Mellif Cordless Soldering Station Powered By Dewalt 20V Batteries

[@hyperdude54]

Perfect, just in time for my lunch.

[@BaileyFarming]

I’ve had the same iron for a few months now. When I first opened it I could smell the chiesium on it pretty thick and figured it would shit the bed right away but to my surprise it’s still going strong. Batteries last surprisingly long with it also. I got a dewalt battery heat gun at the same time which makes my life easy because most of my joints are wire to terminal with heat shrink over it. Way better then dragging a cord around the shop. Thanks for the vid. You’re a funny dude.

[@jeffpv.]

I've been considering buying a battery powered soldering iron for a while now. It's the kind of thing you're not going to use very often, but when you need it, you need it. I like the standard soldering iron feel also, and I'm already using DeWalt, so this is a no brainer. Thanks!

[@markm0000]

I have a butane one and it comes in handy once in a great while. The hassle of getting it working and doing something before it runs out of fuel is annoying. This is a great upgrade.

[@shanemitchell477]

Thanks sir. You are a very smart man. I just subscribed after watching a million of your videos. Want a neat trick? If your car has no heat, but the engine is still cooling, then you probably have a plugged heater core. You can pull off the top hose on it and use a pressure washer into the hose, hold it tight with your hand, and spray, it will blow out all the crap from your heater core without bursting it, then just drain the radiator and refill with new fluid and anti-freeze. This little trick can save people thousands.

[@ricardoauerbach4092]

I am partial to soldering as well and very much enjoy using the craftsman 20v soldering kit. It is closer to that dewalt rig than the m12 in that the iron is detached from the battery. I like this as it means I dont have to hold the weight of the battery while soldering and can turn the heat up and down with my free hand while the iron is in my other hand.

[@Jake-n8v]

Get a torch. I solder high pressure and have never used and iron cuz I don't make jewelry

[@ricardoauerbach4092]

@@Jake-n8vwhat? I don’t make jewelry either I’m soldering in automotive wire applications…..

[@Iaintwoke]

​@@Jake-n8vJewellers use torches normally.

[@crazykirk96]

Mellif is a good little US company that seem to mostly make speciality tools for dewalt and makita, and they are good value, I currently use their cordless glue gun and its holding it own no issue.

[@BA-zy2kb]

Thanks for demonstrating that the low power cutoff actually works!

[@TonyMontanaXx]

My favorite KZbin channel and it’s not even close. I legit look forward to every upload. Much love.

[@FunkFPV]

Thanks bud 😊👍🏻

[@DevilbyMoonlight]

I use a small DC powered T12 with an adaptor I properly built from scratch which mounts it similar to yours a few years ago that mounts on top of a dewalt battery, like you stated the weight of the battery helps to keep it stable, I built it as these things werent available back then, and it works well for those little jobs where you need one where a powerpoint isnt anywhere near.. I just check the battery level before and after I start... but its lasted a number of years now and not let me down,

[@ZuperZocker]

Literally need an anniversary gift for my wife, 10 years, tin, and I kept joking, soldering iron, and here's this video. Perfect

[@MysteryD]

I've been using a TS100 for years. Still works great.

[@shadeshiest22]

awesome man, just bought two of these thru your link!

[@PatrickPease]

Id be glad to watch you repair anything

[@JoeTheDIY]

It is awesome that you identified parts as you went through the process. My hope is that you one day do a video on how to replace or upgrade old cells in an 18 or 20 volt battery.

[@129jamie]

You’d need a spot welder for that as soldering will cook the cells.

[@JoeTheDIY]

@@129jamie that explains why the Torque Test Channel used one. Those can get a bit pricey.

[@FunkFPV]

I’ve soldered cells before but it is not recommended. Fast and hot is the only way to do it. You got to sand everything clean too.

[@JoeTheDIY]

@@FunkFPV Sounds like a pro move. Haha. Awesome.

[@legros731]

​@@JoeTheDIYfor something with lower amp draw it's not a problem would not rebuild a 20v tool pack but for a older style laptop battery that use 18650 it's will be just fine You use a big hot iron and do it quick

[@18ct]

I've been using a soldering iron mod for my vape. It has a standard 510 screw thread. My vape takes x2 18650 batteries, I tend to run the soldering iron attachment between 20-60w. Works great, make sure to get the one with the brass end with interchangable tips. I've found the 'spade' tip works great for what I do. Shame I can't vape and solder at the same time though. No cables, stands upright, cools pretty quickly, heats very quickly. I use it more than my desktop station.

