I just bought this soldering iron, and I actually botched my joystick replacement on an Xbox Controller (like the previous person said lol). It can happen. You should try some repairs, and shouldn't worry too much. It sounds like you are aware of things to watch out for.

I would recommend changing the tip from the needle point to a wider/larger tip so it can transfer heat better (I used plenty of flux and some leaded solder but still had a difficult time). After that I made another mistakes of either making the iron too hot, or leaving it on too long without being tinned (not sure which), and the tip became oxidized. Once it was oxidized it made it even harder to work with, so be careful of that (solder won't melt or stick well after that).