Greetings to all! Today I have prepared for you a review of the best household soldering irons for joining polypropylene pipes in 2020. As selection criteria, I studied the design features, technical and price characteristics of soldering irons, as well as reviews from craftsmen and ordinary users. All presented models are distinguished by productivity and quality of workmanship. All of them melt efficiently, without deforming the soldering edges and do not leave a pronounced burnt smell. I hope that the prepared review will be useful to you and will help you choose the best model based on your preferences.
terms of Use
Welding work on a welding machine for PP pipes can begin after the preparatory work has been carried out. It is necessary to bring the temperature of the heating element to 230–260 °C, and then install it. An increase in the quality level of the work performed occurs due to the use of welding flux, which provides the parts with gas protection, removing harmful substances into the slag waste, which creates a crust.
You can prepare polypropylene pipes for welding using additional equipment (scrapers, cutters) supplied by the Moscow FDplast plant.
Soldering iron for polypropylene pipes: rating of the best professional ones
Wester DWM 1500
A powerful two-tension polypropylene soldering machine from Wester is suitable for regular professional use. By running two heating elements simultaneously, the desired temperature is reached faster. Moreover, it can be smoothly adjusted in the range from 50 to 300°C. It can connect pipes with a diameter of 20, 25, 32, 40, 50 and 63 mm. Each diameter comes with its own Teflon-coated nozzle. According to reviews from those who bought it, the device is reliable in operation and heats up very quickly.
The soldering iron is equipped with a clamp that can be fixedly attached to the table. Thanks to this, it is more convenient to use the device - it does not move while installing polypropylene parts on it. The manufacturer included gloves, a tape measure, a wrench and a pipe cutter in the kit. The entire set fits easily into a metal case. Its cost is about 3,000 rubles, which is not so much for a professional instrument made in Germany.
Valtec ER-04
Valtec, like Candan, comes from Turkey and produces high-quality plumbing equipment, of which the Valtec ER-04 model is a clear confirmation. This device is intended for serial assembly of water pipes made of polypropylene and polyethylene. It is designed for pipes with a diameter of 20, 25, 32 and 40 mm. At first glance it may seem small, as for a professional tool, but in practice there is rarely a need to mount a product of a larger diameter. The manufacturer included all these attachments in the kit.
The clamp allows you to firmly fix the device on a table or workbench for more convenient work. There is no need to buy a pipe cutter separately, as it is included in the kit. The set also includes a 2-meter tape measure, a hexagon for replacing nozzles, a level and plugs for installing water sockets. All this conveniently folds into a metal box.
GM Cobra 0005 COBRA
A powerful device that allows you to work with pipes up to 90 mm in diameter. True, there are only 4 attachments in the kit: 20, 25, 32 and 40 mm. The rest will have to be purchased separately. The body of the device is made of aluminum alloy, so the soldering iron weighs less than many competitors with similar characteristics: 1.6 kg. The heating element is naturally made of stainless steel.
The metal case also contains all the accessories: pipe cutter, tape measure, clamp. For a 1500-watt soldering iron, the price is very attractive.
By the way, have you ever wondered what is better to use for plumbing: metal plastic or polypropylene? Read about all the pros and cons in our article.
Criterias of choice
When choosing a soldering iron, you should pay attention not only to its cost and brand, but also to its technical qualities. So what do you need to consider?
Electric power
The main characteristic that you should pay attention to when choosing a soldering iron is its power, since the maximum diameter of the pipes and their subsequent welding depend on this.
Important! The higher the power of the device, the larger the size of the product the master will be able to connect.
For example, a 1.5 kW tool is capable of connecting pipes from 20 to 50 mm, but a more powerful 1.7 kW tool can solder parts up to 63 mm.
The tool comes with a special suitcase and additional tools.
Device contents
Soldering irons are produced in the form of kits with accessories and instruments. They go on sale together with the main device in a special case.
The equipment depends on the model and brand of the manufacturer. But most often the set includes:
- stand or tube for soldering iron;
- nozzles of various diameters;
- keys for replacing parts;
- cutter;
- roulette;
- level;
- marker.