[@legros731]

You make me want to dig up my old evolv 200w

[@18ct]

@@legros731 my vape device can do upto 200w as well, but the soldering iron attachment would get fried at that, I find around 40w is about right, click your fire button, solder, unclick. It stays hot enough even just to do pulses. They even send you replacement internal heating elements incase you do fry one with the one I mentioned

[@agoogleuser1188]

Was lookin for one of these the other day I love how the internet works

[@TokyoScarab]

I'm an EE and I have a portable iron similar to the TS-100. It's nice to have if you have to solder something that doesn't fit on your bench or you can't pick up, but if you had to do more extensive soldering out in the field, the user experience kinda falls flat. This interesting portable one looks really promising! I had to do work for a client and the iron they had in their lab was completely horrid to use! It had the worst ergonomics! I brought my own bench iron from home every day I had to solder at their location and it sucked having to cart it around. Something like this actually seems to hit a good balance. Great vid! :D

[@emmettturner9452]

After mentioning Adam Savage’s build, I’m back to suggest this: DeWALT DCB094K + MiniWare TS80/TS101 + an iron holder where the belt clip goes. TS101 will even work with your TS100 tips. You can use the 65W USB PD PSU when you aren’t on battery and you can use the battery when you aren’t on AC. It’s also a fast charger for your DeWALT batteries and you know it won’t damage your batteries like some adapters might (glad the one you show here seemingly won’t over-discharge).

[@00lightning]

Would definitely be interested in a video on the borescope. I've looked at the ones that connect and use your phone as the monitor, I'm just not real big on the idea of having to install a proprietary app from China onto my phone just to be able to use them. That one you had there looked nice and I would appreciate it if you could give us an overview of how it does. Thanks for the content.

[@theteenageengineer]

I think it really depends on your preference, the Milwaukee is going to be better for someone who likes not having a cord, where as the dewalt one is better if you are ok with the cord. My preference for a cordless soldering iron is the Hakko FX-901 with a custom 18650 battery pack I built. It’s made to run off of 4 AA batteries but it kills them very quickly. If you use 2 18650s in series the iron will heat up in about 5 seconds due to the fact that it uses internally heated cartridges. I liked the 901 so much that I ordered one for my grandfather since he tends to do more field soldering than I do. I think that something that uses internally heated cartridges is great for in the field stuff since they tend to heat up much faster than standard cartridge tips. The last thing most guys want is sitting around waiting for a soldering to heat up while they are sitting under or in a piece of heavy equipment.

[@fuzzycuffs]

Thanks for this review! I've been looking at this exact model but couldn't find anywhere that reviewed it.

[@italianbasegard]

I definitely haven't delved enough into the world of battery powered soldering devices that're out there - Interesting finds, and more importantly, interesting explanations of your use cases. Makes sense why battery powered irons are desired. I always bring things to my workbench and use my FX-888D (and have loved it), and am now interested in the idea of being able to bring the iron TO the work area instead of bringing the work area to the iron. Cheers

[@tarstarkusz]

For small electronics, this thing is fine. But for his forklift work, I think he would be much better served by an ISO-TIP soldering iron. They have made the same model and the same tips for 50 plus years. It works. They have high mass tips for doing bigger connectors likely to be in a forklift. It doesn't sit there killing the battery. They heat up a few seconds and you can keep them on the charger full time because they use large NICAD cells. They sell replacement battery packs too. I bought mine 35 years ago. Plus, I think they have a new model with lithium, though I think lithium batteries makes it more expensive without really providing too much extra. The replacements will be more money too.

[@derrekvanee4567]

theres electro noob on youtube made a battery powered t12 over many iterations and videos to go along

[@OliWarner]

Glue a bar magnet on the back of your TS100. A good power lead is critical too. The one that came with mine was about the worst (inflexible cracked PVC) but I subbed in a light rubber one and it's perfect.

