goot PX-211 Review: Can a Stripped-Down Analog Iron Beat the Best-Selling PX-280?

This video is brought to you courtesy of Taiyo Electric Industry, maker of goot soldering irons. Hello. Today, Taiyo Electric Industry, famous for its goot brand, has released a new soldering iron, and I will introduce it to you. Here it is: the PX-211 temperature-controlled soldering iron. For a soldering iron these days, it is quite simple. Its functionality is focused on temperature control only.

Taiyo Electric Industry released a digital temperature-controlled soldering iron called the PX-280 in 2022. Against that background, the functions of the PX-211 were purposely stripped down to the bare essentials, releasing an analog-controlled, temperature-controlled soldering iron. There are two types: digital and analog. How much does that change the ease of use? I will review it as I use it.

First, goot's product line has several similar products available, so we will look at those. Here are the PX-201, PX-280, and PX-211. These are all temperature-controlled soldering irons that use ceramic heaters.

First, we have the PX-201. I'm sure many of you are still using it in the field. This product was released in 2003. It has been a long-selling product for quite a long time.

Next, here is the PX-280. I am also an active user of this product. With the addition of more space for shooting and working, I've bought three so far, all in working order. When this product was introduced, it was very groundbreaking to have almost the same functionality as a stationary type all in this.

We also shot a review video about the PX-280 shortly after its release. Immediately after we released that video, it went flying off the shelves on Amazon. Even when inventory was replenished, it sold out quickly. That continued for a while. I'm also in regular contact with people at Taiyo Electric Industry. I've heard that the video led to a tremendous number of sales. In fact, the person in charge had a big grin on his face. I think it is a very nice product to use in practice.

Here is the new PX-211. We will look at how it compares to previous products and what aspects have changed.

First, a comparison with the PX-201. I think the PX-211 is basically positioned as a successor to the PX-201. As for the external differences, the PX-201 has a longer heater section. You can solder with it, but it is somewhat difficult to work with. Basically, the shorter the distance from the grip position to the tip, the easier soldering will be. Therefore, the PX-211 has the advantage in ease of soldering.

The standard soldering tips are also different. The PX-201 used a conical shape called a B-type. This is not bad, but it is actually a little hard to solder with. The PX-211 comes standard with a C-type soldering tip. It depends on the object being soldered, but soldering is easier with a tip shaped like this. It's good that a tip that is easy to solder with is included as standard.

There also seems to be a slight change in heat transfer from the heater to the soldering tip. When exchanging tips, the ceramic heater and soldering tip look like this. To exchange tips, you need this kind of clearance between the heater and the tip. The PX-201 has a slightly larger clearance. In short, this reduces the efficiency of heat transfer to the tip. What about the new PX-211? There is still clearance, but much less. In other words, the heater and tip fit closely together, which means high heat-transfer efficiency.

We will look at the temperature control. Both are adjusted by turning a dial. However, the PX-201's adjustment dial is small and difficult to adjust. You wouldn't change the temperature that often, but if the thermal capacity of the soldering target is too large for a tip with a large thermal capacity to handle, you may raise the temperature. At such times, the PX-211's large adjustment dial is easy to operate. The dial is made to feel a little stiff. I think that is to make sure the temperature doesn't change easily when your hand rubs against it.

The temperature adjustment range for the PX-201 was 250°C to 450°C. For the PX-211, it has been extended to 200°C to 500°C. Power consumption has increased from 70 W to 80 W. It is capable of transferring a lot of heat, even to soldering objects that are more susceptible to heat loss.

Next is a comparison of the PX-280 and PX-211. Regarding accessories, some PX-211 models come equipped with a heat-resistant tip cap. It's made of a soft material like this and easily snaps into place. This heat-resistant tip cap can also be used with the PX-280.

