Summary
- The iFixit FixHub Soldering Station is portable and easy to set up, heats up in seconds, and has beginner-friendly features.
- It has a high price point compared to other soldering options, and the soldering tip catches on the magnetic cap.
- The product is ideal for beginners and experienced users and offers safety features and customizable settings.
With all the great tools and repair guides I’ve used from iFixit, I’m not surprised that the company’s first attempt at a soldering line blew the competition out of my mind. While the iFixit FixHub Portable Soldering Station might just blow you away, too, it doesn’t come cheap.
iFixit FixHub Portable Power Station
The iFixit FixHub Portable Power Station (Smart Iron + Power Station) allows you to solder anywhere, making it a great tool for DIYers of all experience levels.
- Portable and easy to set up
- Heats up in seconds
- Beginner friendly features
- Large battery capacity
- High price point compared to other soldering options
- Soldering tip catches on magnetic cap
Price and Availability
The FixHub Portable Soldering Station, which includes the Smart Soldering Iron, retails for $249.95. You can purchase the Smart Soldering Iron itself for $79.95, but you will need a reliable USB-C power source, preferably one that provides between 65W and 100W.
You can preorder both the FixHub Portable Soldering Station and the Smart Soldering Iron on iFixit’s website, but orders are not expected to ship until May 2025.
A Great DIY Companion in Any Space
I don’t have a dedicated workbench in my apartment. A few months ago, my husband asked me to resolder connection points in his Gameboy since it’s unsurprisingly seen better days. Our outlet situation is less than ideal, so an extension cord, crawling under a desk, and two sets of hands are required.
I hate to admit it, but we paid the local retro game store $15 to do this when I easily could have myself. I’m all for supporting small game stores, so it wasn’t a total defeat, but it really wasn’t necessary. If I had a big project I wanted to work on, I would get a setup situated for a few days, but I never wanted to go through the whole setup process for one quick solder. Now, any soldering project I have will start within minutes.
It is so nice not to be restricted by a power cable when using the Fixhub Portable Power Station. I charge up the power station when it’s not in use, and then I’m free to place it wherever. With power for up to eight hours of continuous use, you can take this outside to work on your car radio, tinker with drones, or bring it over to repair something for a relative. I love the portability, even if I only use it around to bounce between different areas of my apartment.
I’m sure those with a permanent workspace would still have the freedom that this hub brings. When I had a soldering station on a workbench in the past, it sat right behind the open area where I would do projects, but I would still move it around slightly to adjust the angle.
Soldering correctly is a game of angles. You need to make sure that you can effectively maneuver the iron where intended without damaging wire housings, other connections, electronic components, or anything else you are working with. When my standard soldering iron was tethered to an outlet in the wall, this maneuvering was a lot more tricky.
Using the FixHub Power Station, I am able to work in more intentional angles. I still have to account for the cable that runs from the iron to the power station, but with the power station right near me, it is a lot easier.
Thanks to this adaptability, I am making more consistent connections. I find it similar to how impactful a helping hands tool can be when soldering small tech. Manipulating the angle of alligator clips allows you to set up your components in the best possible orientation, which makes soldering easier overall. The same applies to how you can orient your iron with the movable power station.
A Soldering Iron That’s Ready to Go in Seconds
If you use the Smart Soldering Iron by itself, you can change the temperature using either the FixHub Web Console on PCs or download the iFixit FixHub app on Android devices. Using the dial and button on the power station, you can directly control the temperature without the need for external interfaces. No matter the power source, this thing heats up quicker than I thought possible. With 100W of power, it can heat up in around five seconds.
With the power station, the output drops a bit depending on the battery level. When the charge dips to 75%, the output is reduced to 80W, where it remains until it drops to 20W at 25%. The battery offers eight hours of continuous iron usage. Personally, I’ve never needed that much juice for my iron in one sitting, but it’s nice to have, especially since you can use the power bank for other devices, including a second Smart Soldering Iron if needed.
The illuminated ring at the base of the grip lets you easily see the iron’s status without having to hover your hand in the vicinity to see if it is still putting off too much heat to put away. When orange, your iron is hot and ready to use. Purple indicates that the iron is changing temperature, while blue means the iron is under 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celcius) and can be touched.
The colors of the lights and switches do throw me off slightly. When you toggle the power switch to show red, that means that the iron is on, while on most other devices, it indicates that the power is off. I understand that there is really no winning for iFixit here since red is more associated with hot, too, so no matter if they picked red to signify that the device is “hot” or “off,” there was always going to be some minor confusion. The same is true for the heat indication lights, as the reddish-orange color indicates that the device is hot.
Beginner Friendly Features
The iFixit Smart Soldering Iron would be a great place to learn how to solder. With tons of beginner-friendly features built in, it takes a lot of intimidation out of starting. The cap alone is a welcome feature since many beginner irons are left propped up on stands to cool down. When I started soldering, I was always nervous that I would accidentally touch the iron as I prepared my next connection. Without the iron remaining hot and exposed, there is a much smaller chance of burns.
