Does anyone no where i can get a cold heat soldering Irons in the UK... ive tried looking through google but there was nothing except standard irons.. they look really good and would be ideal for me so i can do some soldering inside the house...
I don't know about UK, but here in Canada they are nowhere to be found....I was looking for one before christmass but could not find one.
I have owned a Cold Heat soldering iron, and it's great except that the ceramic tip wears out too fast and replacements are hard to find. I just got a cheap 100w soldering gun from radio shack, and it works great (for small joints, pulse the power so it doesn't overheat).
I used my friends Cold Heat iron a little. Not worth it, IMHO. It was difficult to get the two electrodes on the tip to heat up. I was trying to solder some 16ga solid copper and it wasn't giving me enough heat for it, because the stupid thing would only be hot for a few seconds at the time. I push harder trying to get it to heat up, end up splitting the $10 tip.
i agree- they totally suck. it took me all of a week for the tip to become totally useless, and i still haven't found a replacement tip. i bought a weller soldering pencil for almost half as much, and it's lasted me a month and a half longer so far....
Cold Heat is sold here in the US "as seen on TV" ( https://www.asseenontvnetwork.com/vcc/coldheat/coldheat/115805/ don't know how long that link lasts, better hurry). I wouldn't consider that a reputable source.
IMHO, there not worth it. the tips break really easily and they dont cool down as fast as they say. I have one and still prefer my generic soldering iron. again, stick to the standard iron.
you can get replacement tips at thinkgeek.com i got one today at ratshack and the tip was broke when i opened it, i found out later it was returned b/c it broke so quick
I was wondering when people would bring this up, but I think it isnt worth it. 1. How are you soposed to 'tin' the soddering iron. 2. Hold on let me think of something.
The best thing about the cold heat iron is that it is cordless. It's great not having to run extension cords out to the car or wherever just to solder one joint. I wouldn't use it for populating circuit boards and the like, but it is really handy for when you only need to solder one or two things and don't want to babysit an iron while it heats up and cools down.
I think a lot of using them is not having any experience with normal ones. My friend had no problem using his, but I had always used a normal one, so I was not used to the technique. I also don't feel that it gives good joints. I've always been told by the EEs I know to thoroughly heat the joint, using the wire to melt the solder, not the iron to melt it. With the cold heat, it's difficult to get it to heat up the metal, all it seems to do is quickly melt the solder.
You guys who have had troubles probably used normal solder. You need to buy ultra thin electronics solder. I have one and it works fine with the thinner solder. But i could see the tip wearing out, but it seems easily replaceable.
Yup, the Cold Heat is great for field repairs. It probably wasn't meant for frequent use. Then the solder heats the joint, and a good connection is made. And does anyone know how the Cold Heat works in the first place? It seems to have some sort of sensor in the tip that powers on the heating element only when necessary. Just to let you know, I think that my $15 Radioshack soldering gun is the best one I've used so far. Replacement tips are easily available and it heats up and cools down quite fast. (And yes, it will work for small connections if you pulse the trigger so it doesn't overheat. (Or use a light dimmer/variac to reduce the power if you find it bothersome to pulse the trigger.))
If all you want is portability, why not get something like a Portasol, gas powered catalytic iron. Even Weller makers one, they have heatshrink hot air tips, knives, and a range of tip sizes. they are about the size of a big permanant marker. http://www.portasol.com/intro_index.htm http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europe/sales_literature/documents/WellerPyropen_GB.pdf Cold heat is just a spiff name for resistance soldering, and from what I have seen, this products has not been made very well. Resistance soldering is quite common in industry, from large terminal soldering to tiny SMT tweezers. Of course, they use well designed, adjustable equipment.
i have a butane iron, it just takes too long to cool. i do like th cold heat for small repairs though, exept for the fact that when i was using .22 ga solder it got too hot and literally vaporized the flux out of it. other than that its an ok tool worth the money in my opinion
they dont take that long.. Id recommend the solderpro50 over the other one. From the specs, I think its better. £10 at maplin or £12 at rapidelectronics. Maplin sells spare tips (RE doesnt but has the kit with tips for £20) Anyway.. nothing to stop you dipping the tip in a glass of water... that would cool it instantly.. (watch out for steam!). Only dip the end in, as itll be easyer to dry.. wouldnt want the catalyist to rust.. (whatever its made off...)
