A couple of other things I'd like to note based on comments I've seen: 1) This is not a sponsored video. iFixit didn't pay me for this video, they didn't get any editorial input, they didn't even get a preview. They saw it when you did. Even if you click a link and buy one, I get nothing for it. These are not affiliate links. The only thing iFixit did was provide me a review unit, and that doesn't make this a sponsored video... it just makes this video possible to exist. It's how nearly every tech review works, whether it's on UA-cam or on some blog. 2) iFixit clearly isn't trying to convince you to ditch a soldering iron you're happy with in releasing this product. This is a company that actually speaks out against the idea of "upgrading only because something new released." I can say with certainty they'd rather you keep your soldering iron you're perfectly using. But if you are unhappy, or you don't have one yet, or you have specific needs met by this solution... you're who they made this for... and that's ok too. It's perfectly valid to spend less on a product that meets your specific needs. It's also perfectly valid to choose to spend more if you feel that option meets your needs better or nets you some other value.
Based on these comments, I'm going to acquire a Pinecil and a Miniware and do a showdown video between the three. I'll grab three copies of a kit project and see what's what.
For what this Ifixit one is, a hakko is much more with the office. The Pinecil is great, I love it. Get a chisel tip for it. Even with that extra purchase, the price is far less than this Ifixit thing
Looking forwards to it! Make sure to cover the tip availability. I am sceptical of new proprietary standards! I am shocked that iFixit of all companies went this direction.
@@RuneHolmgren Well... on that word proprietary. That usually means "a standard that only one company controls and can make things for" etc. iFixit did develop something newish... but it's not the first to use a "headphone jack" for a soldering iron like this... the company just pushed it further than anyone else to get that 100 watt support. But I've now seen the founder, Kyle, confirm that they aren't locking this down at all. Anyone is free to develop and iterate on it. So in theory, any company could make tips for this iron. I doubt anyone will... but not because iFixit won't let them.
@@anoraker I am sure people will make tips for it if it gets popular enough. Plenty of 3rd party tips and parts are available for the WSP80 from Weller.
@@AlexusMaximusDE It's certainly possible. Depends on how many people buy one. I do tend to approach things as, "assume it won't happen and what you're buying today is all you get..." to avoid disappointment if I turn out to be right. And if I'm wrong, that's just a great bonus.
and with the alternative firmware from @ralim, it gets some much-needed special features. One that is particularly useful for me is the boost feature, where the iron would normally sit at a cosy 270C, which is sufficient for most non-lead-free soldering work, but if i hold a button, it shoots up to 410C, allowing me to easily solder lead-free or heavy joints (like to a ground plane) without fiddling with temperature settings.
@@anoraker Sweet, thanks! I think having those well-recognized reference points will help folks understand where this falls in the bigger picture. Despite what some other commenters have said, I do think the iFixit will perform favorably thanks to it's quality-of-life features (& slightly higher wattage). That being said, the lack of any integrated control in the standalone iron will surely complicate any direct comparison where price is considered. Looking forward to the comparison!
@@anoraker I have a pinecilV2 and it's great, small and portable, i would want to see if the ifixit powerbank could power it, because my pd powerbank has a limit of less than 40W and isn't enough to solder some tricky stuff...i could be interesting to also see how ifixit powerbank changes the power of the iron, will it change Power delivery mode when reaching lower amperage to be more stable and have a more precise output? And also because you are reviewing ifixit product, maybe an internal comparison of the electronics?
Sure, "I already have a product I like, you can't make me switch" is a thing. But... that's not what iFixit is trying to do here. This is an option for someone who isn't satisfied with their soldering iron (that's a lot of people) or doesn't have one at all yet.
Honestly, its easy to compare this with cheaper comparable irons with feature sets as absolutes, but as a whole package, I think people will be willing to eat the enormous cost for something with such a high amount of great features in such a nice package... Still, yeah, insane cost. Gonna be hard to rationalize. It is probably gonna be slightly easier if you consider what this kind of power bank would cost from someone like anker, but still crazy high for this market. They might want to make a battery-less version of the power bank with built in controls, but at that point it would lose one of its key features and come closer to the direct comparison areas of the cheap sub 40 dollar options even, such as the pinecil.
4 tip designs is not enough, and makes this a trap for buyers who really should have gotten into a system with better support. 1 manufacturer of the tips means you are at the whim of a company that might stop making tips. iFixit releasing a poorly supported proprietary standard is shocking, and the opposite of what the company is pressuring the industry to do. Honestly @Anoraker these are problems you should cover in an review, not a 7 second bullet point to mention.
