Milwaukee Soldering Iron Repairs (3x) - How Many Can I Fix?
2023 ж. 27 Қаң.
35 386 Рет қаралды
I bought a job lot of three faulty Milwaukee Soldering Irons from that well known auction site. Let's see how many can I fix...
#electronics #electronicscreators #electronicsrepair
Fixing A Milwaukee Soldering Iron
How to fix a Milwaukee Soldering Iron
Milwaukee Soldering Iron Repair
Replacing a Milwaukee Soldering Iron Heater
Replacing a Milwaukee Soldering Iron Thermal Fuse
Faulty Milwaukee Soldering Iron
Milwaukee Soldering Iron Fix
The irony of needing a soldering iron to repair... a soldering iron 😆
Yes 😂😂👍
No its quiet common. A hammer to fix a hammer. A welder to fix a welder.
I recently replaced one of these thermal cut outs in a vacuum cleaner. The manufacturer had used the same crimps to crimp the wires to the component. I didn't bother with the hassle of soldering. I used brass fishing Pike trace crimp ferrules to crimp the new component in place. They come in a few sizes. If I remember right, the 1mm size was a perfect fit over the wire part of the component. Simple crimp with pliers and slide heatshrink over. Much easier.
Nice creative solution there, well done! 👍For me soldering isn't really a hassle as I've done it for years and my soldering iron only takes 3 seconds to heat up 🙂 Thanks sharing.
Milwaukee is back on the menu, great job on fixing them, but I find it strange that they are not using the circuit board as intended not that it would solve the problem of prolonged use leading to the fuse blowing. It nice to see I'm not the only one who forgets those things when reassembling things
Thanks Morten! Yes typical how I mentioned it and the still forgot 😂😂😂
I love the look of the Milwaukee stuff you have been repairing I still have yet to buy any but i might if i needed those tools as they seem repairable and look sturdy
Yes I've got a fair collection. I think its fairly good quality, and I'm still waiting for the sponsorship offer Milwaukee if you are reading this 😂😂😂
Delightful video! Made my ear lobes tingle with delight and unbridled joy! One note, however, as my woodworker teacher, Mr Toots, used to warn us: always cut away from your fingers!
Thank you, and thanks for the advice 👍
Great vids ,dont stop 👌👌👌
Thanks 👍🙂
Well done, at least two saved from landfill. It seems odd (to me) to have a relatively low value thermal fuse so close to the element. It would be worth putting a thermocouple next to the fuse to see what the temperature was when the iron is on for a while. As you discovered, a 24V element (with the resistances you measured) is unlikely to work properly.
Thanks Ralph👍. I did a search for 12v ceramic soldering iron element and did find a couple on Alibaba but I think there was a minimum order. Some other channels were recommending those elements I got, I think they work but not properly and with reduced performance but I suppose it's better than not working at all.
Nice fix and yes you’re probably right the wrong voltage element
Yeah, it seems what other people on the internet are recommending. I think it's not ideal. I did find one on alibaba which should be suitable. www.alibaba.com/product-detail/12V-ceramic-Heater-Element-for-Milwaukee_60754331543.html I think the minimum quantity was 100 though :(
@@BuyitFixit replied but it had a link so it’s in your special folder lol 😊
Ali express have a good selection. About 10p each also the tubes and mountings.big problem is the 2 month delivery time I just bought 10 of each and they're fine.i used 1 a year ago, still melting lead
Thanks 👍
Great work on these milwaukee tools and the others you have done.I nearly swapped from Milwaukee as I sent an 18V pump back to the UK agent which failed after one use and but they denied receiving it even on proof of delivery so I lost a lot of money so don't trust them.I think they are C J Sinclair Ltd in Ramsgate
Thanks, I've not really had any experience with Milwaukee agents as pretty much all the tools I've bought were already broken 😂
An interesting video that does make you wonder why they don't use a resetting thermal break. Surface emissivity causes all sorts of issues when trying to use IR for temp measurement. Mat Black gives you the best reading and shiny silver the worst. Hako do an iron calibration unit for the ultimate check.
Thanks Andy 👍I did come across someone using one of those calibration tools on another channel, I'm not sure how often I'd need one though.
@@BuyitFixit Isn't it just a thermocouple?