[@KgiMedia601]

I love my trusty dusty butane soldering iron, thing rips and has a lil flame thrower tip for heat shrink too

[@markfergerson2145]

I liked the old Radio Shack portable butane soldering iron. I’d never bring one near a propane forklift of course but other than the explosion hazard it was great. There are lots of clones out there but they do have the two major flaws the RS unit did: no temp control and a tiny butane tank. I’ve been hoping to find one that takes lighter refill tanks or something similar but they don’t seem to exist. That unit looks pretty damn good for the price. If it was me I’d think about setting aside a battery or two for it with magnets cemented to the bottom for those times when there’s no handy surfaces to park the base unit on.

[@SaxaphoneMan42]

actually seems really useful, really similar to a lot of tabletop setups. I would like to see a video on that borescope.

[@FunkFPV]

I’ve used it a couple times in the past 2 weeks. It not bad at all.

[@ET_AYY_LMAO]

I have the TS-80P and I really love it in combination with a USB 3.1 power bank, I mostly do small wires and digital electronics, so its probably not for everyone.

[@michaelmay5453]

I was asked what I want for my birthday... Now I know. Thank you and great review as always.

[@geigercourtier]

You are a god send to my feed man, thank you for doing this on top of your job. Really appreciate it

[@dansteel9873]

I've hit the like more times in your shorts on KZbin than any other channels and I still don't know who you are but I just love rate your safety and rate your hacks. Keep on keeping on!

[@PapasHobbyGarage]

that m12 soldering gun is huge

[@Plexico41522]

You said its not a Hakko style tip. But it actually is just not the one your familiar with. That’s a T12/T15 style pretty much all the higher end Hakko stations use this style of tip. And there are tons of clones out probably the most popular is a KSGER.

[@paulputnam2305]

Great Job and yes do the scope.

[@nurabsal0x018c]

That’s pretty sweet. Actually in the market for something like that right now.

[@SaltMinerOU812]

Check out the pinecil

[@noname2490]

More video more better! I learn a lot from you and Big Clive. I didn't need a scope a lot but now that I have one it's used a lot!

[@FunkFPV]

It’s better than a mirror and a flashlight 😁

[@Blackopsmechanic338]

I see that Mikita also has one. Going to look into it. Great video. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@SaltMinerOU812]

I got the pinecil. Works great. I hacked a usb cable to run it off my DeWalt batteries

[@datamike00]

as a tech (low voltage) who ends up in the middle of nowhere a lot. I have a portable power station (about 150wh) from amazon. awesome for soldering or dremeling without a nearby plug. also for a test monitor for cameras

[@SilverCoreLabs]

I would like to see you doing more product video!

[@egorsolominov3096]

Pro tip. You can glue a magnet to your ts100 and it will stay where you put it under the hood

[@patrickdiehl6813]

Have an Unger corded station, hard to compete with but in the DeWalt web of batteries this would be a contender,👊

[@Skwish6952]

I have heard that the Ryobi cordless is really good. I'm not much of a soldering guy but my co worker has a Ryobi one and he loves it

[@FunkFPV]

I’ve heard the same thing. I just don’t really use Ryobi tools anymore.

[@Skwish6952]

@@FunkFPV give it some time. DeWalt has been bringing out a lot of new tools lately. And if the Craftsman soldering iron sells well, I'm sure they will make a yellow one with better options.

[@robocog]

Good vid, I have a T12 for when I have mains power nearby Been looking at the dewalt battery powered ones, but held off so far My fave general purpose T12 tip is the BC2- round end with a chamfer angle cutout that is slightly concave, so can wick/store a bit of solder, great for wiping across pins on surface mount or general through hole use and desoldering...a good allrounder I could never go back to the old slow ceramic element and separate tip style iron again, these heat up soo much faster and react to heatsoak on big groundplanes like a champ

[@almiller7511]

Please do the review of the camera, been looking for something like that for a while....

[@KnowMi_]

I do not Solder anymore unfortunately. But this looks like a great product for anyone that does. I do have some old game consoles that could probably use a tune up so when i get to that ill probably grab this. This is pretty cool.

[@emmettturner9452]

You know, the Mythbusters maker-legend himself, Adam Savage, made his own DeWALT 20V Max-powered portable soldering station. The whole build is here on KZbin. Edit: Looks like there’s a “rebuild” follow-up too.

