Top 8 Best Battery Powered Soldering Irons

We have talked a lot about different soldering products and the multitude of useful tools. From lead-based and lead-free solder to reflow ovens, there are a great number of products that can facilitate your electronics hobby or profession. If you are looking to become more portable, another item that might be good to add to your equipment is a battery-powered soldering iron. There is a variety of options available on the market today and we have provided a comprehensive list of those products for your review.

Top 8 Best Battery Powered Soldering Iron

1- Weller BL60MP Cordless Soldering Iron with Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery

Weller is a known name in soldering iron products. This particular model has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides up to 45 minutes of soldering. This equates to about 100 solder joints. It is capable of reaching temperatures from 536 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has a built-in LED illumination on the tip for highlighting the joint you are soldering.

Pros

I think one of the biggest pros of this product is that it holds a charge for 45 minutes and can do a high number of solders. It has a large variability of temperatures and that enables it to be used with both lead-based and lead-free solder products. It is extremely portable and lightweight. It allows for on-the-go jobs without the need for electricity. The added LED light on the tip is a nice feature as well.

In addition, many consumers liked the appeal of being mobile with this product. No need to go back and forth to their soldering benches to work on small projects. It even provided ease of use when soldering in small spaces such as with a vehicle’s wiring harness. One other nice feature is that the battery is rechargeable.

Cons

This product had very mixed reviews across the board. Common complaints we saw related to the inability to adjust the temperature and not being able to set it down in the stand. Since the stand is only for charging, there is no place to set the unit down without buying a separate stand for cooling, which can be dangerous. In addition, it can heat up quickly and without an accurate temperature gauge, you can damage products very easily when soldering.

2- Hakko FX-901/P Cordless Soldering Iron

The Hakko Cordless Soldering Iron is another portable unit powered by AA-batteries. It can produce temperatures up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 120 minutes of use. It includes an ON/OFF switch along with a protective cover for added safety. The FX-901/P also has interchangeable tips. This unit is ideal for small, hard to reach projects such as appliance repair or even areas on your vehicle.

Pros

The battery performance life is a plus for this unit. At 120 minutes of use, it is the longest life of all the options we will discuss. It has a good temperature range that is capable of heating up both lead-free and lead-based solder. The included protective cover is a nice feature that other models do not have.

Cons

One con is that this uses AA batteries, which means it is not rechargeable. Batteries are costly and you could end up going through quite a few with this unit. As with the Weller model, this also does not include a stand for cooling down, which is a safety hazard.

Although this model seemed to be relatively popular, it did have a few additional complaints from consumers. One complaint of note was that it took forever to heat up enough to melt the solder and that it heated intermittently even with fresh batteries.

3- Tekpower TP-09 Cordless Soldering Iron, Battery Powered Solder Iron with Spot Light

The TP-09 is another battery-operated option that runs off AA-batteries. It has a maximum temperature of up to 842 degrees Fahrenheit. It also quick heats up to about 365 degrees Fahrenheit using the control switch on the handle. It includes a support stand along with a protective cover. There is also an included LED light in the tip for precision soldering.

Pros

The temperature variation with this unit is nice and enables it to melt both lead-based and lead-free solder. The control switch on the side along with the protective cover are added safety features that make it safer to use over other models.

This is also the first model we have reviewed that includes a stand for cooling. The TP-09 has an ergonomic handle that allows for ease and comfort of use. One additional bonus of this model is the LED-lighted tip to add in up-close soldering work.

Cons

As with the Hakko model, the TP-09 is powered with AA-batteries, which is a definite negative. We also had a hard time finding information on how long the life was with this unit, but most consumers complained it did not last more than about twenty minutes between solders. An additional consumer complaint included the lack of high enough heat to melt solder.

4- Weller BP865CEU Battery Soldering Iron 8/11W

This Weller model has a temperature range of about 380 to 480 degrees Celsius. It can heat up to temperature in about 15 seconds and can manage about 180 solders within the battery life. It requires four AA-batteries to operate and includes a chiseled tip. It comes in a hard-sided carrying case with a protective tip cover.

Pros

A unique feature of this model is that when the cap is applied, it automatically shuts off the unit. This is a great safety feature to have. In addition, it is one of the only models we have reviewed with a carrying case, which comes in handy for travel.

It has a great temperature range and is capable of melting both lead-based and lead-free solder. It has great customer reviews and while we could not find a more specific battery life on this product, its capability appears to be in line with many of the other models.

Cons

This is another AA-battery-powered unit and does not allow for a rechargeable option. Most of the consumer reviews were positive and users found it to be quite handy for small jobs. A notable complaint was similar to other models about the unit not heating high enough to melt certain solder wires.

