That’s where my biggest hesitation lies: old style or cartridge. I hear that they’re better but I’m concerned about life-expectancy. Do you know how well those all-in-one tips age?
Comment on Smolderin station recommendation
vaionko@sopuli.xyz 3 days ago
Modern cartridge style heaters are definitely worth the extra price. I have a Pace ADS200 myself and it’s great but a bit expensive.
I’ve heard good things about the Pinecil so definitely recommend that instead of any older style iron.
MacAnus@sh.itjust.works 3 days ago
vaionko@sopuli.xyz 3 days ago
My tip is still fine, it’s seen at least weekly use for the 4 years I’ve had the iron. I don’t think spending 20 every 5 or so years is bad if it were to die soon
MacAnus@sh.itjust.works 3 days ago
Oh Nice thats not bad at all
moody@lemmings.world 3 days ago
The Pinecil is nice for small projects and accurate work because of its size. It heats up in just a few seconds, and fits nicely in the hand. It’s USB powered, so you need a USB-C PD power source to run it, ideally with a long enough cable that it won’t get in your way.
If I had a need for frequent soldering, I would get one of the high-power models with a small pen, or at least one with a better cable. I like the Pinecil a lot, it’s really good at what I need out of it, but I think it needs some work before it becomes a good professional tool.
cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 3 days ago
It also has a normal power jack, so you don’t have to use USB.
moody@lemmings.world 3 days ago
Yeah, one of those tiny barrel jacks. But it doesn’t come with an AC adapter, so you have to find one that matches.
cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 3 days ago
Solder one on an old laptop power brick or get an adapter to run it from a 20V power tool battery.