Battery and Gas Powered Soldering Irons

So, you've decided a portable battery powered or gas powered, soldering iron is the best way for you to get some projects done around the house.  Let's dig a little deeper into the pro's and cons of each.   

We'll start with the battery powered unit.

Battery powered irons are generally unregulated at the heat source.  You can only solder with the amount of energy supplied by what the batteries can provide as they slowly dissipate their stored energy.  Usually they consist of AA batteries in combinations of two or more. 

However, some battery powered units come with interchangeable tips that can be quite useful in a pinch if you're working out in the field, or your shop, and there are no electrical outlets to warrant a corded system.

Below are some examples of what battery powered irons look like.

Battery powered soldering irons

One type of battery powered iron claims to be able to go from 0 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit in just a couple of seconds.  It employs a split tip made of a proprietary graphite material called Athalite.  I won't mention the brand name in this article to avoid any prejudice or marketing towards the unit.   

However, here is a picture of the tip section of the unit.  As you can see, both sides of the tip must make contact with the item to be soldered.  This is a bit clunky when you're trying to solder a component onto a circuit board or get into a tight space where there is little to no room.

Cold heated soldering tip

Suffice it to say, I have tried this "cold to hot to cold" unit in my own lab with less than impressive results.

The problem I found with the split tip is that you have to touch both sides of the item to be soldered to form an arcing bridge for the electricity to flow through.  Touching one side of the tip will do nothing and your solder will never melt.

Another problem that I encountered with this technology was the tips tended to crumble after a few hours of working with them.  It was as if the material could not handle the heating and cooling process for very long and suffered from heat fatigue.

If you don't like or don't want a battery powered unit then you could use a gas powered soldering iron.  

Gas supplied soldering iron
 

This system employs the use of Butane gas in a chamber inside the base of the iron.  The heat is generally regulated by adjusting the flow of gas to the tip. 

These types of irons are very useful for doing more than just soldering.  They usually come with attachments for soldering, a blowtorch system and also a tip for shrinking heatshrink tubing.You can also get attachments for melting plastic and burning word projects if desired.

I have found that the gas powered unit works well outdoors even when it is windy.  My experience with a gas powered iron has taken me to rooftops and field's where the wind was blowing up to 40 miles an hour and it performed well in those conditions. 

I highly recommend a butane soldering iron if you are working outdoors and not near any flammable items.  The flame from the torch is slightly open at the side of the tip and could ignite any type of solvent, gas, or other flammable substance near it. 

So, be extra careful if you're going to use a Butane powered soldering iron.  I don't want it to be said that I wasn't looking out for your best interest.

I know I haven't covered everything that could possibly be covered about battery and gas powered soldering irons.  But, this should provide you with a good foundation in starting off with your own equipment choices.

Have fun with your projects and come back and comment on how things worked out for you.  I welcome the chit-chat from other soldering enthusiasts.