Temperature check
My soldering iron had barely 15W, so it would frequently get too cold.
Also I could avoid smooching the thing for the most part, because the heat radiating from it was already noticeable from a few millimeters - particularly due to moisture evaporating from the lips at an increased rate.
I replaced that iron with a more powerful one which didn't have this issue, but I still use this method if I'm unsure what's the temperature of something that might well be very hot.
As someone who solders pretty regularly: don't I know it!
> Also I could avoid smooching the thing for the most part, because the heat radiating from it was already noticeable from a few millimeters
Totally works with your fingertips too. If it's "too cold" to feel without touching, it's cold enough to give a quick tap, which'll inform you about it's temperature some more. But I guess everyone has their own tricks!
I've switched to a TS-100 a while back, and having a temperature readout right on your soldering iron is really quite nice.