Ryobi has come out with two new cordless soldering tools, an 18V One+ soldering iron, and a Hybrid 18V One+ soldering station.
The new Ryobi cordless soldering iron, P3105, is a 40W iron with adjustable temperature range from 300°F to 900°F and can reach a temperature of 900°F.
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Update: Jared made a good point in his comment, in that there are no adjustment controls. The “variable temperature” claim on Home Depot’s listing is probably a mistake.
The Ryobi soldering iron has a 3-foot reach (as opposed to cord length), and features a built-in iron holder. An LED status indicator lets you know when the tool is heating up, when it has reached its maximum temperature, and when it is cooling down.
It comes with a fine tip.
Price: $40 for the bare tool
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
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Ryobi has also come out with an 18V One+ hybrid-powered soldering station, which can be powered by battery or AC source. For AC use, you’ll have to supply your own extension cord.
The new Ryobi hybrid cordless soldering station features an adjustable temperature range of 300°F to 900°F, LED indicator, and built-in soldering iron holder. It also has a space for the included tip-cleaning sponge.
The station also has onboard tip storage. It comes with fine and chisel point tips, but there isn’t mention about whether other tip sizes or styles will be available, or if it’s compatible with 3rd party tips.
On Home Depot’s website, Ryobi says: At this time I can only recommend our tips and the ones for the Milwaukee M12.
Price: $80 for the bare tool
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
First Thoughts
I find myself with mixed thoughts about these tools. What kinds of applications are they designed for? I can see them being handy for say robotics competitions, where you might have to fix something. But other than that?
Milwaukee’s cordless soldering iron can be used in tight spaces or remote locations.
With both of these new Ryobi options, you have a cord-attached soldering iron that needs to be placed on a table or other stable surface within 3 feet of what you’re soldering. Will you need a cordless soldering iron on a workbench?
The hybrid-powered station makes a little more sense to me. However, if you want to use AC power, you need to supply your own extension cord. While I like that many hybrid-powered cordless tools (mainly LED worklights) can work with standard extension cords, this is one of those times when an included AC adapter might have been a better idea.
To me, a cordless soldering iron should be self-contained. That would limit its features, versatility, and compactness a little. But then again, my impression of what is proper comes from the fact that there hasn’t been cordless soldering stations like this before.
A cordless cord-attached soldering iron will be more slender than an all-in-one, which could result in a more comfortable or controllable user experience.
Despite being a little hesitant, I can be open-minded. I’ll have to let the idea grow on me.
How would you use a Ryobi cordless or hybrid soldering station?
Brandon
Who can think of something that a One+ battery hasn’t been put into yet? Apparently Ryobi can. Over, and over, and over again.
mattd
I am waiting for their grease gun.
Jon
Framing nailer
Patrick H.
Heatgun.
Greg
Sandwich Maker
Nate Bezanson
So, Milwaukee’s 18v heat gun is pretty great, but I don’t think the Ryobi 18v system has the power — all their tools have to be compatible with the power available from even the oldest NiCd packs.
Boggsy
Freeze Ray
Boggsy
Gun.
Not nail, not heat, not screw, nor glue. Just gun.
A repeating crossbow would also be acceptable.
Honestly though, the thing that cramps my hand up the worst is just a regular old paint brush. 18v paint brush. Variable speed… from “way too fast” to “Holy hell, what have I done?!”
Boggsy
Portable generator/inverter. Basically the reason I switched to dewalt. Because a battery is a battery is a battery. How about one with a couple of quick charge ports, usb pd 3.0 100w output, so you could use your laptop/cintiq tablet/MacBook for days without extra power loss through inverting your dc batteries to the AC power brick which transforms it back to dc power again .
Amazon has a million of these kinds of batteries, but they’re one cluster, so they take 9 hours or so to recharge, and are typically limited to 100-300 watts MAX… Though they can be recharged by solar, which would be a cute extra feature.
Whenever power tool companies try to do tech though, they completely miss the boat. USB? Yeah, let’s stick usb ports in our $3k tool carts. But uhh, let’s use half amp Dollar Store parts, so you can plug in your phone and still watch the battery drain.
But hey, maybe they should just make a super rugged, everything-proof ryobi laptop. I’m tired of trying to keep one world of tools as far away as possible from my other world of tools. #HoseOffTheLaptop.
