Fair I guess. I probably got it on sale or something I never buy new stuff for list price XD. I wish I could even explain it. I was using it daily on QFP stuff and it was night an day difference between my China hacker 6000 and the Hakko. Weight, balance, grip, heating, tip size/design, the silicone + detachable cable, it was so much better I have fresh tips and even a new heating element in the cheap one, still no match when it's on for 6+ hours a day. I was doing a ton of QFP stuff and other tiny surface mount which sucks, but the upgrade made it bearable. 10/10 recommend spending the money on a good station like that. 

When running the cheaper ones for long periods, especially if it's just sitting around, the heat soak in the handle is also a big issue. Oxidized tip damage became an issue, i'd have to keep cleaning and tinning the tip to keep it from getting damaged. I can leave the Hakko on for hours without even using it and not worry about picking it up and just using it.