Nice fix, if it eventually got to temp and stopped flashing it would be ok, but I would make sure of that before calling it a full fix 😊
I know there's a few other people used the same element. They are not ideal. I did find the correct one on Alibaba but the minimum order quantity was 1000 units 🙁
Question: is the thermo fuse for 250V or 12V (152C 15A) ?
They are 250v, it's just the maximum voltage they are rated for.
Great fix! I always wonder why that fails in first place. I wonder if some current draw measurement through the thermal fuse (after the fix) might shed some extra light on the "why" it failed?? I have no idea myself :).
Thanks 👍I'm not too sure also. You could work out the current from the voltage and resistance. This seems quite a common problem with these irons though as I've seen quite a few on faulty on Ebay.
I have replaced alot of those thermal fuses and I find the ones I solder do not last. I only crimp them in now.
Interesting, then units I've repaired seem to be working ok still. I guess you used something to heat sink the heat away from them while soldering? Otherwise they would have probably just melted internally with the heat of the iron.
I take it nobody has sourced a 12v replacement element? .. just looking on eBay ,wondering if it would be worth a test to buy a new 12v 60w iron for £8 just to see if the element is the same
I did find some on Alibaba listed as 12v but the minimum order was either 100 or 1000 pieces 😂😂😂😂
@@BuyitFixitHave you asked them if they had an Aliexpress store or if they could sell you three (for the price of 10) or something?
After seeing your videos and videos 3 of my rocket lights blowing fuses, worded if they are not sizing the fuses correctly or they are regulating voltages correctly
Could be, or some type of in rush current they didn't account for.
@Buy it Fix it I work in the home remodeling business and use dewalt tools in the daily basis and have Milwaukee tools to do some mechanic work at home, my brother is a Milwaukee fan boy and when I come over to help him do any work amd use his tools I feel that they cutoff or timeout more than the dewalt for some reason, I think the quest to outperform all the other tools come with a price, here local I have both service centers, dewalt el fix any tool at a max fixed price, or will sell you just about any part, but the warranty is non existing after 1 year on the other hand Milwaukee tool center treats tools as disponible most of the time they el just give you a new one as long as the serial number can be read but it can be easily erased and at that point you are done so both companies deal with their tools so different, and out of those Milwaukee tools been disposed I end that with lots of them, the person that was getting them hasn't post any for sale lately not sure if he lost his contact in the company or something but he had 50 gal barrel full of broken tools
Hello friend, I have a question I have a welder just like Milwaukee, the detail of mine is that if the fuse that goes to the tip works, the detail is that where the fuse is soldered to the tip, the fuse disconnected. I wanted to glue it with tin and it does not hold, what type of welding is done and where Are you located to send them to you?
Hi, I just used normal 60/40 lead/tin solder. You could possibly use an automotive crimp perhaps if the fuse connects to a wire.
I reckon you should’ve used a 12 V element as suggested by Milwaukee. These soldier irons have a control system in them to let them know when it gets a certain temperature. It will stop when you put something like 24 V soldering tips on it, it will go higher and higher and it will confuse it and then you will burn out the thermal fuse, other than that good Show
Agree, I would have used a 12v element, but people normally use the HAKKO elements because you can't get the Milwaukee 12v versions, and Milwaukee don't sell parts or elements. I did find one seller on Alibaba that did sell them, but the minimum order quantity was 1000! You are correct in saying they have a control system in them by way of a resistive thermocouple and MOSFTET to switch the power to the element. The temperature won't get higher and higher and blow the thermal fuse. It actually takes longer to get to the correct temperature because you are only putting in half the voltage to heat it up, therefore it takes 2x longer.
You need a different heater element designed for 12V operation. Otherwise it will never reach the required working temperature.
It does, just slower. I did find the correct 12v element on Alibaba but there was 100 piece minimum order 🙁
That is right, and the high resistance from the Temp Sensor also give a wrong value of reached Temp to the electronic and dont stop the heating process.
Is it possible to by pass the Thermal fuse and just run straight without it?
It is, but there would be no protection against it getting to hot. If there ever was a fault inside like the mosfet that controls the power to the tip failed short circuit you could find it ends up glowing red and potentially causing a fire..
