Originally posted by: MagicGuy on 9/22/2005 6:32:51 AM

I remember being in a Radio Shack and was looking at one. The clerk came over and actually talked me out of buying it. He said that the tips are extremely brittle and expensive and that the employee record for successful solders was something like 2 before the tip broke.

Guess I should know better than to listen to the 'experts' at Radio Shack.

Marty

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 9/22/2005 5:37:06 AM

Horace Puckey

They are advertised all over e-Bay but the prices and bids are still at retail levels + shipping. Try to find one that comes in a protective case and extra tips.

Originally posted by: Horace Puckey on 9/21/2005 9:05:52 PM

I'll be damned I've seen those advertised and wanted to get one although I don't have anything that needs soldering. I figured they were just another piece of junk, but I don't have one so I wanted one -- now I'm gonna get one

Originally posted by: Al King on 9/21/2005 4:07:00 PM

I dont understand the problem, I use mine alot on the job and find it easy to use and effective.

Originally posted by: MagicGuy on 9/23/2005 10:05:08 AM

I'm not doubting anyone here about this thing. I was just voicing my amazement at finding this thread after all these months. I wasn't a member of HCOA back when I was searching for reviews on this thing so I didn't have access to this forum.

I simply remember it being extremely difficult to find good reviews. The overwhelming number of bad reviews I found made me just forget about buying one. Then I see this thread. Not an unhappy customer around here. Had I seen this thread back then, I'd probably be a happy owner by now. It's back on my list, that's for sure.

Cheers,
Marty

Originally posted by: Rockyland on 9/22/2005 10:56:44 PM

I bought one and put it use right away.
Broke the very smallest part of the tip off ,still works good. I use it for larger stuff , tried to use it on an IC chip, didn't work to well on the delicate stuff, works great on the hobby craft copper wire for soldering joints of bent larger copper wire.
Has anyone tried stained glass with it?
Rocky

Originally posted by: Teetorbilt on 9/22/2005 2:07:48 PM

I'm with PaPaDan. About 2 yrs. now and still cookin' on the original tip. Mine sees a lot of use too.

Originally posted by: woodrot on 9/22/2005 1:33:57 PM

quote:

Originally posted by PaPaDan:
OK people, this may sound crazy, but I am kind of a geek for gadgets. Most of you have probably seen the TV comecials for the Cold Heat soldering iron. Instant 800 degree heat and instant cool tip. here is a link to their web site. http://www.coldheat.com/index.php I have been putting off some repairs until I had enough to do to be worth getting out my gear.. I just soldered a new plug onto my inverter, changed the capacitor in my Cobra, and repaired a cracked PC board in my Grandsons boombox. Right here at my computer desk. Took 15 minutes to open up all the cases, 4 minutes to do all the soldering, and 18 minutes to put all the cases back together. Everything works perfect. The tip of the soldering tool never got hot away from the circuits. The way this thing works is with a hard carbon split tip. when touched to the solder or joint the tools circuit is completed by the solder and the solder is the weakest link in the circuit and instantly melts the solder. It uses 4 AA batteries. Comes with one chisel tip and a carry case. There are additional tips available on their web site. Before ordering one of these tools from the web site and paying shipping charges, I will tell you that Walgreens drug stores carry them for the same $19.95. I had just ordered one and it was going to be 6 - 8 weeks for delivery. I then found it a Walgreens and bought one there to try and if it did not work I would have cancelled my original order. Now when it arrives I will have one in my truck and one in the house. biggrin.gif The replacement tips are $9.95 each but I don't know how long they last. I just soldered 23 joints and can not tell that it has been used. Pick one up at Walgreens and try it out. I am sure you will like it. Oh Yea, NO I am not affiliated with Walgreens or ColdHeat, just ahobbiest like most of you. LOL

Originally posted by: richs on 9/22/2005 12:41:31 PM

Saw the Coleman brand advertised at Harbor freight for around $15 yesterday

Originally posted by: Rockyland on 9/23/2005 10:09:21 PM

Hey Al King,
Thanks for the info,I could use a lesson or 2 from you. I tend to use a little pressure when soldering, I always keep a wet sponge on my soldering station to keep the tip clean, But on this cold heat iron I found the distance between the tip is what I was talking about. I tried to desolder a bad ic chip using solder wick and that did real good , When I went to solder the new part into place I couldn't keep continuity between the tip to keep it powered, so I tilted the iron a little thats when I took out the tip. Any suggestions on what I could do different? I was certified for workin on circuit boards with mil spec 50884 & 55110 back in the mid 80's and just started back into doing some trouble shooting and repairs.
Thanks
Rocky

Originally posted by: cedar on 9/23/2005 5:25:09 PM

DAMN!! I don't think I need one, but with all the favorable comments here,I almost feel that I've got to get one---- just in case!