As for the shape, I thought the differences were just the presence or absence of a display and digital versus analog controls. In fact, the main unit is also quite a bit smaller. This affects the feel of operation quite a bit. The PX-280's body is a little heavy, and the power cord is farther from the gripping area. When operating it, there is a slight pulling sensation from the cord. If you look at the base of the cable, the PX-211 uses a higher-grade cable guide. I'm also looking forward to seeing how this affects usability.

As for the shape of the gripping area, the PX-211 is slightly thinner and easier to grip. Using analog circuitry and narrowing down the functionality means you can slim it down to this level. According to the PX-211's developer, although there is a difference between digital and analog control, soldering performance is kept pretty much the same. The PX-280 and PX-211 use the same series of soldering tips, so the same tips can be used on both.

In terms of functionality, the PX-280 offers things the PX-211 doesn't: temperature control in 1°C increments, a sleep function, and automatic shutdown. These functions are an advantage of digital control. In particular, the PX-280 lets you monitor the temperature in real time—actually, the heater temperature rather than the tip temperature. I don't want you to imitate this, but when the tip is cooled rapidly like this, the displayed temperature decreases. On the PX-211, the LEDs just blink. You know the temperature setting, but the disadvantage is that you don't know the actual temperature.

An advantage of the PX-280 is that, especially when soldering objects with a large thermal capacity, the tip temperature drops considerably, and you can see that numerically. The downside of the PX-211 is that you can't tell. Depending on where you use it, the PX-280 looks better. Also, with its digital display like this, the PX-280 gives you more of a feeling that you're doing something.

The sleep and shutdown functions on the PX-280 are also used surprisingly often. For example, when using a soldering iron while debugging electronics, it is turned on, but you actually spend more time not soldering. That's when sleep mode prevents oxidation of the tip. Also, if you forget to unplug the power supply, the shutdown function automatically shuts off the power. In that light, the PX-280 is designed to be safer.

The PX-211 is focused on temperature control only. Naturally, the reduced functionality means a lower price. The actual retail price on Amazon is about 5,000 yen for the PX-211. The PX-280 is in the low 5,000s.

Compared to other companies' products of the same rank, HAKKO's FX-600 is roughly equivalent to the PX-211. I won't make a direct comparison. One area to look at is heat recovery and power. The PX-211 is 80 W, and the FX-600 is 50 W. I want to point out that higher power doesn't necessarily mean better soldering performance. It's hard to say without actually using it.

Here's an interesting point about these two companies. For pen-type digital temperature-controlled soldering irons like this PX-280, Taiyo Electric Industry's PX-280 came out first. HAKKO then followed with a similar digital product, the FX-600D. HAKKO's FX-600D seems quite conscious of the PX-280. For analog temperature-controlled soldering irons, Taiyo Electric Industry has now come out with the PX-211. Looking closely, I see it as a product that is very conscious of HAKKO's FX-600 series.

From here, we'll actually try soldering and see what it's like. All solder used today is lead-free. First, wrap solder around the tip like this and measure the time it takes to melt. All tip temperature settings are 350°C. We'll watch the rise in tip temperature to see how quickly the irons can be used after the power is turned on.

First, the PX-280. It melted. Now the PX-211. It melted. And the PX-201. It melted.

The PX-280 and PX-211 gave almost identical results for temperature rise. The PX-201 was a little slower to get up and running. The heater using a little less power probably contributes to that. Then there is the larger soldering tip. Its thermal capacity is also a little larger, so the temperature takes time to rise.

We will also look at the tip temperature. These are all set to 350°C. First, the PX-201. It's about 368°C, a little high. Next is the PX-280. That's pretty accurate. The iron is at 350°C, and the thermometer is also at about 350°C. Now the PX-211. This one is good too. The temperature is 352°C.

For temperature control, digital is still better. The analog one was accurate in this experiment, but in actual use, if it is within about ±5°C to 10°C, I'm sure that won't be a problem.

The next step is soldering to a bare copper-clad board. Copper foil covers the entire surface, so heat escapes readily. These are pretty tough conditions for soldering. Performance depends on the shape and thermal capacity of the tip. This test lets us see how much heat we can transfer to the object being soldered.

