Weller P2C Professional Self-igniting Cordless Soldering Iron

I love this soldering iron. It is easy to turn on, quick to heat up, and best of all I don't have to worry about accidentally melting the power cable! The iron is very easy to handle and about the perfect weight for tacking down a joint or just soldering loose “in-the-air” joints, which I end up doing a lot of in the car. The solder tip is not my favorite, though very easily replaceable. The tip that comes stock has a beveled flat end that is about an eighth inch long, too clumsy for delicate instruments, but good enough for my work. However, I would prefer a conical tip. Also, I don’t know if this is a pro or con yet, but the tip does not cool down very fast at all, in fact, sometimes the unit is so hot after I turn the gas off, that a minute later I can turn the gas flow back on and not have to relight the torch. A very nice feature is that the torch is completely contained, no open flame. And it is self-lighting, just a little slide button to click when it needs to be lit. According to the specs, when completely filled with butane, the torch will last for an hour of usage at maximum gas flow. And when I filled my torch with the $3.99 tank of butane, I probably used about 30-40% of the tank. That is FAR less expensive than batteries, which can’t heat an iron nearly as hot. Perfect for on the go, I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a lightweight soldering iron for hobby projects and repairs!

After lots of research, I bought this soldering iron because I needed to solder some wires in my car engine that had gotten damaged as a result of not changing my starter motor as soon as I should have. Since I don't have a garage (so no nearby electrical socket), I needed something that didn't need to be plugged in. Plus, I've had poor experiences with cheaper electrical solder irons in the past, and read that butane models were pretty good at reaching the right temperature and keeping it consistently. I wasn't expecting much when I placed the order, so I was surprised by how well this thing performed! It's easy to fill/refill with butane and only uses a small amounts of butane, so you don't have to worry about running out. It reaches a hot enough temperature to do the job properly and stays at that temperature for the duration of usage. Plus, not having wires in the way while I'm working (and being able to solder ANYWHERE, even while outside) is such a plus! With how well this iron performs, I can't see myself going back to using an electrical one. I've used it many times and it's worked flawlessly every single time. I highly recommend this iron. If you have any questions, I'm happy to try to help. If you found my review helpful, please consider leaving me feedback.

Excellent tool. I filled it with standard Ronson Butane Fuel from Ace Hardware store (white can with orange top). I found that the Ronson fuel sputters only once in a while, but the flame remains lit and the tool works great. Anyway, start by removing the tool's cap. The gas switch should be in the 'off' position (pressed in toward the tank or top of the iron's handle). To fill with butane, turn the butane can upside down, and with the can in this position, line the can nozzle up with the valve on the bottom of the iron, and depress the can nozzle against the valve in the iron - fills much easier this way. Fill for 30 seconds or until the fuel starts to leak a tiny bit at the valve. The drop or so of leaked liquid butane will evaporate right there, and you'll know the tool's tank is full. Put the butane can away. Then, to light the iron, turn the dial at the bottom to maximum, slide the gas switch out (on), you'll hear it hiss, and press the spark button. You'll see a glow from the small exhaust port hole which is located on one side of the tip. That's how you know it's lit. I find it lights on the first spark. Then adjust the dial cooler for more control or to slow down soldering. You can melt silver solder in a little less than 30 seconds after the spark! If you use flux, apply it then heat it a bit first. I'll never go back to electrical soldering irons, my 30 watt iron never got hot enough to melt silver solder which melts around 960 degrees F. I do clock repair, which sometimes involves soldering on brass plates. The silver solder sticks better than the lead solder does. The iron does not roll on the table and there's no electrical cord, which is great. To turn it off after soldering, slide gas switch in. I allow it 20 minutes to cool before putting on the cap, just to be cautious. Note that the small glowing exhaust port lets hot exhaust out, so I generally let that face up. If you turn it with the port facing down, the tip tends to get hotter yet, but be careful not to burn the table! Just be very aware of the direction the hot air is coming out. There are other applications of this tool as a torch, but I just use it for soldering. A quality tool and mine said Made in Ireland. Hope it doesn't change one bit in the future.

This is the second one that I've bought for work because I lost my first one that work provided for me. My job sometimes requires me to do some soldering in tight spaces or areas where I don't have a power source to plug into. Who wants to deal with power cords dragging around in their tool bag anyhow! One of the other techs has a similar one from Snap On that has a little kick stand so the tip stays up if the iron needs to stay on. I joke with him telling him that's why he paid more than twice I paid for mine. For a butane powered iron it's pretty fast to heat and the cover makes it convenient to make it a little more safer to put in the pocket or place on the floor without burning yourself. You have to make sure it's off first before you put that cap on though! Good thing the cap turns off the gas when you put it on! Pros: Fast heat up and cool down Lightweight Fits in my tool pouch well No cord to mess with Comes with a convenient cap Much cheaper than the snap on version Makes a convenient "emergency lighter" Cons: Doesn't have a tracker when you misplace it at the job site Doesn't solder stuff automatically Is far from being a magic wand Doesn't have a kick stand like the Snap On version So really, not too many cons for this iron. If you're looking for one this one does the job well.

Soldering iron is working well but I wish I would have gotten the kit that had more attachments since I'm realizing they would be useful. Iron heats up quickly but does use a lot of butane. More of an issue that it empties quickly not so much that its expensive. Still for a portable iron this is a good solution. Tip is large but when you are soldering with butane its not going to be very precise anyways. Would recommend to someone looking for a portable iron for larger wires.

