Review · soldering iron
Antex CS18
Last verified 2026-08-09
Price
~£20–25
Power
18W
Temp range
~390°C (fixed)
Brand
Antex
The CS18 is Antex's lighter-gauge sibling to the XS25 — 18W, aimed at fine work rather than general-purpose soldering.
Strengths
- +Lighter, finer tip suited to delicate PCB and small-component work
- +Same simple, fixed-temperature reliability as the rest of the Antex range
Trade-offs
- –18W struggles to recover heat quickly on anything beyond fine work
- –Fixed temperature, same as the XS25
Verdict
Pick this over the XS25 specifically for fine, small-component work — for anything heavier, the extra headroom on the XS25 (or a digital iron) will serve you better.
See how the Antex CS18 compares to the rest of the field in our full soldering iron comparison.