The tips are tin with a steel core, if you've beveled it you've ruined it. This iron is actually used mostly for electronics including circuit boards. Yes, even a beveled tip will work for larger jobs but beveling pretty much renders it useless for smaller jobs like circuits plus the life of the tip will be greatly reduced. Great iron though, used one for years. You are correct, the tips are expensive. One tip is half as much as an entire new iron which is why I haven't replaced mine yet.
@XActSafeX, I'll check it right now with a magnet...OK, it is steel. It still takes tinning readily, is not burned out or eroding, and the bevel I put onto it years ago let me do heavy-duty soldering to thick gauge bare copper wires. For circuit board work, I would never bevel the tip. But for sinking the maximum of heat into relatively heavy joints, contact surface is required for best results, and the bevel of the tip affords that, just like in larger soldering irons
This looks like a really good iron, it will most defiantly work better than that "Cold Heat" one that my pa got awhile back from around when it first came out. The only problem is that on the site it said this product contained LEAD.
@jKPieGuy Big surprise. Almost everything you're going to work on will contain lead. It's an integral part of solder, unless it's ROHS-compliant. Don't be so fucking paranoid about it. Just wash your hands when you're done. A soldering iron CANNOT vaporize lead. It does not get hot enough. The boiling point of lead is 3180 degrees F.
@Orcinus24x5 Ya I know that, and actually you're wrong on that cause Butane torches can reach a temperature of 3578 °F so maybe you should do you're research. I'm also not so worried about touching Lead because I use leaded fishing lures/weights all the time when I go fishing and some times we even eat the fish.
@jKPieGuy Butane and air can only -theoretically- reach a maximum flame temp of 3578°F. In practice you will never get even close to that. Most open-flame butane torches are in the neighborhood of 2600°F (for example, every torch Digikey carries). The EXACT model of soldering iron featured in this video is only specified to 2372°F as detailed on Radio Shack's product page, catalog number 64-2188. I think YOU are the one that needs to do some proper research. Yahoo answers is not a resource. ;)
@Orcinus24x5 Fine fine and I was looking at the flame temperature when I looked it up, I forgot that you lose some heat when the flame heats up the iron tip. But still if you're using leaded or unleaded solder it's still good to work in a well ventilated area or use a fume extractor. By the way I got this iron about a month ago and it works quiet decent. ;P
@Orcinus24x5 Ha I can agree with you on that. But what exactly is Flux used for? (I wouldn't know cause neither me or my father use it when soldering.)
@jKPieGuy Any solder labelled "rosin-core" already has the flux built in. Rosin is basically tree sap, and is the most common type of flux used for soldering electronics. Flux cleans away the oxides from the metal as it heats up, ensuring a clean bond of solder. It is also what produces the smoke when you touch the solder to the hot joint and iron.
@Orcinus24x5 Ok cool that makes sense and we use that so that's probly why we don't have a can of flux. I know the fumes can't be that healthy, cause occasionally I get a whiff of them by accident and then I have a hard time breathing because I have asthma (which sucks). I was thinking about making a cheap fume extractor by attaching a carbon filter to a small box fan. (To cheap to buy an actual fume extractor.)
maybe u can help me, y does my electronic craftsman soldering tip always seem to be eaten away? the tip gets messed up.. what am i doing wrong? or is it just the tip?
@swatregret This happens rapidly once the copper is exposed. A soldering tip is solid copper clad with iron. The iron protects the copper from being eaten away by the flux. DO NOT GRIND, SAND, OR OTHERWISE SHAPE ANY SOLDERING IRON TIP. Doing so will destroy the protective iron cladding and your tip will get eaten away very quickly. The person in this video admitted to grinding his tip to improve heat transfer, but he has drastically shortened its life. If you need a different shape, buy it.
@Orcinus24x5, quite true in theory. In practice, it's not a problem. I keep the tip "tinned", and give it a stroke on the file when fouled. It has lasted for years of light duty work. I do agree with you, that the plating on modern tips is a help. But for centuries, smiths soldered using bare copper irons (no plating on the tip). You just clean, flux, tin, and solder. It works.
