Butane Soldering Kit (PPSK) [Automotive Diagnostic Car Test Tool, Easy Start Electronic Ignition, Adjustable Flame, with Multiple Tips, Black

Extremely Pleased. I ordered this a couple weeks ago and it arrived within about 5 or 6 days. I just tried it out tonight for the first time. I am extremely please. I don't think I will regret this purchase at all. My price was around $52 shipping included. Ordered mid-December 2014 from Amazon. This is a PRECISION instrument. Build quality seems excellent. The price is a bit higher than other manufacturers and models, but I feel the cost is appropriate for what you get. I could not find any labeling on the package or product about where it was made, but it seems to be of quite high quality. The fluid resevoir is metal, of course. The buttons and controls are plastic but clean and sturdy. Nothing feels "cheap" about this product. Everything is nice and "tight", nothing sloppy. What is included? The unit itself, which is a soldering iron and a hot air torch. Overall length about 9 inches with tip, and about 1 inch in diamter. A small roll of fine gauge electronic solder. Small sponge in a good quality aluminum dish for cleaning the tip. Two small thin wrenches (7mm + 8mm) for loosening and tightening the tips. Three soldering tips. One cutting blade tip. One hot air "foldback" tip for using hot air, for shrinking tubing, etc. One hot air tip. A protective plastic cap (very sturdy) that covers the front end of the tool when not in use. One documentation insert. The kit is packaged in a rigid plastic box, about 10 inches long, 4 inches deep, and 1 inch thick. The case has thin plastic "flex" hinges, which I imagine will probably break after a few years. But the case is very sturdy. The documentation sheet is minimal, but plenty good enough to be up and running immediately. I imagine keeping this device indoors, and not let it sit out in the garage over a cold winter will probably help it last longer. So, how does it work? Perfectly. I put the hot air tip in first. The unit has a built in igniter switch. It fired the first time I clicked it. Very solid click and mechanical action on the igniter. The unit has a "temperature" or "heat" sliding adjustment control. I set it on a medium heat and practiced on a few pieces of heat shrink tubing (not using the heat shrink foldback tip). The temperature of the hot air seemed perfect for shrinking tubing in a very controlled way without burning it (much better than a lighter or match). Then I swapped out the tip for a very sharp soldering tip. Again, the iron started with a single click of the igniter switch. The tip was hot enough to melt fine gauge solder in about 20 to 25 seconds (on medium heat setting). The tip accepted solder immediately. I tinned the tip and shut the unit off. Perfect performance all the way around. This will be extremely useful for soldering wires on my car, or anyplace I want a portable iron that is not dependent on an AC outlet. Do I recommend it? Yes, no doubt. You won't be dissappointed, if you feel the price is appropriate for you. Tips, Hints, Cautions: This is a fairly "precision" instrument. You need to treat it well, and handle it properly. I can tell that proper care is going to be necessary. But I am always very careful with all my tools. You don't want to just throw it in a tool box to roll around. I have confidence that if I take very good care of it, and don't abuse it, it will probably last me many years. Really the only thing to wear out might be whatever kind of seal is in the resevoir. Nothing else about the product looks like it will "wear out" or fail. The availability of alternative or replacement soldring tips will be a factor, I don't know what is availalbe. But soldering tips do where out, so they will have to be replaced eventually. That's normal wear. Being able to but plenty of tips in the future will be important, so I hope that Power Probe will make the tips available for years from now. The soldering tips seem to be "custom", not something you'll find from the average electronics suppliers. I think some people have said that 5x refined butane should be used, but I could not easily get that immediately. We'll see how the triple refined butane works out. I think somebody said that their unit eventually plugged up and needed to be taken apart and cleaned. Not sure if that will happen or not. The plastic locking ring can be cross threaded if you are careless, but worksgreat as long as you are careful and paying attention. This unit gets very, very hot, very fast. But the heat is all concentrated on the front end, and does not back up the body. This is not a unit for children to handle or to get near. It is very comfortable in the hand. I believe it will function in any physical orientation. When filling with butane, be aware your butane can will get very cold, and the liquid butane is very cold when it comes out of the can. Use a rag to control splash, and keep the butane off your skin, face, thighs, eyes, etc. I wasn't sure how to tell if I filled the resevoir fully or not, but basically I just shook the unit and it felt pretty full. I used "triple refined butane", which I had laying around. I think this will probably be fine, and the "quintuple refined" butane might not be necessary. Time will tell. Try to get a butane can that has exactly the right diameter filling tip if possible, or a can that comes with several interchangeable tips. The tip of the can needs to be just the right diameter to avoid splashing extra butane fluid around. There are a variety of butane can tip diameters out there, and I don't know if any one is more common or "standard" than others. If the filling tip on the can is not just the right diameter, you can splash a lot of butane around. If you use the iron for one purpose, and then want to change tips, you will have to let it cool for quite a long time before changing tips. Alternatively, you CAN use a very thin needle nose pliers for handling the tips, and you can loosen the mount VERY CAREFULLY, to change the tip. But be VERY cautious handling all the parts, because they stay hot for a long time. Next time I use it, I wil probably let it cool down completely before changing a tip. As it was, I waited about 5 minutes, and then very carefully used the included tip wrenches and a narrow needle nose to handle the tips. But I generally would not recommend it, just for safety reasons. Summary: I have nothing to complain about, I'm satisfied very much. The only thing that could maybe be slightly better is the skimpy documentation, but that's not too big of a deal. The price is fairly high, but it's worth it. Chintzy uinreliable units will break or not work right, and you'll end up having to buy a quality product evenually anyway. Might as well get a good one in the beginning. I doubt Power Probe actually manufactures this kit, but the Power Probe brand name has a very good reputation for quality and innovation, so that was a major factor in my purchase decision. Best Wishes