Another interesting video, thanks! I'm not sure you will get Milwaukee to sponsor you though because you keep showing how much their tools break 🤣
Thanks Nick 👍Good point. I'm not sure on the failure rate on different devices but I was purposely looking for broken tools to buy for my own use. That's pretty much how I started doing a repair channel after being inspired by another KZheade called @MyMateVince
Yes I am a big fan of Vince, and I think it's very kind of you to give him the occasional mention.
Yes, but he's also a big fan of mine and also he's given me a mention a few times too 🙂 we've also chatted on email too.
While we're banning plastic straws (which were miles better than any of the alternatives and had very little impact on the planet), we should focus on these: force the manufacturers to make the fuses easily replaceable. When it's impossible, they'll use PTCs or whatever resettable solution they want.
Totally agree, there's too much hypocrisy in the world! Private jets to go to these "Climate conventions" for instance....
I'm just wondering. Were the old fuses soldered in or crimped? I'm just wondering how much heat the fuse will take before it blows and if that amount of heat is enough to un-solder the fuse first?
The old fuses were crimped. The fuse temperature is 142c. 60/40 Solder starts to melt at around 188c according to a google search...but a soldering iron temperature of 300 is recommended.
Yes why would you use solder not crimp connection.
On another video I used crimps, but only had the automotive type. Others have soldered these and have had no issues, so I thought I'd try too.
The old fuse was crimped brass crimped. He shouldn’t have soldered, it because it will unsolder due to the heat near it
@@markbriscoe8526to be fair the solder will also act as a thermal fuse, but higher than 152°C. Belt and braces 😉
I have had little luck with any cordless soldering iron, regardless of brand. I have seen so many Milwaulkee brand repair videos to know, not all their tools are quality. I had a power ratchet that self destructed and learned the hard way, you cannot use power to break a bolt loose. The ratchet gear breaks in half easily.
I've used the iron a few times, and it's pretty good, especially for things like automotive work. I've got one of the electric windy guns and haven't had a problem with it. I've got a lot of Milwaukee repairs on here because I was buying broken tools for my own use. If I already had Dewalt for instance, you would probably see a lot of Dewalt repairs. I think the quality of some of the Milwaukee tools a little dubious (the vacuum cleaner) but most seem OK. I use the grinders regularly and love the little impact driver I've got.
@BuyitFixit Thankyou for the response. I did order a replacement part for my ratchet, but apparently, something beyond that was bad. I ended up replacing it with another. I do small engine repair so I do rely on my power tools. I figure one or two jobs pays for the tool, so I do use them.
@scottfirman You're welcome. I do work on cars and things too. One of my mates has his LR Discovery 4 in my shed at the moment. He rebuilt the engine but it was having trouble starting so we think that the after market crankshaft magnetic timing ring is duff. We pulled the gearbox out and replaced it. Still have the exhaust to go back on yet and a load of bolts to go in still, and then see if it made any difference.
I’m very curious as to why you put the crocodile clip on the fuse’s wire before soldering it to the existing wire….
Because the temperature of the thermal fuses is less than the temperature of the iron. The crocodile clips soak the heat away from the centre of the fuse which would melt otherwise. Hope that helps 👍
@@BuyitFixit ah, makes sense, thanks!
@@DaleDaschner You're welcome 🙂
Well I think its just a case of Ohm's Law and the people who recommended them may have a lower thermal mass tip and just dragged itself to temp and stop flashing, but the moment it touched any work the temp would fall and it start flashing again. Wonder how much the actual part is. Anyhow it works..ish !...cheers.
Cheers AndyMouse. I did find the correct part, and it wasn't a lot, but the minimum order quantity was something like 1000 pieces!
@@BuyitFixit :(
Hello, tell me where you can buy a heating element, and write the parameters or the article
Yes, I just ordered the one I used from Ebay. Search Hakko A1321 heating element. Hope that helps 🙂
@@BuyitFixit Thanks
The Bob Ross of fixing things
😂😂😂😂👍
There is a blue temp setting potentiometer inside
Thanks for that 👍I've not disassembled one beyond what you saw in the video, so good to know!
Where can I purchase a thermal fuse?
Pretty much any electronic supplier should have these, also Ebay or Amazon.