Boggsy
Mini Chain Saw Hunting Knife.
Heated bear fur underwear.
Handheld vaccum sealer.
Printer. Laser etcher. Label maker.
Bed maker.
Excuse generator.
Girlfriend.
Humidifier/air purifier.
Finglonger (see Futurama)
VR sleep simulator.
Dirty Bird
I suggested a grease gun years ago & it’s finally coming. Recently I suggested a cordless spot welder for working on battery packs & other light metal projects.
Steve
I would use at the RC field. Great club acquisition. Soldering battery connectors, quick link repairs, etc etc
Bryan
Any word when the P460 One+ rotary tool is coming out? I see direct tools outlet has them available as factory blemished. First I’ve heard of them.
Greg Newland
Whoa, thats wild! I have thought about a dremel here and there, but dang, that P460 looks interesting.
I usually check out the Australian (AU) Ryobi site to see whats coming down the pipe line to the US. I should be checking Direct Tools too.
Matt Hall
That’s odd to me, the US gets almost everything before us not to mention has a large number of One+ tools that we simply don’t get at all. I always look at the US sites to see what we’ll get. Grass is always greener I guess.
Ryan Jacob
I don’t know that’s always true! I’ve seen things in Australia that I wish we had here in the US. You guys have an 18 v power source and a cordless pressure washer. Both of those are things I want! Plus it seems that most of your circular saws have some form of dust collection port on them when almost none here in the states do.
Jon
As I recall, Ryobi released the 9ah One+ Lithium+ battery in Australia at least a year before we got it in the U.S. No idea what the logic is behind this, except guessing perhaps that production on 4ah and 6ah units and warehousing exceeded demand here, and they didn’t want the 9’s to cannibalize their market until the supply leveled out.
CaveSAR
P460: Rotary Tool – Ryobi Tools Manuals
manuals.ryobitools.com/documents/4234
I guess Ryobi has to go with the soldering iron power cord or rotary tool shaft because they are using the One+ battery. Unlike Milwaukee with their 12V battery. So their rotary tool and solder iron can be self contained with the battery in the tool.
Stuart
Someone else asked about it today and I sent an email to Ryobi asking if there was any more they could tell me.
Drew McDaniel
Bryan,
You beat me too it. I saw the email from Direct Tools this morning, and immediately looked at Ryobi’s website. I didn’t find it there, nor did I see these two. But they also had a bunch of other new tools coming in their 18v line and two new ones on their 40V line. A couple of the new tools look like they might be aimed at the contractor market, the Pex tool and the Cement Mixer. HD didn’t have the Rotary tool, but did have the 2 soldering tools, but were out of stock.
Popgun42
I like this, will buy as soon as available.
Jared
I can’t believe it. I ordered a soldering station from Amazon last night and I hear about this today?!
Well, as it turns out after some quick googling, this isn’t available in Canada yet so I can convince myself not to worry about it.
As for the application, I think it’s biggest advantage is that it’s a Ryobi product. I.e. it costs less than the Milwaukee you’re comparing it to – plus its a different battery line so owners of Ryobi tools can have a cordless soldering solution too. For that reason, I think most purchasers won’t be comparing it directly to M12 – because most won’t be buying into a brand just for this one tool.
Secondly, the actual soldering iron you hold looks smaller than the M12 version, which might permit a little more precision.
And finally – I don’t need it to be cordless, but I always prefer it!
Brian A
I dont understand the purpose of making 2 models? Everything between them is the same but the hybrid power costs double?
Stuart
Maybe the soldering station heats up faster? I asked for more info, but that can take a while.
Update: As Jared pointed out, it looks like the soldering iron doesn’t have variable temperature controls. The product description says it does, but with no obvious controls, that’s probably a mistake.
Brian A
I was thinking it was maybe on the backside as you cant see any controls in the pic? Not being variable temp would help explain the price difference. But who would want a soldering iron that wasnt.
Stuart
Basic soldering irons don’t have variable temp, they’re rated by the wattage. 30W is good for general purpose, 25W for precision, 40W if you work with larger components.
Variable temp is a feature that adds to cost. My first soldering iron was a 30W from Radio Shack.