[@jwalkerjordan]

I actually use the Mellif on my 4ah DeWalt battery and it works great, gets super hot if needed. You may need to shave down the inners abit where the battery slides in for better fitment and release.

[@shadeshiest22]

what's the working time on a 4ah with this iron? please let me know! thanks!

[@justme5384]

I have a Lidl Parkside battery soldering iron, had the battery hot air gun from before so the soldering iron was only 15€ without battery. Big Clive made a few videos about it. I also have a Portasol gas soldering iron

[@Romuls753]

You should check out the soldering iron that Warren at Western Truck And Tractor Repair has, it's completely cordless but uses butane for fuel, so warehouse sprinklers may not like it

[@SailingAquamarine]

I got a similar soldering iron that fits a makita 18v battery. Dirt cheap Chinese rip off, but surprisingly good and heats up way faster than the old butane ones!

[@malcolm1989]

Thanks for checking this out! Been on my Amazon wish list for months…. Never really dug the Milwaukee or ts100. Recently seen people make 3D print ones on Etsy for Milwaukee batteries too. Curious how those compare🤔

[@rogerdirks947]

Color matching probably has a lot to do with patents, copyrights or trademarks. The form factor is very much like the blue Weller soldering irons I have known for over 40 years. I grew up using a wet sponge for wiping the tip off, don't know if that is really different than the pad you use. I will be looking into one of those so I won't have to be dangling a cord to the nearest outlet.

[@Twidgyt]

That's really cool. I'll have to search later for one that works with the Ryobi 18v

[@FunkFPV]

I might be wrong but I think Ryobi makes one?

[@iainbearyay2236]

Ryobi 18v soldering station w/ temp control. Have used it for approx. 4 years now and works a treat, and what else are you gonna use a Ryobi 18v battery for?

[@billynomates920]

i like your reminder lamp. it worked. 👍😂

[@FunkFPV]

Haha I almost forgot to turn it on 😜

[@dataquester]

Nice vid. I did most of my soldering bak n the 80s n early 90s. Generally was tied to AC for power bak then. Ppl soldering now days r spoiled.....

[@NovaNinja_]

I rely on portable irons every day. Weller Pyropen (also called Master Ultratorch) has been my go-to for 14+ years. I've tried the M12 Milwaukee and a bunch of other butane options but they all suck imo. Any job that needs a better iron is coming back to the shop anyways we've got Hakko equipment on the bench. That Mellif looks tempting though, I already have DeWalt batteries.. Edit: That's the NON self igniting Pyropen... The built in igniters (like a BBQ) from any manufacturer never seem to last

[@swede178]

Interesting that you used Centigrade for temp. Is that common in the US when it comes to soldering?

[@emmettturner9452]

My 120v Aoyue Int701A++ solder/desolder station doesn’t even have the option for Fahrenheit.

[@swede178]

Cool, I had no idea. I guess they save a digit only showing C 😅

[@FunkFPV]

Us mechanics in the states are pretty good with metric. It’s the construction guys that don’t like it 😜

[@swede178]

@@FunkFPV its a common known fact that mechanics and technicians are far superior to constructors (and engineers 😉)

[@Zenaschauvin]

I like this but also want to know the power since some of my projects require a lot of heat. I like the way it attaches to the Dewalt batteries i have allready and I also use Hakko irons and stations...

[@ensidfkgnur]

Every click, crumple, tap, screw, magnet clicking, inserting part, touching something, etc is at least as loud as your voice. It's as if the entire table is a microphone! Anyway, thanks for the review. Nice to hear someone else, (also in the comments) with a love of soldering and we certainly have our favorite tools. It's similar to musicians arguing about their favorite brand or build.

[@mausball]

That one uses T12 style tips, and if you search for that, you'll find tons.

[@FunkFPV]

Thank you. Saves me some Googling 😁

[@johnwiley8417]

3:18 I've been soldering for about 55 years. 63/37 (tin/lead) eutectic solder is nearly perfect solder for almost all applications. But, when using lead solder, be sure to pull a Bill Clinton... Don't inhale! Edit: Please do the borescope video. Btw... Your soldering mojo is great! Nice job.