Can I use 250v 152c 15a sefuse to fix ?
Yes I would think so 👍
Very common problem for me as I'm onto my third iron now under warranty, the second one was an updated one but only lasted about 6 uses
Interesting, is it on for long periods of time? Perhaps they need to fit a slightly higher thermal fuse. Something like 150C instead of the 142C.
@@BuyitFixit most of the time after I use it I turn it off
Hmm, not sure then. It could be that they were a little conservative with the fuse temperature and a slightly higher temperature fuse would solve the problems.
@@BuyitFixit yeah I think next time it craps itself I will fix it myself
@@BuyitFixit your videos are great too 👍
I bought a kobalt Xrt 24v 1/2 impact and I pull the trigger and nothing happens. Battery lights indicate a full charge. When I push the mode button on the tool itself it doesn’t light up. I took it apart and the inside is covered in some kind of oil. There is a 10 amp fuse that doesn’t look to be blown. No wires look to be broken. I didn’t fully tear down the rotor and all that yet because I’m thinking that power is lost somewhere down where the mode light is. I don’t know anything about this kind of stuff but if you have any advice please let me know. It’s an expensive tool and would love to get it working. Could all that oil in there be shorting things out?
Hi Joe, oil probably wouldn't cause a short as such. Is it a brushed or brushless tool? I've not came across one before.
@@BuyitFixit it's brushless
@@BuyitFixit it's kobalt biggest cordless 24v impact
If it's brushless it's a whole lot more complicated than a brushed one. I've not see inside one, so I can only go from my experience of Milwaukee brushless, and a common problem seems to be blown mosfets which drive the motor.
@@BuyitFixit I actually watched your video about that. Guess I’ll be buying a microscope lol. What is that flux you used when repairing it
I theink they had crimped breaker and not soldered it, because it is subjected to high temperatures and you soldered it anyways, is it reliable for this application?
They are usually crimped because soldering them can "trip" them as you're applying heat to something that is designed to fail when it gets too hot. Yes, it still works fine, the thermal fuse would still trip long before the solder would melt.
The resistance is more than twice the resistance higher on the new element and if you calculate it your 12V across a 4 ohm load is just gonna be barely over 30 watts maximum, and seeing the charge in the battery was only half it gets even worse. A Flir won´t measure temperatures correctly on the shiny type of steel such as an iron and is why it measure higher at the very end where it has most deposits built up and less where it´s cleaner. A fully charged battery will make the iron work better but the right heater is what you need for it unless you can somehow increase the voltage maybe to an 18volt battery supply without the electronics giving up in the process
Agree the element isn't ideal but it does make a non functional iron somewhat functional again. A few other people repaired these irons and suggested this element which I why I ordered one. I did find the correct element listed on Alibaba but there was a minimum order quantity of 1000 units www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Milwaukee-Cordless-Soldering-Ceramic-Heating-Element_62134346646.html Or 100 unit: www.alibaba.com/product-detail/12V-ceramic-Heater-Element-for-Milwaukee_60754331543.html
@@BuyitFixit yeah. A less functioning iron is better than a dead one. Too bad you have to order in bulk to get one then. There must be someone offering the 12V heater somewhere one may think
Holey moley, Milwaukee makes a soldering iron? My first impression is that I would not use one of these things- shape, weight, etc. Still, battery operated stuff is here to stay.
Yes, it's a bit bulky. It's ok for the likes of working on automotive stuff though, but not really suited for PCB work.
I will agree with on the 12 volts not having enough umphhhh to kick the 24 volt element in the buuuuttt ......It's like using a 6 volt square battery to power a 12 volt headlight bulb for hunting at night....Ooops did I say i'm a outlaw LOL.... Great add in for the research on the elements ....
Thanks 👍
@@BuyitFixit I did the same element replacement on one of my old irons and it never heated up well enough, stripped the iron and found a trimmer pot on main board and gave it an adjustment, now takes 5 minutes to reach a decent temp and go green, still works well , keep it as a backup.
@@Swirlybum Thanks 👍. I might take a look at that!
Thermocouple polarity is not correct. You should switch the cable connection direction.
I'm not too sure what you mean.I'm pretty sure they are just resistive and have no polarity.
