Yeah, being real, a good butane soldering iron is amazing. But it can’t be your primary if you’re using an iron all day. They’re for portability and quick jobs. Well, I guess if you keep a couple in rotation you could use them all day. It’s the waiting to cool down and refill that makes them impractical for main bench use.

I used to have one that really was my only iron. But my use case was pretty much fifteen, twenty minutes of work on an RC truck, maybe some household use. Perfect job for a butane setup. It died though, the seals went kaput a few years ago.

But damn, I really did prefer it to electric. The lack of cord made it more agile, and it seemed to do a better job with delicate bits because it was hot. Didn’t have to leave it in contact as long, which meant less spread of the heat.

I’d replace it in favor of my crappy old electric, but I just don’t solder anything any more.