5- Milwaukee Electric Tools 2488-21 M12 Soldering Iron Kit

The Milwaukee M12 Soldering Iron comes from a name brand in tools. It is a quality product that has a lot of built-in features. For starters, it has a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack that lasts for 40 minutes. It also has a pivoting head that can be positioned in three different directions. It heats up in about 18 seconds and maintains temperature quite well.

Pros

The M12 has many built-in safety features compared to other models. It has a green LED indicator light to show when it has reached the desired temperature. In addition, it shows a red LED light when it is off, but still cooling down to avoid injury.

The pivoting head is a nice feature no other model has that allows users to get into awkward spaces. The M12 is also rechargeable compared to other AA-battery-operated models. It has a quick heat up time and lasts a good length of time to complete most jobs in one charge.

Cons

Of all the reviews we read on this model, all were positive and users felt this was one of the best models they had ever used.

6- CRL Weller Pro Series Battery Powered Soldering Iron P860M

This is another Weller battery-operated model that takes AA-batteries. It has a temperatures range of 850 to 950 degrees and can heat up in 15 seconds. It is a great model for small, on-the-go fixes. The battery life allows for about 150 solders before replacement.

Pros

This is another popular Weller model that can handle both lead-free and lead-based solder given its temperature output. It has a relatively quick heat up time compared to other models. It is an ideal model for portable jobs especially in hard to reach places.

It has a control switch setting that allows for the user to choose between the 850 or 950 temperature settings and it maintains temperature evenly throughout a solder job.

Cons

As with other models, this is not rechargeable so that is a definite negative. However, outside of that, there are no other notable negative comments for this model.

7- Wall Lenk BP150 Battery Powered Soldering Iron

The BP150 uses AA-batteries and is not rechargeable. It has a rapid heat-up of seven seconds. In addition, it has a maximum tip temperature of 1050 degrees Fahrenheit. The BP150 also includes an LED-illuminating tip. It has a handy push-button switch functionality to solder on command.

Pros

The high heat range is a definite plus for this model as it outputs the highest temperature range of all the units we have looked at. In addition, the added LED illumination is a nice feature to have for up-close work.

Another added feature that is unique to this model is the push-button on-command soldering feature. No other unit has had that option. The BP150 also has one of the fastest heat up times versus other units.

Cons

As with other units, the fact that this is not rechargeable is a negative against this model. It was a relatively popular model and the only notable complaint for this model was related to the heat output for this unit. This seems to be a common theme amongst battery-operated unit though. They seem to be hit or miss on whether or not they output enough heat to melt solder.

8- Tooluxe 40420L Cordless Soldering Iron

The Tooluxe Cordless Soldering Iron can heat as high as 700 degrees in 0.25 seconds. It is the fastest unit that we reviewed for heat up time. It is a unique unit that heats and cools quickly to prevent injury. This is because of the ceramic tip that makes it stronger and capable of handling the quick heating and cooling cycles. It also includes an automatic shutoff option and a built-in LED light on the tip.

Pros

The fast heating and cooling of this unit is a major pro. The ceramic design of the tip allows for safe usage of this model without damage to the product or to the user. The automatic shutoff is a nice safety feature along with the safe touch cooling.

In addition, it has a built-in LED light like other units that makes precision up-close work easier to conduct. Users found this model extremely easy to use and quite versatile.

Cons

This is another battery-operated model that uses AA-batteries. This is a con against this product because of the cost of the batteries. This also had mixed reviews online. Users seemed to be about 50/50 on the ColdHeat Soldering Pen.

Most negative comments related to the operation of this unit. The user has to stand and press the tip into whatever they are trying to solder and it takes forever to melt the solder enough to join pieces together.

Conclusion

We have discussed a wide range of battery-operated soldering irons here along with the pros and cons for each. Some are rechargeable, while others require AA-batteries. Depending on your preference, some models heat to a much higher temperature, while others are lower temperature versions that can be used only with lead-based solder.

In addition, many of these models include built-in LED illumination, which is a handy feature to have. We have not seen this with any of the plug-in versions we have discussed in the past. Some of the units come with carrying cases and extra tips, while others are just standalone units with or without a charger.

We also found that most of them did not include a stand for cooling, which is a definite safety hazard so consider carefully or be prepared to buy a separate stand. Of all the models, the Milwaukee unit actually had a swivel head that allowed users to get into hard to reach spaces. It was probably the most unique of all the units.

We suggest reviewing over the online reviews for a product as you may find the one you are looking over may not meet your overall soldering needs.