TonyT
My first soldering was also a low wattage RS pencil iron – I still have it somewhere, but haven’t used it in years.
Jared
I’m looking at all the images and can’t see how the temperature adjusts on the $40 version. The $80 one has a dial. Can’t find a manual for it either. Hmm…
I was wondering whether AC compatibility and a sponge holder was enough to justify doubling the price – but maybe there’s more that’s different between the two models.
Jared
I also noticed the dial doesn’t have specific temperatures – well, it starts at 400f and goes to 900f, but nothing to let you know where you are in-between those two.
Might not need that level of precision once you get used to the machine, but its also not a full featured as some corded soldering stations in the same price range. That’s just an observation though – I would still have bought this if I could find a way to get it in Canada.
Nate Bezanson
In general, if the dial isn’t labeled, it’s not a temperature control, it’s a power control.
Meaning there’s no closed feedback loop. Which makes it barely worth having.
I made my own little battery-hat with a TS100 iron about a year ago, and it immediately became my favorite soldering station because it’s sooo convenient. It looks almost exactly like this.
Stuart
Great point! I updated the post.
I saw another error – the soldering iron description says that an extension cord is not included – and so I now believe that it does NOT feature variable temperature controls.
I thought I saw controls, but maybe I was thinking of the Makita inflator I posted about earlier today.
Good eye!
Koko The Talking Ape
Maybe they mean that when the iron is off, it is cold, and when you turn it on, it warms up? 😀
fred
It reminds me a bit of the Foredom cordless:
https://www.amazon.com/Foredom-K-1030-Portable-Micromotor-Kit/dp/B010F7OOJK
Maybe I could use this Ryobi for some light pyrography – and couple it with the cordless Foredom to do some miniature carving in a campsite – or maybe I’ll just stick to my whittling with a pocket knife.
Nathan
I’m sort of torn – I agree with you that for portability and the idea of a cordless iron – the milwukee model is what I would picture.
The Ryobi one I would call a battery powered iron but not cordless.
However – I do sort of like the idea of their hybrid station thing.
Say you were putting in LED house lights and in your back yard and needed to repair a connection. battery powered lets you get back there but you don’t necessarily neeed the cost of the cordless iron.
Adam
I think Ryobi only really had one option to make a decent powered soldering iron, and that’s with their big bulky 18v battery. I doubt anyone would want to use an iron that has the 18v battery part of it. They could have used their 4v batteries, and re-released the Craftsman version (they manufactured it to begin with anyway), but wouldn’t have been powerful enough for many applications. I actually wish they would release the 4v version, it small and works great for wire soldering.
I was about to pick up the M12 iron the next time on sale, but now I have these to consider. Ideally I think I’d get the M12 for portable use, and a nice programmable tabletop unit, probably a Hakko, rather than something that is in-between.
Perhaps if the better model was priced ~$60, I would be more likely to go that route for now.
fred
I think that a Hakko is on my upcoming purchase list – by way of my son-in-law’s Christmas wish list
https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FX951-66-T15-D08-D12-D24/dp/B01BI39P1M/
Jared
I think you hit on something there. Really made me ponder anyway!
It makes sense that Milwaukee would build theirs with the battery in the handle considering that’s the point of a 12v class too – it’s compact. Build the same style in an 18v/20v variety and the tool could end up being too bulky – even with a compact pack.
I imagine if Dewalt built one… my batteries are all 4ah XR or Flexvolt packs. Trying to wield the iron with one of those attached would be ridiculous.
Then I considered what if Dewalt came out with two – a 12v battery-attached version and a 20v in the Ryobi-style – which would you buy?
I’d go for the 20v hands-down because I’d want to benefit from my extensive battery collection and the superior capacity.
Robert L
I like it – it’s a different critter than the usb charged pocket models, or the butane-powered ones like I’m currently using, but the cheaper model is a nice option for a Ryobi user. The small, standles models are a pain to work with for more than a few moments, so if you really need a power-free workstation someone, it’s great.
Chris
Now this is very cool for the home tinkerer
TonyT
I love Ryobi, but I’ll pass because my old variable temperature Weller is still working fine.
But if you’re doing electronics work, I highly recommend variable temperature so you can deal with lead-free solders (there are different types, each with different ideal temperatures).