UPDATE: 10-8-25 I have now had this same torch for just over 13 years now and it still lights on the very first click. I used this torch for 11 years as a solar tech every day multiple times per day and it's still as good as the day I purchased it. Honestly, I think it might be one of the oldest tools in my bag from that job. You cannot go wrong with this torch. I must say that I am very impressed with this torch. I have a friend that has the Master Appliance UT-100SiK Ultratorch Self Igniting Heat Tool with Metal Storage Case and I have to say that this soldering kit is twice as nice. I tried my friends unit "he really takes care of his stuff" and I could hardly get it to light and once I finally got it to light it did not put out the heat to even shrink wrap wire with. This unit comes in a nice plastic case with a spot for all your tips and such and has a foam pad to keep them from banging around. My friends unit came in a metal box with his tips in a plastic bag and that was it. So while my torch stays nice and clean, his gets banged up every time he moves it. This unit fires up every time without any problems. I love the fact that once you light this soldering iron all it takes is a little flick of the switch and the flame is redirected to the tip. It heats up fast and tips are easy to exchange. Looking at the unit, you can really tell that they put some thought into it and it is nice quality. The only thing I wish this unit came with is a little metal clip kick stand to hold it up. My little cheap-o cordless gun has that and it really helps (but won't get hot enough to melt butter). So other than that this is the best Cordless soldering gun I have ever purchased. I would recommend this unit to anybody. UPDATE 11-20-13: Hey there all, it has been over a year now and this little torch is still as good as the day I bought it. Simply the best : ) UPDATE: 1-1-2015 Ok so here we are over 2 years now and this thing gets used almost every day and is still going strong. I did run into a a small glitch when the igniter was sticking but a little WD40 and walla it's as good as new. All my co-workers use this thing too so it gets used a lot. Worth every penny. Update: 9-11-15 So here I am getting ready for another season and this torch is still going strong. Just a quick tip. If your ignitor quits working you can take the tip off and re adjust the metal grounding rod to touch the frame and it's good to go again. Just go slow and watch what your doing. It's pretty simple.

I purchased this torch/iron to replace another Power Probe PPSK that I'd purchased for more money off of a Matco truck around 8 years ago ($53.05 vs ~$80). The last one seems to have a failed ignitor and the tool is so vital to my business that I went ahead and ordered a new one while I plot on how to fix the old one. This newer model seems identical other than a shutter lever used on the older one to snuff the flame after heating the catalyst, at least, I assume that's how it works. This newer one is just light and go so they must have found a way around that. I personally love these little gas torches. I'm a motorcycle mechanic and these things have been a God send for fast soldering jobs without the need to find a wall outlet and try to maneuver a wire all around a bike on the bench. One has to mind the orientation of the heat outlet near the tip while working, which might be the only real downfall I could claim from this tool compared to an electric soldering iron. Even on very low settings that outlet can produce enough heat to create issues if trying to solder in cramped quarters. For the most part it can be accounted for with a little thought ahead so it's definitely not a deal breaker. For general purpose soldering, all of the way up to some pretty shockingly large wires, I really couldn't live without this thing. I've even did a bit of circuit repair on boards inside of components, but when getting down to that kind of small you've really gotta be careful because this torch can really get away from you if you don't anticipate its heat output. I highly recommend these torches and consider it one of my must have tools if I had to keep 20 tools and toss away the rest of my toolbox. It's well worth the price. Also, I use a Kester 63/37 .031" rosin core solder most often. It works quite well for the majority of my work with this torch.

