Big fan of the Hakko machines myself. I've got many 100s of hours on a Chinese Weller clone for well over a decade too. I like having my stand/base separate from the control station, lighter and don't have to deal with the cord.
You guys liked that so I'll keep going. I've been very pleased with this soldering station I got too.
https://video.nostr.build/c4daf18b257a58d2aafcd0e7aa67432260746dac930003ceaa3633e8a26ec87b.mp4
Discussion
Hakko is king but for the price... Oof it's expensive.
Fair I guess. I probably got it on sale or something I never buy new stuff for list price XD. I wish I could even explain it. I was using it daily on QFP stuff and it was night an day difference between my China hacker 6000 and the Hakko. Weight, balance, grip, heating, tip size/design, the silicone + detachable cable, it was so much better I have fresh tips and even a new heating element in the cheap one, still no match when it's on for 6+ hours a day. I was doing a ton of QFP stuff and other tiny surface mount which sucks, but the upgrade made it bearable. 10/10 recommend spending the money on a good station like that.
When running the cheaper ones for long periods, especially if it's just sitting around, the heat soak in the handle is also a big issue. Oxidized tip damage became an issue, i'd have to keep cleaning and tinning the tip to keep it from getting damaged. I can leave the Hakko on for hours without even using it and not worry about picking it up and just using it.