TS100 Soldering Iron, or a Familiar Tool in a New Form

I saw the news about this soldering iron a few months ago. I don't think I need to say how much I wanted to try it.
And since a soldering iron is one of my main tools, I was twice as eager to give it a try.
Impressions, analysis, conclusions—as always, it's all below the fold.

I first tried soldering when I was probably about 7. I don't even remember exactly; it's been so many years.
I've handled a lot of soldering irons over the years, so as soon as I heard about this one, my first thought was: I have to try it!

As an introduction, I'll just say that my opinion of it changed several times during testing.
I'll explain why and how at the end. For now, here's a review of this marvel of hostile modern technology :)

For the test, I ordered not only the soldering iron itself, but also a couple of replacement tips and a power supply.


The soldering iron itself arrived in a small (if not downright tiny) black box. It looks great, but I did have one minor complaint about the store: there was a sticker on top with the SKU number and shipping date. Seriously, who puts stickers on top?


Nothing special on the back, just a small sticker showing the soldering iron model and the type of included tip (you can choose from 5 options when ordering).


The packaging opens like a matchbox, but it's pretty stiff.
When I sent one of my friends a link to this soldering iron, his first comment was: “Fancy.”
Well, I completely agree with him on that :)
A soldering iron is basically just a tool, nothing more and nothing less. But this model comes in a beautiful gift box, which is why I was a little biased against it at first. I'm used to more rugged-looking options.
You could say this one is a soldering iron “in a tuxedo.”


The envelope inside even has a branded embossed logo. I suspect it's there for some kind of authenticity check, but I can't say for sure.




Inside the envelope, I found:
Instructions in English and Chinese
A small hex key and a couple of screws (I only figured out what they were for later)
A warranty card unlike any I've seen before; all that's missing is the director's personal signature.
But on the back it says (loosely translated):
Hi... guys, please register on our forum to get information and support.


The soldering iron and included tip are packed separately inside. All that's missing is some velvet lining :)
Still, it makes a good overall impression. It's one of those things that looks nice even before you take it out.


My photos haven't been turning out very well lately. I picked the best ones, but this is what I ended up with—sorry about that.

And here's the handsome thing itself—and I mean that literally; it looks great.


The design is extremely simple: a display and a couple of buttons. The display has a protective film on it.


The only thing is, the buttons aren't labeled, but in practice the controls proved so simple that labels aren't needed.


There’s a protective cap on the front. I think it’s unnecessary, since the tip covers this opening when the iron is in use, and carrying it around disassembled may not be very convenient. Still, it’s nice of the manufacturer to include one, though the cap will probably get lost pretty quickly.
There’s a screw on the back of the housing for connecting ground.
The rear end has two connectors: microUSB and a power jack.
The power jack is surprisingly well designed. As you can see in the photo, it has plenty of spring contacts arranged all the way around, which ensures a good connection—with a few caveats I’ll get to later.


The back also has CE and FCC compliance markings, and they look genuine. For example, you can’t officially sell a tool like this in the US without the FCC mark. (Those of you living in the US, correct me if I’m wrong.)
The other side has markings indicating the power connector type and voltage.
The power connector is round, with a 5.5 mm outer diameter, a 2.5 mm inner diameter, and a depth of 14 mm. The center contact is positive, as usual.


The cap is secured with the supplied screw. The package includes two of these screws and an Allen key.


Once installed, the tip is secured with the same screw. It takes some getting used to, since the tip isn’t exactly quick-release. My soldering station doesn’t have a screw like this.


Illustration from the manual.
1. Retaining screw
2. Button A
3. Button B
4. Ground wire mounting screw
5. Power supply plug
6. MicroUSB
7. DC5525 power jack, 12–24 V
8. Tip socket
9. Tip contacts
10. Heating element


As I mentioned above, you can choose one of several tip options when ordering.
I chose the soldering iron with a TS-BC2 tip, which is a beveled cylinder. In my opinion, it’s one of the most convenient tip shapes.


This soldering iron uses custom-designed tips. Their distinguishing feature is a round stop near the contacts (on the right in the photo).
Of course, this limits the choice of replacement parts, since these tips are less common, but the manufacturer seems to be expanding the range.


Until now, I’d been using tips of a different design. They’re much more common, and I even reviewed them. Hakko tip on the left, Aoyue in the middle, and the one under review on the right.
By the way, I tried fitting tips from other soldering stations, but I wouldn’t recommend it: they don’t have a stop, so you could damage the internals.
They’d also be very awkward to use.


