pinecil amazing active tip soldering iron. Can I order from pine64.com?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › pinecil amazing active tip soldering iron. Can I order from pine64.com?

K123

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#309259 3-Oct-2023 09:00

I wanted to get a basic soldering iron but the reviews of $20-$50 irons are _terrible_. Also seems active tip is a game changer at only about $80. I also saw TS100 or Ts101 but the pinecil V2 seems best and cheaper. Just use a laptop usb-c PD charger.

Source of inspiration https://youtu.be/R2sPDQeGlj8

Curious on your thoughts and experience. My main question is can I get one direct from pine64.com who explicitly say they do not pay tax? Will I customs stop it and/or charge me?

eracode

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#3138127 3-Oct-2023 09:06

Source of inspiration https://youtu.be/R2sPDQeGlj8

FTFY.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

michaelmurfy

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#3138134 3-Oct-2023 09:17

Why do you think you can't purchase direct in the first place?

I've purchased multiple direct from pine64 with no issues. They're excellent soldering irons.

@eracode you could have at-least tagged the video ;)

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K123

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#3138183 3-Oct-2023 11:01

Tax. I thought all online stores must collect GST otherwise you had to pay. Is it only marketplaces?

ezbee

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#3138291 3-Oct-2023 14:28

I gather...

GST requirements are based on the size of business to register transactions.
So you buy through Aliexpress, etc and you get GST clipped by them as they ship s___loads of stuff to NZ.

Its worth everyone concerned admin costs to manage an account for overseas company.

Direct sales from Pinecel as a low value parcel don't really matter a 'hill of beans'.
Cost more to administer, so less than $x sales per year NZ tax, customs department not interested.

You buy thousand dollars CIF of them to sell to your friends.
Customs department 'may' show interest in the parcel, and you may get a friendly 'ransom' note.
https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/duty-and-gst/duty-and-allowances
https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/online-shopping/

Its more efficient to just look at the big stuff.

I gather EU makes importing small packages very painful.
You get stung with a comparatively large administration fee for your nothing value item.
As its costs so much administratively to manage these charges.
Given our geographic isolation and small market this would be very bad for innovation for us, isolating us further.
Hopefully no one suggests we do this.

michaelmurfy

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#3138298 3-Oct-2023 15:15

K123: Tax. I thought all online stores must collect GST otherwise you had to pay. Is it only marketplaces?

Nah you're fine here. Bought heaps from the Pine64 store and never had any problems. Also got a few Pinecil's and they're awesome. Just go for it.

cddt

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#3138366 3-Oct-2023 16:44

ezbee:

I gather EU makes importing small packages very painful.
You get stung with a comparatively large administration fee for your nothing value item.

Switzerland is even worse, non-EU but surrounded by EU countries, high labour unit cost, protectionist policies. When I was living there ~10 years ago you were looking at at least 50 CHF (80 NZD) minimum handling charge (depending on which carrier) for any package delivered and that was before they actually charged you for the duty and VAT...

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tweake

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#3138376 3-Oct-2023 17:21

K123: I wanted to get a basic soldering iron but the reviews of $20-$50 irons are _terrible_. Also seems active tip is a game changer at only about $80. I also saw TS100 or Ts101 but the pinecil V2 seems best and cheaper. Just use a laptop usb-c PD charger.

Source of inspiration https://youtu.be/R2sPDQeGlj8

Curious on your thoughts and experience. My main question is can I get one direct from pine64.com who explicitly say they do not pay tax? Will I customs stop it and/or charge me?

go to any electronics place and buy a basic soldering iron, take it home and plug it into the mains. no hobbyist needs a complicated cpu control rechargeable battery soldering iron. how you use it is far far far more important.