The Hot Devil range just got hotter with the arrival of the 10 Piece Professional Blow Torch and Soldering Iron Kit (codenamed HD1960K).
It has all the bits you need to get your jobs done precisely and efficiently. The HD1960K is a fully packed-out kit containing: rosin-core solder, cleaning sponge with tray and stand, blowtorch head, a scoop, a cutting-knife tip, soldering tip, needle-point tip, double-edge tip, polyfoam cutter and, last but not least, a hot blower and solder head…phew. Made it. There’s heads for many different applications and its all tucked away in a sturdy case. This unit produces more heat and is significantly quicker than previous Hot Devil models and has a superior build quality.
Let’s get a closer look at the Hot Devil HD1960K.
Test #1. Ease Of Use
The greatest thing about the Hot Devil HD1960K is its portability and lack of an electrical cord.
Corded soldering irons are great in the workshop, but out in the field when you’re up a ladder soldering speaker joins, or running around a huge house fit off doing LED strips everywhere, portability is a must. The HD1960K is also perfect for the home, office or workshop. Simply fill your iron with quality Hot Devil butane gas and you’re ready to go. The self-igniting soldering iron fires up with the simple click of a switch, and after a minute the tip or accessory of your iron is ready to go. Changing the accessories is easy too. They simply screw on. It’s that simple. Just don’t attempt this when it’s hot. I know that seems a dumb statement, but I’ve seen it happen, and maybe even done it once or twice myself.
Leave it safely on the included stand to also protect the finished surfaces.
Another important factor is the feel and ergonomics of this unit. When working with substantial heat in detailed and precise tasks the feel of such a tool is important and I’m happy to report the Hot Devil does amazingly well in this area. It felt natural and easy to control.
So, it’s all very easy to use.
Kit Includes:
- Rosin-core solder
- Cleaning sponge, tray and stand
- Blowtorch head
- Scoop
- Cutting-knife tip
- Soldering tip
- Needle-point tip
- Double-edge tip
- Polyfoam cutter
- Hot blower and solder head
Test #2: Heat And Applications.
How hot does our little Hot Devil HD1960K get?
It gets pretty hot within the first minute so its ready to use, but the stats say the blowtorch tip gets up to 1300ºC, the soldering tip gets up to 400ºC and the blow tip hits 500ºC.
Soldering small solder joins on LED strips was a breeze with the soldering tip which gave the perfect amount of heat. It was very precise and controlled.
The applications were many. From auto repairs, soldering, heating, paint removal, plastic welding, shrinking, woodburning (or letter burning) and even through to styrofoam cutting. I was pretty impressed with how easily the polyfoam cutter cut through styrofoam and left a very neat cut. It was also great for welding plastics. I fixed a bunch of my sons’ toys, and also have found it very handy when fixing plastic parts broken off tool cases or tools, or even engraving the company name over all our tools.
The scoop attachment for cable shrink is shaped to reflect heat onto the back side of the shrink and get the job done more efficiently. It was much faster than spinning the cable around.
Ideal For Use In:
- Home, workshop, office or site
- Auto repairs
- Soldering
- Paint removal
- Heating
- Plastic welding
- Shrinking
- Woodburning
- Styrofoam cutting
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
The Hot Devil HD1960K is a professional bit of gear, built to last, built for efficiency and contained in a compact kit which will easily fit into your tool bag. All of the accessories worked very well, and were easy to swap and use. There are so many applications for the HD1960K.
The ugly? Not really much at all, to be honest. If I really have to be picky it would be the clear perspex cover can pop out a bit easily, but with a quick little plastic weld from the iron, that didn’t happen again. Another win.
Check out the Hot Devil HD1960K next time you’re in the market for a new multifunctional soldering-iron kit. The company’s Australian owned and operated out of Melbourne, so you’re getting a quality trade product from a quality Australian company. I have had other brands in the past that just don’t cut it. As an electrician, this is definitely my go-to soldering kit.
For more information visit www.hotdevil.com.au