The true game changer is this: use a brass sponge. Any cheapo one will do. Cleaning the tip often with a brass sponge will keep your iron tip nice and shiny and able to transfer heat much more effectively making soldering 10x easier.
Water sponges are terrible. Just no.
The iron doesn’t matter as much as the brass sponge. I have soldered SMT stuff with a dollar store iron just to prove the point. Although a temp controlled iron with the right tip makes things easier.
Also please don’t die from high voltages (I see you’ve read the safety stuff, good!)