We have to applaud the 13 engineers at Jiizer Design for immediately capturing our attention – albeit not at first for the tool they have on offer. But if you're after a handy tool that can solder, heat-cut and, yes, blow, it's time to pull the Jiizer out and get to work.
Yes, this is one hell of a name. But jokes aside, this compact unit is an all-in-one soldering whiz, feeding wire from within the gadget to the job site, freeing up your other hand. The makers modeled the Jiizer 01X on 3D printers and printing pens, so with the press of a button, the wire – attached to the unit at one end – is heated internally and a stepping motor then pumps the solder through a needle-like tube onto its target.
A temperature-controled heating filament, small fan and air outlet will push hot air onto the material being soldered, taking the guesswork out of preparation. This makes the work far less fiddly, less messy and as such is ideal for beginners.
The makers say it's not just for novices, however, and will perform as good as any handheld electric soldering jigger, but give the user more control over their work.
It's also multifunctional. It comes with three different-sized needle tubes that can be switched out for different soldering jobs. It also has a traditional soldering tip for it to function two-handed like a regular iron. And there's an option for an additional Cutting Tools Kit, which heats to 80-450 °C (176-842°F), to slice through acrylic, rubber, leather, PVC, foam and more.
Its fan can also be switched on as a standalone function, blowing hot air for jobs such as working with heat-shrink tubing.
An LCD screen with four adjacent buttons let you set the basics: language, temperature, material extrusion amount and airflow level. It also comes with pre-set functions, which will be handy for beginners: convenient mode, cutting mode and air-blow mode.
The wire kit can be easily swapped in and out, it has rapid heating (maximum in around 15 seconds), and has a 165-W power output. The temperature can be adjusted by single degrees, and the charge offers up to three hours of continuous work – it has an automatic sleep and wake mode, however, to save the battery when not in use.
With a few weeks left on the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, Jiizer 01X has already reached its target and is expected to be shipped from September if all goes to plan. Right now, the standard kit with the Jizzer unit, three needle tubes, two kits of soldering wire, a case and charging cable is US$60 (30% off), with Pro ($98) and Premium ($136) offering extra accessories.
You can also buy a range of additional accessories, including a special tools kit that includes spoon-shaped fittings and blades ($19) and a cutting tools kit ($19). Check the Kickstarter page to see all the customizing options.
Source: Kickstarter
