The problem is that bad soldering irons are infuriating. I started with super cheap one and it didn't work at all. I upgraded to $20 adjustable one that worked

The problem is that bad soldering irons are infuriating. I started with super cheap one and it didn't work at all. I upgraded to $20 adjustable one that worked for a while but is inconsistent. I thought it was my bad technique until this thread but sounds like it is the quality. The $25 Pinecil sounds good and is probably your best option. I may go for soldering station since I can afford it.