I like my Hakko, and you can't go wrong with Weller either.
My only problem with my Hakko is that no stores around here carry tips, so I have to order them, but not a huge deal, especially since you have to order 90% of the parts for this hobby anyway.
If you plan on doing this for more than a couple times or more than a year then you realy should buy a quality item. to spend $35.00 on a cheep iron and then have to modify it so it will work, is just a wast of time and money. now I have no connection with the Weller company but I have used there equipment for several decades now as well as trying out different mfr's equipment and always went back to Weller, that's what I use now, it's a WTCP series of Weller soldering station, very simple no dials, no readout, why do you need a readout ? or a knob, this unit is temp controlled and has never failed me in the last 12 years. it holds the iron a tip cleaning spounge and a tray to put hot changed tips in. usuly with the cheaper models you get cheaper tips that are hard to keep tinned all this just leads to hard soldering, step up get the better one to begin with and save your self some soldering heartache !