Important! The cost of a soldering iron is influenced by the configuration.
The presence of a thermostat and its design
The thermostat is responsible for setting and maintaining the operating temperature. The master can set the range from 220 to 350 degrees.
Thanks to the built-in thermostat, the technician does not have to regularly set the desired temperature with his own hands.
Value for money
Equipment with the same technical parameters costs differently from different manufacturers. The price is determined by the brand’s reputation, type of device and equipment.
The leaders in this market segment are foreign companies: Rothenberg, Dytron, Brima, Kern and Candan. Among domestic manufacturers, products such as Enkor, Energomash, and Kalibr are in demand.
Among experts, there is an unofficial rating of countries that manufacture welding equipment for plastic pipes.
The championship rightfully belongs to the European brands Rothenberg (Germany) and Dytron (Czech Republic).
The price of Czech Dytron soldering irons for basic configuration starts from 200 USD, which is 3-4 times more expensive than similar models of Turkish or Chinese production
Despite the high cost, European products hold the sales lead due to their reliability, durability, unpretentiousness and ease of use. The equipment is distinguished by its light weight, compactness, mechanical endurance, long service life and diversity of the model range.
A worthy alternative to Czech and German devices are hand-held soldering irons made in Turkey. Well proven: Candan, Cobra and Valtec.
Moderate pricing policy (from 30-40 USD) along with good technical and operational characteristics brought Candan to the top sales among soldering irons for PP pipes for household use
The most affordable price niche is occupied by Chinese and Russian units. The cost of cheap models starts from 15-20 USD. The quality of workmanship is often “lame”; thermostats are characterized by inconsistent operation - the spread of readings reaches 10°. Such an error is fraught with depressurization of the welded elements.
However, among the Chinese-Russian assembly there are competitive devices, for example, Energomash, Wester and Sturm soldering irons (German development, manufactured in China).
What is a soldering iron for PP pipes
Polypropylene materials have many advantages, which is why they are in high demand:
- strength;
- light weight;
- long service life;
- low price.
The advantage is simple installation, which eliminates the need to call a specialist, since the installation work can be performed by a person even without experience. The ease of installation is explained by the melting point, which is equal to 250-260 degrees Celsius. Such a plus could not go unnoticed, so a special device was created to work with PPB.
For reference! A soldering iron for propylene pipes is also called a soldering iron for plastic pipes. A tool is used for installing pipelines, or rather connecting them. Also, the tool can be called an iron because of its characteristic shape.
The device has the following design:
- body with handle;
- heating platform;
- stand;
- nozzles of various diameters.
Soldering with such a tool takes place without unnecessary difficulties.
Which device is better?
It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously.
The choice of welding machine depends on what kind of pipes you are welding, in what volumes and conditions. Let's consider the features and types of the tool. Manual
Manual welding machines are the simplest and ideal for home use. They are bought for apartments, houses and dachas. According to their appearance, all such tools for welding polypropylene pipes are divided into cylindrical and sword-shaped.
Sword-shaped machines for manual welding
Many people use such devices (irons). This is due to the ease of use of the devices. Structurally, the device is a heating element on which nozzles are attached using bushings or through through holes. A thermostat is provided to control the heating level. Information about the operating temperature is shown on the display. This welding machine can be supplied in various configurations and configurations. When choosing a device, you should determine the degree of its stability on the surface. Cheap products are not highly stable. They may roll over. Determine the weight of the device in advance and check the possibilities of using a special stand with it.
Cylindrical pipe welding units
Such manual welding devices are considered more professional. The heating element of devices for joining pipes is located in an elongated cylinder, onto which nozzles of various diameters are put on. There are cylindrical units for welding plastic pipes of the following 2 types:
1. With a straight cylinder. 2. With side cylinder. This welding machine is suitable for soldering pipes in hard-to-reach places.
