Soldering Iron Reviews
Soldering irons live or die on a handful of things a spec sheet won’t tell you: how fast the tip actually recovers heat between joints, whether the stated temperature matches what a thermocouple reads at the tip, how the handle feels after twenty minutes of fine work, and whether the tips are still available five years from now.
This category rounds up every soldering iron and soldering station review on the channel, from budget mains-powered irons through to professional stations like the Metcal MX and JBC ranges. Each review includes real temperature measurements against the display reading, not just a subjective “feels hot enough.” Where a unit was supplied free of charge or a link below is an affiliate link, that’s disclosed on the video’s page.
SDG #373 Ultimate Precision Soldering Setup – Metcal Micro-Fine Iron & Tweezers + PCBWay PCBs
Hands-on with Metcal's MX-H9 micro-fine soldering iron and MX-H10 tweezers: cartridge range, microscope ergonomics, 01005 rework and JBC comparisons.
SDG #372 Solder Not Melting? Here’s Why (and How to Fix Your Iron Tip)
Damp sponge, brass wool, JBC Inox wool, rosin, tip tinner and sal ammoniac tested on badly oxidized soldering tips. See what actually works.
SDG #371 Geeboon HC24 Low Cost High Power Soldering System for JBC handpieces.
Testing the Geeboon HC24 SMPS soldering station with T470, T245 and T115 JBC handpieces: teardown, calibration, tip leakage, firmware fix and fan noise.
Geeboon HA310 destroys components (it doesn't) #electronicscreators #beaplumbertheysaid
Testing the claim that a 400W soldering station destroys electronics. A full kit assembled with an oversized tip on the Geeboon HA310, with C210 support too.
SDG #367 Geeboon HA310 solders copper bar with ease! Drives all JBC handpieces.
The Geeboon HA310 drives JBC T115, T210, T245 and T470 handpieces from a toroidal transformer. Teardown, calibration and copper bar soldering tests.
SDG #366 Geeboon C470 380W finally tops Metcal power!
Hands-on with the Geeboon C470 380W JBC-compatible soldering station: teardown, dual 24V supplies, calibration check and busbar tests against a Metcal.
SDG #362 Aixun T413 Intelligent 200W Soldering System and T225 Smart Handpiece
Aixun T413 200W soldering station and T225 smart handpiece tested: great hardware, teardown, but firmware bugs and a badly out of calibration handle.
SDG #361 i2c PDK1200 300W Dual Iron Soldering Station for JBC handpieces
Teardown and testing of the i2c PDK1200 300W dual-channel soldering station for JBC 115, 210 and 245 handpieces. Build quality, firmware, calibration and power.
SDG #358 AxxSolder - Open Source JBC Soldering System
Hands-on with the AxxSolder STM32 JBC controller: USB-C vs 24V DC heat-up, schematic critique, GUI walkthrough and firmware update steps.
SDG #352 Quick TS11 Intelligent Soldering Station
Hands-on review of the Quick TS11 80W soldering station: teardown, calibration check, power draw and thermal tests on heavy ground planes.
SDG #345 KSGER PD210 USB-C JBC Style C210 Soldering Iron PD3.0
Full review of the KSGER PD210 USB-C PD3.0 soldering iron: teardown, capacitive wake sensor, temperature calibration and real soldering power tests.
SDG #344 TS-210 USB-C JBC Style C210 Soldering Iron PD3.0 QC3.0
Hands-on review of the £20 TS-210 USB-C soldering iron: teardown, PD/QC support, 4-point calibration accuracy and real soldering tests with JBC C210 tips.
SDG #343 Handskit T12-X2 Desoldering Tweezers System
Handskit T12-X2 tested: 72W T12 station with desoldering tweezers. Teardown, earthing check, temperature accuracy and real desoldering results.
SDG #341 ATETOOL AD680D 80W 230V Soldering Iron
Testing the ATETOOL AE680D 80W soldering station: 230V cartridges with no thermocouple, OLED menu, calibration accuracy and a full teardown.
SDG #340 FNIRSI HS-02A 100W USB Soldering Iron and FNB48P USB Power Monitor
Hands-on with the FNIRSI HS-02A 100W USB-C soldering iron and the FNB48P USB power meter: real power draw, heat-up times and who they suit.
SDG #339 Wemon T31 120W JBC Style Soldering Station
Hands-on review of the Wemon T31 120W soldering station: C115, C210 and C245 support, teardown, calibration and real thermal performance testing.
SDG #335 Aixun 80W USB-C and Battery Powered T380 Soldering Station
Hands-on with the Aixun T380: 80W USB-C PD portable soldering station with swappable battery, teardown, thermal testing and real-world verdict.
