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View Full Version : Cold Heat or cold crap


Ken Mifune
2004.10.30, 02:58 PM
I keep seeing the TV commercial for the Cold Heat soldering iron, and I was wondering if anybody here has one. Give a review.

techno
2004.10.30, 03:15 PM
Me too I think it would be great for battery packs. Also radioshack carries them now too

davkin
2004.10.30, 07:50 PM
A local consumer reporter tried it out and it seemed to be hit or miss with circuit board work. I'd think it would work good for other soldering though. It's basically a resistance type solderer. You have to place the tip a certain way and when you apply the solder it completes the circuit and causes it to heat instantly, and melt the solder, then you pull the tip away and that breaks the circuit and it cools instantly. Neat idea really, and they made it portable too. I don't think you could lose for $20. I'll have to stop into RS and get one.

David

Twenty-Se7en
2004.10.31, 12:32 AM
I've seen the commercials my self... it sure would be nice to work with a soldering iron that wouldn't heat up our fragile PCBs :)

Yugo DSC Maxxer
2004.11.22, 10:54 PM
Would this be a good first soldering iron or hobby solderer? I ask because I have never soldered in my life. :D
EDIT: Except for my old school OL days, where I made a roll cage for my X5 using my freinds old soldering iron.

ruknd@aol.com
2004.11.23, 11:07 AM
Would this be a good first soldering iron or hobby solderer? I ask because I have never soldered in my life. :D
EDIT: Except for my old school OL days, where I made a roll cage for my X5 using my freinds old soldering iron.

I had a gas iron and it wasnt hot enough for RC applications...i winder if this would have the same problem...I like my 40W weller its cheap and it works

HammerZ
2005.12.24, 05:43 PM
Guess what I got for Christmas??? yep, one of these things. I have not tried it yet, just reading the papers and it says, the tips are very fragile.

Yea, I know this thread is over a year old.

james399
2005.12.24, 06:09 PM
how does it work, i was thinkin of grabbin one of these myself...

EMU
2005.12.24, 11:11 PM
I read that the tips are a little large for PCB work. Although, for motor wires and larger stuff, it should be good for taking to the field without having to wait for the iron to warm up.

HammerZ
2005.12.25, 12:32 AM
how does it work,

It uses a resistance soldering, basicly it has to touch metal to make contact. Still an old fashoined soldering iron has more uses, like melting plastic or PCB work. But as far as wiring motors and quick jobs, it is a good tool to have.

bda52
2005.12.25, 02:28 AM
I did not care for it. The gap between the 2 parts of the tip is too great to use on Mini-Z's. I could not even get it to solder on the loop at the end of the antenna wire with the Cold Heat iron. It would be good for larger scale, just not Mini-Z.

james399
2005.12.25, 05:05 AM
ok, it seems that the consensus on this is that the tip sucks....
but it would be a quality product to have, to do quick repairs on the road??

so the next question is, are the tips interchangeble like the cheapys??
if yes,
do they have a thin tip for finer soldering?

-james

bda52
2005.12.25, 08:56 AM
ok, it seems that the consensus on this is that the tip sucks....
but it would be a quality product to have, to do quick repairs on the road??

so the next question is, are the tips interchangeble like the cheapys??
if yes,
do they have a thin tip for finer soldering?

-james

It does come with 2 tips, I cannot recall if they were different sizes or not though. I gave it to my father after I could not use it with the Z cars.

If you are talking about being able to use it on PCB boards or other kinds of computer boards, no.

Since we are in the season, the tip is kind of shaped like a reindeers hoof. The tip is split in half. The way it works is the piece you are soldering must touch both sides of the tip. It then heats up almost instantly you might even see a quick spark. It will not work if you touch one side of the tip to one piece of metal and the other side to a different piece of metal.

If you are looking to have it in the glovebox for auto repairs or general household use, yes this is a really good product. It is just too big to use on this small of a car.

mini-z racing
2005.12.25, 09:24 AM
It's Junk, we bought one where i work and it does not work, waste of money, dont buy one. peace

bashtothemax2
2005.12.25, 02:33 PM
i had one and it sucked bigtime

HammerZ
2005.12.25, 02:59 PM
It may be worth it for me to solder caps onto a motor can with, my small iron takes a very long time to heat up a large mass of metal like the motor can.

james399
2005.12.25, 06:53 PM
the time factor is kind of neat... instant heat....

i guess ill just wait till the technology improves ...

im sure they will come out with somthing similar with a fine point... :o

T Man
2005.12.25, 09:42 PM
Like everyone else has said, don't waste your money on one. Just get a nice Hakko soldering station and a fine tip. I think they go for about $80 if you shop around a little on the internet.

james399
2005.12.27, 05:08 AM
ahhh..... i went to a friends for dinner, and got a belated christmas present... lol... 1 guess as to what it is...

lol... haven't tried it out yet... but i guess ill be throwing the coldheat into the tool kit. :rolleyes:

-james

arch2b
2005.12.27, 05:15 AM
i got one as an xmas gift last year and it went right into the toolbox never to be seen again

james399
2005.12.27, 05:34 AM
the vortex of random tools to perhaps be used one day.... its kind of like the old toys bin... a little dusty, a little dark, a little creepy... lol...

HammerZ
2005.12.27, 06:03 AM
The Popel Pocket Fisherman may have a friend to keep it company, lol. It will melt the solder, but I have a hard time getting it to stick to my work. I may have to get better batteries for it and try again, I just used some old after Christmas pile batteries.

james399
2005.12.27, 06:43 AM
The Popel Pocket Fisherman may have a friend to keep it company, lol. .

hahahahahaha......

soulstice
2005.12.27, 09:18 AM
I've used one and can't say I'd recommend it. My problem has been making a good contact to get it to heat the element. It's kinda hit or miss. If they improve the technology either to be less finicky or have more power it would actually be very useful.

Ken Mifune
2005.12.27, 01:29 PM
It sounds like a product in the "top ten things to be re-gifted".

miniznoob
2005.12.27, 07:43 PM
LoL Ken, i use a YAKS22, from snap-on =) LoL butane gets hot enough to do batteries as well dunno about PCB, but i just use my station at home a weller. the one with adjustable crap on it =)

Ken Mifune
2005.12.27, 08:07 PM
It's a bad gift when the guy with the Chia Pet is laughing at you and that Clapper2 you got last year is now looking really sweet.


btw- I have met atleast 7 guys that claim they're the inventor of the pocket fisherman.

Mzfreak
2006.01.04, 12:41 PM
They sell it at walgreens or cvs for like 20 bucks

pianoman
2006.01.05, 04:18 AM
bought it a while back (cold fusion)...couldn't get a solder to save my broken transmitter. Used old soldering iron and that worked good. Fusion is somewhere now...I don't even know where.