And if you want to work with surface mount devices (SMDs), look at getting a hot air system too (I don’t have one yet, but if I start working with SMDs, I will be getting one).
Carl Sampson
They got rid of the wrong cord. A truly cordless soldering iron with a plug in base would be more desirable.
Johnny4
Yup. Hard to call something cordless when it has a cord. Joking aside, am I the only person who always lights the cord of their soldering iron on fire?
fred
I think that if this sells well – we might see some additional corded – but battery-powered tools from Ryobi and possibly others.
Folks have commented that the M12 (and Bosch 10.8V) battery form factor lends itself better to having the battery on-board some tools – than do slide battery packs. The downside is that your hands have to fit around the battery pack. That’s fine for some of us – but my wife sure feels that the handles on Makita 12V tools fit her hands better than my M12 tools. I’ve heard some folks opine that Bosch (10.8 – aka 12V) tools have slimmer handles.
The other consideration is that some high-demand tools benefit from higher voltage and/or higher capacity batteries. Some tools now sport twin batteries – or heavier higher-Ah batteries. All well and good for tools where the work/task helps support the weight. But we may reach a limit and start thinking about a battery pack that is laid on the deck /ladder/staging/ground/etc. – or is carried on a waist-belt or in a backpack – to power the tool via a cord, This negates some of the benefit of cordless tools – but might provide an option for tools that we use overhead or at arms-length along walls.
Boggsy
If we’ve created nanobots that are powered by our own blood, I’m pretty sure we’re weeks away from becoming the battery ourselves.
But we’re only days away from
somebody making a “Tool Connect” style add on with a small …maybe 1ah backup battery in it. Which will flash at you once the main battery is depleted. Decreasing the likelihood of sudden death halfway thru a 4 inch screw, or the middle of a cut.
Koko The Talking Ape
I agree. I don’t use a soldering iron often, but when I do, it seems like I spend a lot of time aligning or twisting leads, and only a few seconds actually soldering. A cordless iron could sit in a charging cradle most of the time, staying cool, and get hot only when you need it.
But small tips get hot quickly. If you are using bigger tips, maybe you need to keep the tip hot all the time, requiring a continuous draw, and thus a bigger battery.
Michael Eibling
The first thing that comes to mind for me is this tool would be amazing for in-car soldering problems. I cannot tell you how many times when I was fixing ground issues or rewiring instrument clusters how much of a pain in the rear it was to have a corded soldering iron while working out in the car. One of these soldering stations would be great, because you don’t have the extra bulk if the battery tied into the soldering tip. It is every bit as maneuverable as a soldering station should be without the cord having to be dragged out and positioned.
Peter Antonvich
I got a ts100 and made my own m12 and Dewalt 18 battery connectors and supplied my own power supply- picked up a few different tips as well – it’s great! Heats up quick and it’s small.
I got mine on eBay but here it is on amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/UY-CHAN-Programmable-Pocket-size-Acceleration/dp/B01MDTO6X7/
Adam
That looks interesting. With M12 (or M18) you wouldn’t even need to make your own. You could take the power supply unit that comes with the hoodies or jackets & that has a 12v out. There is also an M18 adapter that does the same thing.
I haven’t seen a Dewalt adapter in person, but would imagine they have a similar jack for their heated gear.
But looking at the price, I’d probably just get the M12 solder iron. I also want something a little more robust, so I don’t worry about putting it with the rest of the tools.
Nate Bezanson
I have this iron and both battery systems mentioned. The TS100 takes a long time to warm up on 12V, it’s really not ideal for that. Works in a pinch but won’t reach lead-free temperatures. It’s much happier, and I would say ideal, on 18v.
PAntonvich
I’ve not really noticed that it takes a long time to heat up on 12v – I’m normally on the lower end of the temp scale for soldering electronics but I found this that says on 12v it takes 40 sec to get to 300 and on 18v it takes 15 sec.
https://oscarliang.com/ts100-soldering-iron/
PAntonvich
I printed a 3d case for mine that I found on thingverse so it doesn’t get damaged – it’s traveled with my tools for about a year but I’m not in the trade but my tools do leave the house more then most. To me the M12 soldering iron just looks like it would be too heavy and awkward to use on a circuit board – but I don’t really think that’s the market for it – more like landscaping wires… I’ve used my T100 on both (landscaping wires and circuit boards ) with no issues.