SDG #333 GVM H3 - Performing how it should! (almost)
A second look at the GVM H3 soldering station after firmware changes: thermal response, tip performance and the quirks that still remain.
SDG #331 GVM H3 - Why did we not get 80W output power?
Follow-up testing on the GVM H3 soldering station explains why it never hits its claimed 80W output, and what that means for real soldering work.
SDG #329 GVM H3 80W Soldering Station - A JBC T245, T210 and T115 style system
Hands-on review of the GVM H3 80W soldering station with JBC T245, T210 and T115 style handpieces. Teardown, calibration checks and real soldering results.
SDG #319 AiXun T320 200W JBC Style Soldering Station
Hands-on review of the AiXun T320 200W soldering station: JBC C245 tip compatibility, teardown, calibration, coin test and grounded PCB soldering results.
SDG #316 Mechanic C211 JBC Style Soldering Station
Hands-on review of the Mechanic C211 soldering station: teardown, C210 handpiece quality, calibration, power delivery and whether it beats pricier JBC clones.
SDG #313 Thermaltronics TMT9000S - Is it better than the Metcal MX?
Hands-on review of the Thermaltronics TMT9000S curie-point soldering station, including teardown, cartridge fit and thermal recovery tests versus the Metcal MX.
SDG #307 Miniware TS1C Cordless Soldering Iron
Hands-on with the Miniware TS1C supercapacitor cordless soldering iron: teardown, calibration check, real runtime limits and who it actually suits.
SDG #303 JBC Soldering Assistant CDE Station T245
Hands-on with the JBC CDE-B soldering assistant and T245 handpiece: joint feedback tested on a real 4-layer board, plus how it compares to Metcal CV.
SDG #299 Aifen A902 Dual Channel JBC C245 C210 C115 Soldering Station
Hands-on review of the Aifen A902 dual channel soldering station: teardown, calibration accuracy, coin test results and where it falls short of JBC.
SDG #297 Sequre S60 60W USB-C JBC C210 Soldering Iron
Hands-on review of the Sequre S60 USB-C soldering iron: teardown, genuine JBC C210 tip compatibility, temperature calibration checks and real power limits.
SDG #288 Atten USB GT-2010 Temperature Controlled Soldering Iron
Hands-on review of the Atten GT-2010 USB soldering iron: teardown, calibration check, cartridge costs and whether 10W is worth £50 or more.
SDG #284 130W Capable JBC C245 Soldering Iron
Bench-supply testing the L245 USB-C soldering iron with a genuine JBC C245 cartridge: 6A current spikes, 300W draw and why firmware limits matter.
SDG #283 A USB-C JBC C245 Soldering Iron
Testing the L245 USB-C portable soldering iron that takes JBC C245 cartridges: menus, 5-point calibration, PD voltage limits and a genuine-tip overcurrent…
SDG #275 Pinecil V2 PINE64 Open Source Soldering Iron - Test with PCBs from JLCPCB
Hands-on review of the PINE64 Pinecil V2 portable soldering iron: build quality, IronOS interface, calibration, USB-C PD power and real soldering results.
SDG #268 New MiniWare TS101 - Upgraded from TS100 USB Soldering Iron test with PCBs from JLCPCB
Hands-on look at the MiniWare TS101 portable soldering iron: USB-C power, new UI, TS100 tip compatibility and real soldering performance on test PCBs.
SDG #264 Aixun T420D 2 Channel 200W Soldering Station Detailed Review
Hands-on review of the Aixun T420D dual channel 200W soldering station: teardown, T245/T210/T115 handles, firmware, calibration and heat tests.
SDG #250 Metcal GT4 Slim Handpiece, GT90 / GT120 GT Adjustable Soldering Station
Hands-on with Metcal's GT4 slim handpiece for the GT90 and GT120 adjustable soldering stations, including firmware update, calibration and real soldering work.
SDG #249 JBC Nitrogen Soldering Station (JBC KNE-A Nitrogen Kit) with SolderKing solder
Hands-on with the JBC KNE-A nitrogen kit and T245NA handpiece: does inert gas soldering really improve joints, tip life and flux-free wetting?
SDG #243 Handskit JBC T245 Soldering Station Review and Teardown
Hands-on review and full teardown of the Handskit JBC T245 clone soldering station: build quality, safety issues, calibration and thermal performance.
SDG #242 1SCN Dual Channel 160W C210 C115 JBC Soldering Station Disaster
A 160W dual channel station for JBC C210 and C115 handpieces looks great on paper, but the teardown reveals serious build and safety problems.
SDG #233 JBC AM120 and Metcal MX-PTZ Desoldering Tweezers
Comparing the JBC AM120 and Metcal MX-PTZ desoldering tweezers: tip choice, heat-up, ergonomics and how each handles real SMD removal work.