All hand-held devices are used for welding plastic pipes with a diameter of up to 40 mm. Usually their power does not exceed 300-500 W. Some manufacturers also produce more powerful and versatile models. They allow you to join pipes with a diameter of up to 160 mm and have a power of up to 2500 W. Such powerful and productive welding devices are quite expensive. For this reason, they are not very popular among consumers.
Mechanical
Welding equipment for soldering polypropylene products with a mechanical drive involves joining parts with pressure that is applied manually. The devices must be supplemented with a dynamometer. Such a device makes it possible to monitor pressure indicators. The use of mechanical devices is recommended for welding pipes of medium and small diameter. The principle of welding is quite simple. The pipe to be welded is secured with special clamps and preheated. Then it is joined to another element.
Electrohydraulic
Such welding machines are mainly used by professionals. The welding method is similar to the mechanical one with the only difference that the pressure in the system is pumped up by a special drive, and not manually.
Such a drive is capable of creating pressure up to 120 atmospheres. This is enough for high-quality welding of even very large pipes (up to 630 mm in diameter).
The seams are very strong and wear-resistant.
Connections
There are several ways to connect polypropylene pipes.
Butt joints
The technology is based on the thermal diffuse movement of molecules and can be called diffuse. Soldering is performed using the butt-to-butt method using professional machines.
A correctly executed connection guarantees long-lasting communications.
But when using this option, a number of requirements are imposed on the diameter of the pipes: it cannot exceed 60 mm, and the wall thickness must be at least 4 mm.
The whole process consists of 3 steps:
- The joints are welded by holding the products in one position relative to each other.
- The soldering area is heated until they begin to melt.
- The workpieces are kept in this state until a homogeneous mass appears.
After such exposure, the joints will be as strong as possible and will no longer be subject to corrosive processes or the negative effects of aggressive substances. If you have a soldering iron with a disk heater at your disposal, all steps can be completed manually.
Use of electrical fittings
According to the principle of operation, the method resembles the previous one. However, to connect polypropylene, an electric coupling and additional parts with leads for connection to a 220V power supply are used.
You can use the technology at home without purchasing additional devices. The electrical fitting is made of polypropylene, so during the welding process it guarantees tight joints.
The fittings are designed for hermetically sealing polypropylene pipes together.
To carry out the work, it is necessary to select identical fittings. Otherwise, adhesion will not be able to occur at the molecular level.
Coupling soldering
Coupling soldering involves the use of special couplings with a supply of polypropylene raw materials. There are different types of such units on sale, due to which they are used in different areas.
The process requires the use of professional welding equipment. Diffuse penetration of elements at the molecular level is responsible for the reliability of adhesion.
How does a soldering iron work?
The device has a heating part. Pipe elements that need to be joined are leaned against it. If you use a bell-type soldering iron for polypropylene pipes, then matrices of a suitable diameter are installed on both sides of the heating part. Then the heated parts of the two pipes are connected with a fitting. Butt welding machines work differently - pipe sections are first joined and then heated. These are professional models that can even be used when laying street pipelines.
Which brand of soldering iron should I choose?
Soldering irons for polypropylene pipes are produced by almost many companies, both domestic and foreign. But only a few brands offer quality products at reasonable prices. Among countless brands, our editors have selected the five best:
- UNION . The Russian company supplies household-grade tools made in China. Prices for soldering irons and other equipment are below market prices, but the quality is quite decent. An extended warranty of 14 months and a wide network of service centers protect the interests of customers and ensure quick repairs.
- Resanta . The products of the Latvian brand are recognizable and have long proven themselves to be the best. The company has focused its activities on impeccable manufacturing quality of a wide range of products.
- Elitech . The brand is known as a reliable manufacturer of tools and equipment for household and professional use. The range includes both good devices for home use and expensive professional soldering irons.
- Candan . This is not the first year that the Turkish manufacturer has been supplying the domestic market with reliable devices with a long working life. This is one of the few brands that produces models for welding pipes up to 75 mm.
- Wester . The company supplies the market with several groups of tools and welding equipment, including popular soldering irons for home repairs or professional services. The key feature of the company is the production of durable equipment that is unpretentious to external conditions and overloads.
