The Pinecil is the very best soldering iron for most individuals

Learning to solder was a life-changing expertise for me, however it might probably appear daunting. You aren’t simply screwing and unscrewing elements — you’re melting sizzling steel with a scorching tip. While that looks like one thing out of attain for most individuals, I’m right here to guarantee you that it’s by no means been simpler to do, and that’s partially because of the Pinecil.

The Pinecil by Pine64 (makers of single-board computers and affordable Linux laptops) is an environment friendly, nimble soldering iron that runs on an open-source firmware known as IronOS by Ralim. It has a vibrant little OLED display, easy-to-understand controls, a 32-bit RISC-V SOC, and will be powered by both a DC adapter or a USB-C charger. Hell, you’ll be able to even run it on an influence brick, and I undoubtedly have achieved that a number of occasions. And to high all of it off, the Pinecil costs roughly $25 (plus delivery, which shakes out to about $40, plus no matter different goodies you wish to order). IronOS additionally runs on a number of comparable cheap soldering irons. 

I first bought into soldering the way in which many individuals today do: by way of mechanical keyboards. If you dig deep sufficient into that interest or equally dorky pursuits like DIY audio, ultimately you will hit a degree the place you have to solder. 

My first iron was a secondhand Hakko soldering station I picked up from a maker area that was going out of enterprise. Hakko makes nice merchandise; I nonetheless advocate their fume extractor and tip cleansing merchandise, however for what I used to be doing, there have been some particular rising pains. Soldering irons are historically large unwieldy units connected to a station by a giant wire. They get highly regarded, and if you’re not cautious, you completely can burn your self. My positive motor expertise aren’t the very best, however over time, I improved, and now I’m fairly good at soldering.

I discovered to like the Hakko in time. I bought an enormous spool of excellent lead-free solder on the suggestion of a buddy, some superwick, and a smoke absorber to clear the air. I bought into the rhythm of taking the station out, placing down a challenge mat, and setting all the things up. I discovered tips on how to appropriately preserve my iron, tips on how to use flux, tips on how to use sponges, and the significance of appropriately tinning your tip. Over time, the whole course of grew to become a private, meditative act. As my proficiency grew, the numerous keyboards and devices I had constructed and modified grew to become common instruments in my life.

The first place I noticed individuals raving in regards to the Pinecil was in one of many numerous keyboard Discords I had wandered into. By that point, I had grown accustomed to the tasteful yellow and blue Hakko, and it was a snug companion on my journey. But I noticed individuals insist that not solely was the Pinecil good, nevertheless it was additionally actually good. So good, in truth, that it had grow to be their go-to suggestion for many initiatives involving small circuit boards, which is most initiatives for lots of people. I needed to order one out of curiosity, and when it arrived, I, too, noticed the sunshine.

Here’s the factor: conventional soldering irons get very sizzling. And whereas the Pinecil additionally will get sizzling, the small type issue and light-weight suggestions drastically decreased the hazard of being burned for me. What’s extra, the Pinecil suggestions themselves are simply designed in a a lot smarter manner. Traditional soldering iron suggestions disassemble into a number of elements. Like a screwdriver with interchangeable ends, you’ll be able to swap out totally different tricks to match the duty, however with a standard soldering iron, it is advisable to anticipate it to chill down, unscrew the sleeve holding the top in, and swap the top out. The Pinecil suggestions are only one entire piece of steel that plugs and unplugs form of like a one-fourth inch stereo jack, cools down a lot sooner, and is secured by a steel screw within the physique of the machine. As a end result, the method of swapping out the guidelines is way much less cumbersome.

As if that wasn’t sufficient, the Pinecil heats up actually, actually quick and has an OLED and software program that permits you to dial in pinpoint correct temperatures. This makes the whole technique of storage, setup, and soldering a breeze and radically reduces the area wanted to work. With a Pinecil, you could possibly theoretically solder exterior with a USB energy brick if that’s what you’re into (and simply from a fumes perspective, there’s something to that). To high all of it off, the Pinecil has a implausible sleep perform, which did not appear terribly helpful till I truly used it. Now? I can’t stay with out it.

Although I cherished the method of unpacking my soldering station from its tiny plastic modular crate and setting it up like a tea ceremony, I needed to admit that the Pinecil’s small profile and versatile energy choices opened up solely new potentialities for the place I may work with it. I used to be in a position to transfer from my kitchen desk to my desk. For fast jobs, rapidly fixing a solder level grew to become a breeze.

Like the Flipper Zero and different beloved nerd instruments, there’s even a group of 3D printable initiatives constructed expressly for the Pinecil. Got a 3D printer and wish to make a portable case that doubles as a stand? There are a number of free fashions to obtain and print that allow you to get extraordinarily granular together with your device.

The Pinecil just isn’t the best for each single challenge. There are duties the place my previous Hakko shines, like tinning the ends of thick wires. But for about 95 % of my initiatives, I want the Pinecil, and my Hakko has now been respectfully retired to my area people area for communal use. I prefer it a lot that I not solely ordered extra suggestions, I additionally swapped out the case for a cool, retro clear one.

There are few merchandise on the market that I’ll advocate with out hesitation like I like to recommend the Pinecil. If you’re the kind of individual that reads this weblog, it’s nearly a no brainer. I firmly imagine that everybody with the potential and curiosity in utilizing a soldering iron ought to have entry to 1 as a result of it adjustments your relationship with tech in a basic manner. Soldering can lengthen the life and performance of tech in the way in which a stitching can with clothes. Broken and discarded electronics will be given new life, and your {hardware} turns into yours in a manner that it has not. Soldering opens up solely new potentialities, from upgrading previous secondhand audio system to constructing keyboards to bettering the capabilities of a beloved however inventory equipment.

Buy a Pinecil. I’m not kidding.

Now if Pine64 simply made a superb desoldering pump, I’d be all set. Desoldering sucks a lot.