02-04-2023, 11:46 AM
I recently purchased a Pinecil from a German reseller since I am convinced that it is a good product and I was not disappointed when I got it. A great soldering iron which suits my needs perfectly.
However I wonder about two things:
At https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart...ring-iron/ the Pinecil V2 is offered for a retail price of $35.99 - but there it is out of stock.
However at https://eleshop.de/pinecil-smart-mini-tr...olben.html which is one of the "official" resellers, the same product is 52.07 EUR plus shipping which is more than 70% more expensive (currently this would be around $61.77).
When combining this with the "offical" power supply "PinePower - 65W GaN 2C1A Charger", the Pinecil USB cable with silicon sleeve and the "Portable Mini Stand" the total price will be more than 100 EUR since nearly every item is at least 70-80% more expensive in Europe. The "Mini Stand" is sold for about $5.27 in Europe compared to the original price of $1.99 in the Pint Store which is more than twice(!) the price.
I also looked for other sources, but original Pinecil V2 and not fake ones, are not available for less then about $60-$70.
Why this huge price gap?
Another thing about getting tips:
The tip which comes with the Pinecil is not very useful for many soldering tasks. Due to its pointed shape it will not transfer heat very well. Wedge shaped tips like D24 are usually much better suited since you can either use the wide side to transfer a lot of heat if needed or the smaller side to do fine soldering tasks. So I also got a pack of short "gross" tips which includes the D24 tip. As an initial accessory collection this is ok since the other tips in the package are also useful.
However when I ever need to replace a single tip I would have to be a complete new pack of four - which makes no sense of course. Why are the tips not available individually? I'd like to have at least one D24 as spare part but I also don't want to use TS100 tips which are available individually but also longer and with less power.
However I wonder about two things:
At https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart...ring-iron/ the Pinecil V2 is offered for a retail price of $35.99 - but there it is out of stock.
However at https://eleshop.de/pinecil-smart-mini-tr...olben.html which is one of the "official" resellers, the same product is 52.07 EUR plus shipping which is more than 70% more expensive (currently this would be around $61.77).
When combining this with the "offical" power supply "PinePower - 65W GaN 2C1A Charger", the Pinecil USB cable with silicon sleeve and the "Portable Mini Stand" the total price will be more than 100 EUR since nearly every item is at least 70-80% more expensive in Europe. The "Mini Stand" is sold for about $5.27 in Europe compared to the original price of $1.99 in the Pint Store which is more than twice(!) the price.
I also looked for other sources, but original Pinecil V2 and not fake ones, are not available for less then about $60-$70.
Why this huge price gap?
Another thing about getting tips:
The tip which comes with the Pinecil is not very useful for many soldering tasks. Due to its pointed shape it will not transfer heat very well. Wedge shaped tips like D24 are usually much better suited since you can either use the wide side to transfer a lot of heat if needed or the smaller side to do fine soldering tasks. So I also got a pack of short "gross" tips which includes the D24 tip. As an initial accessory collection this is ok since the other tips in the package are also useful.
However when I ever need to replace a single tip I would have to be a complete new pack of four - which makes no sense of course. Why are the tips not available individually? I'd like to have at least one D24 as spare part but I also don't want to use TS100 tips which are available individually but also longer and with less power.