PineTool – An iOS Companion for the Pinecil
My new little iOS app for the Pinecil soldering iron.
PineTool – An iOS Companion for the Pinecil launched on April 30, 2023 with 95 votes, #595 of 4,853 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 3 years on.
In plain words
PineTool is an iOS companion app for the Pinecil soldering iron. Launched in April 2023, it provides mobile control and monitoring functionality for users who own this soldering device. The app allows iOS users to manage their Pinecil from their phone, making it useful for makers, electronics enthusiasts, and professionals who want convenient access to their soldering tool's features while working. It bridges the gap between the Pinecil hardware and Apple's ecosystem.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
The Pinecil is a $25 soldering iron from PINE64 that runs off any USB-C charging brick. Itʼs a surprisingly capable unit with performance that punches well above its price. (My wonderful Hakko FX-888D has seen little use since the Pinecil arrived!) Internally it uses a BL706 RISC-V microcontroller from Bouffalo Lab, running the open-source IronOS firmware. The BL706 has a built-in Bluetooth Low Energy radio, and last week IronOS 2.21 was released adding BLE capability. PineTool displays live data from the iron and can configure its temperature setpoint. Iʼve found it much more ergonomic than using the two-button interface on the device. Is this unnecessary? Absolutely. But I figure that…from lachy.io
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