I did cover it, as you mention, but it's also not quite what you are saying. I mentioned this in your other comment: this isn't actually proprietary. That usually means "a standard that only one company controls and can make things for" etc. iFixit did develop something newish... but it's not the first to use a "headphone jack" for a soldering iron like this... the company just pushed it further than anyone else to get that 100 watt support. But I've now seen the founder, Kyle, confirm that they aren't locking this down at all. Anyone is free to develop and iterate on it. So in theory, any company could make tips for this iron. I doubt anyone will... but not because iFixit won't let them. But realistically speaking no other tips right now can HANDLE 100 watts, so iFixit had to create something new there since that was the goal.
Seems nice. But how to adjust the temperature when using the Iron without the base station? On their website it only says something like it should be adjustable via Wi-Fi, but I'm curious how that would work or how practical it would be
To adjust the temperature without the base station you'll need to plug the iron into a desktop and open a browser to the iFixit web console: www.ifixit.com/fixhub/console Has to be a desktop and not mobile device because it requires web browser features that mobile browsers don't have. To be honest, most people don't adjust soldering temperature often. There's specific times when you need to do so... but most of the time, the default temp here is just fine.
What's the communication protocol between the iron and the station/ computer? If it's serial, I wonder if we could hack together an Arduino with an encoder to make our own dirt cheap soldering station.
That sounds like a pretty awesome idea! Not sure if it's possible. But I'd love to see someone try. But to answer your question, I'm not.. positive, but I can tell you what the Iron uses to communicate with a PC when plugged into that, and likely it's the same for the station as well. That communicates over Web Serial to connect to a browser. Which means Chrome + Brave + Edge are your necessary browsers right now since FireFox/Safari/etc. have chosen not to support that protocol.
Once this goes on sale, I might replace my Weller WS80 with it. That station thing is a workhorse but I really don't have the space to always have it out and because it's heavy and annoying to get out and put away it really takes away the "let me fix this real quick" aspect of replacing a component and turns it into a chore.
I have a neat Ryobi device that outputs 150 watts at 120 volts from a 18-volt Ryobi battery I can plug any of my numerous soldering stations and soldering irons into it
Cool, I was curious when will iFixIt come up with a soldering station/iron, but I will keep my Pinecil V2 and I would buy it again even today. The price to performance ratio is just unbeatable. The iFixIt FixHub certainly is more of a all round package with nice QoL, but not worth the price imho.
I don’t think iFixit tested that at all. But I highly doubt it. They may use the same connector, but the rest of the shape is different. And even if it seated, I wouldn’t trust it since the TS80 isn’t designed to handle 100 watts and therefore the tips aren’t either.
Very interesting soldering station, but the tip selection, as it is right now, does feel a bit limited. Price of the tips would be really interesting... If they could put it somewhere around 10-15 USD, they would be competitive, and be an interesting alternative to Chinese brands. The expensive kit, if the consumables are good, also looks like it would be a good starting point for people who have no idea how to solder, and don't know where to start, although I'm a bit divided about the lack of soldering sponge in the kit. Is it possible to switch the tips while iron is hot without too much fuss? It's not clearly visible from the video. I come from background of Pace soldering stations, which also use tip-sensor-heater cartridges. Stations come with heat-resistant tweezers, and the iron stand also have slots for tips, and changing a tip takes only 4-5 seconds. Just grip the tip with tweezers, pull it out, place it on the stand, get the new one and push it in, software detects new tip, and starts heating. It seems that the same solution could work with iFixit iron, if the software doesn't make it too complicated. Also, having to use a web application for configuration of iron itself without the power pack is not really something that looks too much appealing (but maybe I'm just too old), plus there doesn't seem to be a demo mode in the application. If they're making an iron for use in inaccessible places, having to connect to the Internet to change settings isn't really all that nice. Having a couple of buttons and maybe 2-3 LEDs for different temperature memories could have fitted onto the iron. At least having an off-line Android/iOS application, or desktop application would be useful. Maybe someone make one, if it becomes popular enough...
Just heard back, and it sounds like the tips will be $20. A little on the pricey side. iFixit won't lock this down though.. in theory third party tips are possible if someone wants to make them for this iron. Existing tips just didn't work because no other iron handles 100 watts right now.
Ifixits tools are nice but I recommend Sequre S20 Nano for small smd work, they use JBC C115 tips and they're half the price. Or the S60, it uses the C210 tips.
A couple of other things I'd like to note based on comments I've seen:
1) This is not a sponsored video. iFixit didn't pay me for this video, they didn't get any editorial input, they didn't even get a preview. They saw it when you did. Even if you click a link and buy one, I get nothing for it. These are not affiliate links. The only thing iFixit did was provide me a review unit, and that doesn't make this a sponsored video... it just makes this video possible to exist. It's how nearly every tech review works, whether it's on UA-cam or on some blog.
2) iFixit clearly isn't trying to convince you to ditch a soldering iron you're happy with in releasing this product. This is a company that actually speaks out against the idea of "upgrading only because something new released." I can say with certainty they'd rather you keep your soldering iron you're perfectly using. But if you are unhappy, or you don't have one yet, or you have specific needs met by this solution... you're who they made this for... and that's ok too.
