Butane soldering irons - portasol or pyropen? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: hhhh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 09:46:01 pm
content: Hi!I'm in the market for a butane soldering iron.Pyropen seems to be the best if you look for the pricing, but is there a lot of difference compared to portasol? Browsing around forums, pyropen seems to have problems with the piezo and staying lit.How about spares if I ever need them?

author: Prime
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2017, 09:32:53 pm
content: I've used both the Piezo (WSTA6) and Non-Piezo (WP1) pyropens. Take the non-Piezo one. It lights easily and is far less sensitive to gas flow rate and gas quality.Frankly the WSTA6 is awful. Once you eventually get it lit, it splutters and then it leaks. The WP1 is the complete opposite.But I also hear good things about Portasol.As for Weller spares, well that seems to depend on where you live. I bought my WSTA6 from RS Components who then refused to give me any customer service. When I phoned the South African Weller agent, they informed me that it was an American product and they only handled Weller Germany. Eventually RS started selling replacement ejectors... it only took 2 years.

author: Gregg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2017, 05:12:43 am
content: I have two Master Appliance UT-100 butane soldering kits that I highly recommend. I believe the Pyropen WPA series is the same device with a different badge and color. I also have an early Portasol that is much smaller and works OK but the Master Appliance ones are much more versatile, less finicky and can be used as a torch for heat shrinking etc. You may be able to save some money buying the Master Appliance brand.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2017, 06:03:29 am
content: These days the battery powered soldering irons have come a long way too.The chinese have started making some soldering irons that run on standard 18650 lithium cells. The good ones can heat up in seconds and some also use some standard tip size. As opposed to gas they do offer some conveniences such as good temperature control, easy to turn on and off, don't care if you turn them upside down, easily recharged from a power source...etc and they still run for a really long time off one set of batteries

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2017, 06:40:42 am
content: The originalPortasol Technicis a very nice dedicated gas iron. Its bits have an integral catalyst, and are securely swaged to the stem tube which is retained in the iron's body by a screw collet, so unlike most multifunction gas tools, they don't suffer from bit wobble, its only about 45mm from the end of the body to the tip of the bit, and the slimline body (approx 17mm dia) is well balanced in the hand, so is excellent for precision work. The gas flow control valve is easy to adjust to vary the power output, and is separate from the shutoff valve so you don't have to readjust whenever you use the iron. The flint wheel striker in the cap lights it easily, and the cap makes it pocket safe immediately after use. Although its not intended for the purpose, it shrinks heatshrink tuning easily if you hold it about half a cm above the exhaust ports in the tip and turn up the gas flow.I've had one for over 20 years and it still works perfectly, is in very good condition, and doesn't leak gas in storage.Although its intended that you should replace the whole bit and catalyst assembly (spare Technic bits) when the tip is worn out, you can refurbish them: Mask off the catalyst with tape to protect it against contamination when cutting and drilling. Cut off the knackered tip, leaving an approximately 5mm stub (longer if possible) , then drill the end (take care not to break through into the combustion chamber when drilling the tip - don't drill deeper than where it flares out to the O.D. of the chamber), to take approx 15mm length of heavy solid copper wire (2mm or 2.5mm dia is good). It should be as tight a fit as you can still manage to insert. Sand down the end of the wire slightly if is too tight. Swage it in place by nipping the sides of the stub of the tip, then dress the end to your desired tip profile. Of course unplated copper wire tips don't last as well as proper iron plated tips, but as long as you allow the sides to oxidise and only tin the face, they are easy to keep dressed to a good shape and tinned, and when too worn down, its easy to work the stub of wire out of the hole in the bit using heavy pliers, lightly ream the hole by hand with the original drill bit in a pin vise and swage in a new length of wire.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2017, 07:04:59 am
content: I have a Portasol P2K iron and have found it to work very well with nothing I dislike about it.

author: hhhh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2017, 07:28:56 am
content: I managed to find an used pyropen piezo, looks very clean and unused. Waiting for it to get shipped, hopefully it's not.Thishttps://cdn.sos.sk/productdata/7b/80/009a7e13/pyropen-t0051606099-1.pdflists the different models. WSTA6 and WP1 seems to differ from pyropen piezo.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2017, 11:12:00 pm
content: I had the Weller Pyropen with piezoelectric start for many years and it worked great. Mine broke at the sight glass which is plastic so make sure to get it with the storage case or make provisions to store it in a hard sided case.Unless you need high power, I think a battery powered soldering iron would be better. Iso-tip still makes them and I have a couple which are 20+ years old now. I know nothing about their butane soldering irons.https://iso-tip.com/

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2017, 09:30:56 pm
content: I think they're actually made in Japan. You can find them more cheaply, branded Engineer Inc :http://www.engineer.jp/en/products/sk50e.htmlhttp://www.engineer.jp/en/products/sk70e.html

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2017, 11:40:33 pm
content: Forget butane irons. Get a TS100 and a battery pack.