The repair experts at iFixit have unveiled the FixHub, a practical portable soldering toolkit you can take anywhere to repair your stuff.
iFixit, one of the champions of the Right to Repair movement, says the new FixHub comprises a 100W USB-C soldering iron capable of hitting the optimal soldering temperature in under five seconds. It also has a dedicated power station and a set of associated precision tools for accurate soldering (also available separately) that will start shipping on October 15.
I’ve always wanted to learn about building electronics just enough to make quick fixes like soldering a broken contact. The iFixit FixHub sounds like a great way for anyone to familiarize themselves with the world of soldering without investing in heavy, pricey equipment. Best of all, iFixit offers more than a thousand repair guides to develop and advance your soldering skills, with new ones showcasing the FixHub dropping on October 15.
So, what’s so smart about the soldering iron? For starters, how about automatic sleep mode, heat-resistant protective cap, a handy temperature indicator ring light, and even fall protection? Or a built-in accelerometer sensor to automatically cool the iron when not in use? These safety features will reassure folks like myself who’ve never used a soldering iron.
The soldering iron puts out a solid 100W heat and plugs into a 65W power source via the ubiquitous USB-C connector. You can plug it into a wall outlet using a power adapter, your computer’s USB-C port, a powerbank, or one of the multi-port adapters from companies like Satechi, Ugreen, Anker, and other brands. Flip on the power switch, and you can start soldering in under five seconds! The device is meant to be held like a pencil, with iFixit highlighting the iron’s short soldering tip, which is suitable for precision soldering.
The Portable Power Station packs a user-replaceable 55Wh battery for over eight hours of non-stop soldering, or soldering over 2,000 through-hole joints, which is pretty impressive. Thanks to the two integrated USB-C ports, this compact accessory can power two soldering irons simultaneously. It’s also a regular power bank that can provide juice for USB-C devices like phones and laptops with up to 100 watts of USB Power Delivery output.
Lastly, the Portable Soldering Toolkit bundles the iron, battery pack, some pliers, and precision tools such as the flush cutter, wire stripper, the Fixite Spudger pry tool, and precision angled tweezers, with everything neatly packed in a durable tool roll.
The Portable Soldering Toolkit also includes safety glasses for eye protection, a special pen for cleaning flux residues, a heat-resistant silicon mat for soldering on any surface, and silicon electrical tape for quick wire insulation.
If you’re only interested in the Smart Soldering Iron alone, that’ll be $80 a pop. Otherwise, consider the Portable Soldering Station with the Smart Soldering Iron and Battery Pack, priced at $250. Last but not least, the $300 Portable Soldering Toolkit offers the best value for those with no soldering equipment at home.
You can order these products from the iFixit web store in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe, with shipments slated to start from October 15. This isn’t the only bundle that iFixit offers. HTG featured iFixit’s Pro Tech Toolkit, an excellent investment for anyone who hates to burn money by replacing perfectly good electronics.
Since iFixit is all about enabling people to fix their electronics on their own terms, the company has pledged to publish a repair guide and circuit schematics on release day, when repair parts for the Power Station and Smart Iron will be offered, too.
Source: iFixit
