Weller Butane Soldering Iron Review
A co-worker introduced me to a tool recently that I had never used and it was seriously intriguing. What I’m talking about of course is the Weller Portasol (PN P2KC) butane powered hand-held soldering iron. I might be late to the party in finding this, but I found it and that’s all that really matters. So in this post, I’d like to take a hands on look at the Weller P2KC “Portasol” and review it the best possible way I can.
What is the Weller Portasol Butane Soldering Iron?
Amazingly, the Weller butane soldering iron is an actual soldering tool that does not require electricity to heat up, but rather butane lighter fluid. I have had similar set ups with my Lexivon micro-torch that has attachments for soldering and various other uses, but never one like the Weller Portasol butane fluid that’s sole purpose is to solder.
If you don’t know how to solder well and want to learn, here’s a good video with “10 tips to improve your soldering skills”
Gone are the days of dragging out a 120V soldering iron to solder things such as circuit boards, fuse boxes, TIPM’s and FCM’s or whatever else you need soldered. In 2023, using products like the Weller Portasil or the Solder-It brand butane soldering tool has made it possible to solder on the go, in tight spaces and even jobs like on-call roadside jobs.
Does the Weller P2KC or P2C Work as Advertised?
One of the obvious questions people want to know is if the Weller Portasol actually works the way it is advertised. Does this portable soldering tool actually heat up enough to melt solder? And how efficient is the product on butane? I’m going to lay out a couple things quickly.
1). The Weller P2C and P2CK are the same tool. The latter P2CK just comes with a carrying case and all of the attachments one would need for a soldering gun in the repair shop.
2). Weller is a very respected name in soldering tools and welding tools. Another option is available from “Solder-It”, the PRO 70K model. You can check that one out in this link, but I have a broken one and the quality was not great compared to the Weller I just bought.
3). Yes, the Weller Portasil works as advertised, feels and looks high-quality and so far has been as efficient as I could ask from a butane solder tool.
Related- Here are the Time-Saving Tools YOU Need to Compete
What Are Weller Spec’s on the P2C Portasil?
According to Weller, the Portasil butane solder tool melts solder in 40 seconds. After using it, I would say that’s pretty accurate. Weller also claims one hour of continuous use before the butane needs to be refilled. I have not spent an hour continuously using the Weller Portasil, but it does seem to be quite efficient.
Weller claims that the temperature range is up to 850 degrees Fahrenheit. At a length just over 10 inches long and a weight of 1.1 lbs, the P2C does an extremely respectable job. With the kit and attachments that come with the P2CK, you can also use the Portasil as a micro-torch instead of a solder tool if you desire.
How Much Does a Weller Butane Solder Iron Cost?
If you want to purchase a butane solder iron, I would recommend buying the P2CK kit just because for the small difference in price, you will get all of the different tips along with a pretty handy carrying case. Buying the Weller Portasol as a kit will still run you less than $70 on Amazon.
If you are not interested in the entire kit, there is the option of buying just a Weller P2C which just includes the gas soldering tool and the attachment or you can even buy a mini butane soldering tool from Weller- the ML500MP.which is just a smaller version of the Weller gas soldering tool that is around half the size and likewise carries half the continuous run-time.
Of course, there are also other butane soldering tools like the “Solder-It” brand mentioned before, but for the purpose of this review I would like to stick to what Weller sells for butane solder kits. It’s likely I will review one of the “Solder-It” brand tools in the near future and compare prices, features and other minor (or major) differences.
What do Reviews Say About Weller’s Butane Solder Tool?
With the nature of a fairly cheap, but extremely handy tool like the Weller P2C butane solder tool, it’s important to take a look around and see what other hands-on reviews are saying about the portable solder tools. I’m using the P2C personally and I love it, but my opinion isn’t the only one and I have not tested how long the Weller butane tool will stand the test of time.
So in my start to search for reviews of the Weller line of butane soldering tools, I went to the usual places- Amazon, YouTube and Google. What I found is that these Weller brand butane solder tools have a good reputation along with the rest of Weller’s soldering tools. Even the New York Times listed a Weller soldering iron as one of the “4 Best Soldering Irons of 2023”.
For more proof of the kind of reputation Weller branded soldering tools have, consider what “Mac” (a verified buyer) said on Amazon.
The Weller Portasol has been my “go-to” soldering tool for mobile and field RF work since 1999.
Amazon user “MAC” goes on to continue his praise for Weller’s products, particularly the company’s butane soldering irons. You can read the full review here on Amazon. YouTube was also full of video reviews on different models of Weller’s butane soldering tools and accessories which just speaks to the reputation of Weller products in the solder market.
Weller Butane Solder Tools Warranty
You might be surprised to find out when asking what is the warranty on Weller soldering tools that the company will guarantee the tools are free from defects for a period of seven years unless altered or modified. Pretty impressive considering electric tools like the ones Weller mostly specializes in typically carry a one-five year warranty.
How to Warranty Weller Soldering Tools?
Due to the fact that Weller is owned by Apex Tools Group, it will be Apex that handles the warranty on any Weller Tools. If you are considering a warranty on any broken or damaged Weller soldering tools, you can find the information at the Apex warranty page.
Author- John Green
If you purchase through my website, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. All posts are well researched and meant to find you better tools at a cheaper price.
