slipjointed
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 31, 2011
- Messages
- 665
I'm in the market for a new Butane soldering iron/torch.
The only two I've used enough to make judgement on are the little $15 Bernzomatic they sell at HD/Lowes, and the Master Ultratorch.
The little el-cheapo Bernzomatic is a workable iron, but the torch on it blows out even from the slightest movement, let alone breeze. It solders well enough, but has no auto-ignition and is a pain to lite at times. It's a bargain for $15, as long as you don't plan on using it as a torch, and as long as you always remember to carry a lighter or matches.
The Master Ultratorch has been around for a while, and is a well made unit. I really don't think it's worth the cost though. It was what we had at my old work, and I've used more than one unit on a regular basis. The torch worked a lot better than the cheapo that I have, but even with auto-ignition, it was a pain to light, and would never fire up on the first, or even sometimes second, third, and fourth tries. It also had a 4 position heat setting, but it might as well have been an on/off switch, because it had little to no effect on the gas flow.
I've been looking around and it seems that the Portasol units are the ticket. They're made in Ireland from what I can tell, and the kits they sell them in (if you opt to buy the kit instead of the iron alone) come with a bunch of different useful tips.
The pro version comes in 75w ($70 kit) and 125w ($88), that appear identical in functionality, just different in size and total heat and runtime (and cost of course). I would lean towards the 75w not because of cost savings, but because it's a compact unit, and I will use primarily for electronics repair.
There's also a nice unit made by Steinel, and if it's anything like their digital heat guns, it's got to be one hell of a tool. I've had nothing but great luck with Steinel, but their kit also costs twice what the portasol stuff costs.
It's kind of a long shot to see if anyone has experience with the $150+ Steinel unit, but I was hoping at least one or two people here had experience with the Portasol, specifically the 75W. The 125W got good reviews on Amazon, but there are none for the 75W model.
Any other suggestions are welcome also. FYI the must-haves are auto-ignition, point tip as well as chisel tip, and a torch that functions well so I can use it for heat shrink. A heat shrink shield is a plus.
Thanks ahead of time, hopefully I get a couple bites on this thread.
The only two I've used enough to make judgement on are the little $15 Bernzomatic they sell at HD/Lowes, and the Master Ultratorch.
The little el-cheapo Bernzomatic is a workable iron, but the torch on it blows out even from the slightest movement, let alone breeze. It solders well enough, but has no auto-ignition and is a pain to lite at times. It's a bargain for $15, as long as you don't plan on using it as a torch, and as long as you always remember to carry a lighter or matches.
The Master Ultratorch has been around for a while, and is a well made unit. I really don't think it's worth the cost though. It was what we had at my old work, and I've used more than one unit on a regular basis. The torch worked a lot better than the cheapo that I have, but even with auto-ignition, it was a pain to light, and would never fire up on the first, or even sometimes second, third, and fourth tries. It also had a 4 position heat setting, but it might as well have been an on/off switch, because it had little to no effect on the gas flow.
I've been looking around and it seems that the Portasol units are the ticket. They're made in Ireland from what I can tell, and the kits they sell them in (if you opt to buy the kit instead of the iron alone) come with a bunch of different useful tips.
The pro version comes in 75w ($70 kit) and 125w ($88), that appear identical in functionality, just different in size and total heat and runtime (and cost of course). I would lean towards the 75w not because of cost savings, but because it's a compact unit, and I will use primarily for electronics repair.
There's also a nice unit made by Steinel, and if it's anything like their digital heat guns, it's got to be one hell of a tool. I've had nothing but great luck with Steinel, but their kit also costs twice what the portasol stuff costs.
It's kind of a long shot to see if anyone has experience with the $150+ Steinel unit, but I was hoping at least one or two people here had experience with the Portasol, specifically the 75W. The 125W got good reviews on Amazon, but there are none for the 75W model.
Any other suggestions are welcome also. FYI the must-haves are auto-ignition, point tip as well as chisel tip, and a torch that functions well so I can use it for heat shrink. A heat shrink shield is a plus.
Thanks ahead of time, hopefully I get a couple bites on this thread.
gone through a couple of tips with mine but had it for a number of years and it gets plenty of use 
good at curing wire Heat-Shrink too 