I’m thinking back to my first time soldering for a college assignment. Numerous hot irons were plugged into the wall, and all of those cables dangled to the tables, where they could be bumped into. It would have been great to have this portable station placed right on a workbench and easily accessible to one or two irons.
The heat-resistant power cable is great for newbies, too. When trying to move the cable out of your way with one hand while holding the iron with the other, it is nice that accidentally tapping the cable won’t reek of melted plastic and potentially leave you with a faulty iron.
After 30 seconds of inactivity, the iron enters Idle Mode and automatically cools down to a lower temperature. After 60 seconds, it enters Sleep Mode and shuts off completely. These settings are customizable, but I really like the default. Thanks to the internal gyroscope, when you grab the iron from idle, it will start to heat itself up. It gets to temperature rapidly, so you barely have to wait.
It also shuts off when the iron falls over, which is great for peace of mind. While you shouldn’t solder in any situation where you don’t have a stable surface, there are more worries about dropping this portable iron than one that permanently lives on a workbench.
The iron’s cable has a neat locking mechanism. Instead of a standard USB-C cable like other USB-C soldering iron options, iFixit’s version rotates and locks, ensuring the cable won’t pop out with an accidental tug during usage.
The overall design is very accessible and feels safe. It doesn’t feel like a piping hot piece of metal plugged into an outlet somewhere that could potentially lead to snags and burns.
Saying that it is beginner-friendly does not mean it is for beginners. The numerous added safety measures still apply to veterans. I’d be hard pressed to find someone who opposes how the iron shuts off when it falls.
Comfortable Profile With Slight Cap Concerns
Holding the iron is quite comfortable. The rubberized three-sided grip reminds me of elementary school pencils that teach you how to hold a pencil properly; it just feels natural. As an added bonus, the grip’s geometry prevents the iron from rolling when you set it down. The heat-resistant cap has the same triangular profile.
Using just the iron, you will want a stand to set it on between solders. The cap can handle the high temperatures of the hot iron, but you might want to avoid putting it in while hot anyway.
The magnetic tip often catches on a small metal faceplate of the cap rather than sliding right into place. This magnetic interference requires a little force on the iron to overcome it. If you miss, that force will lead you to push the tip directly into your hand as you hold the cap. I’ve only done this while the iron is off, but it makes me nervous how easy it is to accidentally have the tip come in contact with my skin during the process of trying to put it away.
It’s much less of a problem when using the power station set up. Although the tip still catches on the cap, it’s never more than a mild inconvenience.
The cap of the soldering iron securely attaches to a knob on the side of the battery bank. Sliding the cap into place slightly scuffs up the side of the battery bank, though. The connection between the power station and the cap is sturdier than between the cap and the iron. When the iron is added to the cap, which acts as a holster, the additional leverage makes the connection feel a bit wobbly from side to side.
Design Is Exactly What You Would Expect From iFixit
With iFixit’s Right to Repair initiatives, it is no surprise that the battery is easily replaceable, and the casing is designed with quick servicing in mind. Removing the battery was relatively easy. It takes a bit of force, but compared to disassembling most tech, this is about as easy as it gets.
This soldering iron perfectly represents why iFixit is successful. It makes high-quality products that you can depend on time and time again. With the repair-first mindset, I know I will rely on this soldering station well into the future.
The company’s name carries a lot of weight for me. After years of using only old generic screwdriver sets, my first iFixit set instantly proved that the investment was worth it. The ease of use is unmatched when switching out bits and keeping yourself organized. If you’ve felt that way about any of iFixit’s other products, I’m sure you will feel the same way about the iFixit FixHub Portable Soldering Station.
There is one design consideration I wish iFixit factored into this soldering solution. When users have both the power station and the iron, they are a package deal and don’t often need to be separated. This leaves me wanting a more satisfying solution regarding storage and transportation.
When I lay the iron flat to put the whole station away, the iron sticks out farther than the battery bank, and the cable uncoils itself. It feels like there was a missed opportunity to enhance this “not in use” state. Either a simple cable grip or a way to slide the iron up would really knock this thing out of the park.
Should You Buy the iFixit FixHub Portable Soldering Station
It’s quite apparent that this soldering station is a bit more pricey than other options. iFixit has never been known as a “cheap” brand. While it is more expensive, the user experience is miles better than the other options. You can easily move it around, instantly know if it’s hot, and feel safe knowing it cools down when it falls.
With the additional USB-C port, you can access additional power for other devices. It’s durable and reliable enough to be around for the long haul. If it gives you any issues, you can likely fix them yourself.
If you are a beginner, I know you would feel more comfortable starting out with the iFixit FixHub Portable Power Station than your typical Weller. The price difference is extreme, but if you are seriously interested in repairing tech, it might be worth looking at as an investment. Either way, just try soldering! It opens a realm of DIY possibilities, and you don’t have to be great at it to benefit from it.
iFixit FixHub Portable Power Station
The iFixit FixHub Portable Power Station (Smart Iron + Power Station) allows you to solder anywhere, making it a great tool for DIYers of all experience levels.
