Top 10 soldering iron for pipes

The Czech pipe welding machine looks at first glance more interesting than the German one - and the price is lower, and the mention of microprocessor temperature control will find its supporters. But there is one important nuance - “solo” in the title indicates that we are talking about a “bare” soldering iron without attachments and a case, that is, the initial cheapness compared to a fully equipped Rothenberger is not so cheap. With a suitcase and a set of nozzles, it will already cost more.

Nozzles with a Teflon coating for this device are offered with a large choice of diameters - from 16 to 125 mm. Thanks to a powerful heater with thick-walled pipes, he copes quickly.Temperature adjustment - in the range from 180 to 280 degrees. The regulator itself, however, is inconvenient - under a screwdriver. Components "solo" is minimal - the soldering iron itself, stand and hex to tighten the nozzles on the heater disk. The stand, by the way, is less convenient due to the short “legs” than the Rothenberger - so in the aggregate, the “Czech” gets only second place.

The Turkish company entered the market later eminent colleagues from Europe, but has established itself well. The CM-04 two-kilowatt soldering iron is designed to work with pipes with a diameter of 50 to 110 mm. The heater is made in two sections, with the independent inclusion of two “halves”, that is, it can also operate at a power of 1 kW if necessary.

The thermostat knob is quite convenient, it has a large knob. The temperature is kept quite stable, the device is not prone to accidental overheating or underheating of the pipes, if the heating time is kept stable by the owner. The complete stand is multifunctional - it can be used simply on the floor, and as a clamp for mounting on a workbench. But the nozzles in the kit are only three, the rest will have to be bought.

It looks like a soldering iron, which is logical for such a price, rather rude, but in practice it showed itself with dignity. So, he quite deserved popularity - a good welder for polypropylene pipes for sane money will find a buyer.

Five plus for ergonomics - working on weight with this soldering iron is very convenient. The handle fits perfectly in the palm, so we can safely recommend it for work without a stand. But the stand, on the contrary, is unsuccessful - on it the soldering iron outweighs forward, and when removing the pipes and fittings from the nozzles, it tends to fall, it needs to be uniquely modified.

Nozzles themselves have high-quality Teflon coating, it is easy to remove the heated plastic. The power of the heater is already clear from the marking - two kilowatts, and the heater is not “half-hearted”, but constantly operates at full power. Immediately check the accuracy of the thermostat with a pyrometer - pipes of small diameter can quickly overheat. A set of nozzles traditional - six pairs, for diameters from 20 to 63 mm.

If it were not for the extremely unsuccessful stand, this soldering iron for polypropylene pipes could also count on a higher rating. Alas, at least in something, but still the budget tool will require the application of hands.

A simple soldering iron for pipes with a universal clamp-stand, very reminiscent of that used on the Candan. When working on weight, it is not very convenient because of the weight and rigid handle, besides being carried far back from the heater, it is better to use it on the floor or on the workbench. The power of the heater is one and a half kilowatt, which is quite sufficient for a quick warm-up and confident work with pipes up to 63 mm.

The suitcase, unfortunately, frankly unfortunate - from too thin metal, which is quickly crumpled and warped. The pipe cutter included in the kit ... remember that we wrote above about “Diold” and do the same with this. It was amusing that even a bubble level was placed in the suitcase - but, to be honest, it would be better to make the suitcase more straightforward.

This two-kilowatt soldering iron was made extremely brutal - for example, just a piece of a square tube was used to install the stand, the body was a rectangular box, the stand was also welded from pipes. But, whatever one may say, he came out strong and cheap, and on the stand he stands much safer than the same “Diold”.

Nozzles in the complete set six pairs, on diameters from 20 to 63 mm. They have quite a decent non-stick coating, pipes and couplings are easily removed from them. Warming up with such power is naturally fast. The heater is two-piece, with the usual for a similar design independent inclusion of each "half".

Because of the constructive performance of the soldering iron, it is quite weighty, when working from the arm (for example, when laying pipes along the wall) it tires more quickly than lighter models, and the handle would have been more ergonomic. But let's not find fault with such a price. But we will find fault with the build quality - even on the photographs from the official site (!), Both the switches that are not inserted into the housing, and the curvature of the housing itself are visible. Of course, it is clear that the device is almost nowhere cheaper, and it doesn’t bother working at it, but it’s still unpleasant at all.

Cylindrical soldering iron Sturm is designed for small pipe diameters - from 16 to 32 mm, all tips for this range are included in the kit. At the same time, despite its small dimensions, it has a very solid power - 1.8 kW, so it warms up to the working temperature very quickly.

Naturally, for cheapness (and this for a case set with nozzles) you have to pay something.First of all, a rough temperature controller - in an amicable way, it is worth checking the real heating in different positions with a pyrometer. In addition, the manufacturer has saved on the stand, and on the "leg" sticking down the plate there is an unstable soldering iron. So you will have to make the stand yourself, and at the same time modify the suitcase - the nozzles are not fixed in it, the anti-stick coating eventually gets scratched.

On the other hand, there is nothing deadly in the “do it yourself” list, for the Chinese instrument it is quite tolerable. A low price, you see, can be an important factor when choosing.

Hm, and what would it look like? That's right, on the “E” series of the Rothenberger xiphoid soldering irons. Even in the stand, the case is mounted similarly, and in the same way, the aluminum radiator of the electronic thermostat sticks out in the lower part. But at the same time, for a “suitcase” package with six nozzles from 20 to 63 mm, we are asked six times less (or five, when compared with “Rothenberger” without electronics).

Kilowatt heater is not bad for the speed of heating, they can easily solder the pipes. But then why buy a Rothenberger if there is a Wester? Alas, cheapness, even taking into account the absence of a possible “overpayment for the brand,” is not taken from nowhere. A painful place in a soldering iron is expected in electronics - there are complaints about the work of the regulator. In principle, under warranty, it can be repaired, and if you have repair skills, you can “revive” yourself, but professional use, of course, is out of the question: a soldering iron is definitely “amateur”.

One of the cheapest soldering irons for pipes in our market is clumsy, so much so that, perhaps, it is worth apologizing to the Bison. But “Resant” can be bought literally a couple of times and then put aside on the mezzanine - and, in general, it copes with its task of soldering pipes.

Despite the fact that the xiphoid heater has three holes for the installation of nozzles, at the same time fixing several pairs will not work: the holes are too close to each other. Power - 1 kilowatt, not so much for a quick warm-up, but acceptable, given the price of the device. In general, the soldering iron proved to be quite reliable, but the author, to be honest, would prefer to buy a better-assembled model.