[@markshort9098]

The flux is the only thing to worry about breathing, lead needs to be about 800 to 900 degrees c for memory before it starts to send off vapors

[@Gregtman502]

I have the big milwaukee soldering iron now,,I'm going to the m18 version battery soldering kit

[@jayfowler4747]

I think those element/tip/sensor combo's are hakko copy's I think you can use genuine ones... I've been meaning to get ins of those types of irons.. I've been using weller for the last 30 odd years so I'd be interested in your thoughts after a few weeks of use... I'm currently using a 24v with a transformer for field work so not ideal...

[@EvanEdwards]

If it doesn't break, please go ahead and make a video. Or maybe a yearly wrapup review of stuff you've reviewed in the last year and your take on it. I kinda sorta could use a soldering iron (I have a corded beast that is a pain to hold), and since I have DeWalt batteries on my workbench, this isn't bad. Plus I can travel with it.

[@Hulkeq2]

T12 and T15 tips galore . Either genuine hakko for 20$ or chinese no brands for 2$, and unlike with the 936 type tips the chinese ones hold up. I haven't seen a T18 tip that wasn't available in t12/t15 . For the US and EU the t12 tips got renamed to t15, they're exactly the same thing.

[@thedispenser8301]

They make battery powered soldering stations?! This is very intriguing to me beacause I've always used a 220V(because I'm european) with 50-60W soldering iron by the Fix point brand and even where I worked I always used a 220V one but beefier. Not having to roll and collect fat extension cords would save soo much time, I've gotta look into these

[@ephiosproject]

i just use a ts100 with a adapter for either my cryobis or my m12s. works great with thin high temp silicone wire leads

[@schonnj]

Cordless soldering iron, with a cord. Semi-cordless? Jokes aside, it looks pretty nice. Hopefully you can swap tips out to one more suited to you.

[@RealMrRobinson]

I watched 3 minutes of this before realizing it wasn't a short💀

[@FunkFPV]

LoL that’s how they get you 😜

[@bigtexuntex7825]

Add a pair of hf caps to the electrolytics on the drone to capture some of the rf frequency noise the electrolytics pass. So a ceramic with a a higher frequency response. I have a drone I built, but my rf noise experience comes from cellphone design work I did in the '80s, but should apply to this. Also, you should have been burned for mishandkling that fast-heat soldering station. The big number is the current temperature, the small number is the set point. When you were touching it, you were touching a fully heated up soldering iron, luckily you touched a part not at the tip temperature, and the set point was low enough to not be too bad if you touched the tip. When you turn it on, the big numbers start at room temperature, and indicate the current temperature. The default is low, but you shouldn't test the iron temp by touching it, least you end up like some of your favorite tool demo loosers. I'll let you score yourself on that one. It IS a nice iron for the price... It's not quite as nice as my $500 weller, but for the price it is nicer than my actual cordless irons that run on butane. The only downside is the cord, but it is long enough that if you 3d print a holster or belt clip for the control box, the cord is long enough for those up a ladder or down a hole repairs. But I would still use my professional grade iron on the bench. There IS a large assortment of tips, on amazon or ali express, so you are not limited to the chisel tip it came with.

[@electronicguy4550]

I have fixed a Milwaukee soldering iron and the problem was the thermal fuse. So dont use them for a long time or the fuse might get too hot and break

[@brycethoreson9216]

Wes, you have any suggestions on how to remove water from a compressor? I prefer my snap-on tools dont become squirt guns. I got a little air dryer from Home Depot, but it aint doing work

[@bobloblaw204]

Great review of the iron. i need one. Nice to see ya work on the quad, finally we have nice weather eh?

[@FunkFPV]

I got some time off coming up. Maybe I’ll actually get out and fly this year 😊

[@WhiteVaille]

I'd be curious about the endoscope. I was thinking about getting one during Prime Days, as well. I think after seeing South Main Auto show one off for a spark plug thread repair job. But I haven't pulled the trigger on it just yet, so I'm still open to seeing other models.

[@FunkFPV]

Stay tuned. I’m going to do the video. I’ve used it a couple times and it’s pretty good.

