Does It Work? Follow-Up On ''Cold Heat'' Solder Tool

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By By Connie Thompson

Summary

Who would have thought a simple soldering iron would fire up such hot a debate?

Story Published: Nov 9, 2005 at 3:18 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 2:07 AM PDT

Does It Work? Follow-Up On ''Cold Heat'' Solder Tool
SEATTLE - Who would have thought a simple soldering iron would fire up such hot a debate?

This week's "Does It Work?" segment revisits the "Cold Heat" soldering tool.

Makers of the battery-operated tool say it gets hot enough to melt solder, then instantly cool enough to touch.

Our skeptical volunteer tester, Bob Calla, was so surprised at the results when he put it to the test for our first report, he vowed to buy one for his own tool box.

But shortly after our report aired, part of the tip broke off on my solder tool. Then, I started getting e-mail from consumers sharing their experiences which, and as you'll see, run both hot and cold.

Former Boeing Electronics Team

To refresh your memory, Bob Calla used to work electronics at Boeing, so he knows his stuff.

"The tool is intended for short bursts of heat," Bob said, reading the instructions aloud during our visit.

The secret's in the tip. You can't see it on camera, but there's a thin opening that divides the tip into two sides.

"Each side is a positive and a negative and when you hit the solder it makes the connection -- the electrical connection from the batteries," Bob explained.

Make the connection, a red light comes on, the tip gets hot and solder melts and attaches the wires.

As the instructions predicted, it takes a little practice to get the hang of it. The tool is not like traditional soldering irons and you must apply the solder at the right point.

"It works!" he said as smoke wafted up from the solder point.

Take the solder away...

"And it's cold!" he exclaimed as he pressed the tip of the tool against his palm.

That was enough for Bob to give it a big thumbs up.

Other Consumers Weigh In

Then the emails started coming.

From Dave Burton: "Good idea but virtually impossible in the real world." Dave says he threw his in a drawer.

Ken Nylin did the same thing. He says he found the applications were, "too limited for most household and automotive jobs."

But Stan Branson really likes it. And says, "it does work well."

Consumer reviews online run from "Excellent"- to "Handyman's Dream"-. to big disappointment. You can read some here.

Then, I heard from the Cold Heat company itself! Turns out they're located in Bellevue.

The marketing director, Paul Vincent writes: "Historically, we have had a lot of enthusiastic support from users and very low return and complaint ratios. However we care about each one of our customers and thus would like to solicit feedback and dialog with those who have not found its use acceptable."

Vincent goes on to say, "We think that most of the problems relate to the operator's technique or use of the tool in projects for which it is not suited (as described in the often-ignored Instruction Manual)."

Read Instructions- Not Intended For Heavy-Duty

So here's the deal: Cold Heat does work. But it's not for heavy-duty jobs. There's a yellow sticker inside the case that warns the soldering tip is fragile, you cannot press hard on the tip, and you should only use a thin, 18 or 20 gauge solder.

My tip likely broke off because I used the improper object (paper clip) to force hardened solder out of the thin opening in the tip. The instructions specify that the tool is intended for light soldering projects.

Company Responding- New Help Online

Because of the feedback, the company is adding new features to its Web site this week to solicit consumer input, answer questions and help troubleshoot with an animated feature on its Web site. That's at www.coldheat.com

And, in response to apparent demand for more heavy-duty applications, the company just came out with a larger, more powerful version called Cold Heat Pro.

As for Bob Calla, he did in fact buy a Cold Heat for his own tool box and he spent more time experimenting.

Bob tells me he agrees it's limited to lighter, more hobby and craft-type projects. For heavier jobs, he'll use his more industrial, electric soldering irons. But for smaller projects, including the minor repairs he has in mind on ski racing equipment up at the pass, Bob still says "thumbs up."