I ordered a couple of extra tips with the kit. I chose the ones I thought would be most useful, at least for my own needs, since different people do different kinds of work and have different preferences.


The back of the package has a brief guide to the tip types, but it lists only about half of the ones available today.


A description of all the tip types for this soldering iron.
An overview image and the three types featured in this review.


Four alternatives.
Two of these are needle-type tips, but I like them considerably less.
The most interesting one is probably the TS-KU, a smaller version of the TS-K.
The TS-C4 might also be worth considering, but it’s better suited to large components, which are somewhat impractical to solder with this iron—though it depends on the job.


The tips I ordered have the brand marking, though it’s a little fainter.
I can’t vouch for their authenticity since I’m no expert, but I have no complaints about their appearance.
TS-D24 — link
TS-K — link
TS-I — link
TS-BC2 — link


The tips are roughly the same length, and the connector section is identical.


With a tip installed, the soldering iron looks very compact—almost like a toy.
But its small size is both an advantage and a drawback.


We’ve put it together and had a look; now let’s try taking it apart and see how it’s actually built :)

A few words about powering the soldering iron.
The manufacturer doesn't include either a power supply or a cable with the iron.
In most cases, not having a power supply isn't a problem, but finding the right connector and cable can be tricky.


And now, the right way to power it :)


In the end, this is the setup I put together for testing and comparison.


First power-up—and nothing even burned out. The screen came on, displayed the manufacturer's logo and firmware version, and prompted me to press a button.


The first thing on screen is a prompt to switch it on, indicating which button to press. The picture of the soldering iron reminded me of some kind of submarine :)


By default, the soldering iron is set to 300 degrees.
On the first power-up, the temperature may overshoot a little, but then it stabilizes at the set value.
Press and hold button 1 or 2 to enter temperature-setting mode. The temperature changes in 10-degree increments (this is configurable), and the developers even added a simple animation to show the process.
If the actual temperature is higher than the set temperature, a corresponding indicator appears.

When the soldering iron is idle, it lowers the temperature to 200 degrees after a while, then switches the heater off completely after some more time.


The first test was of its thermal recovery—that is, how it handles large copper pours or contacts with high thermal mass.
This is the toughest test, since it shows how well the power control system works and how quickly heat is transferred from the heater to the tip.
I ran the test on an old monitor board, heating various copper pours, heatsink tabs, and the ground terminal of the power connector, both one after another and with pauses in between.
I can say that the control system handles everything excellently, although most of the credit goes not so much to the electronics as to the excellent tip with its built-in heater.
This tip is the successor to the previous T12 type, which also performed excellently and was originally designed for lead-free soldering.
Technically, it is a T12, just in a shortened version.
For the test, I first tried the included “beveled cylinder” tip.


The second test compares the ergonomics of the soldering irons.
I realize that describing this in words isn't enough; ideally, you'd use the tool yourself for at least a week. But I'll do the best I can.
For comparison, I used three types of soldering irons that I've worked with for years.
They all have temperature stabilization and are low-voltage models: the first runs on 36 V, the others on 24 V.

The soldering iron under review is an “advanced” version of the first one. On that model, you set the temperature with a small knob, and an LED indicated that power was being supplied to the heating element. It's a rugged, industrial-grade soldering iron made locally. Unfortunately, both of these soldering irons have now died after years of hard work, along with a couple of spare heating elements. No replacement parts are available :(
The second soldering iron will be familiar to my readers. It's a Solomon with a digital soldering station. The iron runs on 24 V and is powered by the power supply inside the control and temperature-stabilization unit.
I use the third soldering iron much less often. It's from an Aouye 2738 lead-free soldering station.

I'm almost certain someone will say that $50–60 is way too much for the soldering iron under review.
My response: it's not too much; it's a fair price.
The first soldering iron cost about $20 (around 17 years ago), and I also needed a 36 V transformer for it.
The second one costs more: $60 for the station and about $7 for the iron itself, for a total of around $67 for the set. I bought it in 2008.
The third is harder to price, since it came with a soldering station. It cost about $200 when I bought it in 2007.

The soldering iron under review is most comparable to the Solomon with its soldering station. It costs about the same and offers more features.


The first comparison is the distance from the grip point to the tip.
Here, bigger isn't better. Quite the opposite: the closer the soldering point is to where you hold the iron, the easier it is to work.
The soldering iron under review comes in second in this test.
By the way, in its promotional materials, the manufacturer proudly claims that its new tip is shorter than the familiar T12, but conveniently leaves out the fact that the T12 tip slides almost entirely into the handle. You can clearly see this in the photo.


