Pyrography or wood burning is a fantastic way to create stunning artwork on wood that lasts almost as long as the wood does. One looks online, and it becomes obvious that the main challenge to getting started with this technique is finding the best wood-burning kit for the job. I reviewed 6 of the best wood-burning kits online and found that the Viiart Professional Pyrography 60W tool kit has the best balance between price and features.
This kit comes with a generous number of different wire tips, two wands, holders, and a separate power supply with dual outlets. These features come at less than half the price of comparable kits from competing brands. To know why these features are useful, you must read on.
I do a lot of crafting with wood, and pyrography is a faster option for decorating wood pieces without having to resort to carving. The ability to create beautiful pen-like strokes is quite attractive.
To understand what makes a good wood-burning kit, we will be looking at the following features:
- Heating Speed
- Maximum temperature
- Wand grip
- Tip style and material
- Cost
- Accessories provided
So if you want to know which wood-burning kit is best for pyrography hobbyists and professionals, keep reading.
The Best Wood Burning Kits of 2024:
1. Most Versatile Wood Burning Kit – Viiart Professional Pyrography Tool
This kit features a complete set of professional wood-burning tools, and yet it costs a fraction of most comparable professional wood-burning kits out there. It does skimp on some quality in terms of the materials used, but for the price, it is absolutely a steal of a deal.
My favorite part about this kit, other than the price, is the digital voltage display that corresponds to the temperature control knob. The maximum temperature of this 60W kit is the same or higher than most other kits of this type. With a double wand setup, wire tip points, and stand-alone holders, It is ideal in every way.
PROS
CONS
This wood-burning kit is ideal for those who want to step up to a full-fledged professional setup without paying dearly for the premium brands. This kit saves money by using cheaper material wherever possible but makes up for it by providing every feature a professional can ask for. It may not last as long as some of the other options but at this price, it will last long enough to pay for itself many times over.
Get this kit if you want a taste for professional pyrography at an affordable price.
2. Best Woodburning Kit For Beginners – Chandler Tool Beginners Kit
- ▶ MAKE LEARNING PYROGRAPHY A BLAST - Ready to start learning about wood burning techniques? Let our creative team help you along the way! Download our video tutorials and eBook! We'll cover tip...
- ▶ GREAT FOR BEGINNERS - Our easy to use wood burning tool comes complete with a comfort grip wood burning pen, 8 interchangeable solid brass tips, 1 soldering tip, and a metal stand to keep your...
- ▶ INTERCHANGEABLE TIPS - With consistent high heat upwards of 968°F, changing tips is easier than ever. The kit includes the following tips: mini universial, stamping, script, universial, shading,...
Chandler Tool is a well-known name in the pyrography community, and its beginners kit is a good option for those who have never done any burning before. It comes with multiple tips and is very affordably priced. The tips have all the variety you will need, and there’s even one for soldering.
At 30W, it is only half as powerful as the professional kits, and the solid tips are slow to heat. The grip is too high for my comfort but is fine for most beginners because there are fewer chances of scalding and getting burned. As you get better, you can upgrade to a kit with a more pen-like grip.
PROS
CONS
Get this kit if you want to start learning and exploring pyrography. It is a solid kit that can become your backup when you upgrade. Just make sure you have pliers to change tips without having to wait for the wand to cool down first.
3. Budget Wood Burning Pen For Beginners – Walnut Hollow Creative Woodburner Introduction Value Pen
- 950° wood burning tool with On/Off switch and 4 points: Cone Point, Shading Point, Universal Point, and Flow Point
- Secure the included tool stand to your worksurface to protect it from heat
- Recommended for ages 14+ with adult supervision
Walnut Hollow is another well-known and trusted brand when it comes to woodburning kits. This one is the cheapest kit on the market. Even so, it gets hotter than the Chandler Tool option with a maximum temperature of 950°F. Both tools maintain heat consistently well.
