This May Be the Ultimate DIY Soldering Iron

When you first get started with electronics, any soldering iron will probably be good enough. Eventually, you’ll want to get something nicer. Personally, I’m using a FNIRSI HS-02A for the time being. That’s where most of us stop, but some people have higher requirements. If you’re working with particularly sensitive components, electrical factors like leakage can become an issue. That’s why Tony359 put the open source DIY AxeSolder 3 to the test.

The AxeSolder 3, designed by Axel Johansson, comes in two configurations: a portable tethered soldering iron and a complete soldering station (built around a JBC ADS stand). Both versions run the same software on the same PCB. Both can accept C115, C210, and C245 cartridges. And both take either USB-C PD power input or normal DC power input from 9-24V.

Even ignoring the other factors, the AxeSolder 3 is nice. They’re all sold out on the 5dimensions website right now, but the basic kit (populated PCB + knobs) for DIY builds was $169.00 USD. That’s a reasonable price for a fully featured, high-quality soldering iron with an STM32-based control board and a large screen to adjust settings.

But the real selling point is the extra attention Johansson put into the electrical characteristics. Tony359 goes into detail about the circuits and the theory in his video. That is frankly over my head, but the basic gist is that this soldering iron was designed with proper grounding and isolation—something that even decent midrange models lack. That means that the iron itself won’t damage any components when you’re soldering them.

Tony359 tested that in the video and showed his results. It certainly met his expectations and he says that he recommends it.

So, if you’re looking for a great soldering iron that you can build yourself on a modest budget, the AxeSolder 3 seems like the perfect choice. They’re sold out on the website right now, but you can build your own from scratch using the open source files on GitHub.