Totally agree. My first soldering iron was a cheap ($20) Chinese POS that simply couldn't get hot enough. Every time, I'd end up with crusty misshapen blocks be

Totally agree. My first soldering iron was a cheap ($20) Chinese POS that simply couldn't get hot enough. Every time, I'd end up with crusty misshapen blocks because the solder would partially solidify before it even came off the tip of the iron. Got fed up and bought a moderately expensive iron, and the difference was night and day. There's no need to splurge on a high-end soldering iron straight away, but definitely don't get the cheapest one you can find.