I`ve had several different electric soldering irons and presently own a pretty good one. Not top of the line but perfect for my needs. Two of the drawbacks to electric soldering irons are 1. Not capable of quickly getting the workpiece hot when it is not clamped, and 2. You`re limited by the availability of juice. This Power Probe PPSK Butane Soldering Kit easily takes care of both these problems! Portable, plenty of tips, solder, wrenches, and sponge are all packaged in a fairly sturdy plastic box. The instructions are attached to the top of the lid, at least on the one I received, and the instructions are brief, accurate, and easy to understand. Soldering torch is portable, lights quickly, gets hot quickly and has a convenient slide button to adjust heat. Invariably when I have to solder something I wind up standing on my head or hanging off the edge of something to reach what needs work. This usually means I can apply very little pressure to the workpiece to make the iron contact the workpiece and quickly transfer heat to get the job done. It takes a hot soldering iron to overcome this situation and all my electric irons aren`t up to the task. Power Probe is. You only have to have minimal pressure on the workpiece to get it hot enough to accept solder and it takes very little time. As of yet I haven`t used all the features of this butane soldering iron but so far I am very very happy I bit the bullet and sprung for a butane soldering iron. I chose the PPSK kit over others based on reviews here and I want to thank previous reviewers. If you decide you want a butane soldering iron I can highly recommend Power Probe for ease of use, instructions, accessories, kit box, quick heating. I realize the butane probably won`t last as long in real world conditions as it probably does in controlled environments but for a tool that makes hard to solder tasks easier, I think Power Probe is great!

Review of Power Probe PPSK Butane Soldering Kit I seldom give a product a 5 star review when I first receive it, but I was really tempted to give this butane soldering iron 5 stars, well as much as any product I own. It is that impressive. I would have thought it would have a little butane in it and out of the box and tip cover, I tried to fire it up. Nothing! I went searching for my butane bottle, as my other users are usually filled and hold their fill without much leakage at all. When I came across it, I pressed it to the fill port and it acted like it was full and only took one push and a few seconds later, it indicated back flow and I gave it a start. Wow, it comes on immediately, the white indicator ring gets orange and the tip gets hot almost immediately. I love it so far and I then tried some of the ideas from other reviewers as to ways it can be used other than soldering and it performs flawlessly. How did I go this long without getting myself one. 4 Stars, but I am sure in a month, I'll come back and give it the fifth.

I needed to do some repair work on my boat and boat trailer electrical wiring and dreaded getting started with my Weller solder gun,especially working outside and in the cold.I did get started though and soldered a few connections before I quit for the evening. Seemed like those few connections took forever. That evening I was looking at soldering irons on Amazon and came across the Power Probe Kit.It had very good reviews, so I took the plunge and placed the order. I Figured I would put off finishing the boat and trailer wiring till after the Power Probe arrived The kit arrived in two days. I took the kit to the garage and grabbed a couple scrap pieces of electrical wire and solder,filled the unit with butane and fired it up. After tinning the tip I began soldering and was utterly amazed how quickly it heated up and got the wires soldered. After the trial run I went out to the boat and started the wiring repairs in the wind and cold. The Power Probe Worked Beautifully! I soldered probably 25 connections VERY quickly and the unit worked without a glitch. My old Weller Gun was like a toy compared to this ! It fired up every time,no leaks, good flame adjustment. I'm very happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great soldering kit

when you buy Power Probe you know your getting quality I had one which i tried to fix and ended up breaking :( Any just got a new one had some soldering to do open package filled with propane, lite right up soldered wires heated back support back in action and my back loves it! Way to go Power Probe!

I have owned one of these before and I absolutely loved it it stopped working so I decided to get the full kit and I am extremely glad I did as this thing is incredibly useful and heats up extremely quickly. The only thing I’m not super thrilled about is the fact that The vent for the hot air can shoot at the surface that you’re working on and possibly burn it or make it too hard to work with as it could burn you if you don’t have it pointed straight up it’s not a big deal if you know how to send it correctly so that it sticks up while you’re working but it’s just a bit of a pain. The unit does use a good bit of butane so I would definitely recommend having a canna butane or two handy when working with it for a prolonged period of time but this thing is definitely worth it and in my opinion is a lot better than electric Soldering iron’s of the same price.

This is the best portable butane torch I've used. I've had mine for two years and it's still holding up strong. It is durable and survived multiple drops. Igniter works very well with my constant turning off and on. Yes it does consume quite a bit of butane but it provides a stronger adjustable flame. Almost instant heat. Turn it on, couple seconds and it's ready hot enough to solder. Some other units i've seen, you have to wait for a long time to heat up. This one is quick.

Si buscas un soldador portable compra este. Comparando parece que el de Dremel esta hecho en la misma fabrica que este.

Very good soldering iron

La herramienta trabaja adecuadamente. La variedad de accesorios es excelente para realizar todo tipo de trabajo. El estuche es resistente y mantiene todo en su lugar.

I had been using a cheap electric pencil soldering iron. I am really impressed with this butane powered iron. It heated up very fast and transferred the heat and solder to a circuit board I am working on perfectly. I really liked the freedom of no electrical wire to get in the way. I have had to change the position of my free hand with the solder to avoid the hot exhaust gas from the tip. Good product - good price - fast delivery.