Fume extractors are definatly worth using although they do tend to be noisy. I wish that they would have been arround when I started out. I now have a chronic cough that is made worst by solder fumes. I have one the size of an iPad but it is not on a stand like that one so it is not always convenient to use and I don't use it as much as I should.
They can be a good DIY project.
I have had the same Weller iron for the last 40 years and it is still going strong. The thing is you can have them on all day without them burning out yet they still have the power to do joints in quick succession when you need it. It also handles different sizes of joints so you don't have to worry abut the iron getting cold and forming a bad joint.