Why These Two
The Pinecil V2 (~$35) and TS80 Pro (~$65) are the two most recommended portable soldering irons in the maker community. Both use PD (Power Delivery) power supplies, both claim fast heat-up and thermal recovery, and both compete directly on the same value proposition: station-quality performance from a pen-sized tool.
The problem with most comparisons is they test idle temperature or single joints. Real soldering — dragging tips through multi-pin packages, working with heavy ground planes, soldering to large thermal masses — is where these two diverge meaningfully. If you're new to soldering, our best soldering stations for beginners guide covers what a proper setup includes before you go portable.
Test Setup
Both irons were powered by the same 65W PD supply (Baseus 65W GaN). We used the same tip style on each where compatible: a BC2/chisel tip equivalent. Temperature was measured at the tip shoulder using a K-type thermocouple and a Datron 1281 precision meter. Tests were conducted at 22°C ambient.
Subjects: 0.5mm pitch QFP-32 IC (thermal stress test), 18 AWG stranded wire to PCB pad (thermal mass test), and standard through-hole joints on 2mm perfboard (daily use simulation).
Heat-Up Time
Pinecil V2: 28 seconds to 350°C from cold. Fast for the price. Uses a ceramic heating element from a BTE571 cartridge.
TS80 Pro: 22 seconds to 350°C from cold. Slightly faster. Uses a custom cartridge with an exposed thermocouple directly at the tip.
Both are fast enough that heat-up time is a non-issue in practice. This is not a meaningful differentiator.
Idle Temperature Stability
Pinecil V2: Idle drift of ±4°C at 350°C set point over 30 minutes. Occasional overshoot to +8°C on initial stabilization. Firmware is firmware — the Pinecil's Ralimtek firmware is open source and actively maintained, which means you can tune PID parameters if you're into that.
TS80 Pro: Idle drift of ±2°C at 350°C set point over 30 minutes. More consistent. The exposed thermocouple design gives it better real-time temperature sensing, which translates to tighter control.
Thermal Recovery Under Load
This is where the TS80 Pro pulls ahead, and it matters.
When soldering the QFP-32 IC — dragging a solder-wetted tip across 32 pins sequentially — the Pinecil V2's tip temperature dropped to 318°C at the 20th pin. Recovery to 350°C took 6 seconds. The TS80 Pro dropped to 332°C and recovered in 2.5 seconds. The difference is audible: the TS80 Pro's tip stays "alive" through continuous work.
For heavy ground plane work (18 AWG wire to a large PCB pad), both struggled relative to a traditional station iron. The Pinecil dropped to 295°C and recovered in 9 seconds. The TS80 Pro dropped to 315°C and recovered in 5 seconds. Neither is ideal for heavy thermal mass work without a beefier power supply — 65W is the practical ceiling here.
Tip Temperature Accuracy
We measured tip temperature at the working end versus the set point using a second thermocouple soldered directly to the tip surface. The TS80 Pro was within 3°C of the set point across all test temperatures (300°C, 350°C, 400°C). The Pinecil V2 was within 8°C, with a consistent cold bias — it reads the temperature at the heating element, not the tip working face.
For lead-free soldering (which requires 380°C+ tip temperature), this matters. A set point of 380°C on the Pinecil V2 may deliver 372°C at the actual tip — enough to cause borderline cold joints with some lead-free alloys.
Build Quality and Ergonomics
Pinecil V2: Weighs 28g without tip. The grip diameter is 13.5mm — comfortable for extended use. The OLED display is bright and shows temperature, voltage, and current draw. The USB-C connector at the base is a practical design that accommodates any PD cable.
TS80 Pro: Weighs 31g without tip. Slightly heavier due to the metal body. The grip diameter is 15mm — not noticeable in practice. The TS80 Pro has an accelerometer-based motion sensing feature that drops temperature when set down and recovers when picked up. It works well and genuinely saves power and reduces tip oxide.
Compatibility and Tip Ecosystem
The Pinecil uses standard BTE571 cartridge tips — widely available, cheap (~$3-5 each), and interchangeable with a large ecosystem of third-party options. Replacement tips are not a concern.
The TS80 uses custom TS80 tips which are proprietary and harder to find outside specialty retailers. If you're buying internationally, factor in shipping costs and availability.
Verdict
Best overall: TS80 Pro. The thermal recovery advantage is real and matters for any work beyond occasional hobby use. The tighter temperature accuracy, better idle stability, and motion-sensing feature justify the price premium for anyone doing serious electronics work. Our soldering tip shapes guide explains how tip geometry affects heat transfer — relevant whether you choose the Pinecil or TS80.
Best value: Pinecil V2. At $35, it's remarkable what you get. The open-source firmware community means it's actively improving. For hobbyists, students, or anyone who occasionally solders, the Pinecil V2 is the obvious choice — it's lost nothing essential from the TS80 Pro except the refinement in thermal recovery, and for light use that gap never materializes.
The catch: Both require a 65W PD power supply. If you don't have one, add $20-30 for a quality GaN PD charger. Neither ships with a power supply. A good option is a bench power supply for DIY electronics if you want flexible PD output alongside traditional fixed voltages.