Soldering is one of, if notthemost important maker skill and using the best soldering iron is the smart way to produce your best work. The bestGPUs,CPUsand even3D printershave components soldered to printed circuit boards (PCBs). Whether you are a seasoned pro, or new to soldering, you need the right iron for the task at hand, be it robotics, data science projects or arcade cabinets. But what is the best soldering iron?
On my bench I have a full hot air rework and temperature controlled soldering station, but often reach for a USB type C powered, smart soldering iron for quick fixes — the cheap and practicalFnirsi HS-01being my go to soldering iron. I’ve been soldering projects for well over 20 years,15 years of that in a professional capacityand I know that a good soldering station is essential for larger soldering projects. But smart soldering irons are ideal for smaller projects, or for when you are on the move. They are quick to heat up and often have precision tips that we can use in surface mount projects.
I’ve personally tested more than 15 different soldering irons, measuring both their ease-of-use and the time it takes for them to get to an acceptable working temperature. Below, I’ve listed the best soldering irons, along with a guide to help you choose the right kind of soldering iron for your needs. This list is always changing, we’vejust revieweda new precision soldering station for through hole and SMD soldering.
Best Smart Soldering Iron
The smart soldering iron scene started with the TS100 but then came the Pinecil which provides a smart temperature control system, DC and USB C power and user replaceable soldering tips. This little soldering iron provides total temperature control and rapidly heats up and cools down.
Smart soldering irons are ideal for electronics projects and kits. If you need to build up a PCB (Printed Circuit Board), fix some automotive or electric guitar wiring issues, or need to melt some heat press inserts into a 3D print.
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Best Soldering Station
Hakko makes great soldering stations, despite looking a little child-like. The excellent build quality, thermal mass and ease of use make them the ideal choice for beginners and professionals alike. They are more expensive than others, but worth the extra spend.
Soldering stations are for those who will be spending hours soldering projects to life. You’re tied to a workbench, but with the power of a full controllable and thermally balanced soldering iron. If you’re constantly making jewelry, audio equipment or soldering electronics projects, a soldering station is a must buy!
Best All-Rounder
The TS100 started the smart soldering scene, and the TS101 is the refinement of the original. Easily replaceable (TS100) tips, DC and USB power input and a comfortable grip make this a great soldering iron for your go-bag and your workshop.
A good all-rounder is the kind of soldering iron that we want by our side. It gets the job done and we don’t have to worry about anything. A good all-rounder is useful for soldering crafts, 3D printing, electronics and plastic welding. Just remember to keep the tip clean and your all-rounder soldering iron is ready for the next project.
Best Beginner Soldering Iron
When buying a cheap soldering iron kit they normally throw the kitchen sink in to make it a good deal. But this Tabiger kit represents a cheap entry to soldering, and it doesn’t suck. Basic temperature control, interchangeable tips, a stand and case make this ideal for beginners.
Beginner soldering irons also make great backup or “sacrificial” soldering irons for those “dirty” projects where we could damage the tip. Think automotive wiring, plastic welding as well as typical electronics projects. You don’t want to spend a fortune on a soldering iron that is there to save the wear and tear on your main soldering iron.
Best Hot-Air Rework Station
A solid performer that won’t break the bank! Hot air rework is essential for surface mount electronics and with this station you can do that and through-hole components. The soldering iron is comfortable and the hot air speed and temperature is at your control.
Hot-air rework stations are awesome for general electronic repairs. They heat the solder from a component, and enable us to remove the component without issue. They can also be used in crafts such as jewelry fabrication, plastic welding and 3D printing (removing strings from prints with a little heat is akin to magic)
Best Soldering Gun
Weller makes great soldering tools and this 140W soldering gun is a solid performer which powers through big soldering jobs. It has two power settings, and can dump 480 degrees Celsius of heat in six seconds! It is a blunt instrument, for those big jobs.
Soldering guns have immense power, making them ideal for automotive soldering applications which typically use large gauge cables that soak up heat.
Best Travelling Soldering Iron
Slightly bigger than the TS101 but many times cheaper, the Finirsi HS-01 is the ideal soldering iron for your go-bag / work-kit. It heats up fast, cools down quickly and we have complete control over the temperature and soldering tip. Best of all it comes with an aluminum cover to protect the tip when on the move.
A travelling soldering iron has to be good at a lot of things. It is never the best all-round soldering iron, but they have the heat that you need to tackle a job. Electronics, jewlery, electric guitars, plastic welding and 3D printing projects will benefit from a travelling soldering iron.
