is it worth buying the second version of Pinecil. Part 1

Okay, what about Pincecil v2 – has it become even smarter?

^{Image Source: Tom’s Hardware}

This is where the snag lies. In general, the soldering iron is cool, but it differs from its predecessor only purely cosmetically. The device was released in August 2022. It looks about the same, only the sting is a little smaller, and the rubber finger pad is not blue, but green. Probably not to be confused with the first version.

The system specs are also better, here is the list:

MCU – Bouffalo Lab BL706 32-bit RISC-V MCU @ 144 MHz, 132 KB SRAM, 192 KB ROM, optional onboard flash, Bluetooth 5.0 LE and 802.15.4 (Zigbee) connectivity

Display – 0.69-inch monochrome OLED display with 96×16 resolution

Tip – length 106 mm, type B2; automatic detection of 6.2 and 8 ohm tips

Temperature range – from 100°С to 400+°С; reaches operating temperature in 12 seconds.

Expansion – GPIO and JTAG breakout board connected via USB-C port

Miscellaneous – 2x buttons; auto-standby functions, turquoise silicone handle, anti-counterfeiting measures

Source of power

12-20V/3A via USB Type-C with USB PD and QC 3.0 support, pre-USB-PD EPR (28V)

12-24V/3A via 5.5mm/2.5mm power jack

Dimensions – 170mm with solder tip / 98mm without solder tip x 12.8mm x 16.2mm (SAE 304 stainless steel core inside polycarbonate shell)

Weight – 30 grams with a soldering tip; 20 grams without solder tip

Certificates – FCC, CE RED, ROHS

As you can see, Bluetooth appeared (because everything gets better with bluetooth, right?). A little more memory, a little more powerful processor, and so on. But, in general, for a soldering iron, the increase in processor performance is not important, the first option also worked fine.

The menu configuration is the same – you can configure sleep mode, some other features. Plus, the firmware can be updated already via Bluetooth, wireless communication is also used to monitor the operation of the device.

As for the shorter tips, they are compatible with the first version of the soldering iron, as well as with the same TS100. Backward compatibility works too – you can use TS100 or Pinecil v1 tips for the second version of the device. A shorter sting helps to do the job more accurately – you can “aim” without any problems.

Opinion on the second version in the first approximation

As mentioned above, so far it is possible to judge the device only by its characteristics. In general, there are no cardinal differences from the first version of Pinecil. So it’s safe to say that if you have the first version, the upgrade is not really needed. But if you don’t have Pinecil yet, give it a try, it will most likely become one of your main tools. Well, since after the release of the second version the first one will cease to be produced, then there is not much choice – you need to buy Pinecil v2.

What do you think, is the second version of the purchase worth it?