This kit comes with only 4 tips, but at this price point, it is a surprise to me that they are providing multiple tips at all! The grip on this one is higher than I like, but it is still great for beginners because it is a safer option, and safety gloves are not needed for heat protection.
PROS
CONS
If you are on a shoestring budget and want to get started with pyrography, this is the kit to go for. Make sure you have pliers handy for changing tips mid-session.
4. Best Professional Wood Burning Kit – Colwood Super Pro II
The Colwood brand is trusted by pyrography professionals and wood-burning enthusiasts everywhere. Even though it is on the premium side of the market, it is well worth the investment for those who want solid reliability and longevity.
Featuring a separate power supply like all professional systems, double wand ports that can be switched back and forth, temperature control, abrasive tip polishers, and tongs, the Colwood Super Pro II is a steady presence on the desks of many wood-burning artists.
PROS
CONS
If you are looking for a rock-solid professional setup and are willing to pay for it, this setup will see you through years of wood-burning without skipping a beat. Get this if you are serious about your pyrography and intend to invest a lot of time and money into it.
5. Budget Kit For Professionals – Walnut Hollow Creative Woodburner Wire Tip Wood Burning Tool
- Woodburning tool with quick-change wire tips; ideal for all experience levels
- Includes 4 tips: Drawing, Universal Shading, Ball, and Rounded Shading
- Take your artwork to the next level with greater control over temperature, burn depth, and line color
This single wand Walnut Hollow kit features a separate power supply, multiple plug-in type wire tip points, and tongs for fast-changing when hot.
At this price point, it is hard to find such a good balance of quality and features. Especially when considering the temperature range of 600°F to 1000°F. Since the points are all wire tips, they heat up to red hot fast, and they cool down quickly too.
The grip is low and just right for those who want to get a pen-like hold and control.
PROS
CONS
If you want pro features on a budget from an established company, this kit is a great option. Even though it has only 4 tips, they are enough for a large variety of applications. And you can buy more tips as you go along.
6. Best Portable Wood Burning Kit – Dremel 2000-01 VersaTip
- Cordless butane soldering torch ideal for wood burning, pyrography, soldering, shrinking, cutting, heating, and other hobby & craft projects
- Integrated ignition trigger with safety lock for easy start up, no independent ignition tool required. Safety lock prevents accidental ignition
- Variable temperature control for precise control. Allows you to adjust the temperature and size of the flame. Operating temperatures of 1022° F - 2192° F
This option from Dremel is the only kit on the market that will give you great results and searing hot temperatures while being completely portable. The only catch is that it is Butane powered, so you will have to keep a Butane tank handy for refilling every hour or so.
Apart from wood burning, it can also do precision welding, melting, and soldering if the need arises. It comes with multiple attachments, built-in flame control, and ignition with a safety lock to prevent accidents.
PROS
CONS
If you are looking for a versatile tool that can do other things like melting and welding metal along with wood burning, and you are okay with the super-high minimum temperature, this tool is ideal for you. Just remember that the 1022°F minimum is higher than the maximum temperature of most of the other entries on this list.
Buying Guide
Wood-burning kits can burn wood, burn a hole in your pocket, or both! If you know what to look for in a pyrography kit, you will be able to make sense of the myriad of options that are out there. So, let’s take a quick look at the main features.
Power Supply
Most, if not all, professional kits have a standalone power supply to which the wands are attached. This makes the wands lighter and easier to use. Hobby-grade kits, or craft burners as they are commonly called, usually have a built-in transformer (power supply) that makes the wands heavy and difficult to control.
Dual wand power supplies are common in pro kits. This allows you to have two wands plugged in with different tips and then switch back and forth between them, making for a faster workflow.
Heating
Professional kits are usually rated at 50W to 60W and have a maximum temperature of 1000°F and beyond. They also have fast heating and cooling times of about a minute. Craft burners usually max out at around 600-700°F and have longer heating and cooling times of about 3-4 minutes.
Wands
Professional wands have a grip that is closer to the burning point or tip, which gives you greater accuracy and control over fine details. This also means that your fingers are closer to the heat and will probably need protection during long-burning sessions.
