The Best Battery Powered Soldering Irons

This is a new iron that I found on the market coming from a company that has been selling both electric soldering irons, butane soldering irons, and other butane powered tools since 1988. This Iroda Pro-25L Li-ion Soldering Iron was getting rave reviews so we had to check it out.

One unique feature of this iron is that it can be recharged by using a USB cord. My first reaction was, “Can a USB charged battery really do the job of providing enough energy to run a soldering iron?”

The manufacturer claimed the battery would reach a full charge in 3.5 hours using the supplied micro-USB cable. After doing a few cycles of recharging from empty, connected to our PC, I was very impressed to see that the iron really did charge in the stated 3.5 hours charging time.

So next I wanted to see what kind of power output performance this little iron would give me.

The packaging claims it will reach 1100 degrees Fahrenheit in 8 Seconds.

So my first test was to see how long it would take for the iron to melt a bead of solder from the solder that is provided with the kit.

With the first startup, from a cold iron to melting the solder, it took approximately 15 seconds.

Wow, not bad! I then let the iron cool for about 1 minute and tried again.

The second time around, with the iron still warm, the iron melted the solder in about 5 to 6 seconds.

I continued this for a few more cycles and for each cycle it took about 5 to 8 seconds to melt the solder each. This was actually quite impressive and in line with the claims on the packaging.

Next, I wanted to see how long the battery would last under normal soldering conditions.

I would have liked to simulate a normal working environment by making solder joints and letting the iron cool between joint, but instead, I decided to just tape down the power switch to the “On” position and see how long the tip would stay hot.

Of course, the tip got very hot, and I would not recommend you do this yourself, as it is not good for the tip.

At 35 minutes the tip was still hot enough to melt solder, but gradually cooled off after that.

The LED turned off at 44 minutes. Surely the battery should hold a charge considerably longer than this with intermittent solder joints being made.

This whole kit comes as a set complete with: PRO 25L Rechargeable Torch, 3 Interchangeable Tips, including a Hot Air Blower Tip for heat shrink, micro-USB charging cable, 60/40 Rosin Solder Core Ø 1.0mm, Sponge for Cleanup, and a Safety Cap, all in a compact durable case.

Soldering tips are changed by unscrewing a plastic holding nut, with no tool needed. By rotating this holding section, the chisel tips can be rotated 360 degrees to any working position.

The side of the body has a dual-color indicator LED which lights red when charging, and green when charged. Next to this is a white LED light for to lighting up the work surface. This white LED also indicates that the heat button is being pressed.

One drawback is that this iron does not have a temperature regulator, so you need to manually regulate the tip temperature with the on/off switch.

Added up, I feel that this iroda Pro 25 L kit is a well-designed versatile iron and kit that clearly belongs in a class of its own. I put this iron at the top of the list.

The first thing I liked about the Milwaukee M12 was the versatility and the comfort of the handle. The large slip resistant handle makes it quite easy to work with.

The tip can pivot into three separate positions allowing to work at different angles. It heats up very fast reaching maximum temperature in about eighteen seconds

Another convenient feature of this iron is that the tips can be changed quite easily without the need of a tool.

The M12 has an LED indicator light that not only turns green when the temperature is hot enough for soldering, but also lights up red to indicate when the tip has cooled off enough to be stored away

One negative point is they sell the tool alone without the battery. I guess they assume you already have one, but if you don’t, be sure to order a battery along with this tool. They do have a complete kit which you can buy that includes the battery the charger and soldering tips, but it is quite a bit more expensive than the iron alone.

This iron has a very sturdy design which I am sure will endure many long hour in the hands of any enthusiastic hobbyist. Milwaukee has been a trusted American toolmaker, but you will need to contact company to get warranty information for this item.

This little Weller iron is the simplest of the rechargeable lithium-ion irons that I looked at. It is very convenient for use in most DIY projects. It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles to distract you, as this iron simply does the job it was made for. Very convenient for use in most DIY projects.

Don’t let its size fool you though. Even with its compact size, it still can maintain a charge sufficient enough to give you 45 minutes of continuous soldering. One shortcoming though is that I did find that it takes a bit longer to heat up; about 30 seconds to reach 850 °F and a little longer to reach its maximum temperature of 950 °F. As there is not a temperature control, you need to turn the unit one and off to regulate the temperature.

One feature this soldering iron has not failed to leave out is an LED lighting system to improve visibility when working in dark places.

The manufacturer has great confidence in this iron as they back it up with an amazing 7 years warranty. You should be able to get in a lot of joints in that time.

Weller is a well-known name in soldering iron products and has been manufacturing soldering equipment since 1941, so we have confidence that this should be a reliable unit.

Two things immediately caught my attention with this compact cordless AA battery powered soldering iron.

First was its compact ergonomic design which makes it fit nicely in your hand while working. This slick design also lets you conveniently slip it into your pocket when not in use. Its very small size makes this iron very suitable for small, delicate DIY projects.

Secondly, I was impressed that, in spite of its compact size, four AA alkaline batteries will give you enough power to do up to an amazing 120 Minutes of continuous soldering.

There is one downside though. While the Hakko may run for 120 minutes, the unit’s maximum temperature isn’t very high. This can slow down your work a bit, but if you are not in a hurry or making many joints, the unit is quite adequate for most small electronic repairs and craft projects.

The for AA batteries are installed by placing them into the power capsule which conveniently slides into the irons handle. You can use either alkaline or nickel-metal hydride batteries, but of course you will need to use alkaline batteries to get the extended operating times.

The single composite tip that comes with the iron can be easily replaced if you damage the original tip.

For warranty information you will need to check with the seller or contact the manufacturer directly, as at the time of writing this article I could not find this information online.

Last on our list, and another AA battery powered model is the Tooluxe 40420L. This model also operates on four AA batteries.

One of the most obvious differences between this model and the Hakko FX-901/P is the heat output. According to the manufacturer this Tooluxe 40420L model heats up very quickly and can reach 1000 degrees Fahrenheit in just seven seconds. This is one of the fastest heating battery powered soldering irons that we looked at.

There is a downside though. Although the tip does heat up quickly, the tip is quite small so doesn’t hold a lot of heat. This makes working with larger wiring or larger objects much slower which may limit its use in some cases.

This unit can also be used with either alkaline AA batteries or regular nickel metal AA batteries

The feather in the hat of this Tooluxe 40420L Soldering Iron is its price tag. It was the lowest priced unit that we looked at, so this is a soldering iron that any beginner could try their hand at without having to did too deep into their pockets.

One other drawback is the unit has no warranty.