[@derrekvanee4567]

I've said of before I'll say it fpv times too *T12* buikd your own or pre-built station and 858D hot air same thing

[@kd2rdhlarry571]

I’m still on 4s myself. No plans to move to 6s until I’m out of 4s parts. And that could take a while.

[@FunkFPV]

Same here. If I was given these Mr Steel motors I’d still be all 4s.

[@jjjacer]

hmm might have to get one and modify it to fit the hercules batteries from harbor freight, (very similar to the dewalts and can fit into alot of the dewalt adapters with very little mods of the adapter)

[@AlexanderM-h3b]

Is that a barrel Electrical Connection in the back of the unit itself

[@nickwanner3703]

Just picked one up some do a mellif max more review plz

[@hseriesonlymonctonnb1181]

First I love my m12 an adjustment would be nice but gets the job done when needed

[@hyperdude54]

At 12:45 1/4 of the screen goes black. Was that on purposes?

[@FunkFPV]

No. It did something goofy when it uploaded. I usually preview these before they post, but I didn’t have time and of course something was wrong 🤦🏻‍♂️ Luckily it was only a small part.

[@NE-locksmith]

I’ve been looking at usb irons and using my makita usb adapter thing to use with it

[@tobynskinner3098]

Do you think this could do lead welding on roofs

[@seancarraher]

those are hakko t12 tips that fit that iron

[@PapasHobbyGarage]

you should try the Craftsman V20 soldering iron

[@Chris-du7hi]

I wouldn't mind seeing how the borescope does. I'm in the same boat, wouldn't use it enough to get a good one.

[@FunkFPV]

I should have it up the video after the next one 👍🏻

[@markshort9098]

It'd be interesting to see a vid on the endoscope, my crapbay one that plugs into my phone sux

[@FunkFPV]

Haha I had one of those and they do suck pretty bad 😜

[@matt8372]

Do you have a link to your bench top power supply?

[@derekwalker2933]

Lol you're a DeWalt guy we get it and there's nothing wrong with that I would be curious to see an apples to apples on the one you just reviewed and the other brand that uses the Milwaukee m18 batteries

[@mattlyles2419]

How’s it holding up?

[@johnkilcer]

I really only do vintage car wireing so mondo heat doesn't hurt. Not really anything small on them.

[@robholland5925]

Good video again and yes I would like to see your opinion on the scope been looking into one

[@FunkFPV]

Will do 👍🏻

[@johnmoloney5296]

Yes make the video, just for Extra content

[@Crtwrzl]

As a fellow left-handed soldering snob, I like the format of that thing. I've no need for anything that can't run off mains power but being able to throw down a portable analogue of a bench station is pretty boss. Have you tried running it with the standard Hakko clone pencil, or is it a different connector and heater resistance?

[@FunkFPV]

The Hakko style has a similar plug but more pins. I think the T12 style tip on this does all the temperature regulating internally.

[@tensazero]

Using a 18v Ryobi full-size base iron with Dewalt adapter. Goes up to 480 C in theory with hakko style tips. Been eyeing that mellif style. Wondering if different rod tips are available.

[@Plexico41522]

These are hakko tips just the hakko T12/T15 style there are also tons of clones out there and you can get these in basically any flavor of battery you want

[@joelmollenkopf3767]

Interesting

[@johnkurpiewski3996]

Let me know how you like the 6s . I can’t bring myself to pay for 6s . I’m still happy on 4s.

[@nathank.3471]

Were you able to monitor the current draw with your bench stop power to ensure it is within the load limits for the battery? As a non-Dewalt product I would be concerned about it overdrawing and shortening my battery lifetime. Especially with how fast it got up to temp. And even more so if paired with a smaller than 5Ah battery with more limited current capacity. I'd hate for my $40 iron to kill my much more expensive battery.

[@FunkFPV]

I’ve done it before on a similar wattage iron. It’s really low. Those little heating elements don’t pull much power at all.

[@nathank.3471]

@@FunkFPV Good to know, thanks!

[@giantpunda2911]

Endoscope makes it sound like the camera doctors use to do surgery & check out your colon. All for the Anykit video. Just hope it's engine cylinders & not orifices that will be tested 😂

[@FunkFPV]

We’re gonna be looking for polyps 😜

[@giantpunda2911]

@@FunkFPV Noooo... 🤮