Short Into
Recently, I’ve been busy with small DIY projects at my workbench, and I find myself using a soldering iron more frequently. But, since not everyone can solder, I try to find ways to complete the project in question without one when I eventually share it. Take the DIY LD2410 presence sensor for instance. It can be crafted with or without soldering, but each approach requires slightly different components.
Lately I’ve been flashing different Xiaomi Temperature Sensors and converting them to Zigbee. Most of them can be flashed OTA, but some do require soldering to attach an USB-UART adapter, especially when OTA fails and you brick one (cough). I haven’t written articles about these yet because I’m still in the process of testing to find the best and simplest method to share.
Having a good soldering iron for small tasks and DIY projects is a must, and I hadn’t realized it until now. I used to have a cheap AliExpress soldering iron that I though was good enough, but as it turns out it was the source of all my soldering rage. Enter the Kaiweets KETS02 Soldering Iron Kit.
Technical Specification
- Model: Kaiweets KETS02 Soldering Iron
- Item Weight: 0.408 KG
- Product Dimensions: 21cm X 11.5cm X 7cm
- Power Source: 65 Watts
- Special Feature: Fast heating, Oled display
- Temperature Range: 80°C-420°C（176°C-788°C）
- Operating voltage: 20V 15V 12V 9V
- Operating current: ≥3.25A ≥2.5A ≥2A ≥1.5A
- Power: 65W 37.5W 24W 13.5W
- Melting time: 8s 12s 17s 30s
Why I picked the Kaiweets KETS02 Soldering Iron?
I dismantle every single device I test and review for the purpose of SmartHomeScene’s Reviews channel, an effort which requires a wide range of tools and instruments. You cannot do it with just a few screwdrivers. Because of this, I upgraded my toolset not long ago and got an electric screwdriver set from Kaiweets as well as a digital multimeter for testing energy features on smart devices.
I was so impressed by the quality and features of this brand that I decided to also get their KETS02 Soldering Iron, only this time I asked them directly for a testing sample. They agreed to send me the KETS02 and also offered an exclusive discount code for the readers of SmartHomeScene. You can use SHS15 to get a 15% discount on their webstore.
Digital OLED Screen
The first thing you notice on the KETS02 is the beautiful digital OLED screen which gives you basic information and current state of the iron as well as a control menu. You can use it to change voltage on the fly, screen brightness, set sleep timers and sleep temperatures and change temperature units (°C/°F). But perhaps the most interesting feature is changing the hand mode from (left/right) so the screen flips and you are always viewing it correctly.
Heating Speed
The one thing I absolutely love about the Kaiweets KETS02 soldering iron is the insanely fast heating up speed. As soon as you plug it in and press the button, it’s already heated up to working temperature. I recorded a timelapse of the soldering iron going from room temperature to 420°C in about 20 seconds:
Adjustable Voltage
The Kaiweets KETS02 has an adjustable voltage function that you can use for different power supplies. It can be powered from 9V, 12V, 15V and 20V with each giving you different melting speeds according to your needs. Here’s a table for better understanding from their website:
If you have a power supply of 65W (~20V), you can change the voltage in the menu of the KETS02 to:
Interchangeable Tips
The Kaiweets KETS02 Soldering Iron is sold in two package variants: one contains the soldering iron, USB-C cable and a stand while the other is a full kit with interchangeable tips. I highly suggest you get the latter, since you can use it for different purposes when you need it.
Final Thoughts and Buying Links
I highly recommend the Kaiweets KETS02, I seriously believe this is the only soldering iron you will ever need for home DIY projects and general fixes. I’ve been using it for 2 months now and it continues to impress me with it’s durability, speed and usefulness.
You would think it’s expensive, but it’s not and absolutely worth it’s price tag. The Kaiweets KETS02 with USB-C cable and stand is sold for $34.99 on Amazon and their Webstore, while the full kit with interchangeable tips and power brick costs $75.99. Here are some buying links:
- Kaiweets KETS02 Soldering Iron Full Kit
- Official Webstore – use code
SHS15for 15% off - Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK – use code
C6BEQLVMfor 10% off
- Official Webstore – use code
Maybe it will get IronOS sometime (Fnirsi HS01 is the same hardware)
Personally I recommend to buy the Pinecil v2
I was going to make the same suggestion. For portable T12 soldering tips the pinecil is a great piece of kit.
Great writeup of another impressive entry to portable soldering. I’m a big fan of the QOL the T12 style tips give.
One thing I feel obligated to bring up though is safety. There’s a saying that “you don’t know what we don’t know”.
To give a personal example I have what’s basically the desktop version of this soldering iron. For the price it’s very nicely built and was widely recommended to many new hobbyists… Until some licensed electricians and engineers pointed out the metal case wasn’t protected properly and it could silently become a deadly danger of electrocution.
For that same reason I can’t conscience off-brand multimeters. An entry level fluke is only $40 and incomparably safer to Chinese multimeters that can easily wind up exposing the user to dangerous voltages, either through wrong readings or unsafe failure modes. They very often claim CAT ratings they simply don’t deserve.