> A notable exception is the Pinecil by Pine64.org, which is truly a great iron despite being cheap.
I have a Pinecil and I like it, but I feel that it's not a good recommendation for a first soldering iron. The UI may be confusing for some, it doesn't come with a power supply, the tips are fairly expensive, and there's no place to rest the iron while using it. Instead, I would tell a newbie to get a middle-of-the-road temperature-controlled soldering station. They don't cost that much more and are generally ready to go out of the box.
I would certainly recommend the Pinecil as a second soldering iron, though.
The Pinecil was the first iron I really used extensively and I think it's fine for a beginner. Plug it in, press plus, it heats up. Press plus more if you want to set it hotter, minus to go back down after pressing plus. It can use any USB-C PD power supply, so many will have one from a phone or laptop, you can even run it off a power bank if you want. The default tip is very good and my most-used of all the tips (built a whole keyboard kit using it as my first project), even after getting more. If you set the iron on its side on a flat surface, the tip does not touch the table. This can be used in a pinch, but also Pine64 sells little sponge holders with the positionable metal bar to rest on, or if you get your own brass sponge it should have the same.
I got a KSGER T-12, and it's pretty good. I watched a few videos before buying, and it is able to put out a lot of heat, and it works with a variety of tips. I only wish that it was easier to change the tips.
I have a Pinecil and I like it, but I feel that it's not a good recommendation for a first soldering iron. The UI may be confusing for some, it doesn't come with a power supply, the tips are fairly expensive, and there's no place to rest the iron while using it. Instead, I would tell a newbie to get a middle-of-the-road temperature-controlled soldering station. They don't cost that much more and are generally ready to go out of the box.
I would certainly recommend the Pinecil as a second soldering iron, though.