• mbirth@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    Have they not heard of the TS100 or the Pinecil?

    Both run an open-source firmware and work with any USB-C PD battery pack and still allow you to configure the temperature.

    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 months ago

      Considering that they sell one of those, I’m going to assume they’ve heard of it. ;)

      • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 months ago

        It’s very likely existing smart soldering pens were the inspiration.

        iFixit even mentions they didn’t include a screen like the Pinecil because most people don’t actually mess with the settings that much when they are on the go.

        • mbirth@lemmy.ml
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          2 months ago

          What they probably meant is they didn’t include a screen because this way they can sell their overpriced battery pack.

          • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            2 months ago

            It’s definitely priced significantly higher than a similar setup from Pine64.

            …but it also has some significant advantages and features the Pinecil does indeed lack.

            I definitely think the Pinecil is aimed more at hobbyists and this iFixit iron is aimed at people who solder all the time, in other words, not hobbyists.

            • mbirth@lemmy.ml
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              2 months ago

              Since the Pinecil is running IronOS, it’s just a matter of time for it to also get the fall detection. And apart from the LED ring gimmick, I don’t see any huge advantages over IronOS.

              • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                2 months ago

                I personally see the PD for USB-C being 100W is a significant advantage as the Pinecil tops at 60W from USB-C and you have to search for a traditional barrel-plug power cord to get it to max out at 88W.

                100W through USB-C and not even having a different power option seems pretty useful to me. *shrugs

                • JiveTurkey@lemmy.world
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                  2 months ago

                  I regularly power both my ts100 and Pinecil with a Milwaukee M18 battery and the barrel connector this is super convenient. The display is also convenient. The fact that you need the battery to set the temp seems numb and completely negates the USBC convenience because it means you can’t use any old USBC power source and still change the temperature. The 100w is also pointless because the other two options already heat incredibly fast and have a higher max temperature.

                  • frezik
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                    2 months ago

                    I have a ts100, and the barrel plug is loose enough that it sometimes disconnects in the middle of working and loses its temperature setting. Got a Pinecil to replace it, but haven’t used it much yet.

              • Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
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                2 months ago

                Since the Pinecil is running IronOS

                What a sentence. I really don’t like the idea of having to do a firmware update on my soldering iron.

                Does it have Bluetooth and a companion app as well?

                  • Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
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                    2 months ago

                    Oh, I was dead serious. You can get battery drills that come with a fucking app now, I’m not surprised at all it’s the same with solder irons.

                    Power and temp up and down is just too simple, I guess.

                • sneakyninjapants@sh.itjust.works
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                  2 months ago

                  having to do a firmware update on my soldering iron

                  You don’t. It works perfectly fine OOTB. Can’t speak for the Pinecil v2 with Bluetooth and the companion app but I have v1 and the software been stable and bug-free enough I’ve never even given a thought to updating the firmware on it

                • frezik
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                  2 months ago

                  Firmware was always there in a soldering iron more sophisticated than an old, dumb Radio Shack wall plug iron. That’s how you get good temperature control. Pinecil is just letting you modify it officially.

          • Jesus@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            My guess is that the motivation was user feedback and keeping things simple so they’re easier to repair.

    • mememuseum@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I love my Pinecil V2. It was cheaper than my 40W entry level Weller station and heats up way faster. I run it off my Anker USB power supply and also my Anker USB power bank. The power bank only outputs 30 or 40 watts though so I might upgrade that in the future. High wattage power banks are expensive though :/

    • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
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      2 months ago

      It very much sounds like ifixit are actively asking influencers/reviewers to compare it to at least one of those in the videos.

      • Voyajer@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Which is a little odd to me, since I don’t think it compares favorably vs either. Maybe against the ts80p because it’s significantly lower wattage and more expensive than the other two.

        • ggtdbz@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          2 months ago

          The TS80P is lower wattage, technically, but the heating element is right up at the very tip, instead of having a heating element inside the handle with a long metal piece transmitting the heat. It gets hot way faster than you’d expect, it doesn’t feel like 30W at all.

          It punches way, way above its weight. Unless you’re soldering pipes, comparing the wattage to traditional irons is misleading. Love that tiny thing.

          Only problem is that this design necessitates proprietary tips that are relatively expensive. Not a fan of that, coming from the no name Global South Especiale 2$ firestarter irons that are the norm where I am. Not the end of the world, but worth keeping in mind.

          The one I bought came with a USB-C cable that couldn’t handle the current though. That was the only real red flag. Shame too, that cable seemed like it was silicone coated and would have been ideal.

          • Voyajer@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Yeah I have a ts80p but it struggles with what I usually solder so I’ve replaced it with a pinecilV2 for mobile soldering which I’ve been happier with.

    • Munkisquisher@lemmy.nz
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      2 months ago

      Ts80 that runs on qc3 is also very good. It keeps up with my large soldering station in real world use