Best for the Professional Maker
The Ifixit Fixhub Portable Soldering Station is a great all-rounder. In your home workspace, the makerspace and the garage, the Ifixit Fixhub Portable Soldering Station has the power and precision for all of your soldering needs. It feels like a Hakko soldering station, but portable. The mix of portability, power and precision it is going to make a dent on your wallet.
The iFixit Fixhub provides the power of a desktop soldering station. Heck we have the power to tackle automotive and industrial soldering projects. It also has the precision control necessary for general electronics and 3D printed projects.
The Best Soldering Irons 2025
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Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
$26 isn’t a lot of money in the world of best soldering irons. It can buy you a cheap kit, loaded with accessories to sweeten the deal. Or it can buy you what is probably the most useful soldering iron a maker could have. We loved the Pinceil v2 so much we gave it anInnovation Award.
Pinecil V2, is a refinement of V1, and brings a fully temperature controlled soldering station into the palm of your hand. No really! Don’t let its size fool you. This is a capable iron that can be used for delicate soldering tasks, or for larger jobs such as speaker cables and other connections with a large thermal mass. Just change the tip (it is compatible with TS-100, TS-101 tips) and you can solder connections both small and large.
Pinecil V2 is quick to heat up, hitting 350 degrees Celsius in just 20 seconds when connected to a 20V USB-C power adapter. That’s really fast for any soldering iron and great for those of us that need to do a job quickly.
The “smart” aspect of Pinecil v2 is the OS. Yes we have an OS on a soldering iron, and with it we can tweak the iron to our needs. Setting a custom temperature profile for specific tasks is just a few clicks away. Customizing the UI for left or right handed users, setting sleep times to keep the iron hot while waiting for the user, then reacting to movement and ramping the iron to your preferred working temperature.
The downside of Pinecil v2 is that it doesn’t come with a stand. The overall shape of the iron means that it does not roll around your bench. If you need a stand, they can be purchased for just a few more dollars.
Given the size of Pinecil v2 it is the ideal soldering iron for younger or inexperienced makers. It feels more like a pencil than a soldering iron and the quick heat up and cooldown times mean there is less chance of injury. That said, always supervise learners when using any new tool.
Hakko are the Rolls-Royce of the best soldering irons. Its color-scheme may look a little Fisher-Price, but this soldering iron is a professional piece of kit. The Hakko FX-888D is a soldering station that offers excellent thermal performance, with a soldering iron that can reach 480 degrees Celsius. Tips can be easily sourced and changed, enabling precision or heavy duty soldering.
The soldering station control unit has only two buttons but from there we can change the temperature and create presets for quickly moving from one type of job to another. The soldering iron has a great feel, with a non-slip coating and a flexible silicone cord to reduce accidental melting.
We soldered up a Velleman kit (PIC experiment board K8048) and the Hakko worked rather well. The default 350 degrees Celsius felt a little too low for the rather thick PCB so we upped the temperature to 400 and the lead solder flowed perfectly.
This is a pro level soldering station and with that it commands a pro level price. If you are going to solder a lot, or for professional use then this should be on your wish list.
The TS101 continues the greatness of its progenitor, the TS100 but provides a greater choice of power supply options. The iron is easy-to-use, quick to heat up and precise in its output. It’s also compatible with TS100 soldering tips, opening up a world of choice.
In our reviewwe loved how the TS101 felt in the hand, the button placement is perfect and the tip compatibility with the plethora of Pinecil and TS100 tips means that it caters to every user. Younger or inexperienced makers will find the TS101 slightly larger than say Pinecil v2, but the button placement and balance make this an ideal alternative for makers learning to solder.
The $50 price tag is double that ofPinecil V2and there isn’t much difference between them. Both soldering irons support the same power options and soldering iron tips. What does separate them is comfort. If we were soldering all-day long, then the TS101 would be our choice.
A cheap soldering iron kit is how many of us start our soldering journey. It is how I started way back in the 1980s. Sometimes a cheap kit will put us off, other times it offers a low cost point of entry for a new skill. The Tabinger solder iron kit is low cost, under $20 and comes with plenty of extras. This is normally a warning on the quality, in this case the iron is rather good despite our first impression.
In the kit we get lead free solder, spare tips and a folding stand (which works but isn’t the nicest). Sure all of these aren’t the best quality, but if we are starting out they will do a good job until we move onwards.
