REVIEW – I’ve been soldering electronics since the 3rd grade. It’s safe to say I’ve had my share of soldering irons over the years. A truly portable, cordless iron has been somewhat elusive. I’ve tried butane-fueled, AA-battery powered, and ones that take power tool batteries. I’ve just come across one that gives them all some serious competition when it comes to convenience and versatility.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Amazon
What is it?
The Fanttik T1 Max is a USB-C rechargeable soldering iron with a sleek, easy-to-handle design.
What’s included?
- Rechargeable soldering iron
- Swiveling stand with aluminum base
- Four C210-style tips
- ESD tweezers
- Solder sucker and extra tips
- USB-C charging cable
Tech specs
2600 mAh battery
60 minute runtime at 840°F (11 W output in cordless mode)
16W output when plugged in
Iron measures 24mm diameter, 180mm long
Charging time 1.5 – 2 hours
Iron weight: 3-5/8 oz.
Stand weight: 10-7/8 oz.
Auto sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity
Design and features
The Fanttik T1 Max soldering iron accepts C210-style tips. The kit came with a total of four tips with different styled ends. This one is an angled chisel.
The tips are stored inside the base in a hidden tray. Note the removable sticker pointing to the tips.
The arm of the base is held together with magnets. This is also where the swivel is. It makes a pleasing ratcheting sound.
The included desoldering tool, or “solder sucker”, is a spring-loaded plunger type. To set, you depress the plunger which locks into place. To suck, simply press the button and the spring-loaded plunger pops out, creating a small vacuum at the tip. To remove the debris, you unscrew the tip. Note the spring, similar to a retractable ball-point pen.
It’s not powered by butane or AA batteries, but with an internal battery charged by USB-C!
The far end of the iron twists to select one of six temperatures from 390°F to 840°F.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
To install the C210 tip, unscrew the cap, insert tip, and thread the cap back on. There is a white ring around the base of the tip that lights up when the iron is in use. I’m sure it’s intended to illuminate your work area but it’s not very bright. Probably good in total darkness.
The manual states the iron takes 1.5 to 2.0 hours to charge. I’m guessing that’s from empty. The ring around the power button “breathes” blue to indicate charging.
There are other colors as well, indicating anything from completion of charging to sleep mode.
Performance
The soldering station on my bench is a Hakko FX-951. It’s fast and I just love it. I set both to 660°F and waited.
I didn’t have to wait long. The Hakko needed 19 seconds to reach 660°F, which is great! The Fanttik T1 Max cordless soldering iron only took 14 seconds. If you’re impatient like me, this is incredible! I do suspect it may have something to do with the very small mass of the C210 tip, but I’m not entirely sure.
With no cord in my way, I was able to work in my usual hard-to-reach places in and around the car with total freedom of motion. I wasn’t used to the tiny tip, so that took some getting used to.
Every hobbyist who solders has, at one time, grabbed or touched the hot end of the iron. This is a painful and dangerous thing! The included stand, which holds the iron perfectly, leaves the tip exposed. The iron does have an auto-shutoff after 15 minutes of inactivity, but what if you touch it when it’s still hot?
Instead, I took a small section of aluminum tubing with an inner diameter of 27mm, drilled a few holes on the side, and slipped it on the end. Perfect fit! Now it looks like a microscope.
Final thoughts
Before, if I had to solder something in my car, under the dash while hanging upside down, I would have to take my corded soldering station, plug it into an extension cable, and hope I don’t get tangled up. With the Fanttik T1 Max cordless soldering iron, I’ve finally found a portable tool that frees me from the shackles of the power cord. This is now my go-to soldering iron for those awkward places.
What I like about the Fanttik T1 Max cordless soldering iron
- Cordless (or corded USB-C) without liquid fuel or disposable or power tool batteries.
- Sleek design and easy to use controls.
- Accepts C210 iron tips you can find elsewhere.
What needs to be improved?
- The stand leaves the tip exposed.
Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Fanttik. Fanttik did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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