PAntonvich
and I also have a Portasol butane soldering iron but the Ts100 has become my default for remote work
Redford
This would have been perfect for me 10+ years ago when I was working as a car audio installer. Often times you have to solder a lot of wires under the dash or behind the radio so the station is best suited for that. With the m12 I’d be worried about it falling over and burning the carpet. We used a similar corded Weller station without temperature control and l an extension reel. My only concern would be if this has enough run time to do a remote start (2-3 hours).
I want one but don’t need either.
Eric
Between the power station and the Hakko soldering iron I love to use I am not in the market for the soldering irons, but I am very interested in the rotary tool in the comments.
If the body of the rotary tool vibrates less than the Dremel with a Flex shaft I will likely buy one when it is available.
Brian M
If Milwaukee came out with a station like the Ryobi, I’d probably buy it. Wish the Ryobi had a spot for a brass pad too besides just the sponge. Wonder what tips it uses, probably the solid ones instead of the hollow core like Hakko.
David Zeller
The Australian site says the battery-only model is 40W, 480 degrees.
https://www.ryobi.com.au/power-tools/products/details/18v-one-soldering-iron-r18soi-0
Stuart
480°C = 896°F.
David Zeller
Sorry, missed typing the units. Kind of important, huh!
Stuart
Sorry, I couldn’t tell if you missed reading the units or typing the units, and figured that the conversion was worth including either way. Even if you did type it in, I double checked the numbers.
John
I’ve kept batteries for my own Ryobi tools going on about 20 yrs from the NiCD to L-ion. Don’t use very many normal tools of theirs but have plenty of the one of kind type of tools they have on the 18v lineup, pretty cool of them to come out with items other manufacturers just don’t think of or don’t care about.
Jim
I was a mechanic at an automotive desert proving grounds for years where we did a lot of trailer towing both for durability testing but also vehicle development work.
We maintained a fleet of 25+ trailers of all shapes and sizes and somehow??! there was always last minute work to do on damaged wiring or connectors. Nobody ever knew how it happened but it was always a last minute rush job.
It was a pain many times to grab a vehicle with a hitch, get the correct size ball, tow it into the busy shop just to solder a couple wires. I used a butane iron for years but it was kinda slow. I could see me using either the Milwaukee M12 or giving the nonadjustable Ryobi a try. The three foot cord would bother me and I think the Ryobi would sit nicely on the 18v battery.
MacLean
Nope. Butane for portable and Weller for a precision table bound task.
Mike
Hate the color, but Ryobi keeps making the tools I want…
Patrick H.
I find them easy to spot when i set them down all over the place.
Bruce
This seems like a pretty well thought out tool to me. I’ve got several butane powered soldering irons. They are great, working under a dash or anywhere I don’t have power. The drawback is they don’t do well in a breeze and if you need to set them down, you are in trouble. This solves two problems. It gives me a proper tool holder with a heavy base so it doesn’t move around and I don’t have to worry about the flame going out. If I run a battery down, I have plenty. Adjustable temp seems nice, certainly easier to work with than dialing the butane up or down and trying again. I’ll probably buy the hybrid model because my 25 year old radio shack basic iron just gave up the ghost. Needs replaced and this might mean that I don’t have to purchase another bench iron.
John
No value to me! The little bit of soldering I do is usually on a bench near a 220V outlet. But I am sure it would be handy for on-site work in large buildings during construction.
David Zeller
I’ve been doing a lot of projects in an unused bedroom since going on disability unexpectedly in my mid 40s. My main work area is a table in the middle of the room. I’ve found that cordless things make life much easier. I love Ryobi’s glue gun, for instance. I would love it if I could make my 3D printer cordless!
There are a lot of things you don’t think about until your body and mind don’t work like they’re supposed to. Like now, more than ever, I wish I could get a CNC and a better drill press. That would help me do new things now that my hands and mind can’t handle any more, like the 3D printer hopefully will. (By the way, it was severe Lyme disease that got me.) (I’m surprised I wrote all this. I don’t normally share. I’m kind of down today, and ToolGuyd folks aren’t evil like so many communities!)
