The Pinecil sounds interesting! I have a Antex Gascat 75P [0] propane powered soldering iron that I absolutely love! I keep it in my "primary" toolbag along with a few feet of Sparkfun's 0.020" "special blend" solder [1] (which is also excellent). It can be a bit finicky to ignite, but it heats up super-quickly and can be refilled easily from a common-or-garden propane refill.
I'll definitely have to try the Pinecil, even if it's just because "RISC-V!".
That "special blend" solder is interesting; it appears from the MSDS to be a standard water-soluble flux core paired with an almost-standard SAC305 lead-free solder (there's some Sb added). I'm not sure what's so nice about that, but I'll take their word for it.
What I would NOT do, though, is choose this stuff for general purpose use, especially "tool bag" use. Water-soluble fluxes are powerful, but they must be cleaned or you'll have corrosion troubles. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I'd prefer a RMA-type flux here.
Actually I have been using the special blend with a Hakko FX888D soldering station on my workbench for a few years now and haven't had any problems with corrosion with this solder/flux (mostly for through hole on headers etc).
If you want to experiment now, I can recommend the TS100 or TS80. The TS100 requires a beefy power brick but it's one of the nicest all-rounder irons one can have for under 100$.
The TS80 isn't as beefy in power terms but runs of USB so you can power it from a standard phone battery bank or USB-C charger.
IMO for any hobbyist a TS100 is probably the best bang for the buck unless you go for rather expensive soldering stations.
Interesting. I use the Gascat for portablility, but have a Hakko FX-888D soldering station on my workbench.
My only complaint about the Gascat is that it does get really quite hot and takes a while to cool. But it does have a couple of tips for "hot air" which is very useful for heatshrink etc.
I'll definitely have to try the Pinecil, even if it's just because "RISC-V!".
[0] https://www.antex.co.uk/products/cordless-soldering-irons/ga...
[1] https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10242