Quality Chinese alternatives · no knockoffs
Pine64 is a Chinese brand. Here are its peers:
Hoto is a Shanghai-based, design-focused tool brand founded in 2016 whose first product was a precision screwdriver set. A 2024 comparison found its electric precision kit well built with S2 steel bits, though iFixit's kit offers more bits and a lifetime warranty.
Miniware, the tool brand of Guangzhou e-Design, makes the TS101 and TS80P portable soldering irons and the MHP30 hot plate, all supported by the open-source IronOS firmware. Hackaday found its earlier TS100 good enough for serious hobby work at a low weight and price.
Quick Intelligent Equipment, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Changzhou, makes soldering stations, hot-air rework stations and soldering robots. Clever Creations rated its 861DW hot-air station excellent for build quality and temperature control without overshoot, and EEVblog reviewed and tore it down.
Guangdong Sequre Technology, based in Dongguan, makes the S60, S60P and S99 USB-C soldering irons, which use JBC C210-compatible tips. All three are supported by the open-source IronOS firmware.
UNI-T (Uni-Trend Technology), founded in 1988 and headquartered in Dongguan, is a listed test and measurement maker. Its UT61E meters are EEVblog favourites, and independent testing found the UT61E accurate within spec, though its current ranges have a high burden voltage.