SDG #232 New Aixun T3B JBC Style C210 and C115 Soldering Station (also T210 or T115)
Hands-on review of the Aixun T3B soldering station for JBC C210 and C115 cartridges, including teardown, calibration accuracy and soldering tests.
SDG #231 Why 2 Metcal GT120 Adjustable Temperature Soldering Stations??
Two Metcal GT120 soldering stations torn down and compared, with firmware differences, tip performance and temperature accuracy versus ADS200 and JBC.
SDG #229 Improved Aixun T3A Soldering Station Handpiece Cradle and JBC C115 C210 C245 handpieces
A closer look at Aixun's improved T3A handpiece cradle, the dual-port T3B, JBC C115/C210/C245 handpiece support and third-party firmware updates.
SDG #226 Metcal High Thermal Demand Soldering Handpiece CV-H6-HTD, MX-H6-HTD, HCV Cartridges
Testing Metcal's high thermal demand handpiece and HCV cartridges on aluminium PCB and 3mm copper, against the PACE ADS200 and JBC C245.
SDG #225 Metcal Connection Validation Solder Quality Analysis with the CV-5210 system (CV5200)
Hands-on look at Metcal's CV-5210 soldering station: how Connection Validation judges joint quality, teardown, calibration checks and real solder tests.
SDG #224 UniSolder 5.2 with a JBC C245 Handpiece
Building the open source UniSolder 5.2 soldering controller and running it with a JBC C245 handpiece: assembly pitfalls, firmware, calibration and real…
SDG #222 Ersa I-CON 2V 120W Soldering Station with I-TOOL handpiece
Hands-on review of the Ersa I-CON 2V soldering station and I-TOOL handpiece: teardown, thermal performance, calibration, overshoot and real soldering tests.
SDG #221 AiXun T3A 200W JBC T245 Compatible Soldering Station
Hands-on review of the AiXun T3A 200W soldering station: teardown, C245 cartridge compatibility, calibration and heavy thermal load testing.
SDG #220 T12 KSGER and QUICKO STM32 Station with Custom Firmware
Comparing the KSGER Mini and QUICKO STM32 T12 soldering stations, plus flashing DavidAlfa's custom firmware for better control and calibration.
SDG #218 Metcal PS-900 450 kHz Smartheat Soldering System
Hands-on with the Metcal PS-900 SmartHeat soldering system: teardown, thermal recovery, tip cartridges and coin test results versus JBC stations.
SDG #216 JBC DDE-2C Modular 2 Tools Soldering Station for T245, T210 and other handpieces
Hands-on review of the JBC DDE-2C two-tool soldering station: teardown, UI walkthrough, tip calibration and thermal tests vs Metcal, PACE and BST.
SDG #215 Pace ADS200 Soldering Station
Hands-on review of the Pace ADS200 with TD-200 handpiece: build quality, Accudrive thermal recovery and coin tests vs Metcal and JBC T245.
SDG #213 Quick TS1200A 120W Soldering Station - Is it worth it? $220 at Banggood.com
Teardown, heat-up timing and coin tests pit the Quick TS1200A 120W soldering station against Metcal and JBC gear. Is the price justified over a KSGER T12?
SDG #211 Testing new high thermal capacity tips on the Metcal GT120 and JBC soldering stations
High thermal capacity cartridges tested on the Metcal GT120, MX5200, a JBC T245 clone and a KSGER T12 to see which handles heavy solder loads best.
SDG #209 Metcal GT120 GT90 Adjustable Temperature Soldering Station
Hands-on look at the Metcal GT120 and GT90 adjustable temperature soldering stations: handpiece feel, tip range, real soldering performance and a full teardown.
SDG #179 Miniware TS80p as your main Soldering Iron?
Can the USB-C powered Miniware TS80p replace a mains soldering station? A look at heat-up time, thermal recovery, tips, power supply needs and value.
SDG #140 Toor T12-11 Soldering Station for JBC C245 Tips
A close look at the Toor T12-11 soldering station built for JBC C245 cartridges: build quality, heat-up speed, thermal recovery and value.
SDG #089 JBC Soldering Station on a Budget - Best BST-933B / Jabe UD-1200
Which cheap JBC C210/C245 clone station is worth buying? Comparing the BST-933B and Jabe UD-1200 on heat-up, power delivery and tip compatibility.
SDG #072 Best Low Cost Soldering Station - QUICKO / KSGER T12 STM32 907
A close look at the QUICKO and KSGER T12 STM32 907 soldering station: build quality, safety, tip performance and whether it beats pricier irons.
SDG #01 Metcal MX-5251 Soldering Station Unboxing
Unboxing the Metcal MX-5251 dual port soldering and desoldering station with MX-H1-AV handpiece and MX-DS1 gun. Build quality, cartridges and first impressions.