The iron is light in the hand and features a dial to set your temperature. Tips can be easily changed, and the kit comes with a selection of precision and chunky tips. Changing a tip involves unscrewing the collar and sliding the cold tip off, reversing the process to secure your choice in place.
Tabinger’s soldering iron melts solder well; just increase the temperature on the dial to be a little over your ideal choice. We normally solder at 350 degrees Celsius, but the solder was a little tacky with this iron, so we went to 400 and all was well. We did notice that the tip became “scorched” rather quickly. In our experience cheaper soldering irons can burn out quite quickly, so bear that in mind. Replacements can be easily sourced fromAmazonor Aliexpress.
The Tabinger 60W Soldering Iron is a decent iron to get you started. The low cost makes it ideal for dipping your toe into soldering.
The best soldering station with a hot air rework is a dream purchase for most makers. you’re able to buy brand names for hundreds of dollars, but the Yihua 995D+ offers brand name performance for a fraction of the price.
We’ll start with the soldering iron: a rather generic iron which uses the collar system to retain a tip over a heating element. In this case being generic is a good thing. Replacement tips can be easily sourced (even Haako tips will work). The iron feels good in the hand and the silicone cable never gets in the way thanks to its own weight keeping it fixed to the bench.
The hot air gun also feels good in the hand and has a similar cable. Controlling the iron and hot air is a little tricky at first, requiring the correct controls to be selected (on the left are the hot air controls, on the right the soldering iron) before using the central knob to set the temperature and air flow.
The tall, thin design keeps your bench space clear - the included soldering iron stand takes a little more space but that’s ok. The included stand is solidly built, doesn’t slip around the bench and has the choice of brass or sponge to clean the tip. The Yihua 995D+ is an excellent soldering station for beginners and pros alike. It gets the job done, looks good and keeps more cash in your pocket.
Weller is a known brand in the world of soldering irons. They produce good quality irons and this 140W soldering gun represents another quality product.
Soldering guns come in many forms, some feed solder to the tip, others, like this require us to manually feed the solder with a spare hand. The Weller 140W soldering gun is a beast, and lays down a surprising amount of heat in six seconds. From ambient to 480 degrees Celsius in six seconds, you can solder heavy, big joints. If you need to solder some speaker cables, large power connections on a robot or vehicle, then this gun will make the job so much easier.
Slightly pressing the trigger unleashes 140W of power to the tip of the iron. Talking of tips, it comes with a selection for precise and blunt tips for different soldering scenarios. This isn’t a general purpose soldering iron, but when you need raw power, for a large surface area, then this will do the job just fine.
Fnirsi’s HS-01 smart soldering iron is a challenger for Pinecil’s crown. It shares the same price-point, around $30 and it uses USB C power. But the HS-01 is a much better travel companion.
First of all is the cap. Instead of a stand we get a cap which firmly covers the hot tip of the soldering iron. Sure the cap will get hot if you put it on right after soldering, but the iron cools down quick, and heats up even quicker! The screw collet, designed to hold the tip in place, means that we do not need a screwdriver to replace tips, just wait for the iron to cool and you can swap the tip for a compatible replacement. TS100 / TS101 / Pinecil tip compatibility would be the ideal, but a set of Hs-01 compatible tips is around $15.
Soldering with the HS-01 is a joy. The included tip is a good all-rounder and forour reviewit performed great on solder joints big and small. For $30, if the Pinecil V2 is out of stock, or you need a soldering iron for your traveling maker kit, buy this instead!
The Ifixit Fixhub Portable Soldering Station is a great all-rounder. In your home workspace, the makerspace and the garage, the Ifixit Fixhub Portable Soldering Station has the power and precision for all of your soldering needs. It feels like a Hakko soldering station, but portable. The mix of portability, power and precision it is going to make a dent on your wallet. If you are a professional maker who needs a powerful soldering system around your shop, then the Ifixit Portable Soldering Station is for you.
The replaceable tips are great quality, and they can put the heat exactly where we need it. We used the conical, knife and bevel tips and each of them exceeded our expectations. The USB-C cable is great quality, and won’t get in the way when soldering. Take a look at ourfull reviewto learn everything about this great soldering station.
Picking The Best Soldering Iron For You
Finding the best soldering iron for you is important. You need to be comfortable with the soldering iron in order to concentrate on the task at hand. But which type of soldering iron is for you?
Miniware TS80P
How did this iron not make the list? It looks great, feels great and it has a spring loaded tip ejection system. What let it down was the price, $95 is a lot for an iron. It can put down heat, but you need to change the included precision tip for something more general purpose in order to get it into a board. We love the iron’s user interface and it works really well, but so does Pinecil V2, which retails for a third of the price.