Speaking of dimensions, I made this simple drawing to give you a better idea of the size.
If the manufacturer had shortened the tip by the length of the narrow section (17 mm in the photo), it would be even more comfortable to use. But once I understood what that spacer was for, I changed my mind.


The next test looks at grip comfort and balance, both of which affect how easy the iron is to use and how quickly your hand gets tired. Yes, your hand can get tired while soldering, but if you use the iron for less than a few hours at a time, you probably won't notice.
I tested two things: how comfortable the iron is to hold while working and while “resting”—just holding it in your hand. I use a standard grip, much like holding a pen or pencil. Most people work this way, though there are other ways to hold it.

I started with the soldering iron under review and was pleasantly surprised. Simply holding it in your hand is one thing; actually working with it is another.
Until the very end, I was sure it would be uncomfortable because of the small handle and long tip.
But the test showed that this isn't a problem, and you can do fairly fine work with it.
Then I realized why: the soldering iron is very light, which makes it easier to position the tip.
It was also comfortable to hold when “resting.” Again, that's thanks to its low weight, and the power plug adds a little extra length to the assembly.
I have large hands, so I think this test is quite objective. It should be even more comfortable for someone with smaller hands.

After that, I picked up the soldering iron I've been using for the past 6–7 years.
It's clearly harder to position, since the tip is longer and also thicker.
On the plus side, it has a larger handle, which is better for heavy-duty work, although I've used this iron to solder ICs with 0.5 mm lead spacing. I don't like the cable that comes with the Solomon: it's a bit stiff and sometimes makes the iron tip over onto the table, tip first.
Its comfort when simply holding it is average or slightly above average, though I may just be used to it.


Third up was the soldering iron from the Aoyue station.
This one is harder to assess. Its short tip makes it convenient for working with small components, since it offers the best positioning of all the irons. But the very stiff cable and fume extractor cancel out all that convenience. I tried removing the fume extractor; it helps, but I wouldn't say it makes a huge difference. The long handle also detracts a little, since the cable tends to pull it downward while I'm working.
It's almost impossible to keep this soldering iron in the “resting” position, as I think you can see in the photo.

And fourth was my old soldering iron, which I used for about 10 years. Everything I said about the Solomon applies to this one too, since they're very similar.
One advantage is its heavier, but also more flexible cable, with excellent heat-resistant insulation. I used the cable as a stand without any worries: you can rest the soldering iron on it and nothing will happen to the cable.
It's a little less comfortable to use than the Solomon because of its longer handle, though overall I'd say they're almost equal.


One thing worth mentioning is that all the soldering irons above have a finger rest for a more comfortable grip. The soldering iron under review doesn't have one, and users have pointed this out more than once.
In practice, it turned out that this soldering iron doesn't really need a finger rest, but if you want one, it's easy to make from a piece of thin metal or plastic. Cut out a ring about 25 mm in diameter, drill a 6 mm hole in the center, then slide it onto the tip (the section with the contacts) before installing it. After that, secure the tip with the screw, and that's it. Just make sure the material is no more than 0.5 mm thick, or it won't make contact.

Above I said you could even use plastic, and yes, that's right.
The stop that prevents the tip from sliding too far into the soldering iron's body barely heats up during use. With the tip at 300 degrees, the stop is around 50 degrees.
In the photo, I'm holding the soldering iron by this stop without any trouble. It's hot, but I wouldn't say it burns; you can hold it for a long time.
I also used this as an opportunity to test how hot the handle gets (a common problem with soldering irons that have a Bakelite handle).


While testing the soldering iron, I naturally tried the tips I ordered with it. All three were fine to use. The large tip was convenient for working with components and ground planes with high thermal mass, which was to be expected. The other two are very similar, differing only slightly in the shape of the tip.

But I did notice something interesting.
When you first turn on the soldering iron with a new tip, the temperature initially “jumps around” a lot.
I couldn't capture it in the photo, but for the first 20–30 seconds the temperature can “jump” between 280 and 450 degrees (even though you can only set it as high as 400 degrees).
After 20–30 seconds, the temperature stabilizes and there are no more jumps like that.
It's most likely a quirk of a new tip, since it doesn't happen again after the tip has been heat-cycled.


