Quoted from Pecos:Pinball-DOOD, I can tell you what NOT to buy. I bought a Yihua 3in1 solder station and I really liked it. Unfortunately, the heating element only lasted 4-5 sessions. The $12 replacement heating element from Australia lasted 45 minutes. A $5 heating element from China was the wrong size. Sometimes it costs you a lot more when you try to save money. Time to punt on the Yihua!
Ha ha! You found the exact same 3 in 1 Yihua station that I own. Things aren't quite as bad since the last post. I have found a new handle with heating element for $6 that does work in the 853D and some heating elements for $1.55 each that are supposed to work in the iron.
I have used the DC power supply and the hot air gun and those work fine, so far.
I have no idea how long the new 'generic' soldering iron handle will work but spending $6 on a new one is a lot cheaper than buying a new soldering station and I can buy a lot of heating elements for the cost of a new Hakko/Weller station. But my costs are sunk costs and I am going to try to get by with what I've got. You, on the other hand have not spent a dime on the Yihua. You might do better than I have with it but my recommendation is investing in a better soldering station up front.
Also, just for giggles, I will point out that my station only has two red LED panels, not three, and a 907C handle, not a 907A handle. The power switch is on the back, not front. Mine arrived with some screws loose inside the case, not good when dealing with electronics, so I had to take it apart and screw in the loose screws. You might say the whole adventure has been a bit screwy!