Here we go. First, the PX-201. It doesn't melt very well. It melted, but this is pretty difficult. The solder hardens. Before moving on to the next soldering step, we cool the board down with water like this.

Next, the second one. Let's warm it up a little first. Preheat, then feed in the solder. Still, it takes a while for the temperature of this bare board to rise. The solder doesn't wet very well. I think these are very tough conditions. As you can see, the solder doesn't seem to wet and spread easily. That's the soldering done.

Next is the PX-280. Here we go. This is also a little tough. It's hard to get the solder to wet and spread. The soldering itself is done, but it isn't wetting and spreading. I'll try preheating it a little next. Apply the soldering tip for a little longer, then supply solder. There still isn't much wetting and spreading. The tip is a little too thin for the object being soldered and lacks thermal capacity. With the PX-280, too, the solder didn't wet and spread easily.

Last is the PX-211. As you supply solder, it is basically the same as the PX-280. I don't see much difference. Let's try a little more preheating next, then supply solder. This is still the same as the PX-280. It looks like this. Checking the soldering, the PX-211 and PX-280 are almost the same.

In this case, the choice of soldering tip is completely wrong, so I'll change to a tip with a larger thermal capacity. This is how much changing the tip affects it. It's completely different. I think the solder is wetting and spreading well. Totally different. If you change the tip, you can expect the same results with the PX-211. Supply solder. It's wetting and spreading well. That looks good.

If you look at the actual solder joints, they are completely different. I deliberately did this experiment to show that you should choose a tip suited to the area being soldered. Basically, a tip with a large thermal capacity—in other words, a thicker tip—is easier to solder with. Just because you're soldering small parts doesn't mean you should make the tip smaller too. That can actually make soldering difficult.

From here, we will use the PX-211 to solder a printed circuit board. First, we'll do through-hole components. Here we go. Apply the soldering tip and supply solder. It melts properly. Now do the same thing next to it. Supply solder. No problem at all. Apply the tip here and supply solder. Good. Preheat with the tip in the same way and supply solder. OK. As you can see, the soldering is done beautifully. Good.

Next, let's try soldering through-hole components with a large thermal capacity. The parts themselves are large, and the copper foil area is also this large. Here we go. Pin 2 has less thermal capacity. Preheat it a little like this and supply solder. It's a little harder to melt than before, but the soldering itself is done.

Now for pin 1. This one has a large thermal capacity. How will it do? Preheat and supply solder. It's a little hard to melt, as you'd expect. The solder wets and spreads poorly. When you pull the solder away, the soldering itself looks fine. Looking at pin 2, you can see that the solder has risen firmly to the component side. But looking at pin 1, which has a large thermal capacity, the solder hasn't risen to the component side, even though the tip was applied for longer.

Next, I'll try the 3BC size I often use. The 3BC has a good balance between thermal capacity and tip thinness. It is a fairly easy-to-handle tip. Let's go with the 3BC. Apply the tip, preheat slightly, and supply solder. Good. The heat transfers better than before, and the solder melts well.

Now pin 1, with its even larger thermal capacity. Apply the tip, preheat, and supply solder. It melts much more easily than before. Increasing the tip's thermal capacity to keep its temperature from dropping is very important for soldering. The solder is coming up well on the component side.

Goot has also recently introduced this interesting soldering tip. The tip is right-angled like this. It is shaped to efficiently transfer heat to the copper foil and components. I'll actually give it a try. If you apply the tip like this, it properly contacts the copper foil and the component lead. Supply solder. This could be pretty good. Apply it and supply solder. The tip itself is extremely large and has a high thermal capacity. Less preheating is needed, and the solder melts very quickly. Good.

There is no problem on the solder side. Looking at the component side, the solder has come up solidly too. For through-hole components, I recommend a somewhat thicker soldering tip that can conduct heat well.