I got this for my boyfriend for Christmas for our pipe organ business. He would always plug in a a/c iron and wait 5 minutes or so, then use it. Then after use, we'd sling it over something to cool off - trying to remember to take it home with us! You can't stick a hot iron back in the tool box! But that was if a plug was nearby or we had an extension. Often I'd have to hand the old iron over to him, then he'd hand it back and I'd plug it back in to keep it hot. Well no more! Since I gave it to him, it's been like a dream to solder with. It lights super easy with its build-in piezoelectric element, and it gets hot FAST! Plus, when we're done with it, we can simply put the cap back on this iron and drop it back in the tool box! No waiting around for it to cool off! And to top that off, since I got it for him back in December I filled it up then; he's only had to top it off once! An amazing tool. Weller has finally done it. A portable easy to use quick draw iron that lives up to it's promise! (unlike the Weller battery powered irons I've tried in the past that were junk) Well done! The only addition I would make would be to make the cap of the iron fit into the back end of the iron like a marks-a-lot marker so it would always be right there. But that's not a complaint - just a feature request to perfect this tool.

The best portable soldering iron / heat gun you’ll ever get in the market. Very reliable and it will last for a long years of service. I’m a maintenace engineer/ automotive and industrial mechanic / electronics tech and mobile electronics technician. I almost use this tool every single day at my work place & even at home.The last one I had still works , just the clicker /igniter doesn’t work but it still fires up if I spark it with a lighter and I’ve had it since 2006 ,when it just first introduced out in the market ( bought the kit in sears for $99 + tax with the case and 4 diff kinds of tips for it including a small roll of solder) . I will strongly recommend for you to buy this one and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I could not believe when I saw how much the price dropped down that’s why I got me a new one !

I have had countless el-cheapo Radio Shack corded soldering irons over the years. For casual DIY soldering and light hobby duties, the Radio Shack units are capable. The tips do disintegrate quickly though, and you've always got to be hyper aware of the heated iron's tendency to follow the whims of its cord. The irons themselves are so light and the cheap cords so stiff, you need to work hard at making sure the iron stays put; not burning self, carpet, table, etc. Then you still need to deal with the damn thing while it's cooling down. I finally bit the bullet and picked up one of the Weller butane units after escrow closed on my new home. For casual use, there is no comparison. This is the Cadillac of light-duty soldering irons. It heats within about 30 seconds. A full tank lasts a sufficient amount of time. It lasts even longer if you turn off the unit while placing parts/components. Considering how quickly it heats, you're better off to just turn it off than leave it running if you're going to leave it sit for more than about 15 seconds. Best off: no more cords. No need to position your work close enough to an outlet or have to hunt down an extension cord. The unit is idiot proofed with a cap that forces the iron into "off" mode when capped. When you're done working, just cap the iron and put in with your tools. Though the cap does get warm from the radiant heat, it is thick enough to stay cool enough to touch as the iron cools. The only downside is heat that comes from the exhaust port. If you're unaware, it could be easy to accidently burn something.

Incredible! Small, lightweight, and very powerful. I use it to solder RG8 cables to PL-259 connectors, and these require a good amount of heat to solder well, and this little soldering iron delivers. Fillup is easy and quick, and lights in one click every time. Also, you can see the fire in the air input port so you know if it's lighted or not easily. The air exhaust is really hot and can be used to shrink heat-shrink tubing, which is nice, but beware of your fingers, even at 2-3 inches away, the air is not coming out in great volumes, but it's really hot. Overall it's a perfect little tool. The cap ensures the iron cannot be turned on while the cap is there, thereby making sure when you'll need it it won't have emptied itself because something moved the button. Also, when you shut it down, you don't have to wait long to put the cap back in place, and then you can toss it in the toolbox without fear that it'll melt or burn something.

Great device. From cold start, takes one or two clicks (maybe I'm impatient). Heats up for soldering 18AWG wires in less than 40s from cold. Reheats in like 5-10s for subsequent soldering events. Cap is a snug fit and I have no worries about finishing soldering and immediately capping and throwing this in my toolbox. I do wish I had a smaller, sharper tip, but it's manageable.

Don't waste your time like I did purchasing cheap alternatives. This butane soldering iron is the real deal. Works well, heats of fast and easy to refill.

First one I had for about three years and dropped it. Certainly didn't fall far but it was enough to cause it to stop working. I was happy with it and figured it must have just been the way it landed so I ordered a replacement. It lasted just over three years and quit. This one was never dropped and only used for occasional soldering. I would expect a LOT more use out of it for the price. My snap-on one I use at work lasted longer than both and has been dropped, kicked, ran over, and used daily. For the price difference, get a better brand. When this one works, its great. Unfortunately, it's quality is severely lacking.

I'm currently using a Solderpro that I've had for the past 8 years. The head is pretty much completely destroyed but still usable. The P2C is sleeker, does not require a spark to start and gets WAY hotter. In the default settings I burned through 3 electronic switch before realizing that it was way too strong. Starts easy, gets hot in seconds, and in the lowest setting, hot enough for all my small electronic needs. Awesome product. The only thing left is to see how long the tip can last and gas consumption