Originally posted by: Al King on 9/23/2005 3:01:45 PM

I'm starting to see the problem.
I am an experienced solderer, having been in the business for 30 years or so. I also have 6 technicians under me, 3 of whom know how to solder and 1 of whom besides myself is NASA certified.
If your tip and work is clean and you are a little patient this and other irons will work. If not no amount of pressure will give you a good joint.
I always ask am applicant to solder a joint for me and I offer a new iron to start. If he doesnt tip the tip, that is a clue.
If he used the iron to melt the solder rather than use the iron to heat the joint and let the joint melt the solder that is the next clue.
Not that I might not hire him but if a solder job comes up, I would say, "bring it to me".
This tool we have been talking about is a boon, IMHO, but there is no free lunch either. You still have to know how to solder.
I cannnt count the number of boards ruined by dirty irons. "Just clean the tip for crips sake"
Anyway I think it is a good tool for the knowledgable. I have soldered many joints with it and still am using the same tip. third set of batteries but my boss buys those.
my $.02

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 12/2/2005 7:23:11 AM

Thanks for the BUMP Dan and for taking the time to find the old post.

It was a good discussion and just wanted to mention that the new PRO model will handle 12ga wire and has two settings. Cost is $30 and have not found it for less anywhere.

Originally posted by: PaPaDan on 12/1/2005 8:01:14 PM

Just a BUMP

Originally posted by: Al King on 9/24/2005 8:34:21 AM

I hear ya Rocky, chips dont give you much pad area to work with, but practice makes perfect. I keep a small 15 watt iron in the car with a micro tip for very small jobs. Mostly becasue my hands are not as steady as in the old days. I dont use solder wick anymore, I have a grounded solder sucker pump that I use. It is quick and easy. Notice I said grounded because the vacuum created can also create static.
Good luck

Originally posted by: Al King on 12/11/2005 7:11:05 PM

Dean there is a light that comes on when the switch is on. It signifies that you are good to go. (Just dont press down, you'll break the tip and it isnt necessay)

Originally posted by: -Dean- on 12/11/2005 12:11:08 PM

Dan,

I wasn't even looking for this post, but the subject caught my eye. I would never have believed a tool like this would work as advertised. And especially with batteries.

I am not an electrician by any stretch of the imagination. But this thing would come in handy around here. I hate my heavy, old corded soldering gun. You have to keep pressing and releasing the trigger to maintain the heat without burning the house down. And the light goes out when it's not heating. Does the Cold Heat have a light, by chance? And what if you were to hit the trigger by mistake while touching the tip? I told you I wasn't an electrician, just curious and stupid. Haa!

Thanx Dan for the review. I never understood how they worked, but it makes perfectly good sense now. Gotta get me one.

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 12/3/2005 7:36:05 AM

Dan,
As I mentioned in the Tools forum on this subject that I saw at Lowe's a unit from Weller for $12 and a Coleman knock-off of the original COLD HEAT at Harbor Freight for $17.

Originally posted by: PaPaDan on 12/3/2005 6:34:04 AM

Have seen the original around for $10-12. I'll wait till after christmas and see what I can get the pro for. LOL

Originally posted by: Larry B on 12/14/2005 1:25:24 PM

Hey Zip whats the differance in the neew cold heat pro?

quote:

Originally posted by ZIPPER:
Guess Who,

Al King has it dead on with his suggestion on "tinning" the wire first.

If that fails, try the new ColdHeat Pro model I mentioned earlier in this post. I saw them at Home Depot for about $30. Two heat settings.

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 12/13/2005 7:18:59 AM

Guess Who,

Al King has it dead on with his suggestion on "tinning" the wire first.

If that fails, try the new ColdHeat Pro model I mentioned earlier in this post. I saw them at Home Depot for about $30. Two heat settings.