It's perfectly valid to spend less on a product that meets your specific needs.
It's also perfectly valid to choose to spend more if you feel that option meets your needs better or nets you some other value.
Based on these comments, I'm going to acquire a Pinecil and a Miniware and do a showdown video between the three. I'll grab three copies of a kit project and see what's what.
For what this Ifixit one is, a hakko is much more with the office. The Pinecil is great, I love it. Get a chisel tip for it. Even with that extra purchase, the price is far less than this Ifixit thing
Looking forwards to it! Make sure to cover the tip availability. I am sceptical of new proprietary standards! I am shocked that iFixit of all companies went this direction.
@@RuneHolmgren Well... on that word proprietary. That usually means "a standard that only one company controls and can make things for" etc.
iFixit did develop something newish... but it's not the first to use a "headphone jack" for a soldering iron like this... the company just pushed it further than anyone else to get that 100 watt support.
But I've now seen the founder, Kyle, confirm that they aren't locking this down at all. Anyone is free to develop and iterate on it. So in theory, any company could make tips for this iron. I doubt anyone will... but not because iFixit won't let them.
@@anoraker I am sure people will make tips for it if it gets popular enough. Plenty of 3rd party tips and parts are available for the WSP80 from Weller.
@@AlexusMaximusDE It's certainly possible. Depends on how many people buy one. I do tend to approach things as, "assume it won't happen and what you're buying today is all you get..." to avoid disappointment if I turn out to be right. And if I'm wrong, that's just a great bonus.
Ts80p is 80€, and you can get a pd power bank with it. Much better deal in my opinion
and with the alternative firmware from @ralim, it gets some much-needed special features. One that is particularly useful for me is the boost feature, where the iron would normally sit at a cosy 270C, which is sufficient for most non-lead-free soldering work, but if i hold a button, it shoots up to 410C, allowing me to easily solder lead-free or heavy joints (like to a ground plane) without fiddling with temperature settings.
@@victortitov1740 agreed, the new firmware is a blast
Curious to see how this compares to the community's other favorite portable iron, the Pinecil.
I love my Pinecil. Best solder iron Iv'e ever owned.
Love it too. I'm not going to do long soldering jobs (hakko for that) but it's good for small to medium jobs
The Pinecil looks great for the price (if less ergonomic). I'm going to pick one up (and a Miniwave) and do a follow up compare video.
@@anoraker Sweet, thanks! I think having those well-recognized reference points will help folks understand where this falls in the bigger picture.
Despite what some other commenters have said, I do think the iFixit will perform favorably thanks to it's quality-of-life features (& slightly higher wattage). That being said, the lack of any integrated control in the standalone iron will surely complicate any direct comparison where price is considered. Looking forward to the comparison!
@@anoraker I have a pinecilV2 and it's great, small and portable, i would want to see if the ifixit powerbank could power it, because my pd powerbank has a limit of less than 40W and isn't enough to solder some tricky stuff...i could be interesting to also see how ifixit powerbank changes the power of the iron, will it change Power delivery mode when reaching lower amperage to be more stable and have a more precise output? And also because you are reviewing ifixit product, maybe an internal comparison of the electronics?
Lol i love ifixit i have the toolkit, but you can't make me part ways with my pinecil and omnifixo!
Sure, "I already have a product I like, you can't make me switch" is a thing.
But... that's not what iFixit is trying to do here. This is an option for someone who isn't satisfied with their soldering iron (that's a lot of people) or doesn't have one at all yet.
Should be T12 tip tbh
While a good idea this soldering iron is outrageously overpriced for its limited features. For that price you can buy a full size digital Weller.
I mean... sure, but you'd be tethered to a wall with a Weller...
Honestly, its easy to compare this with cheaper comparable irons with feature sets as absolutes, but as a whole package, I think people will be willing to eat the enormous cost for something with such a high amount of great features in such a nice package...
Still, yeah, insane cost. Gonna be hard to rationalize. It is probably gonna be slightly easier if you consider what this kind of power bank would cost from someone like anker, but still crazy high for this market. They might want to make a battery-less version of the power bank with built in controls, but at that point it would lose one of its key features and come closer to the direct comparison areas of the cheap sub 40 dollar options even, such as the pinecil.
These are all valid points worth considering.
4 tip designs is not enough, and makes this a trap for buyers who really should have gotten into a system with better support.
1 manufacturer of the tips means you are at the whim of a company that might stop making tips.
iFixit releasing a poorly supported proprietary standard is shocking, and the opposite of what the company is pressuring the industry to do. Honestly @Anoraker these are problems you should cover in an review, not a 7 second bullet point to mention.
