Do you work with a soldering iron? Let me guess, it’s a no-name iron. Not that anything is wrong with a no name, but it’s one of those tools you don’t think twice about. You plug it in, let it stand for a while and heat up while you grab a cup of coffee. Well did you know that Milwaukee has a soldering iron on the market, model 2488-20. So let’s jump in and take a look at the Milwaukee Soldering Iron Review.
Milwaukee Soldering Iron Review Overview
Milwaukee set out to cut the cord on the soldering iron. So they designed a quality cordless soldering iron that runs off their 12V battery platform. Now I am pretty sure two things come to mind. First, that is awesome that you don’t have to deal with a power cord. Next, you are probably thinking that it’s awkward to use because it’s back heavy with the battery.
Well, I am here to tell you that I thought the same thing and I was wrong. While it’s awesome not being attached to the wall, the soldering iron is very well balanced and easy to work with.
Milwaukee Soldering Iron Review Features
The Milwaukee soldering iron is about 12″ long and weighs in at 14 oz. As you can see, the tool runs off a battery which uses the Milwaukee M12 battery. You should get about 40 minutes of runtime.
On the top of the tool, there is not only a nice rubber grip, but it is contoured to your hand.
Under the tool, there is more to the grip. Milwaukee designed this with a ribbed grip which is not only comfortable but allows you to control the tool.
On top of the tool, you can turn the iron on and also see the battery status gauge since Milwaukee doesn’t have it on their batteries.
Once you turn on the iron, the green light will flash. Within about 10 to 20 seconds, the light will stay a solid green which means it’s ready to use.
When you turn off the tool, you will notice a solid red light. The red light will stay on until the tool is ready to be handled or ready to store. See this is a smart tool as it will monitor the temperature and let you know what’s happening with the tool.
The tool has a pivoting head to allow for great access and more uses.
On the front of the tool, there is an LED light that does a decent job lighting up your work area when you have a shadow.
Milwaukee designed this with a guard to help protect the user and protect your work.
Milwaukee Soldering Iron Review Performance
When I first saw this at the Milwaukee event, I was not expecting much. The reason being is I thought the battery would make this extremely awkward to work with. When I finally got it in my hands, I was wrong. Even though this has a battery on the back of the tool, the balance is great. I don’t ever feel like I am fighting this tool, which is a huge plus.
I love how quickly the iron heats up, plus the visual to let me know when it’s ready to work with. On the same note, I love how once I turn off the tool, the status light will stay red and will only go off when it’s ready to be handled or stored. Pretty good and well thought out.
Milwaukee Soldering Iron Review Value
You can buy a soldering iron from $15 and up, but most require you to be attached to a cord. The Milwaukee Soldering Iron retails for about $130 for the kit or $70 for the bare tool, both at The Home Depot.
I don’t think $70 is too bad considering that it heats up quick, is pretty easy to work with and you don’t have to mess with the cord.
Milwaukee Soldering Iron Review Final Thoughts
This is a tool that not everyone needs. But for those who depend upon their soldering iron, this is a great tool to add to your arsenal. The tool is well balanced and heats up quickly. The best part of this tool is not dealing with the cord. With a 5 year warranty, it’s hard to pass this up and I think it’s a great buy for those who need this tool.
On top of the tool, you can turn the iron on and also see the battery status gauge since Milwaukee doesn’t have it on their batteries. ….should it not read on their 12v batteries as they have a fuel gauge in the 18v batteries and good review as always
Nice point
nice review
Awesome
Nice review, I bought one for the few times I use it, why not be cordless. Plus I have a lot of M12 tools….thanks
I ordered one from Toolnut and they emailed me yesterday saying they are on back order and I won’t get it until July. Man!
Keep us posted and let us know how you like it.
Oi vay, Milwaukee is really tempting me to buy into yet another battery platform… Meh.
It’s hard to figure out which platform to invest in.
I have all dewalt tools however my newer 20v platform the grinder already sounds like the bearings need to be replaced and their small 20v vacuum is useless, I got about 3k in dewalt tools…. This soldering iron is my first Milwaukee which I’m now switching platforms as my dewalt die out. The grinder is still under warranty I’ll be sending that out soon.
A great alternative to gas soldering irons, which some industrial plants prohibit due to safety reasons.
You said it can take up to 20 sec to be ready to use…I didn’t see an adjustment, do you know what the heat output is compared … 10 watt iron, 40 watt iron?
Tiny board and IC’s versus under the dash auto wiring?