I've had 2 of the older ones that were cigar size and liked them very much, but after being stored for a couple of years they wouldn't take a fill or work anymore. Maybe they should be empty for long term storage? Also the new lead free solder seems to take more heat and is prone to "cold " joints which open up over time. I've resoldered lots of circuit boards on electronics. JFYI
@sz42781, yes, but the replacement soldering tip costs about ten bucks! The whole kit with torch tip and soldering tip is only about $22 last time I priced it. It's still a good tool.
Thanks for answering back, I tried finding it online with no luck..I think it might be already discontinued, it sure looks like a handy little tool though.
@johnq02, I've only seen it in the retail stores. Will check the local store and learn if it's still in stock, not discontinued, and report back to you.
What kind of butane have you used over the years? I hear that if you use 'cheap' butane it'll get clogged and no longer light up. Great video btw I had no idea radio shack sold these at such a great price.
It was a stroke of luck when I ran across this soldering iron, I prefer it over electric units, even when I have 110V power available. I've used other brands of butane soldering guns with almost no success...one even from a big name company simply would not light and stay lit. This soldering iron is AMAZING!!
@MrOffshore, hi. Yes, I've had other brands, that Bernzomatic and one other brand. They were not nearly as good at staying lit or making useful heat, just as you noted.
@Joeteck, true, and I just tend to lay it down hot on a plate or pan. It does not seem to be delicate or subject to dust or dirt troubles. The cap is long lost.
Yeah I will definitely try the Radio Shack one. I just mentioned the Bernzomatic because it was such an awesome improvement over the first electric one I bought at WalMart. As a newcomer to soldering I'll take butane over electric any day.
Hi @Syrinx69, "Yeah I will definitely try the Radio Shack one.",
Yeah, try it. We can always return for refund to RS or HD an unpleasing item.
Folks, get a tin or little tube of rosin paste flux or fluid if you are doing tin-lead work. There are many soldering instructional videos and articles. Today, most all soldering must be lead-free, and the joints are a bit harder to make, and not shiny. BTW, lead solders can't be mingled with lead-free solders. Tin-lead was great..but it's gone now.
Gosh, I did not have good results from the Bernzomatic torch/iron. It was hard to light, poor heat output, and a torch feature that hardly works (blows out). I was just at our local RadioShack. The red iron as seen is still available, has a torch tip too, and is now about $22 here in Miami. TIP: bevel the the tip as shown to gain more heat transfer. Keep the tip clean. Always soak your heavy work with lots of heat, and get rosin flux for quick tip cleaning and tinning.
@supersanchez1991 It comes with a changeable tip that works like a mini heat gun...so yes, it can be used to shrink heat shrinkable connections and tubing.
apart from tips of the gas soldering iron, do any other parts wear out over time?e.g. a heating element on a conventional non gas soldering iron will .also, overall u seem to favour gas over conventional...how much please?
@BRADHblackdragon, it's twenty bucks for the kit, which also includes a tiny torch tip. It puts out out like a 400W est, electric iron or gun. Bevel the tip to get more heat transfer. Sometimes hard to light, the tips still last and last. Keep the tip clean and tinned? Rosin paste is good for cleaning the tip. Listen to all my notations? IF you don't like it, just return to Radio Shack for a refund, no sweat.
i own one of those radioshack butane soldering iron and it is by far the best soldering iron ive used so far. i totally agree with you. one of the best.
I just borrowed one of these irons yesterday to do an emergency repair to an aviation headset and it worked amazingly! I have used many gas and electric soldering irons over the years and was REALLY impressed by this one. I am going to buy one this weekend and recommend it to others too! Thanks
I was actually off to Radioshack to get a new iron, because I was tired of being attached by the cord to the wall. I was researching reviews of butane irons and this was the first one. Thanks a lot!
Thanks a million. I am a retired engineer and I was looking for a good iron for occasional projects. Unfortunately I bought the Weller ML 500 butane iron. What a piece of JUNK! The variable heat control is not variable at all. Oh it slides back and forth, but it is either on full blast or off. After just a couple of projects the tip burns up and looses all it's tin. Pure junk. I thought with a name like Weller it had to be good. I had a Weller port-a-sol and it was great.
