soldering tools
Pine64 Pinecil Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron V2
By Eli Frost · Senior Editor
Published May 13, 2026 · Last reviewed August 3, 2026
Pinecil V2 — The USB-C Soldering Iron That Changed Portable Work
The Pinecil V2 runs on any 20V USB-C Power Delivery source. At a makerspace, your laptop charger powers it. In the field, a 65W USB-C power bank provides 90+ minutes of soldering at 350°C. No proprietary adapter, no wall wart, no DC barrel connector.
Heat-up time
From cold to 350°C: 23 seconds on a 65W USB-C PD source. The original TS100 took 38 seconds. A station iron like the FX-888D takes 40–60 seconds. The Pinecil wins on cold-start for field use.
Tip compatibility
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The Pinecil uses TS tip series, the most available hobby iron tip standard after Hakko T18. Replacement tips run $3–6 each. The iron ships with a BC2 chisel tip adequate for general through-hole work.
Where it loses to a station
Thermal mass is lower than a station iron’s ceramic heater. When soldering large ground planes or heavy gauge wire (14AWG+), the Pinecil struggles to maintain temperature under continuous draw. For bench work involving heavy power connections, a station iron is still better. For everything under 20AWG, the Pinecil competes fully.
Reviewed by Eli Frost. Last checked: 8/3/2026. Prices and availability change. We earn a commission on qualifying purchases. How we research →
