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The Coleman Cold Heat Soldering tool is an award winning design that revolutionizes soldering. It heats and cools almost instantly, reaching 800°F in about 1 second. It's a wonder tool for hobbyists, DIY-ers, technicians, electricians, engineers and the military. Cordless/battery operated Uses 4 replaceable alkaline AA batteries Convenient carrying case included
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Avoid this product.
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I thought I'd try this product since it seemed like a neat idea. What a mistake. For starters, the plastic latch tab on the molded plastic case broke immediately. I decided no big deal. A rubber band would do the trick there.
So, I got down to soldering a 24 awg stranded wire to a small solder pad on a circuit board. Frustrating experience. The tip, even though I applied really no pressure at all, chipped and eroded away ad the little spark fired off. At this rate, you'd go through $10 tips really fast. That alone didn't impress me. You have to get the tip seated against the solder point fairly precisely for the tip to begin heating. If you can't manage it, the tip won't stay heated. Once you get it heated, it barely melts solder. The tip also repels the solder, which makes wetting the connection very difficult. After about 10 minutes of trying to get this very basic connection complete, the light went out. Hm. I noticed the batteries rattled around in the case like they were lose - Not held in place within the battery compartment. Sure enough, the batteries were not being help by the battery terminals - The typical spring pressure contacts you find in most AA battery holders. I decided to open it up and see what happened. The spring terminals heated up to the point where they lost their temper and had not ability to clamp the batteries in place. I also noticed that the batteries, even after a number of minutes during dis-assembly, were really hot. I mean REALLY hot.
Stay away from this one at ANY price.
Rating: 
(1
out of 5) @ 2008-10-08
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terrible, terrible product
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This thing is horrible and doesn't work for anything. It won't heat up wires 1/16 diameter, and smaller wires loose thier heat before you can touch the solder to it. It won't even melt solder directly.
The white LED light turns off once it makes a connection with your work, so don't think it's going to be a good working light!
Waste of money
Rating:
(1
out of 5) @ 2008-08-17
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Save Your Money!
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Don't buy this product.
Coleman has many good products; but what a shame to even sell this one.
Cons:
- too hard to use. Very frustrating. You almost need to be a surgeon to use this. I have to change the tip position all the time just to start the heating process.
- expensive for something that will likely end up on your next garage sale
- tip is too big
- has a warning that the tip breaks easily (because it sure does breaks easily)
Pros:
- wireless (But it doesn't work!!!)
- nice built in LED light
- nice case
Rating:
(1
out of 5) @ 2008-06-26
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Great gift for xmas. But not how you'd think...
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If you haven't already, don't buy this thing, at any price, even steeply discounted. It is in all seriousness, absolutely worthless for it's intended purpose. For anyone without a little mad scientist in them, and doesn't know this already, if you run even a very little power across a graphite pencil lead, it gets very very hot, very very fast. This is basicly the principle on which this tool operates. The point is split in two, joined by a sliver of some no conductive material. And when the two sides are shorted by touching a metalic surface, it does heat up rapidly. Unfortunetly, while in theory it sounds like it would work great, it usually succeeds only in incenerating the contact points on the soldering tip, making little sparks, and breaking away bits of the tip, usually having no usable effect whatsover on the solder. I wouldn't get near anything a value with this tool. All that said though, if you, like me, have already had the misfortune of purchasing this or receiving it as a gift, don't dispair, it's not a total loss. By simply pulling off the removable/replacable soldering tip, and throwing it away, you have a really nice, fully functional small christmas tree light bulb tester. They wouldn't fit the socket & contacts better if it had been made for that purpose all along. And the AA batteries provide just the right amount of power.
Rating:
(1
out of 5) @ 2007-12-14
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Great Portable Tool
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I keep and use this on my sailboat. Very easy to use without the need of an electrical outlet. Heats quickly and makes great joints.
Rating: 
(5
out of 5) @ 2006-08-19
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