Thanks for the heads up! I tried repairing my battery's main connections using my wimpy electric 30w radio shack soldering and it just simply didn't melt anything! But, on your advice, I went to Radio shack, requested the soldering iron(Apparently they're frequently stolen, so they only had an empty box up front) and took it home and it works miracles! It's just wonderful! It actually made soldering easy like I think it should be!
The tips are tin with a steel core, if you've beveled it you've ruined it. This iron is actually used mostly for electronics including circuit boards. Yes, even a beveled tip will work for larger jobs but beveling pretty much renders it useless for smaller jobs like circuits plus the life of the tip will be greatly reduced. Great iron though, used one for years. You are correct, the tips are expensive. One tip is half as much as an entire new iron which is why I haven't replaced mine yet.
XActSafeX 1 month ago
@XActSafeX, I'll check it right now with a magnet...OK, it is steel. It still takes tinning readily, is not burned out or eroding, and the bevel I put onto it years ago let me do heavy-duty soldering to thick gauge bare copper wires. For circuit board work, I would never bevel the tip. But for sinking the maximum of heat into relatively heavy joints, contact surface is required for best results, and the bevel of the tip affords that, just like in larger soldering irons
ampdavolts 1 month ago
This looks like a really good iron, it will most defiantly work better than that "Cold Heat" one that my pa got awhile back from around when it first came out. The only problem is that on the site it said this product contained LEAD.
jKPieGuy 2 months ago
@jKPieGuy Big surprise. Almost everything you're going to work on will contain lead. It's an integral part of solder, unless it's ROHS-compliant. Don't be so fucking paranoid about it. Just wash your hands when you're done. A soldering iron CANNOT vaporize lead. It does not get hot enough. The boiling point of lead is 3180 degrees F.
Orcinus24x5 1 month ago
@Orcinus24x5 Ya I know that, and actually you're wrong on that cause Butane torches can reach a temperature of 3578 °F so maybe you should do you're research. I'm also not so worried about touching Lead because I use leaded fishing lures/weights all the time when I go fishing and some times we even eat the fish.
jKPieGuy 1 month ago
@jKPieGuy Butane and air can only -theoretically- reach a maximum flame temp of 3578°F. In practice you will never get even close to that. Most open-flame butane torches are in the neighborhood of 2600°F (for example, every torch Digikey carries). The EXACT model of soldering iron featured in this video is only specified to 2372°F as detailed on Radio Shack's product page, catalog number 64-2188. I think YOU are the one that needs to do some proper research. Yahoo answers is not a resource. ;)
Orcinus24x5 1 month ago
@Orcinus24x5 Fine fine and I was looking at the flame temperature when I looked it up, I forgot that you lose some heat when the flame heats up the iron tip. But still if you're using leaded or unleaded solder it's still good to work in a well ventilated area or use a fume extractor. By the way I got this iron about a month ago and it works quiet decent. ;P
jKPieGuy 1 month ago
@jKPieGuy Yeah, the flux fumes are still nasty, rosin flux smoke is a known carcinogen.
Orcinus24x5 1 month ago
@Orcinus24x5 Ha I can agree with you on that. But what exactly is Flux used for? (I wouldn't know cause neither me or my father use it when soldering.)
jKPieGuy 1 month ago
@jKPieGuy Any solder labelled "rosin-core" already has the flux built in. Rosin is basically tree sap, and is the most common type of flux used for soldering electronics. Flux cleans away the oxides from the metal as it heats up, ensuring a clean bond of solder. It is also what produces the smoke when you touch the solder to the hot joint and iron.
Orcinus24x5 1 month ago
@Orcinus24x5 Ok cool that makes sense and we use that so that's probly why we don't have a can of flux. I know the fumes can't be that healthy, cause occasionally I get a whiff of them by accident and then I have a hard time breathing because I have asthma (which sucks). I was thinking about making a cheap fume extractor by attaching a carbon filter to a small box fan. (To cheap to buy an actual fume extractor.)
jKPieGuy 1 month ago
Thanks to you for the video, ill buy one this week.
yesus00 5 months ago
all i want to know is how i can make a flamethrowerlightsaber with this... zomg where is kip kay when you need him!
