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Hey there gang me again. I am about to purchase a rework station as I am beginning to learn to solder and whatnot. Just curious if I should go the 3 in 1 route with the power supply/tester or just get a soldering station and tester separate? Also if you know any must read books for the beginning soldering fellow what would they be? Also any other things that would make the learning process more enjoyable or easier would be great to hear about. Thank you for your consideration and have a great night!

The only reason (and a big one) to go with separate units is if something dies it's less to fix/replace.

That makes sense. So I would need a heat gun, soldering iron, then what kind of testing equipment or anything else should I add to the list? Also what brands do you prefer?

My soldering iron is a craftsman standard. Low price. Gets to about 1800. Not a good starting tool but one to look at once you get the hang of it since they cost nothing have a tip adaptor latch and get real hot for quick removal work.

My heat gun is a ryobi. Best one i ever bought. Adjustable from 100 (keep your hands warm) to 1600f (pop metal caps feom cpus). Heavy sturdy long warranty. I went through 6 junkers from ebay in 6 weeks and then bought this. It's lasted two years. The others just burn out or melt themselves.
All my electrical equipment and test gear is American Scientific. We have a shop near us. Not the best. Not the worst.
The only hand tool set i push to anyone willing to listen (and some who aren't) is buy a NEW set of robo-grip pliers. The 6 size 8 pack runs 30-40. Life time warranty. So gentle you can remove cmcs and capacitors. So tough you can bend steel plate and snap socket covers without damaging the board.

For your iron you need to buy in person. Especially your first one. Make sure your comfortable with it. And if they wont plug it in for you take your money elsewhere. You need to be able to use it. Bigger isn't better and the price... a rare case (like heat guns and power tools) you get what you pay for.
What works for me or your buddy probably isn't right for you!

Right on! Thanks a ton!:)