minutes | Tip: 1100° F Flame: 2400 ° F | link |
| Weller P2KC | 30-75 Watts | 60 Minutes | Not Stated | link |
| Dremel VersaTip | Butane | 75 Minutes | Tip:1022° F Flame:2192° F | link |
| Power Probe | 120 Watts | - | Flame: 930 ° F | link |
Conclusion
All these cordless butane soldering Irons are great options, but the one that stands out from the rest is the Iroda Solderpro 110K Soldering Kit. It is a complete set with all the accessories you will need for most soldering jobs. The torch has a solid construction and is well designed for convenient operation. We give it a thumbs up and recommend it for all your soldering needs.
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