MemorysMystic 11 months ago
maybe u can help me, y does my electronic craftsman soldering tip always seem to be eaten away? the tip gets messed up.. what am i doing wrong? or is it just the tip?
swatregret 1 year ago
@swatregret This happens rapidly once the copper is exposed. A soldering tip is solid copper clad with iron. The iron protects the copper from being eaten away by the flux. DO NOT GRIND, SAND, OR OTHERWISE SHAPE ANY SOLDERING IRON TIP. Doing so will destroy the protective iron cladding and your tip will get eaten away very quickly. The person in this video admitted to grinding his tip to improve heat transfer, but he has drastically shortened its life. If you need a different shape, buy it.
Orcinus24x5 1 month ago
@Orcinus24x5, quite true in theory. In practice, it's not a problem. I keep the tip "tinned", and give it a stroke on the file when fouled. It has lasted for years of light duty work. I do agree with you, that the plating on modern tips is a help. But for centuries, smiths soldered using bare copper irons (no plating on the tip). You just clean, flux, tin, and solder. It works.
ampdavolts 1 month ago
I've had 2 of the older ones that were cigar size and liked them very much, but after being stored for a couple of years they wouldn't take a fill or work anymore. Maybe they should be empty for long term storage? Also the new lead free solder seems to take more heat and is prone to "cold " joints which open up over time. I've resoldered lots of circuit boards on electronics. JFYI
workonitm8 1 year ago
I hated the radioshack soldering irons... but this butane one looks really promising
DUY1337GUITAR 1 year ago
I have this Iron, great buy! I was wondering if you can get extra tips sepratly
sz42781 1 year ago
@sz42781, yes, but the replacement soldering tip costs about ten bucks! The whole kit with torch tip and soldering tip is only about $22 last time I priced it. It's still a good tool.
ampdavolts 1 year ago
Thanks for answering back, I tried finding it online with no luck..I think it might be already discontinued, it sure looks like a handy little tool though.
johnq02 1 year ago
What Radio Shack model is that?, I couldnt find anything like that on there web site.
johnq02 1 year ago
@johnq02, I've only seen it in the retail stores. Will check the local store and learn if it's still in stock, not discontinued, and report back to you.
ampdavolts 1 year ago
@johnq02 This appears to be the SolderPro 50 made by Solder-It. Radio Shack put their name on it.
GolgothaBlack 9 months ago
i have a bernzomatic torch it works prity good
Emman206 1 year ago
What kind of butane have you used over the years? I hear that if you use 'cheap' butane it'll get clogged and no longer light up. Great video btw I had no idea radio shack sold these at such a great price.
mycamguy 1 year ago
@mycamguy, regular brand name lighter butane. The unit has never clogged or failed. Thanks for your good thoughts, guy.
ampdavolts 1 year ago
It was a stroke of luck when I ran across this soldering iron, I prefer it over electric units, even when I have 110V power available. I've used other brands of butane soldering guns with almost no success...one even from a big name company simply would not light and stay lit. This soldering iron is AMAZING!!
MrOffshore 1 year ago
@MrOffshore, hi. Yes, I've had other brands, that Bernzomatic and one other brand. They were not nearly as good at staying lit or making useful heat, just as you noted.
ampdavolts 1 year ago
You're missing the built-in stand and cap to protect it from burning after you're finished..
Joeteck 1 year ago
@Joeteck, true, and I just tend to lay it down hot on a plate or pan. It does not seem to be delicate or subject to dust or dirt troubles. The cap is long lost.
ampdavolts 1 year ago
Bernzomatic makes a similar butane iron that's available in a nice kit at Home Depot for $14.95
Syrinx69 1 year ago
@Syrinx69 I had this one and could not get it lit...I prefer this Radio Shack model by a landslide!
MrOffshore 1 year ago
@Syrinx69, try both brands? I expect you all may like the Radio Shack iron better?
ampdavolts 1 year ago
@ampdavolts
Yeah I will definitely try the Radio Shack one. I just mentioned the Bernzomatic because it was such an awesome improvement over the first electric one I bought at WalMart. As a newcomer to soldering I'll take butane over electric any day.
Syrinx69 1 year ago
Hi @Syrinx69, "Yeah I will definitely try the Radio Shack one.",
Yeah, try it. We can always return for refund to RS or HD an unpleasing item.