That fuse seems low to me. I do a lot of soldering and unless it's on a sensitive device I almost always solder at around 200c (been in electronic repair for 35 years).
Yes I thought it was low too, but I guess it's because where it's located. It's not actually clowse to the element its further back inside of the handle.
What kind of a hot air station are you using?
I was using one of those cheap 858D clones, but recently upgraded to an Atten ST-862D
Great repair problem I have is you should not of solder that thermal fuse like that. You should’ve used the brass crimp instead of soldering it because the heat might unsolder and disconnect it should’ve followed what Milwaukee put in in the first place with the brass crimp other than that good Show
Thanks👍, someone mentioned this before and they won't de-solder. The thermal fuse temperature is 142C solder doesn't start to go soft until around 200C. The thermal fuse would blow before the solder had a chance to melt. I usually run my soldering iron around 320C.
Consider it a secondary thermal fuse. But yes, generally it's bad to solder thermal fuses. That's probably something they realised in production which is why they didn't use the PCB pads.
These look way to bulky. I have one that uses butane and it is just a little bigger than a sharpee marker.
Yes, I have one of those too. Portasol? I think possibly. Agree the Milwaukee ones are quite bulky but I think they are aimed at soldering larger gauge wire than the small butane ones.
Oh lord. you rough bugger. Screwdriver through the labels? Bit of IPA and a scalpel blade and no one would ever known you'd opened it...
😂😂😂 I might try that next time 👍
I love the Heath Robinson approach but sometimes it's nice to know that no one, bar you, would ever know it had been opened.@@BuyitFixit
hahaha, my job bought one and broke after 2 uses. Seemd like the heating element broke :D
If the heating element isn't physicality snapped it's probably the thermal fuse.
You Should've Got A 12 Volt Heater Element.
Correct, however you can't get them and Milwaukee don't sell spares. Hence other people also using the same element that I did. I did find one seller on Alibaba that had them listed but the minimum order was 1000 which was 999 more than I needed 😂😂😂
°с 300+/- - !!! ??? (no 400°c). - 152°с; 15А; многоразовый.
Hmm. There's only about 30 - 40 deg. C difference between the nominal fuse breakpoint (152) and the melting poing of solder (180 - 200). Plus there's a long skinny heatsink/thermal gradient (fuse lead) between it and the solder joint you connected it with. And it was shown that its possible to melt that connection without setting off the fuse. You're kind of trusting the only reason that worked is because of the two aligator clips.
I think if you're quick enough, without using the alligator clips, it probably wouldn't break the fuse. I think it would take a small amount of time for the heat to transfer down the wire for the conductor inside the fuse to actually melt.
@@BuyitFixit That's my point. I'd be concerned that the solder joint will let go before the fuse blows. Granted, it's only 12V, but you'd have an arcing joint with 6 amps running through it. I suspect that's why the fuse connections were crimped rather than soldered.
@@michaelsouth2567 Possibly. I think the leaded solder I used has a melting point of 260c and the fuse is rated at 152c being 108c difference. I wouldn't think that the solder wouldn't melt before the fuse internals melt. Also the element itself is soldered into the pcb which is closer to the heat source than the fuse is.
@@BuyitFixit Seriously? I didn't notice they did that. Well, I'm not an EE and have always been pretty conservative about stuff like that. I boggled a little at 6A over those tiny wires, too. (PWM, average less?) Got the melting point from Wikipedia; they say 60/40 melts below 180C. Oh, and I got distracted by the shiny thing and didn't thank you for the fine videos :)
You're very welcome 👍I'm no expert myself and I do get things wrong. Have a great day and thanks for watching! EDIT: Appologies I just checked and I used 60/40 which is around 191c. I think I was thinking of unleaded solder which is around the 240c as I usually have the iron set to around 260c or so.
Those Hakko elements are 24v 50 watts, so if it only gets 12v it will basically be only 25 watts... or it could be that the 12v gets boosted to 24v? Did you measure the voltage going to the element? So it could be 25 or 50 watts...instead of 90 watts.. Correction: 12v and a 4.1 Ohm element would result in 35 watts And a 1.4 Ohm element at 12v is 102 watts (1.6Ohms is 90 watts exactly) But something doesn't add up..... 24v 50 watts should be 11.52 Ohm 50 watts 4.1 Ohm results in 14.3v.... Uhmmm I'm lost in the untouchable/ungraspable world of electricity..... (I'll take mechanics over electricity any day!) Calculators that are getting me confused to be found on ''the12volt'' site... google it.
