This is incredibly frustrating. I cleaned the tip with sandpape, heated the iron up, tinned the tip then unplugged it so it doesn't get too hot, but still no luck.
Sanding the tip is probably not a good idea unless it's a really cheap and nasty one. Good quality ones are plated AFAIK and you shouldn't sand the plating off!
I removed all plastic from the connector as well.
Good!
How can I tell if the ironing station performs as it should? The specs sound very good to me and since it's probably made in China, i suspect the 80-20 rules apply, 80% quality 20% lower cost.
I use a different 80/20 rule for cheap Chinese products: 80% of the time it will last less than 20 days
Just kidding. There's a lot of variation and luck involved. You might get a lemon that's useless from day one, or you might get a unit that works fine and lasts for years. To paraphrase Forrest Gump, "eBay's a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get!"
What would a brand name station cost?
Hakko are widely used and recommended. I used one of their older models, before they went to this weird yellow and blue colour scheme, and it was very good.
http://www.hakko.com/english/products/desoldering/desoldering_tool/ and replacement tips are available through Mouser.
As for other reputable brands, have a look at these offerings from Farnell (UK). I don't know where you can buy them in the U.S. but a Google search should tell you.
http://uk.farnell.com/webapp/wcs/st...ICE&pageSize=25&beginIndex=1&showResults=true
What's the proper way to di that? I'm using thw iron to melt the solder then a very thin screwdriver to make a hole. Thats probably super hacky way to do it right?
Yeah, it is. You need to melt the solder all the way through the hole and clear it out in one operation. A blast of air is a good way. You can get desolder vacuum pumps (aka solder suckers), desoldering bulbs that squirt a jet of air, and desoldering/rework stations like the one you found, which have a vacuum pump and a hollow tip.
You could also try using a piece of plastic tubing with a rubber grommet or similar around the end of it, to make an airtight seal to the board around the hole. Blow into the tube, or attach it to a bellows or pump of some kind - perhaps a tyre pump. Use your imagination!
Edit: If there's one hole you can't clear out, but the others are OK, you can fit the replacement connector - just melt the solder in the stubborn hole and shove the connector into position.
Also... Try to keep soldering operations as brief as possible and allow the board to cool (don't forcibly cool it) between operations. Otherwise the heat will build up and spread and can damage the board and even nearby components.