I did cover it, as you mention, but it's also not quite what you are saying. I mentioned this in your other comment: this isn't actually proprietary. That usually means "a standard that only one company controls and can make things for" etc.
iFixit did develop something newish... but it's not the first to use a "headphone jack" for a soldering iron like this... the company just pushed it further than anyone else to get that 100 watt support.
But I've now seen the founder, Kyle, confirm that they aren't locking this down at all. Anyone is free to develop and iterate on it. So in theory, any company could make tips for this iron. I doubt anyone will... but not because iFixit won't let them.
But realistically speaking no other tips right now can HANDLE 100 watts, so iFixit had to create something new there since that was the goal.
Seems nice. But how to adjust the temperature when using the Iron without the base station? On their website it only says something like it should be adjustable via Wi-Fi, but I'm curious how that would work or how practical it would be
To adjust the temperature without the base station you'll need to plug the iron into a desktop and open a browser to the iFixit web console:
www.ifixit.com/fixhub/console
Has to be a desktop and not mobile device because it requires web browser features that mobile browsers don't have.
To be honest, most people don't adjust soldering temperature often. There's specific times when you need to do so... but most of the time, the default temp here is just fine.
What's the communication protocol between the iron and the station/ computer? If it's serial, I wonder if we could hack together an Arduino with an encoder to make our own dirt cheap soldering station.
That sounds like a pretty awesome idea! Not sure if it's possible. But I'd love to see someone try.
But to answer your question, I'm not.. positive, but I can tell you what the Iron uses to communicate with a PC when plugged into that, and likely it's the same for the station as well. That communicates over Web Serial to connect to a browser. Which means Chrome + Brave + Edge are your necessary browsers right now since FireFox/Safari/etc. have chosen not to support that protocol.
@@anoraker Just got an answer from Kyle Wiens from iFixit. Apparently you can totally do this.
Once this goes on sale, I might replace my Weller WS80 with it. That station thing is a workhorse but I really don't have the space to always have it out and because it's heavy and annoying to get out and put away it really takes away the "let me fix this real quick" aspect of replacing a component and turns it into a chore.
I have a neat Ryobi device that outputs 150 watts at 120 volts from a 18-volt Ryobi battery I can plug any of my numerous soldering stations and soldering irons into it
Cool, I was curious when will iFixIt come up with a soldering station/iron, but I will keep my Pinecil V2 and I would buy it again even today. The price to performance ratio is just unbeatable.
The iFixIt FixHub certainly is more of a all round package with nice QoL, but not worth the price imho.
Is it compatible with TS80 tips?
I don’t think iFixit tested that at all. But I highly doubt it. They may use the same connector, but the rest of the shape is different. And even if it seated, I wouldn’t trust it since the TS80 isn’t designed to handle 100 watts and therefore the tips aren’t either.
What USB-PD version does it support?
Took me a bit to get an answer on this, sorry!
Both the Soldering and the Power Station do USB PD 3.0
Very interesting soldering station, but the tip selection, as it is right now, does feel a bit limited. Price of the tips would be really interesting... If they could put it somewhere around 10-15 USD, they would be competitive, and be an interesting alternative to Chinese brands. The expensive kit, if the consumables are good, also looks like it would be a good starting point for people who have no idea how to solder, and don't know where to start, although I'm a bit divided about the lack of soldering sponge in the kit.
Is it possible to switch the tips while iron is hot without too much fuss? It's not clearly visible from the video. I come from background of Pace soldering stations, which also use tip-sensor-heater cartridges. Stations come with heat-resistant tweezers, and the iron stand also have slots for tips, and changing a tip takes only 4-5 seconds. Just grip the tip with tweezers, pull it out, place it on the stand, get the new one and push it in, software detects new tip, and starts heating. It seems that the same solution could work with iFixit iron, if the software doesn't make it too complicated.
Also, having to use a web application for configuration of iron itself without the power pack is not really something that looks too much appealing (but maybe I'm just too old), plus there doesn't seem to be a demo mode in the application. If they're making an iron for use in inaccessible places, having to connect to the Internet to change settings isn't really all that nice. Having a couple of buttons and maybe 2-3 LEDs for different temperature memories could have fitted onto the iron. At least having an off-line Android/iOS application, or desktop application would be useful. Maybe someone make one, if it becomes popular enough...
Just heard back, and it sounds like the tips will be $20. A little on the pricey side.
iFixit won't lock this down though.. in theory third party tips are possible if someone wants to make them for this iron.
Existing tips just didn't work because no other iron handles 100 watts right now.
Overpriced and worse than the other more portable smart soldering irons.
Interesting. How much time did you spend with one before coming to this conclusion?
Ifixits tools are nice but I recommend Sequre S20 Nano for small smd work, they use JBC C115 tips and they're half the price. Or the S60, it uses the C210 tips.