I just searched the specifications of the iron and Milwaukee say its 90w at 12v which would mean 1.6ohm and 7.5A draw. I did see some Milwaukee elements advertised on some Chinese site, but there was a minimum order quantity of 100 units :(
@@BuyitFixit Yeah a 100 maybe a bit much... 😁 It's a rare item, almost all the element are 24v.... didn't find a 12v one on the usual sites... Well, as long as it works, the 24v is an easy and cheap option! But still strange that those A1321s only measure 4.1 and 3.6 Ohms.... should be 11.5ish if I'm doing the math right... I ordered a Milwaukee soldering iron(+free 4.0ah bat!), it's here on Saturday. I know now not to keep it turned on for a long time, it can blow the fuse... 😉
Well at least you know how to fix it pretty easily now too 🙂
@@BuyitFixit Well it has a 5-year warranty 3+ 2 extra from the certified Milwaukee dealer! My version is different though, mine has a different black cap, it's held by 4 screws.
Milwaukee. Soldering. Leon repairs. 3X. How. Many can. l. Fix
??? And why a full stop (.) after every word ?
@@wisher21uk He's an AI trying to analyse the title of this video
@@Ghost572 oh
Milwaukee states that the M12 iron has a max temp of 750° and 90watt heater. Based on your measurement of 1.4 ohms puts 90 watts in the ballpark. The 24 volt element will never reach 750°! So watts=volts x amps 90=12 x 7.5 Ohms Law states: volts= amps x ohms 12= 7.5 x 1.6ohms
Unfortunately they don't supply spare parts. I did manage to find a 12V heater on Alibaba but the minimum order quantity was 1000 units. Other people seem to have used the same heater although it does take longer to heat up.
... big... strong... ugly... are you sure these are american-made? 'cuz they look more russian-made! :D
100% American, made in China, with materials from Russia 😂😂😂😂
@@BuyitFixit 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I also have the Fluke 179 ESFP True RMS Multimeter, i love it, i bought it new second hand (never used) on eBay 5 years ago, + i say it was calibrated by a company who calibrates multimeters and so, and that for £213, and that is with shipping costs, when they were in a story for almost 2 times that.
I think I paid around £110 for the one I'm using. I also got it second hand from Ebay.
@@BuyitFixitthat is cheap, how old is yours now? The cheapest one i can find on Amazon uk is £424.
I'm not too sure, I bought it around 6 months ago but not sure on the age of it.
@@BuyitFixit OK, thanks for answering so quickly, and so late.
Why would anyone want to use such a huge solder iron??? I 3D printed a tiny housing were i put the Handskit OLED Mini T12 Soldering Station into it, with a QC4.0 QC3.0 USB Type-C Mobile Phone Quick Charge Adapter 6 -35V Step Down Buck Boost Module, so now i only have to put my 20v WORX battery on the underside, were he clicks in, and then i can solder what i want, and he is strong. So again why would anyone want such bulky solder iron in there hand to solder stuff?? Plus you cannot set the temperature of does huge Milwaukee Soldering Irons.
I think automotive Perhaps? It is a bit big and bulky I have used it a couple of times on things such as farm machinery 😂
@@BuyitFixit Ok, then it cannot be precise, it's way to big for that, again great work repairing them.
@AmigaWolf I have been soldering for 26 years and have owned several irons and different stations, smd rework etc. This one seems bulky, but if you fold it 90°, lay the body of it along your wrist/forearm it is actually quite nice and nimble to use. It also stands up on its own which can make it useful for 3 handed jobs. Now if they would just stop dying on me...
@@procrastinator1842 Yeah, i would just buy the one or make one that can be used with a 20v Makita/Bosch/ Worx battery, they are a lot lighter, and can stand were you want. And Milwaukee is one of the most expansive electrics/ battery tools you can buy, and still they break all the time Milwaukee Soldering Iron, that is just badly made.
@AmigaWolf unfortunately, nobody else does a decent 12v/subcompact line.