Pinecil Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron Review

Welcome to this week’s episode of Product of the Week. Today, we’re diving into a tool that’s sleek, smart, and definitely hotter than your average cup of coffee. Meet the Pinecil Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron, the little workhorse that might just become your new favourite bench-side companion.

Whether you’re an electronics professional fixing up PCBs or a hobbyist building the next great IoT gadget, this soldering iron is more than up to the challenge. It’s compact, clever, and absolutely packed with features you wouldn’t expect in something that fits in your pocket.

Want to win one? Stick around and drop a comment in the YouTube video telling us what kind of project you’d put the Pinecil to work on. It might just earn you a free upgrade to your soldering toolkit.

Pocket-Friendly Power – Pinecil's Portability & Build

When it comes to soldering irons, we’ve all seen the bulky stations and tangled cords that dominate most workbenches. The Pinecil Smart Mini, however, flips that expectation on its head. Measuring just 155mm in length (with the tip) and weighing a mere 28 grams, it’s compact enough to disappear into a pocket without weighing you down.

The build quality holds its own against full-size tools. It features a durable plastic body paired with a metal clip, giving it both lightness and strength. The signature Pinecil aesthetic – matte black casing with a bold green sleeve – not only looks sharp but makes it instantly recognisable in a drawer full of tools.

Small enough to fit in your jeans, powerful enough to solder your next masterpiece. Just maybe don’t actually sit on it.

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RISC-V Core Inside – A Smarter Soldering Iron

Here’s a question you probably didn’t think you’d ask today: why does a soldering iron need a 32-bit RISC-V processor? Because we can. And because it’s awesome.

At the heart of the Pinecil is the Bouffalo BL-706 chipset, powered by a SiFive E24 core running at 144 MHz. This RV32IMAFC RISC-V architecture isn’t just a flex; it unlocks real functionality. The soldering iron runs on Ralim’s IronOS, a custom open-source firmware that brings serious interface options, responsive control, and the kind of user configurability typically reserved for far more complex devices.

In other words, this isn’t just a tool, it’s a smart tool. The Pinecil delivers brains and brawn in one remarkably compact package, with all the polish you’d expect from a modern embedded system.

Dual Power Input – Solder Anywhere, Literally

The Pinecil isn’t just built for the bench. It’s designed to go wherever your projects take you. With two power input options, it adapts to your setup without breaking a sweat. You can plug it in via USB-C, supporting both Power Delivery and Quick Charge 3.0 standards (12V to 24V at 3A), or use the classic DC5525 barrel jack if that’s what your bench supply prefers.

This dual compatibility means you can solder on the move using a portable power bank, or plug in at your workstation for longer sessions. It’s a level of flexibility that opens the door to true field work, mobile repairs, and rapid on-site prototyping.

Bonus: You’ll no longer trigger airport security with a full soldering station in your luggage.

Fast, Furious, and Adjustable – Heat-Up & Temp Control

If speed is your thing, the Pinecil delivers in spades. This compact unit reaches operating temperature in around six seconds, meaning you’ll be melting solder before your coffee’s even cooled. Whether you’re in the middle of a repair job or knee-deep in prototyping, the fast heat-up time is a serious time-saver.

The temperature is fully adjustable from 100°C to 400°C, giving you the flexibility to work on everything from ultra-sensitive SMDs to heavier-gauge wires. And it’s all controlled via simple, tactile up/down buttons alongside the OLED display. No guesswork, just precision.

Out of the box, the Pinecil comes fitted with a B2 tip measuring 86mm and weighing just 8.2 grams. It’s versatile enough for the majority of everyday tasks and can be easily swapped for other tip types depending on your specific needs.

Precision Ready

Whether you’re replacing a surface-mount capacitor, tackling a through-hole component, or repairing a game console motherboard, the Pinecil is built for accuracy. The combination of fast thermal recovery and fine temperature control ensures you’re always working at the sweet spot for your application.

From delicate SMDs to chunky wires, just dial it in, heat it up, and get soldering.

OLED Display – Clarity in Every Pixel

In a world full of blinking LEDs and mystery dials, the Pinecil stands out with a clean, no-nonsense OLED display that tells you exactly what’s going on. The 0.69-inch monochrome screen offers a resolution of 96×16 pixels, plenty of space for real-time temperature readings, menu navigation, and system feedback.

Powered by IronOS, the interface is snappy, responsive, and surprisingly capable for a device this size. You can navigate settings, view live temperature adjustments, and customise performance, all without needing to consult a manual or decode blinking patterns.

No cryptic blinks or vague heat settings, just crisp, pixel-perfect control right at your fingertips.

Ideal Use Scenarios – Makers, Pros, Educators

Whether you're repairing consoles, teaching soldering basics, or making fixes out in the wild, the Pinecil adapts to just about any environment. Its combination of portability, control, and ease of use makes it a tool that speaks to makers and professionals alike.

Console Repairs

For anyone who's ever had to replace a corroded HDMI port or reflow a dodgy capacitor on a game console motherboard, precision is non-negotiable. The Pinecil’s rapid heat-up, steady temperature control, and fine B2 tip make it ideal for delicate rework jobs where too much heat can mean disaster.

Workshops & Education

Teaching someone to solder? The Pinecil is about as beginner-friendly as it gets. Its lightweight body is easy to handle, and the clear OLED display takes the guesswork out of setting the right temperature. It’s the perfect tool for STEM classrooms, soldering bootcamps, and electronics clubs where safety and usability go hand in hand.

Field Projects & Remote Locations

When the bench isn’t an option, the Pinecil proves its worth all over again. Powered via USB-C from a battery pack, it’s ideal for mobile repairs, field diagnostics, or quick jobs in hard-to-reach places, no wall socket required. It’s compact enough to live permanently in your toolkit or glove box.

General Maker Use

Whether you’re assembling a DIY electronics kit, building a wearable, or wiring up a robotics project, the Pinecil has the versatility to keep pace. Its compact size saves space on crowded benches, and the rapid heat-up means you spend less time waiting and more time building.

Teaching soldering to students? Repairing a Game Boy on the bus? This iron is up for it.

Final Thoughts – Why the Pinecil Deserves a Spot in Your Kit

The Pinecil Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron isn’t just another tool, it’s a serious upgrade for anyone who works with electronics. Compact and ultra-light, it fits where traditional soldering stations simply can’t. Yet despite its size, it punches far above its weight.

With a 32-bit RISC-V processor running IronOS, it offers an unexpectedly smart and responsive interface. Dual power input options make it just as comfortable on a workbench as it is out in the field. The fast heat-up time and wide temperature range mean it’s ready for everything from fine-pitch SMD jobs to heavier soldering work, and the OLED display gives you total confidence in your settings.

Whether you're just starting out or you’re the type to fix satellites in your backyard, the Pinecil is a seriously smart upgrade.

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Giveaway – Win Your Own Pinecil

We want to hear from you. What project would you use the Pinecil for? Tell us in the comment section of the YouTube video for your chance to win one and level up your soldering game.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and check out more maker tools and gadgets in the Electromaker store. Your next favourite project might be just a click away.

Appendix – Tech Specs Snapshot

For those who love the details, here’s a quick breakdown of what makes the Pinecil Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron tick.