Originally posted by: Al King on 12/13/2005 6:47:07 AM

Guess Who, next time try "tinning" each piece and then soldering the two together. BTW "tinning" means preparing the media by heating it and letting solder flow onto it. In this way you are just heating one item not two.
I am still using mine on a somewhat regular basis and think it is the best thing since sliced bread.

Originally posted by: Guess Who on 12/13/2005 5:06:01 AM

Dean there is no trigger. The only way this heats up is when a conductor makes contact with both sides of the split tip. Touching it will not make it heat up either.
I just used mine for the first time last week and found it to be underpowered. I was trying to solder a piece of 20 ga wire to a tab on a connector. All I got was a weak, cold joint.

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 1/8/2006 2:43:19 PM

MacGyver-it,

Ouch! Which side of your finger fell off? LOL

Did you buy the Pro model that has two heat settings?

Originally posted by: MacGyver-it on 1/8/2006 2:37:46 PM

Hello all, I haven't visited this segment of the forum and was just doing a little poking around when I came upon this thread.

I bought one of these puppies after sitting in an airport terminal having a beer and saw the infomercial sometime back in early 2004. It works just as advertised. I spent most of 2004 traveling around the country tieing up loose ends for a client and this little dandy was perfectly suited for travel. I liked it so much I bought another one for home and keep the other in my laptop case. It has saved the day on several occasions!

The only problem I've had though is that the tips break so easy! I haven't purchased any new tips yet because they just break too fast. Dan has already gotten more soldering done with his one unit than I have with my two units because the tips on both are broken.

I'm pretty careful with it and have always soldered with caution and a very light touch. When done I always replace the cap and put it back in the carry case. I can't remember how the first tip broke, but I remember when the second one did and I was not a happy camper. I had just soldered a dry socket on a friends laptop power jack. Perfect joint! pulled the tip away and noticed there was a crack in the material. I looked at and touched it lightly with my finger and half that side fell off!

Anybody else had this problem?

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 12/27/2005 6:17:52 AM

Larry B,

As I mentioned early on the "Pro" model has two heat settings and will now handle 12ga wire.

Originally posted by: Guess Who on 12/27/2005 4:56:07 AM

LOL!!!
I know about tinning!
At least I did when I aced the NASA High Reliability Soldering course in the military!
I guess I'll have to try the Pro model and see if it works better.

Originally posted by: Al King on 1/12/2006 2:03:28 PM

zip, if you solder the wires together you dont need the bracket. LOL

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 1/12/2006 12:13:51 PM

star warrior ,
Don't ceiling fans have built-in hanger brackets so one person can make the wiring connections?

PS: Please use wire nuts. They even come with the fan, even though they're too small.

Originally posted by: bobchow on 1/11/2006 7:28:08 AM

Why did'nt you use wire nuts?

Originally posted by: MacGyver-it on 1/8/2006 9:02:17 PM

LOL!

Zip, what a piece of work you are!!

Both the coldheats I bought are the run of the mill $19 home depot or fry's electronic specials. I've never seen the PRO version and didn't know there was one until I read this thread. The ones I have work perfectly if I could keep the tips from suddenly cracking 1/2 my finger off.....

If the PRO version uses stronger tips I'll be sure to hunt one down. I was thinking maybe they've improved the tips since I purchase mine and if that's the case I'll order a couple. It's a shame to be letting them both sit in their case. Especially cosidering I solder 3 or 4 times a wekk on something or another.

Thanks for the response Zip!
Beau

Originally posted by: PaPaDan on 1/15/2006 8:24:59 AM

You can buy the original Cold Heat at a lot of different places now for under 20. I have seen it at drug staores, hardware and home centers and most chain auto parts stores. have not found a pro locally yet but I am sure it will turn up soon. Only place I have seen replacements tips is the Cold Heat web site, but I am still using the original tip that came with mine.

Originally posted by: -Dean- on 1/14/2006 6:10:51 AM

I found this auction on eBay ~~ http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-COLD-HEAT-SOLDERING-BY-CO...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem. Looked like a great deal. 99 cents on a "Buy It Now". Then I saw that he was charging $20.75 for S/H! Haa, what a crook.

Actually, you can find some decent prices there. And depending on where you live, the shipping could be reasonable enough to buy. I only get Buy It Now items from eBay. I've gotten in bidding wars before and ended up paying more than I wanted just to beat the schmuck out of the deal.

