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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
product is a joke and will not stay hot enough for the thinnest solder. the only thing that works properly is the light.do not buy if you want the job done right.i guess the days of quality products at radio shack are over,unless of course all you want is a tv or video game!
from Reno, NV on 11/1/2008
Easy to hold for fine soldering. Use NiMH rechargables - took me two nights before I had to rotate and recharge the batteries.
from NJ on 10/22/2008
I use this more than my Ac plug in iron. Heats up fairly quickly ( aprox 7-15 seconds) Great for use on those small,hard to reach areas like SM circuit boards or under the car dash.
The sharp spear tip is VERY small and long, but rock solid with no wobble.
Great for surface mount repairs as it can place a tiny bit of solder precisely where needed. This is a true tool and not a toy though unfortunately it may look like one.
Remember,remember,remember: you MUST use high capacity rechargeable batteries if you expect to solder more than one and a half joints :)
side note:
THIS GUN IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE COLD HEAT UNIT WHICH I ALSO OWN AND ITS CHEAPER TO BOOT.
Get one you wont be disappointing.
This thing isnt too bad. Ive used it for a few small jobs here and there, nothing heavy duty. It seems to hold up to small jobs pretty good, but it seems to go through batteries like no ones business. Im going to try a set of rechargeables, and see if that helps. And the battery cap doesnt really like to stay on. Falls off often.
All in all, its a pretty good soldering iron for a beginner.
Within the limitations of a battery powered device this iron works well enough and makes perfectly good joints. With an iron such as this I would recommend using tin/lead solder as this melts at a lower temperature and wets joints better. Avoid the lead free solders unless you have an expensive temperature controlled iron.
I measured a current draw of 2.3 amps, which is really too much for alkaline batteries but it is a walk in the park for good quality NiMH rechargeables. Feed it with four NiMH AA cells and it has a power of about 10 watts. This is plenty of heat for small jobs like circuit boards and small joints, but don't expect to solder anything big. If you want more power in a portable iron then a butane iron will be more versatile.
A minor drawback is that you have to keep your finger on the button while using the iron. It takes about 15 seconds to reach a good operating temperature and then only a couple of seconds to make the joint, so this is not too painful.
Overall, if you must have the portability of a battery iron then this one does the job. Just plan on using rechargeable batteries with it.
dont buy
The heat level fluctuates and doesn't stay hot enough to melt solder. I used brand new alkaline batteries.
from Detroit Michigan on 6/30/2008
I got what I wanted from this, a cheap battery powered soldering iron for light work and house calls. I'm a computer technician and keep one in my briefcase for quick fixes. Anything bad you've read about this product is mostly true, so is the good stuff. If you want a Real Good Quality cordless soldering iron expect to pay a couple a hundred bucks for it. I like that you can use regular (cheap) Alkaline batteries in the radio shack model, not the expensive lithium batteries that the cold heat product recommends.
from Colorado Springs, CO on 6/25/2008
Much better than Cold Heat...sorry guys!
Battery's will not last very long. Battery's become very hot inside unit.
rrechargable nimh batteries work best, heats up in 6 seconds. ive attached a small charging plug to mine so i can charge the unit as is w/o taking batteries out. it doest burn surrounding object like beutain iron does. even thoe tha best uses are minor jobs ive done huge electrical jobs with mine since im to impatiant to let my wall iron heat up, car electrical, high end airsoft gun, r/c cars, broken xbox controller, battery packs
Takes about 15 seconds to heat up from cold.
I used it on small gauge solder.
It does the job well enough I would use it about the house even if I had a electrical outlet nearby.
Bad... feels weak.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Covina, CA on 11/23/2007
This is the best soldering iron I have ever used!I am just 13 years old, and electronics is one of my favorite hobbies [...] Doesn't eat up batteries, but if you use rechargeable batteries, you can put in 4, while charging other 4, and when they run out, trade spots.Great soldering iron, 5*!!!
I bought the cordless soldering iron that very excellent condition for computer repair that better than old one before. I think the tip replacement will sell that I will order the tip replacements for cordless soldering iron RS64-039 soon as possible.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
excellent tool for small repair/fix job. especially good for PCB board, SMD devices.
Heat up fast, good quality iron-tip. I use it with NiHM rechargeable battery. it will last about 20 min. for 4 AA 2300mahr battery before the battery need recharge, keep spare rechargeable battery when you use it. I used it to repair my TV, radio ...etc., without problems. no problem for large copper area in PCB board too.
need to control the temperature by push the on/off the power switch, after a while it is ok for me.
Battery cover is not easy to use.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
I have tested almost all the battery-powered soldering iron on the market. this one is the best.
Heats up fast, have LED light, has enough power for large copper area on PCB. It will not generate spark, has the good quality Iron tip, and perfect for Rechargeable battery.
It is good for small repair work on PCB, expecially for SMD devices. I have used it for my TV repair, electronics project, and connect broken wires. No problems at all. I Also used it to melt a hole on plastics box.
My experience is Battery-power Iron is good for quick fixing type of job. not for large jobs.
Use Re-chargeable battery AA(2300 mAhr) to save money, this one use 4 AA battery perfect for re-chargeable battery. ( my other Iron use only 3 AA battery, re-chargeable battery does not work well, rechargeable battery has only 1.25V not the 1.5V from regular battery) I keep a spare set of battery in battery charger while I am using the Iron. It will last about 20 min. before you recharge the battery. the time is depend on how long you use the iron each time. Try to pulse the iron power switch so it will not overheat the iron-tip, solder and let the battery has time to rest. after while you will have a good feeling of when to power-on/off when to pulse to get the good temperature control and good battery life.
The battery end-cap design is not easy to use.
Need a storage box for the iron. the iron-tip is sharp.
Doesnt heat up fast, Eats batteries, switch is junk, battery door doesnt stay on