Free ColdHeat soldering iron w/$20 purchase & coupon from Make magazine

[labgeek]

Ok, for those that don't know what Make is... go here It's work safe! It's a Tech magazine for builders and tinkerers.

In the last issue (Vol 2 not Vol 3) inside front cover there's a coupon for a free ColdHeat soldering iron As Seen Here from Radio Shack. Coupon expires sometime later this month... I forgot when and I used my coupon already.

You have to buy $20 worth of components, soldering tools/suppliers, test equipment or Kronus tools. The other suck part is you have to cut the cover of your Make.

For those that don't know what a ColdHeat soldering iron is... It's an "instant on" type od soldering iron. heats up and cools down VERY quickly. Runs on AA batteries


BTW, if you subscribe you now get free access to the digital version online. And it's much cheaper that way... $34.95/year. Year = 4 issues But cover price is $14.95 each.

In Vol 3 there's such articles as:
Hacking your cyrdaian rythm.
A Fusion Reactor for the Rest of Us
Mod your Rod
StompBox
VCR Cat Feeder
How to - Making Biodiesel
Haunted House Controller


In Vol 2 there was
making a light seeking robot out of an old mouse
Atari 2600 PC (PC inside a 2600 case)
HDTV on the Mac
Thermofooler - a "not so smart" intelligent thermostat
Webcam Telescope

I haven't gotten my Vol 1 backissue yet.

BTW, I emailed them about getting access to Vol 1 and 2 online since I had bought them through Amazon, she put in the request but said it could take a couple of weeks.

Also watch the blog on the makzine website... some are pretty "interesting"... a 454 powered snow blower! I gotta get one... (and move to some place it snows more)

 

[nomadh]

Sounds totally nuts. I got to get a look at that mag.

 

[Andy]

U'll be disapointed

 

[labgeek]

I wasn't... I tinker quite a bit - microcontrollers, and such.

To anyone here... Check out the table of contents for Vol 3, and if there's something you want to read to see if you'd be interested shoot me a PM with an email address. It's got to be from Vol 3 (just checked and Vol 1 & 2 are not live yet for me). While supplies last -- they only let me send so many copies of articles...


Suggestion -- How to make Biodiesel article.

 

[dallas4u]

Originally posted by: BostonYuk
U'll be disapointed

Man, I really hate it when people post this crapping stuff. If you think we'll hate it, then post why... jezzus!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HDTVMan]

You can get the back issues at Amazon for like $10.00

I ordered mine today. Known about the magazine for a while its out quarterly. But that makes sense with the projects they do.

 

[labgeek]

If you order directly from the website (back issues are not available there too) you get the online version too automatically. I emailed them, and they said they'd add it but it would take "up to a couple of weeks".

 

[HDTVMan]

There is a coupon code out there.

Google to find it (5 for $35 instead of 4)

 

[SemperFi]

The mag looks pretty cool. I may have to get it.

Don't do it for the soldering iron though. Not really worth having around even for free. I guess it depends alot on what you solder the most. I haven't used it for pcb soldering most of what I do is wires. It may be alright for heavier wire or solid wire but small stranded wire was close to impossible to solder. I will stick to my butane soldering iron. It definately took much longer than firing up the butane iron.

 

[ElectricLegs]

The cold Heat iron is junk. It's ok for telephone size wires but that's about it. Bigger and smaller wires are about impossible.

 

[Jaxidian]

Originally posted by: ElectricLegs
The cold Heat iron is junk. It's ok for telephone size wires but that's about it. Bigger and smaller wires are about impossible.

I agree. I bought one and half the time I can't even get it to melt fresh solder.

 

[fargus]

We had a fairly lengthy thread on this not too long ago... most who had used it thought it wasn't very good, and created cold solder joints, not what you want for good quality connections.

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: fargus
We had a fairly lengthy thread on this not too long ago... most who had used it thought it wasn't very good, and created cold solder joints, not what you want for good quality connections.

Tried one, junk compared to any $4 el-cheapo iron.

 

[hevnsnt]

Originally posted by: BostonYuk
U'll be disapointed

QFT -- This thing SUCKS.

Make is good, that iron BLOWS

 

[SignalSoldier]

Glad i read this i was in the market for one of these

 

[GAZZA]

I read too many bad things abou this soldering iron when I was looking for a good cordless one for xbox modding. So in the end I bought one of these Hakko FX-901 Cordless Soldering Iron.
This iron is absolutely superb, heats up 10x faster than a conventional corded iron and batteries last very well (using rechargeable 2300m batteries), also the tip is perfect for fine soldering jobs such as modding xbox's etc.
Same price as the Cold solder crap infact.

 

[VooDooAddict]

I don't destroy things with a regular soldering iron and have repaired and modded a few things... but I'm in no way an expert.

I haven't been able to sucessfully solder 1 thing with my ColdHeat. (Walgreens had a sale around xmas ... $10 or something)

Gazza thanks for the recomendation ... i might pickup one of those.

 

[labgeek]

I haven't tried mine out yet... but hey it was free...

From what I understand because of the way it works, it takes some gettin used to... you have to apply the iron directly to the solder which is not how it should be done with a real soldering iron. you have to short the 2 leads with the solder and the short causes the solder to flow.

For "real work" I use one of these

 

[GAZZA]

Here are some reviews of this product :roll:
click

 

[labgeek]

For getting something for free you people are awfully hard to please.

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: labgeek
For getting something for free you people are awfully hard to please.

If you "need" the other stuff, great. The issue is what happens to what you're soldering with this free iron, whether the job is done right or you have to get out another iron too... often the part is worth more than the iron. This might be better than nothing for emergency use away from power but there are also butane torches/irons/etc for those who need them.