Once I have developed a technique for soldering surface mount components, using lots of flux, soldering became a joy event for me. The cheapest Hakko iron (888

Once I have developed a technique for soldering surface mount components, using lots of flux, soldering became a joy event for me. The cheapest Hakko iron (888?) and a flat fine tip works great. I have a stereo microscope but I only use it for checking defects afterwards. A 10x magnifier works just fine.