I also resort to LED light panels used for photography at times, which run off Sony camcorder batteries (or wired). My latest two put out about 4000 lumens each and are color adjustable. They were $140 for two including stands. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079JFGCQV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_Ds8fCbMAJ5J97) They’ve served well for ad hoc puzzle table duty for my wife and her family at the holidays, too.
The rolling cordless wet-dry vac Ryobi came out with has also been handy. It’s not super powerful, but does well.
Ryobi is an enabler!
I want them to make one more thing *right now* though. A “hair dryer.” Actually, a low temperature, maybe higher volume, version of a heat gun. It would be for artists to dry paint while they work. This is especially useful for watercolor, which I am trying to learn.
The rotary tool sounds nice, too. But with my portion of income dropped to Social Security levels (for non-US people, low), one must prioritize! At least that is what my wonderful, ever supportive wife keeps reminding me!!!
David
dandLyons
Hi David
I am sorry to hear you are down.
I just wanted to say you are not the only one knocked out of his prior orbit by disability. I have a similar experience but try to remain an avid tinkerer.
Thanks for sharing your tool views. I think the topic of using tools to empower folks with various challenges is a worthy discussion. I too like the variety of Ryobi tools. They can really help with specific challenges. I know I have become fond of the Milwaukee M12 tools, as well. They are ergonomically easier for me to handle so they keep me engaged. ( For example, the power ratchets are my current favorite.)
You are right about this community. It is a positive place with lots of interesting discussions and interesting people (yourself included). Also lots of interesting tools not all of which we can afford 😉 Would be nice if we could though, wouldn’t it.
You mentioned CNC. I am not certain what your mobility situation is. But one thing to consider is a local makerspace. You can get access to a lot of cool tools for a nominal membership fee. Given your financial contraints they may even offer a discount. Typically they have lots of stuff; CNC, Laser cutters, 3D printers, etc. Makerspaces are great supportive communities where others can help you get up to speed on how to use everything.
So for CNC stuff, you may also need to build skills with CAD tools. There are some great free resources for that. I don’t know if you have heard of MOOCs (massive online open courses). These are websites that offer free classes on a wide variety of interesting topics. It is similar to watching YouTube videos to learn something only more structured like a short college class and taught by experts and real universities. But these are not formal education. Most classes are self paced. The classes are free. The give access to any software you might need. There isn’t any penalty if you drop out or don’t complete it. The site that I frequent is:
https://www.coursera.org
I have found classes on 3D Printing and CAD tools like AutoDesk 360. There are whole series of classes on digital manufacturing like CNC. I have also come across electronics courses that teach about programmable controllers like Raspberry Pi or how to build a power supply. I took one on Solar Power that was really interesting. One that was also interesting was on Digital Audio. They taught how to use a whole bunch of open source tools. You need to keep checking the course offerings because there is always new stuff coming along. MOOCs are another form of positive community. You can interact with other student and the teaching staff.
Since you are commenting in a soldering iron article, I am going to assume you tinker with electronics. For a person on a budget, I have found a good resource for some inexpensive electronics, robotics, etc. books. The site is called HumbleBundle. They bundle together products & sell them with some proceeds going to charity. You can actually choose what percentage of the price goes to the charity or the publisher or the humblebundle site. They periodically have books from the publishers of Make magazine. A current bundle is on programmable controllers like Arduino & Raspberry Pi. But includes topics like Robots & Drones & Sensors & Bluetooth, & programming. The bundles are typical priced around $15 or $18 for hundreds of dollars of eBooks should you buy them individually elsewhere. Past bundles have included books on rockets, leatherwork, musical instruments, CAD for 3D & CNC, Workshop tips, etc. Too many topics to list here. The bundles come and go so you have to watch to see when they have a group of eBooks that interest you. Here is a link to the current bundle:
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/microcontrollers-books
Finally, I have a non-tool related recommendation. It is another possible positive/supportive online community. I don’t know if you have heard of Ben’s Friends. It is an umbrella organization under which there are all sorts of online support communities for people dealing with various health challenges. Sometimes it really helps to be able to connect with folks that know exactly what you are going through. You made mention of your specific challenge so here is the link to the appropriate group:
https://www.lymediseasesupportnetwork.org/
Hang in there!
