Cold Heat soldering iron?

[Ken_CT]

Does anyone have any experience with the Cold Heat soldering iron? It's a battery powered soldering iron advertised on TV. If it's any good it would be handy for soldering electrical connections without having to run a cord out. It is also available at Think Geek
Thanks in advance.

 

[Joe1]

Ken:

You could "invest" the 20 bucks and let us know how it works. Seems too good to be true.

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue">It functions best when used with solder 0.032 to 0.040 inches in diameter and wires 18 - 24 AWG or equivalent-sized parts.
</font>

The above quote is a key consideration. Looks like what they are saying is that it really doesn't have a lot of heating capability.

One thing missing from the listed specs is the wattage rating.

My guess is that the thing may work well on very small gage wires...I doubt it would be very practical for most things.

An alternative that I have used in the past is small butane fueled soldering pencil, very small and light and VERY capable of soldering two 12 gage wires easily. I don't have a URL to point to, but I don't doubt these are still available and if I wanted something portable that is the way I would go. Refueling is done with a small canister of butane, the same that is used for cigarette lighters...

edit: Here's one on ebay...

 

[AndyMA]

Several year sago, i purchased a rechargable soldering iron. Pathetic is how I would describe it's ability to make more than about one joint on a charge. soldering takes heat, and that is a lot of watts, which the average battery pack just doesn't have. From Henro's post the size wire it is recommended for is smaller than the average wires found on a tractor.

I like Henro's idea of a small torch.

Andy

 

[dmp437]

I second Henro's idea of going with a butane fired unit. I currently use the Blue Point #YAS1 and before that a Master Appliance. The whole idea of using a cordless soldering iron to begin with is to get away from the AC outlet. When a rechargable iron dies it's back to the outlet to recharge again, taking 1/2-1 hour to do it. With a butane unit I refill at the work location (assuming I brought the butane cylinder) in about 20 seconds and I'm ready to go again. There's also the issue about being able to store more btu's (available heat) in the butane tank vs. in the rechargable battery. Butane all the way /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[LarryD]

Back when I did maintenance away from the shop, you could not have paid me for my butane soldering iron. Heats up real fast and soldered everything I put it to.
I saw the one advertised on TV and it got my attention, until the next commercial /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bully]

If your going to be around power, a good old weller iron will do the trick. That cold heat is just that, cold heat. may work on a p.c. board or bell wire, but anything larger will work just like a heat sink, and suck the heat right out of the joint. Gary

 

[rebelmedic]

I got a cold heat soldering iron for Christmas. I`ve not had a chance to play/work with it. I`ll try to get a test run with different size wires soon and let everyone know how it works.

 

[khd]

If it did small gauge stuff well $20 might be worth it as each has there own usefullness as I am famous for missing the stand when I set one down and inevitably burn something like my finger. I have a weller gun, a butane, a high end small wattage iron, a large old electic copper and several tinners coppers and use them all for the purpose intended. But then again I am all for using the right tool for the job i.e. the butane one might do the job on a pc board but isn't the right tool just as I wouldn't use the small iron to tin a battery cable.

Let us know how it works.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Soundguy]

I taped the comercial about coldheat.. also looks like it really needs metal contact to heat up.. I sometimes like my soldering iron as a heat source for heatshrink or other things.

I think my butane powered portable iron is about the best portable iron I've found. Heats up nearly instantly.. will handle big wires.. has good heat recovery as well.

Soundguy