Folks, get a tin or little tube of rosin paste flux or fluid if you are doing tin-lead work. There are many soldering instructional videos and articles. Today, most all soldering must be lead-free, and the joints are a bit harder to make, and not shiny. BTW, lead solders can't be mingled with lead-free solders. Tin-lead was great..but it's gone now.
ampdavolts 1 year ago
Gosh, I did not have good results from the Bernzomatic torch/iron. It was hard to light, poor heat output, and a torch feature that hardly works (blows out). I was just at our local RadioShack. The red iron as seen is still available, has a torch tip too, and is now about $22 here in Miami. TIP: bevel the the tip as shown to gain more heat transfer. Keep the tip clean. Always soak your heavy work with lots of heat, and get rosin flux for quick tip cleaning and tinning.
ampdavolts 1 year ago
can u use it as a heat gun/sink
supersanchez1991 1 year ago
@supersanchez1991 It comes with a changeable tip that works like a mini heat gun...so yes, it can be used to shrink heat shrinkable connections and tubing.
MrOffshore 1 year ago
apart from tips of the gas soldering iron, do any other parts wear out over time?e.g. a heating element on a conventional non gas soldering iron will .also, overall u seem to favour gas over conventional...how much please?
BRADHblackdragon 1 year ago
@BRADHblackdragon, it's twenty bucks for the kit, which also includes a tiny torch tip. It puts out out like a 400W est, electric iron or gun. Bevel the tip to get more heat transfer. Sometimes hard to light, the tips still last and last. Keep the tip clean and tinned? Rosin paste is good for cleaning the tip. Listen to all my notations? IF you don't like it, just return to Radio Shack for a refund, no sweat.
ampdavolts 1 year ago
Great review, thanks.
EBIKE100 2 years ago
Looks like a pain in the butt,. However; I've never used gas.
sorstudios 2 years ago
@sorstudios I prefer this over electric anyday...it gets hot quickly, no wires and it's very comfortable to hold.
MrOffshore 1 year ago
I have a *tip*: use the spark from the lighter, and when the blue flame comes out of your iron - leave it to heat up, don't aid it with flame.
anonermous 2 years ago 6
@anonermous, of course you don't want to "soot up" the head,
but if you notice, I hold the lighter well below, and its flame is clean,
no soot, and so, it does not foul the catalytic head. These things vary;
if your example lights from the mere spark wheel, great for you.
But if it is poor at lighting up, use external heat, why not? It will not catalyze
the gas until the gauze screen gets good and hot. HTH.
ampdavolts 1 month ago
i own one of those radioshack butane soldering iron and it is by far the best soldering iron ive used so far. i totally agree with you. one of the best.
def215 2 years ago
Great review... Like many of the users needed a wireless solder and this review sealed the deal for me. Thanks
officialbloodymayhem 2 years ago
I just borrowed one of these irons yesterday to do an emergency repair to an aviation headset and it worked amazingly! I have used many gas and electric soldering irons over the years and was REALLY impressed by this one. I am going to buy one this weekend and recommend it to others too! Thanks
turbosuperiority 2 years ago 4
I was actually off to Radioshack to get a new iron, because I was tired of being attached by the cord to the wall. I was researching reviews of butane irons and this was the first one. Thanks a lot!
firesgt911 2 years ago
Thanks a million. I am a retired engineer and I was looking for a good iron for occasional projects. Unfortunately I bought the Weller ML 500 butane iron. What a piece of JUNK! The variable heat control is not variable at all. Oh it slides back and forth, but it is either on full blast or off. After just a couple of projects the tip burns up and looses all it's tin. Pure junk. I thought with a name like Weller it had to be good. I had a Weller port-a-sol and it was great.
Anyway thanks.
greatestunknown 2 years ago
i got a 30 watt soldering iron if anyone wants to buy it
jerbar120 3 years ago
Thanks for the heads up! I tried repairing my battery's main connections using my wimpy electric 30w radio shack soldering and it just simply didn't melt anything! But, on your advice, I went to Radio shack, requested the soldering iron(Apparently they're frequently stolen, so they only had an empty box up front) and took it home and it works miracles! It's just wonderful! It actually made soldering easy like I think it should be!
swbluto 3 years ago 2