Weller WLSK3023G Soldering Station
Coming from the Weller pedigree we had high hopes for this soldering station. Alas it wasn’t meant to be. The LED light ring is annoying, the iron felt imprecise, and the hot tip of the iron pointing out from the stand felt counter-intuitive. It isn’t a bad iron, but compared to others, it just wasn’t worth the $70 asking price.
YIHUA 938BD+ Soldering Station
It was a tough call between the 938BD+ and the 995D+. The 938BD+ has a wider footprint, but the user interface felt a little less cumbersome. The call was tough, and if the 938BD+ is offered at a reduced price to the 995D+, then jump on it.
Preciva 8786D Hot Air Gun Rework Station
It may look a little dated, but this is a solid, low-cost soldering station. So why didn’t it make the list? The hot air rework gun felt weak, we had to ramp the temperature to the max in order to melt the solder on a heavy joint. The soldering iron felt fine, much like the Yihua stations (Preciva and Yihua are one and the same) but it lacked a silicone cord, instead using PVC. PVC cords are fine, but they are prone to creeping along your bench, getting in the way.
New Acalox Soldering Gun
This gun was the antithesis of the Weller. It took a while to heat up and required solder to be fed via a ratchet system, through the gun. It felt cheap, and the easily removable plastic cover exposed mains voltage connections. If you need a soldering gun, spend the extra money and get the Weller. This cheaper version is not safe for general use.
How We Test The Best Soldering Irons
Each soldering iron was tested with a Velleman PCB kit, chosen for its mixture of small through-hole components and large soldering joints (mechanical joints to anchor components to the board). We used the same solder, lead based 60 / 40 with tin and rosin flux core across all tests, to ensure that our results were consistent.
From Cold to Hot: Getting to A Working Temperature
For each soldering iron / station / gun we tested how long it would take to get to a working temperature from cold. What is a working temperature? Well that is a personal choice. Some prefer to solder at 350 degrees Celsius, others much higher. Rather than set a temperature target, we chose to pick the moment where solder instantly melts on the tip of the iron. In the case of the hot air rework stations we chose the moment that a heavy solder joint would fully melt. All times are measured in seconds, and a lower time is better.
42
116
YIHUA 995D+
24
92
43
YIHUA 938BD+
33
112
Pinecil v2
10
15
Weller 9400PKS 120V
6
26
25
76
Basic Soldering Iron Times
These basic irons are there for “plug and play” soldering and the Tabiger 60W iron gets to a solder melting temperature much quicker (42 seconds) than the venerable Antex XS25 (116 seconds). The Tabiger has basic temperature control, and almost three times the power of the Antex iron. That said, Antex is a respected brand and offers superb performance.
Hot Air Rework Station Times
These stations all feature a soldering iron and a hot air gun. The irons all heated up fast with the Yihua 995D taking first place in 24 seconds. The Yihua 938BD+ claimed second place at 33 seconds. For hot air, the 938BD+ was way slower than the others, 112 seconds versus a joint 92 seconds for the 995D and Preciva 8786D.
Smart Soldering Iron Times
Smart soldering irons are the F1 cars of the soldering world. They get hot, fast! Pinecil v2 took first place with a time of 10 seconds, joint second were Miniware’s TS100 and TS80P. Any of these smart soldering irons would be a great addition to a maker’s toolbox. But for under $30, Pinecil v2 is hard to resist.
Soldering Gun Times
If you absolutely have to solder large solder joints, then a soldering gun is for you. These things get hot, and have the thermal mass to dump solder onto the target. Weller’s soldering gun is impressive. It heats up within six seconds, and can sustain large solder joints for a considerable amount of time. The Acalox soldering gun is slow to heat up (26 seconds) and it feels rather cheaply made. Avoid it and pay the extra for Weller.
Soldering Station Times
Weller may have won the soldering gun round, but it loses out to Hakko’s FX888D. Heating up in 25 seconds, versus Weller’s 76 seconds, the Hakko FX888D is a sublime soldering experience, but we expect that given its price. If you are going to be soldering professionally it is always best to have the right tool for the job (as Star Trek’s Scotty can attest.)
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Les Pounder is an associate editor at Tom’s Hardware. He is a creative technologist and for seven years has created projects to educate and inspire minds both young and old. He has worked with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to write and deliver their teacher training program “Picademy”.
