Our gear expert Rupert Holmes explains why the new cordless soldering iron from Laser Tools could prove to be an invaluable boat gadget...

I’ve never really got on with gas soldering irons, which means I still use 240V models when on board.

They’re inexpensive and are easy to replace if necessary, but connecting it to an inverter and monitoring the boat’s batteries each time it’s used is a pain.

Laser Tools has solved this with the Laser 8273 cordless rechargeable soldering iron which has a 1,800mAh lithium-ion battery.

This gives a use time of around one hour, while recharging via USB takes only 90 minutes.

Working temperatures of 200-480˚C are reached in as little as 15 seconds.

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The stand fully encloses the tip, keeping the cordless soldering iron safe during warm up and cooling down periods.

There’s also an integrated LED work light and a charge indicator.

The biggest drawback of this cordless soldering iron is that, as it has to accommodate the battery, the Laser 8273 is bulkier than a conventional model.

Buy it now from Amazon

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