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 1/13/2006 6:25:01 AM

star warrior,

I found my Cold Heat Pro model at Home Depot over the Christmas holidays for about $30. The store closest to me ran out of them soon after and apparently have not re-ordered.

I haven't looked for replacement tips yet.

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 1/15/2006 4:49:33 PM

Jeepman,
Yeah, yeah, yeah I hear ya.
But they're selling to a bunch of kids that get every thing they want regardless. They know Mom and Dad want them to be soooo happy and match or exceed the Jone's brat. (No intentional slap at the Jone's out there.)

Lets see, we are the Baby Boomers, then the X-generation. Who's next, the X-boxer's?

I guess Home Depot is missing out of the tip replacement market since we're running around trying to find tips.

Cold Heat has been out for what now, 3 years? And the price remains high.

Originally posted by: Jeepman on 1/15/2006 4:14:46 PM

Come on ZIP,
Thats how many companies make their money!

Example: Microsoft - the new xbox 360 is being sold at a RELATIVELY average price for a NEW version of a gaming system. HOWEVER, the games for it, I've heard, are about $50 each. Now, tell me what makes a copied DVD, worth $50????????
(I can buy blank DVD's for around 60 cents each)

Originally posted by: ZIPPER on 1/15/2006 3:14:08 PM

TEN BUCKS ?????
OUCH !!!
Now I know to be more careful with mine. Shucks, why don't they give the Cold Heat away and take their profits from the sales of the replacement tips.

I don't know if Hobby Shops that handle Radio Control items would be any cheaper.

Originally posted by: GeorgeK on 1/15/2006 2:14:34 PM

FYI: I saw replacement tips of all different types for the cold heat in Radio Shack. They sell for around $10.00

Originally posted by: PaPaDan on 1/27/2005 6:05:59 PM

OK people, this may sound crazy, but I am kind of a geek for gadgets. Most of you have probably seen the TV comecials for the Cold Heat soldering iron. Instant 800 degree heat and instant cool tip. here is a link to their web site. http://www.coldheat.com/index.php I have been putting off some repairs until I had enough to do to be worth getting out my gear.. I just soldered a new plug onto my inverter, changed the capacitor in my Cobra, and repaired a cracked PC board in my Grandsons boombox. Right here at my computer desk. Took 15 minutes to open up all the cases, 4 minutes to do all the soldering, and 18 minutes to put all the cases back together. Everything works perfect. The tip of the soldering tool never got hot away from the circuits. The way this thing works is with a hard carbon split tip. when touched to the solder or joint the tools circuit is completed by the solder and the solder is the weakest link in the circuit and instantly melts the solder. It uses 4 AA batteries. Comes with one chisel tip and a carry case. There are additional tips available on their web site. Before ordering one of these tools from the web site and paying shipping charges, I will tell you that Walgreens drug stores carry them for the same $19.95. I had just ordered one and it was going to be 6 - 8 weeks for delivery. I then found it a Walgreens and bought one there to try and if it did not work I would have cancelled my original order. Now when it arrives I will have one in my truck and one in the house. biggrin.gif The replacement tips are $9.95 each but I don't know how long they last. I just soldered 23 joints and can not tell that it has been used. Pick one up at Walgreens and try it out. I am sure you will like it. Oh Yea, NO I am not affiliated with Walgreens or ColdHeat, just ahobbiest like most of you. LOL

Originally posted by: PaPaDan on 4/12/2006 3:10:42 AM

Well over a year now, I used mine twice yesterday, still have the original tip on it. If the tip does break or burn out I will just buy a new unit. Still have not seen the pro model yet.

Originally posted by: John McMahan on 4/10/2006 10:24:01 PM

Gee, guys. When I needed something repaired on a circuit board in the field a couple monthe ago I zipped over to my local Radio Shack and snagged an original off the rack for $20. Only the case for it says Radio Shack. I bought rechargable batteries for it, have used it several times since. Takes a bit of getting used to, but works great.

Noticed ad for never pay service man for A/C repair again - I'm insulted!

I"m with Harold,

When this post first started I couldn't wait to get mine. If finally come in (ordered from Walgreens...$19). Got it home and put nice fresh Duracell's in it.

I didn't think it worked worth a tinkers damn! I get much better results with my two 'speed' Weller!