I look forward to hearing your further thoughts and advise on empowering tools.
-dandLyons
David Zeller
Thank you for a great post. I appreciate your thoughts and the time you put into it.
One oddity I’ll share regarding makers spaces and wood working. Despite being between NYC and Philadelphia, with a healthy population, there are no nearby makers spaces or wood working shops. The nearest Woodcraft stores are over an hour away, north of Philly and on the Connecticut coast. I find this very weird. I suspect we have too many white collar workers (of which I was one) with too little time or inclination. I was lucky to have grown up with a father who loved his shop despite being Ivy educated and VP level.
Regarding learning CAD, I find I learn much slower now. Where I might have picked up the basics of Fusion 360 in a weekend before, it took more like 6 weeks. That just makes me hurt inside! 🙂 ugh! But I have a very active mind (ideas) and persistence, so keep at it. I can get frustrated, and certain things are harder/easier at certain times. So when I can’t read, I watch YouTube to learn. I’m trying to learn leathercraft, watercolor, and 3D printing. Ill do each when optimal pr the fancy strikes.
I had my lathe for a year before I got confidence to use it, but I made a pen last week. (Yay!) I have a 14″ bandaw in a box since last March, sitting next to a benchtop one. I’m usually too overwhelmed to put it together. Same with hanging my air filter. I’ll get there. Perhaps by stumbling across a kindred soul in the area one day.
Thanks again
David
Jon
David –
Sorry to hear about your misadventures with Lyme Disease. I can relate all too well, having suffered many years with it, misdiagnosed for well over a decade with everything but before finally getting proper treatment. I consider myself one of the very lucky ones who mostly recovered (after two+ years of intensive treatment). Having been heavily involved in LD support networks for years, I know many folks who never recovered. Definitely worth continuing to pursue treatment: some are permanently disabled, while others (like me) made fairly miraculous strides upon getting proper treatment, even after things looked hopeless for years.
As well as the site also recommended to you, if you don’t know about ILADS yet I suggest a visit to http://www.ilads.org . Also see Lyme Disease Association, the org that Pat Smith has run for several years: http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org (also in NJ, as you seem to be). Best of luck with this.
Good tools — and especially cordless, such as Ryobi’s — really are enablers. I’ve tackled SO many projects that would have been daunting a few years back when I only had old, corded / heavy / cumbersome tools. There seems to be a fairly active market for buying and selling used Ryobi tools. I tend to be cautious about buy somebody’s used tools, but it’s doable if you’re careful. Direct Tools Outlet seems like a good option. There are also a handful of Ryobi-themed sites on Facebook: you can find them by searching for Ryobi once you’re on FB. Good discussions on a few of these. There’s also a Ryobi Tools Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ryobi/ that’s worth a read. If you like tools generally, the subreddit for that is: https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/ .
Good luck with Lyme Disease! I’m a firm believer that improvement is often possible even after protracted disability. Certainly not always the case, and I know all too well about folks underestimating the impact it’s had on your life, energy, strength and mental acuity, but I’d guess it’s more often treatable than it may seem, sometimes just needing the right doctor and medical support to start making a difference.
Mike
I’d be a buyer with variable temperature control. I don’t think I’ve ever used an iron at 900 degrees ever! I love the concept but that hot would just melt everything. That is like soldering gun range, not iron. Too bad they didn’t use the Weller connection, that iron looks pretty beefy to have delicate control over.
Gene Colley
Everything I own is Black and Yellow 20V. Now I may need this hybrid if the tips can be changed out to make it a cordless wood burner!
dandLyons
Ah, this is a topic I can speak to … I was a military electronics technician who went on to become a NASA engineer. So I have done my fair share of soldering.
I would have to agree with some earlier comments about a cordless soldering iron being truly cordless only if the iron where not attached to a base with a cord. Some years back I bought the Weller WPA2 Pyropen Self-Igniting “Cordless” Butane Soldering Iron for about $135. (I bought it to replace a cheap Benzomatic butane iron that had rusted & failed). I am extremely happy with theWeller WPA2. It is truly cordless, very compact, and definitely professional grade. The energy source, small butane vials about the same diameter as the iron but half the length, are equally compact and very portable. You can gets several hours of use & do quick and easy refills. You could perform extensive electronics assembly work with this iron. The downside of a butane iron is that you need to be careful where and how you put it down. Hot gas exhausts out the side which can quickly burn surfaces even if the tip is not in contact. There are silicone soldering mats on amazon that claim to be rated to 950F which could be useful. But I have yet to buy or test one.