Craft burners are easier to handle because of their higher grips, but this reduces fine control and makes it more awkward to make fine details.
Tip Style
Wood burning uses two types of tips or points – solid type and wire type. The solid tips are copper-based and solid metal. They are slower to heat and cool but retain heat more consistently. Most craft burners come with these tips.
Wire tip points are commonly used by professionals because they have greater flexibility and accuracy. Most importantly, they heat up and cool down faster because there’s not much metal, and they also have much higher maximum temperatures.
Wire-type tips are usually twice as hot as solid tips. These factors make wire tips faster and more enjoyable to work with.
Mounting Type
Make a note of how the wire tip points or solid tips are mounted on the wand. The style where they can be plugged in and pulled out easily, like the Walnut Hollow kit I reviewed above, is the best system for hot swapping tips mid-session.
Otherwise, unscrewing red hot tips and inserting a different one can be a slow process as you wait for them to cool down. You will risk damaging your tools or getting a burn if you don’t wait. This is where dual wands come in handy. You can use one while waiting for the other to cool down.
Holder
A good holder or set of holders is a must when doing pyrography. Red hot wand tips are to be stowed away safely as soon as you are done using them. Having holders that support and shield your wands properly is the best option for safety and greater wand longevity.
I prefer holders that are separate from the power supply and can be placed wherever I want.
My #1 Pick
- ✪【PROFESSIONAL PYROGRAPHY TOOL】： The professional pyrography tool kit is made for a range of like wood, leather, gourds, and paper, allowing you to make detailed art. The wood burning kits...
- ✪【ERGONOMIC HANDLE FOR LONG TIME USE】： The non-slip heatproof soldering iron has good toughness, strong heat insulation performance, good insulation performance, safety and reliability, and...
- ✪【COMPLETE WOOD BURNING KITS】： The whole Pyrography Tool Kit includes 20 different pyrography wire tips and instructions for use. It is suitable for beginners and experienced people who are...
The Viiart Professional Wood Burning kit is the one that I would choose if I wanted to take wood-burning seriously. I would choose it over the Colwood because it is priced at a fraction of the latter. Compared to the Walnut Hollow, it is slightly cheaper while offering a dual wand setup, more wire tip points, and a higher maximum temperature.
The Viiart kit has the best balance of cost and features, and even though it is not as sturdy as the Colwood, it is certain to last a long time if you take good care of it.
My only reservation apart from the lower build quality is the screw-type mounting system. This is the only place where I would go for something like a Colwood or Walnut hollow with their plug-in tips because they are much easier to swap in and out.
I like the 20 different wire tip points that come with the kit. These will let you make almost any kind of stroke and design you can think of – from shading to calligraphy and beyond.
The wands have a close, pen-like grip that is great for fine detailing. It will heat up during long sessions, so you will have to get gloves of some sort for longer sessions at higher temperatures.
The 1112°F maximum temperature is also ideal because it will make it a breeze to burn any kind of wood.
Conclusion
Wood burning or pyrography is a fun hobby to get into and a serious art form if you want to turn professional. Having the best wood-burning kit for your needs is the first step in either scenario. As you can see from the list above, there is a kit for you, no matter the price range you are looking for.
It is important to consider the bigger picture whenever you are setting a budget. It is cheaper to invest $50 in a kit that will last years instead of investing $20 every one or two years. At the same time, you can also plan an upgrade path where your cheap but sturdy beginners’ kit becomes the backup to your expensive professional kit. Choose what feels best for you.
If you are more comfortable going for brand name options, you can trust Walnut Hollow and Chandler for their craft burners and Colwood, Burnmaster, and TRUArt for their professional burners. Do avoid the kits that advertise 100+ pieces for $20. Most of the accessories are things you don’t need anyway, and the money is better spent on kits that give you exactly what you need.
I hope this has helped you choose your wood-burning kit or at least inspired you to do further research on your own. If you choose to buy any of these kits, please consider clicking through the links given in this article.
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