The next step is soldering surface-mount components. We'll solder resistors and ICs, starting with a resistor. Apply a light coat of flux. Lightly supply the iron tip with solder. Slide the part into place and solder it. OK. Do the same for the other side. Supply solder, then solder the component. The first side was temporarily tacked in place, so heat it again like this. It's done.

Here's what the actual soldering looks like. It's hand soldering, so if it looks this good, it shouldn't be a problem. For surface-mount components, changing the soldering tip also makes things easier. There is a D-type tip shaped like the end of a flathead screwdriver.

It is easier to adjust the amount of solder when using a D-type tip. The finish will be beautiful. If you just can't be bothered to change the tip, you can use the thick C- or BC-type tip as it is. If you have more than one soldering iron, it's a good idea to have a variety with different tips for each application.

I'll try the D-type tip. Apply flux. Supply a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron. Put down the component and solder it. Do the same for the other side. Supply a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron, and solder it. The first joint is a temporary solder joint. Solder it again, and you are done!

For IC-based components as well, the soldering process remains basically the same. In this case, temporarily fix it in place. Apply flux. Supply a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron. If you press against it like this, soldering is done. The same is true for the rest of the leads. Apply flux. Supply solder to the tip of the iron, like this.

As you solder, supply solder. If you apply it this way, I made a little solder bridge, but now the bridge is removed. As for the rest of the leads, supply a little solder to the tip, and do it this way.

I'm sure a standard soldering iron tip will do the job just fine. If you pay a little attention to your choice of tip, you will be able to solder to an even higher level!

I've done some soldering so far. Compared to the PX-280 I usually use, I cannot perceive any difference in soldering performance with the PX-211 used in this project. They are almost the same. On the other hand, in terms of handling, the PX-280 is a little longer and thicker in the grip. In comparison, the PX-211 is thinner and easier to grip than the PX-280, like this. So the PX-211 is better in terms of overall handling.

Next, we'll disassemble it to see what's inside. It looks like this. It contains one printed circuit board. The temperature of the soldering iron is adjusted using just analog control. I think they've made it pretty simple. It's simpler this way. I feel like it's less likely to break in many ways and has a longer lifespan.

We will look at the electronic components used. This variable resistor for temperature control is marked SH. I wonder who the manufacturer is. The first thing that would break would probably be the resistive element of the variable resistor wearing out. But you have to turn the temperature dial to wear it out. I don't think you need to worry about that. By the way, when this dial is removed, note that it is hard to tell which way it is facing.

Electrolytic capacitors were also used inside. It says SUNCON on them. Electrolytic capacitors from Sun Denshi. I think it's a good idea.

Looking at the flux residue on the printed circuit board, the surface-mount components are done with reflow soldering. Through-hole components appear to be soldered separately. I actually asked someone from Taiyo Denki Sangyo. For through-hole components, they are soldering with a robot. And as for ceramic heaters, the parts are sold individually, so if one breaks, it can be replaced.

So, I have reviewed the PX-211, the newly released soldering iron from Taiyo Denki Sangyo. For soldering performance, I have compared it to the PX-280, which is a digitally controlled model. Frankly, they are almost identical. As for the overall handling, I think the PX-211 is easier to use. It's lighter, too. The grip of the iron is thinner and feels more like a pencil. The distance from the gripping area to the power cord is shortened. There is less sensation of being pulled by the power cord. Considering usability and the price, I would totally choose the PX-211.

Incidentally, we're receiving another batch of newly released products from Taiyo Denki Sangyo. A video review will be available soon!

At the end of the video, Taiyo Denki Sangyo announces a giveaway! This time, we are celebrating the collaboration on newly released products. You can win this newly released PX-211 by lottery! Please refer to the official X page of Taiyo Denki Sangyo for more details about the application process. Please check it out as well.

And by the way, please see the description for Amazon purchase links for the products I mentioned today. Thank you for watching the video until the end.