I remember reading a review from some guy who said those cheap irons can't keep temp because the heating element and tip are just poorly mated together. Sounds like that's exactly what happened with yours, 80 bucks down the drain just to learn that lesson. My buddy swore by his Weller for years after going through three of those no-name stations.

Think those cheap ones are a gamble, you got lucky on two jobs before it failed.

Hold up, let me get this straight. You fell through a floor into a prep area and twisted your ankle. I mean yeah that sucks and all, but are we really acting like this guy was some kind of oracle? He was a security guard at a dead mall, not a structural engineer. It's not like he warned you about a bear pit or a collapsing bridge. The place was abandoned and clearly falling apart, you could have walked into any part of that building and had the same thing happen. I get that it's a funny story now, but people acting like some random dude had mystical knowledge about a rotting floorboard is a little much. You took a risk going into a condemned building and got a boo-boo. Big whoop.