Aldi gas soldering iron

[meow2222]

Wondering about this... any comments welcome

NT

[Bob H]

I suppose it depends how much use it will have. I had one similar many years ago now, and it was only used on a now and again basis. I still have a plug in mains soldering iron which I used extensively back then.

Unless thing have changed dramatically, I wouldn't think it could be used for longish periods.

[Scott M]

I bought a far more rubbish looking gas powered job from ebay for a fiver which, while far from perfect, works perfectly well for doing stuff in the car without bothering to get the extension out. This one looks a lot better (the windproof bit catches my eye) and, if I used mine more often, would chop it in for this one.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I have it from an earlier offer. I have found it excellent. Mostly I use it for heatshrink sleeve curing, but I have used it for soldering - takes some practice to control the temperature, but works OK. It comes with a few different bits which seem to be good iron plated copper bits, but I don't know if spares are available when the iron plating eventually wears off.

Downsides - no stand, so you have to very careful when you put it down, and it doesn't have a hot knife bit which some more expensive sets do.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I have a cheap hot air re-work solder station (came from CPC) and that gets used most for heat shrink. The small nozzle and adjustable temperature makes it ideal. Hardly ever use it for the purpose designed. ;-)

[newshound]

I have one of the "cook's blowlamp" type of torch that stands on its base which I use for heat shrink (it's also OK for jewelery or small silver soldering jobs). I would have sent an eBay link but it's just hurling adverts at me and not letting me into the search box at the moment. You can solder together twisted wires with that.

I have a smaller "pencil" type gas torch / iron which is a bit underpowered for use outside, so I'll probably grab one of these if I see it.

[meow2222]

I reckon I'll go for it. I do want a hot knife bit, but if the tip bases ar e round it should be easy to make one. I got a £5 jobbie years back for a job, crude but proved useful, but it pisses gas everywhere now. I want a l ot more functionality this time, and something with more life in it.

Iron plating's no big deal, when it wears its easily filed.

NT

[Andrew Gabriel]

Actually, I should add that I have no idea what the quality of the iron plating is - having only used a soldering tip once.

The tips screw into the end of what is otherwise the hot air gun outlet (and force the hot air to be directed out sideways instead).

I don't know if there's any interchanability of bits between different manufactures' products. I did use someone else's Dremel equivalent a few days ago (because I needed a hot knife and mine didn't have it), and I think that was different type of bit mounting.

[meow2222]

s are round it should be easy to make one. I got a ?5 jobbie years back for a job, crude but proved useful, but it pisses gas everywhere now. I want a lot more functionality this time, and something with more life in it.

For many irons all you need is a bit of copper bar - or copper alloy. If it s that shape I'll get it.

NT

[Bill]

In message , Andrew Gabriel writes

Ok, here's a stupid question. Does this imply that, if I wanted to practice hot air desoldering/soldering of, say, SMT components, I could just remove the tip?

I'm very much pre transistor technology, but am starting to build a collection of things with flaky micro-usb sockets etc., and it would be interesting to have a go at repairs before the trip to the tip.

[Andrew Gabriel]

If you remove the tip, it's a hot air gun (well, it will be butane combustion products rather than /air/). The internal diameter of the hole is 5mm. I haven't tried soldering with hot air.

If you remove the hot air gun tube (which contains a gauze to prevent any flame being emitted), then it becomes a tiny blowlamp.

[newshound]

Me too, but is your eyesight still good enough? Last time I was probing one of these with a test meter, I had to set up a USB microscope on a laptop to see what I was doing!

[Bill]

Probably not, but I have just made myself (but haven't yet used) a pair of sewing needles with wires soldered on beneath a disc of plastic all inside a moulded cover of red and black sugru. This is to produce a pair of piercing meter prods to measure the tiny fuses in a bunch of laptops. Just hook the leads up via a "chocolate block" to a meter and away you go. Time will tell if they work and achieve anything.

There are also a few loupe type things for remarkably small asking prices from Hong Kong on ebay.

[Gazz]

Not 100% sure about this model, but the similar looking one i have uses catalytic barrels for the soldering iron and hot air blower bits, these burn the gas without a flame so to speak, you ignite it as normal and it burns with a flame... then you press the button on the side briefly to cut the gas, and when you release it, the flame is out but the gas hitting the catalyzing element creates the heat, so with the solder tip removed it is a hot air gun (i think there is a little nozzle to screw in place of the soldering iron tip to focus the hot air, but cant remember as it's been ages since i used mine)

The one i have was from a kit that had 2 catalyzing barrels, hot knife, 5 solder tips, a selection of blow gun tips from fish mouth flame, flat flame down to pencil flame, a stand and a box to keep it all in. but the actual torch i have looks identical to the aldi one,

[meow2222]

Got one... the tip design is terrible, they screw in. Will have to loosen & retighten regularly to avoid seizure, and not so optimistic about replacements.

NT