Miniware has simply launched their newest precision soldering iron, the TS21. It’s designed for makers, hobbyists, and professionals who desire a compact, transportable soldering resolution. On this overview, I’ll stroll you thru the options, efficiency, and my total impressions of the TS21 — and whether or not it’s an excellent match for FPV drone constructing and repairs.
To study extra about instruments for soldering, take a look at my purchaser’s information: https://oscarliang.com/soldering-iron-buyers-guide/
The place to Purchase
Get the TS21 soldering iron from:
Within the field, you’ll discover:
- The soldering iron physique
- A soldering tip (the TS21-KU blade tip)
- A set of coloured heatshrinks for the deal with
- A handbook
Design and Construct
Proper out of the field, the TS21 feels premium. The aluminum alloy physique offers it a stable, sturdy really feel.
It’s noticeably extra compact in comparison with older fashions just like the TS80 or TS101, making it the smallest Miniware soldering iron up to now. Regardless of its compact dimension, it weighs about the identical because the TS100 and TS101 — nonetheless mild sufficient for precision work.
The design is modern and useful:
- OLED Show: A vivid 0.91-inch display exhibits temperature, modes, and menu choices.
- Controls: Two buttons on the physique for fast changes and navigation.
The soldering suggestions are smaller in diameter than these used on the TS80 or TS101. They slide in and lock with a easy click on, making tip modifications quick and safe.
After I first opened the field, I used to be a bit puzzled by the coloured heatshrinks — till I noticed they’re meant as anti-slip grips for the deal with. You may shrink one onto the physique with a scorching air gun for higher consolation and a personalised look. Truthfully, they’re non-obligatory — I’d solely trouble if sweaty palms are a problem for you.
Lastly, the USB-C energy port is positioned on the finish of the iron. It helps 18–100W USB-C PD adapters, that means you may run it off a high-power wall charger or perhaps a PD-compatible energy financial institution.
Options and Settings
Like different Miniware soldering irons, the TS21 comes with a settings menu which you could navigate with the 2 buttons.
Among the key adjustable parameters embody:
- Sleep mode timer
- Sleep temperature
- Working temperature
- Most energy
The menu is intuitive and the buttons are responsive, making it easy to function. The show additionally has auto-rotation, so the display orientation immediately flips relying on which manner you maintain the iron.
One function I notably love is the temperature presets. You may set three customized temps and cycle by means of them immediately with a single click on of the button. I’ve mine set at 450°C, 400°C, and 350°C for various jobs, which saves a ton of time in comparison with holding the button down a number of clicks simply to regulate.
There’s additionally a built-in LED mild close to the tip that lights up your workspace. It’s surprisingly helpful when soldering in low mild or tight areas.
The sleep mode works completely too — when the iron rests in its stand, it robotically lowers the temperature, serving to protect tip life and save energy.
Right here’s the handbook.
Efficiency Testing: Blazing Quick Heating
The heating pace of the TS21 blew me away. In my assessments, it hit 450°C in below 5 seconds! That’s insane. For comparability, TS100 takes 13 seconds whereas the HGLRC RC2 takes 11 seconds.
This pace is partly because of the smaller soldering tip — much less mass means much less power required to warmth it up. The upside is that it additionally cools down extraordinarily rapidly, reaching decrease temperatures in simply a few seconds.
Mixed with the presets, this makes switching temps for various duties practically seamless.
Downsides: Small Tip Dimension
The compact tip has an enormous draw back: it struggles with massive solder joints that demand extra warmth. For instance, when soldering an XT60 connector to a 4in1 ESC, I discovered myself holding the wires down for too lengthy, which overheated the pad and virtually burned my fingers. Not best for large jobs.
I actually want Miniware supplied bigger suggestions for the TS21. Because it stands, it’s incredible for micro drones (3-inch and smaller, together with tiny whoops), however the tiny tip may wrestle when engaged on heavy-duty builds like 5-inch and 7-inch quads with thick XT60 wires and high-current ESCs with great amount of copper traces.
Energy Consumption
One other remark: despite the fact that I set the TS21’s most energy to 100W, it not often got here shut. Utilizing a 100W PD energy financial institution, I monitored real-time utilization and sometimes noticed 50–60W, even throughout preliminary heat-up that usually makes use of essentially the most energy. It nonetheless feels lots highly effective, nevertheless it’s value noting for those who anticipated it to persistently draw 80–100W.
Different Soldering Iron Suggestions
My TS21 got here with two additional cone needle suggestions, that are clearly designed for precision work. Personally, I discover the inventory blade tip glorious for FPV builds — it strikes the fitting stability between precision and the power to deal with reasonably massive joints. Except you do extraordinarily fantastic electronics work, there’s little must swap suggestions. That stated, I do want bigger suggestions had been accessible.
Additionally word that the TS21 suggestions are noticeably smaller than these utilized by the TS100 or TS101, and sadly, they’re not cross-compatible. You’ll want suggestions particularly designed for the TS21.
Is It Excellent for FPV Pilots?
The TS21’s light-weight design, speedy heating, and built-in LED mild make it a pleasure to make use of. Swapping suggestions is fast and painless, and the compact dimension makes it simple to retailer and transport. For fast area repairs, FPV drone builds, or delicate electronics, it’s a really succesful and versatile iron.
Nevertheless, there’s one downside: the TS21 solely accepts USB-C enter. In contrast to widespread fashions such because the TS100, TS101, or HGLRC RC2 — which could be powered instantly from a LiPo battery — the TS21 requires both a USB-C energy financial institution (at the least 100W) or a LiPo-to-USB-C adapter. This makes it barely much less versatile within the area.
Powerbank advice (get one which’s 100W or larger):
XT60 (LiPO) to USB-C Energy Adapter (100W+): https://s.click on.aliexpress.com/e/_okM2ZHl
Ultimate Ideas
The Miniware TS21 is a superb transportable soldering iron that delivers insanely quick heating, a 450°C max temperature, and considerate options like sleep mode and an LED work mild. Whereas it’s not designed particularly for FPV, its compact type issue and reliability make it a robust choice for area repairs and micro drone builds.
That stated, the tiny tip dimension means it might wrestle with bigger solder joints like XT60 connectors and high-current ESC energy pads. For these jobs, irons just like the TS101 or HGLRC RC2 are extra versatile decisions:
For bench work, I like to recommend a correct soldering station just like the AiXun T3A, which is at present my day by day driver: https://oscarliang.com/aixun-t3a-soldering-station/
Searching for instruments for constructing and repairing FPV drones? Take a look at my purchaser’s information: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-tools/