Speaking of temperature, the soldering iron has built-in automatic temperature calibration.
Note: all operations must be performed with a cold tip (at room temperature).
To do this, enter temperature measurement mode by holding down the right button.
Then press both buttons at the same time.
If calibration succeeds, the screen will display “Cal_V”; if it fails, it will display “Cal_X”. I tried doing this with the soldering iron hot and got an error. Calibration worked without any problems when it was cold.
To exit this mode, hold down the left button.


A little about the firmware and settings.
The soldering iron came with firmware version 2.09. I connected it to my computer, which detected it as a 4 KB flash drive.
When connected to a computer, the screen displays “Config”.


If you open the drive that appears in Disk Management, you'll find a text file on it. You can change the soldering iron's settings by editing certain values in the file.
Here's the list.
1. Standby temperature
2. Operating temperature (startup)
3. Heater auto-shutoff time
4. Time before switching to standby mode
5. Temperature adjustment increment. It's set to 10 degrees by default, which I think is just right.
6. Minimum supply voltage at which the soldering iron switches to standby mode
7. Temperature display in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
8. Not used.


After all the experimenting, I decided to update the firmware (the file is in the supplementary materials).
Updating it is very simple.
Press and hold the left button (the one closer to the tip), then connect the soldering iron to the computer.
The screen should then display DFU1.0 (the numbers may actually be different).
A new drive will appear in Disk Management. Open it and copy the new firmware file with the *.HEX extension to it. The drive will disappear and reappear, but the file extension will have changed to *.RDY.
That's it.


I updated the firmware to 2.11, but haven't noticed any difference so far. By the way, there's a user-made firmware version on the website for left-handed use.


I also checked how much power the soldering iron draws in different operating modes.
When it was switched off, the power supply's ammeter didn't react at all.
In standby, consumption varied between 200–250 mA, or 4.8–6 W.


When heating a large copper pour, the current initially jumped to 2 A, then quickly fluctuated between 0.6 and 1.5 A.
This experiment showed that even a 50 W power supply is overkill; in practice, it needs a 25 W power supply for continuous use and 65 W for short bursts.
The current changes very rapidly, so taking a photo was really difficult.


And finally.
There's a logo on the box and the soldering iron. But not everyone will recognize it.
This soldering iron was designed and is manufactured by the same company that developed the pocket oscilloscope a few years ago, which has appeared in some of my reviews.


Here's the whole kit together. I think I've found a pretty good replacement for my Solomon.


And now, here’s how my opinion of the soldering iron changed while I was preparing this review.
1. Unboxing. At first, I couldn’t even tell from the box that it was a soldering iron, so my reaction was: “Wow, this is something else.”
2. Inspection. Not bad at all—small, neat, and even a little unusual.
3. Installing the tip. It ends up being rather long. Will it actually be comfortable to use? I had my doubts.
4. Trying it without power. Yes, it’s probably too long, feels unusual, and there’s no finger rest.
5. Trying it with power. Actually, it’s quite comfortable to solder with.
6. Trying different tips. Comfortable, heats well, and the temperature control works perfectly.

Summary.
Pros
The packaging is definitely suitable for a gift.
Well-thought-out design
Excellent build quality.
Good temperature control.
Simple controls and intuitive operation.
Good-quality tips

Cons
A finger rest would be nice.
No stand included (and it would have been nice to get a branded stand, too).
The kit doesn’t include a power cable with heat-resistant insulation.
The tips are good, but expensive :(

My opinion. Well, what can I say? This soldering iron would make an excellent gift—one you wouldn’t be embarrassed to give. It looks presentable and works well, too.
My experience using it has shown that it’s also suitable for everyday work. At least, I don’t feel like switching back to my Solomon, even though I used to find it very comfortable. But if you average out the test results, the Solomon with its soldering station is roughly on par with the one reviewed here.
Each one is better in some ways and worse in others; maybe the one reviewed here is slightly better overall. The new iron responds noticeably faster than the Solomon, but its construction seems less robust. It may just need more time to break in.
The manufacturer did overcomplicate the design in places. In my opinion, they could have used an LCD instead of an OLED. The OLED looks more interesting, but it also costs more.

So, what’s the verdict? I really liked this soldering iron. For some reason, I expected it to be worse. It’ll be my main soldering iron now, though I’ll probably replace the cord and build a new power supply first.
Speaking of the power supply, I’m planning a review of a DIY power supply made specifically for this soldering iron. I want something very compact and reliable. I also need to find a suitable cable somewhere—flexible, with heat-resistant insulation.
And after that, it’s Metcal all the way :)

That’s all for now. As always, I’ll be glad to hear your comments and questions.