In general, batteries are not great for running heating elements for any length of time. But it should be fine for quick rework. I do find the Hybrid Soldering station very interesting & may pick one up. The Ryobi Soldering Stations have a place for that hot iron to safely go. I can offer this caution from my military days. Be aware of the cord. You can accidentally snag it (or a young one might pull on it) and the hot iron can pop out of that holder and going flying.
As to how you would use these irons, the primary purpose of soldering station is for electronic assembly and rework. By this I mean working with components at the printed circuit board level. I see a lot of people use solder to connect wires together. Soldered wire connections are typically not allowed in high vibration environments as they are more prone to failure. Instead, crimped connections are required. This is true in aerospace, military, and also boating applications. So if your purpose is to interconnect wires or build cable assemblies. You should invest in a good ratcheting crimper & some quality terminals. I stick to 3M products for crimped terminals when connecting anything I want to last. Other connector offerings on amazon and the like have varied quality. Some won’t even crimp correctly. You can assess the quality of connectors/crimpers by doing a test crimp & then cutting it to examine the cross section. It should look fairly solid.
I watch a lot of maker videos & some cause me to cringe when they solder. Either they glob solder on the tip an stab it at what they want to connect (cold joints). Or else they lay the soldering iron tip on the work and dab at it with the solder strand (excessive heat). The items you are connecting, say splicing two wires, need to have a sound mechanical attachment first. Then you lay the solder on the joint. You control heat by only applying the tip (heat) until the solder starts to flow. Done! I was taught by a senior technician who was truly a master craftsman. With his instruction I was able to remove and replace 0402 SMT components (very small).
If you really want to go down the rabbit hole, here is a link to the NASA soldering standards.
https://nepp.nasa.gov/docuploads/06AA01BA-FC7E-4094-AE829CE371A7B05D/NASA-STD-8739.3.pdf
I think the Ryobi Hybrid Soldering Station combined with the Ryobi 18V Flex-Shaft Rotary Tool (and maybe add the Milwaukee M18 Heat Gun) would make the basis for a great mobile electronics rework/repair station. I have a Keter Technician Case that I snatched on closeout from Costco a while ago. It might be perfect to carry it all. I would probably add the Engineer SS-02 Solder Sucker mentioned in a previous article. Would be a good tool set for a robotic warrior.
The Milwaukee M12 offerings are interesting too, namely the M12 Soldering Iron & the M12 Rotary Tool. I have the M12 Rotary tool and really like it.
I really like that Ryobi does these Hybrid tools. Here you have a Hybrid Soldering Station that can set on your bench for home use. Or you can pack up the same tool and some batteries and go mobile. I really like that versatility. I would say, then you only need the one tool. But lets face it … we wouldn’t be here if we could limit ourselves to only one tool…
DRT
How well does the Weller WPA2 hold butane when in storage? I never bought one because of a fear (perhaps irrational) that I would pull it out of the box after 6 months, and all the butane would have leaked out.
Frosticus
Drone repair on a tailgate. But i’d still choose my ts100. With a custom rom you can have settings to run it off lithium drone batteries in the field. Anything from 12-24v. Very versatile.
BigCountry
With a 40w iron I can’t say this would interest me much. I just use an inverter in my truck and my Hakko iron. I can’t imagine the ryobi gets to temp very fast or maintains temp very well while under use. Who knows I could be surprised but not likely. Curious why they wouldn’t go with the new more efficient irons instead of the old separated tip style. Hakko for me but good on them for expanding the functionality of their line.
Boggsy
Gun.
Not nail, not heat, not screw, nor glue. Just gun.
A repeating crossbow would also be acceptable.
Honestly though, the thing that cramps my hand up the worst is just a regular old paint brush. 18v paint brush. Variable speed… from “way too fast” to “Holy hell, what have I done?!”
Das
good for electrostatic protection being isolated from the mains..great idea