Pinecil V2 vs TS101 Soldering Iron

Specs side by side

Specs checked against manufacturer documentation and official Amazon listings. Desk research, not bench testing. How we research.

Key differences

• →Pine64 rates the Pinecil V2 up to 88W at 24V; Miniware's TS101 listing gives conflicting wattage, so we can't compare peak power directly.
• →The TS101 accepts lower supply voltages (from 9V) than the Pinecil (from 12V), which helps with small power banks.
• →The Pinecil also accepts Quick Charge 3.0 chargers at 12–20V; the TS101 listing names USB-C PD.
• →The TS101 kit includes a 65W USB-C adapter; the Pinecil is sold as the iron alone, without a stand by default.
• →The TS101 adds a Boost button, motion-sensing sleep and an overheat warning; Pine64's spec page doesn't state these for the Pinecil.
• →The TS101 takes TS100 tips, so existing TS100 owners keep their tip collection.

Power input: what each iron runs from

Portable irons live or die by their power source. A USB-C PD charger is the most convenient supply, but it caps out at 20V, so the highest wattages need a DC supply at 24V. The chart shows the voltage window each maker publishes.

Pine64 adds two cautions worth knowing before you buy a supply. Use only one power port at a time, and use a DC5525 barrel plug: a DC5521 plug, the more common size on cheap adapters, will damage the socket. Pine64 also lists 28V USB PD EPR chargers as theoretically supported, but marks it tentative, so don't plan around it.

Pinecil V2 vs TS101 spec by spec

With Miniware's wattage unclear, the fairest power comparison is what each supply can deliver. A supply's ceiling is its voltage times its current limit, and the iron can never draw more than that, whatever its own rating says.

The arithmetic shows why both irons feel sluggish on a weak supply: 12 V at 3 A is 36 W at most, a little over half of what a 20 V charger allows. Pine64's 88 W figure is for 24 V at the barrel jack; 24 × 3 is 72, so that rating implies the 24 V supply can provide more than the 3 A minimum Pine64 lists. If your work is mostly small through-hole and SMD joints, 60 W on a good PD charger is plenty for either.

How USB-C PD decides your wattage

A USB-C port starts at 5 V, which is below the minimum of both irons. With Power Delivery, the charger first advertises the voltages it can supply, the iron asks for the highest one it accepts, and only then does the full voltage arrive. A phone charger that tops out at 9 V will run the TS101 but not the Pinecil; one that offers 20 V at 3 A lets either iron work at its best on USB.

1. 01

   Check the charger label

   Look for 20V⎓3A (60 W) or more

   →

2. 02

   Check the cable

   Must carry 3 A; cheap cables may not

   →

3. 03

   Plug in the iron

   It negotiates the highest voltage it accepts

   →

4. 04

   Read the OLED

   Both show status on screen

Use cases: where each iron fits

The Pinecil V2 suits makers who already have a capable USB-C laptop charger or a 24 V bench supply. It is tiny, 28 g with its tip, and its open IronOS firmware is community maintained. Pine64's published 88 W ceiling gives it real headroom on ground planes and heavier wire when fed from 24 V DC. The trade-offs are that nothing else comes in the box, not even a stand, and Pine64's Amazon listing still describes the original Pinecil, so check which version you're getting.

The TS101 suits someone starting from scratch or packing a field kit. The 65 W adapter means no charger hunt, motion-sensing sleep lets the iron idle when it stops moving, and the Boost button is there for the odd stubborn joint. Owners of a TS100 can move their tips straight across. Its weak spot is documentation: Miniware's wattage figures conflict, so power claims are hard to pin down.

Frequently asked questions