Reddit mentions of MG Chemicals 835-P Rosin Flux Pen, 10mL

It looks like you have a decent soldering station, that is really the main thing. You'll need a small tip, but probably not as small as you think. I like the Weller ETL, but a ~2mm screwdriver style tip works well for SMD in my experience. If you go too small it can actually cause trouble for heat transfer and thermal recovery.

If you've mostly been doing through-hole stuff, you'll want smaller solder. Having small diameter solder makes it easier to feed just the right amount. I like Kester 0.020, some people go even smaller. Of course there are lead-free versions of that, too, if you prefer.

For through-hole, the flux that is inside the solder is usually enough, but for surface mount, you'll need extra flux. You'll probably be fine with a flux pen. You'll probably want some solder wick because mistakes happen, and a solder sucker thingie doesn't work as well with surface mount.

As u/t_Lancer says, you won't need a hot air station and solder paste unless you're planning on doing leadless packages. If you decide to get a hot air station, though, they're pretty cheap. You don't even strictly need solder paste, I've been making do by tinning the pads with regular solder first with my soldering iron before hitting it with the hot air.

For vision, it depends on how your eyesight is. I'm fine eyeballing down to 0603 but I can't read the markings without help. I've started doing all of my soldering under light magnification with the Optivisor DA-3 with a LED attachment which has really helped, but it isn't strictly necessary. You can get those visors with more magnification at the cost of a shorter working distance. Good room lighting and a magnifying glass work fine, too.

And most important thing you need is practice. Watch this video and grab one or two of those SMD practice kits and you'll be knocking out surface mount stuff in no time.

Yeah those are cold joints and could come loose at some point. I will say I am a decent solderer and I had issues soldering the signal ground on the BF board.

Flux is magic and you need to order some ASAP. For stuff like pads and holes I like a liquid flux pen. Amazon

ok well that's good at least. what kind of flux is it? I use this stuff http://amzn.to/1p7SUTh and I really like it. It's a bit of a pain to clean up, but it works really well.

If you're just dipping your toe in the water, grab that Weller I linked. It's under $40, but is a well respected budget iron. I personally own a Weller WES51. It's a fantastic iron, but if you're not convinced that soldering things is going to become a hobby, save your money.

Hakko is also a popular brand, but I'm not as familiar with their lower-end gear. If you get an adjustable temp iron from Hakko or Weller, you'll be set for a while.

Some other handy items are:

• Desoldering Wick - Just a copper braid that will suck up solder. Great for removing parts from the board.
  
• Solder Sucker - A cheap little vacuum that is supposed to suck the liquid solder off of a joint. I personally prefer the wick with a dab of flux. Others swear by the solder sucker. Both are cheap enough, so grab both and see what you prefer :)
  
• Rosin Flux - a chemical that helps strip corrosion from your contacts, allowing the solder to flow smoothly and create solid joints. There are a lot of versions, but I've preferred using a pen like this one. It can (and will) make a sticky mess, so only use tiny, tiny amounts. (If you use the pen, keep a giant wad of paper towels nearby for when you need to get the flow going. I tried doing it with my hand...it makes a MASSIVE mess. The paper towels help immediately soak up the unexpected flow of rosin.
  
• Helping Hands - Cannot recommend this enough. Typically, you'll see things like this one. But after a while, the joints weaken, and it won't hold anything in place. I bought a SparkFun Third Hand which is amazingly stiff and has held up quite well. Great purchase.
  
  Other things to consider are goggles, a small fan to pull the fumes away from you (DON'T BLOW ON THE JOINTS), and something to solder on top of. If you don't care about your work surface, it's no big deal. But I use my desk, and sometimes the kitchen table, so I have an old 1 foot ceramic tile that I solder on top of -- the soldering iron base doesn't get hot, but you can drip/splatter solder if you're being careless, and it gives you a hard surface to use that you don't have to worry about getting hot/burned.

You really don't need anything special. Just make sure it has a good pointed tip. This or something similar should be good if your just changing LEDs every now and then.

Also don't for get flux!

J&L 60 Watts Soldering Iron, UL listed by J&L http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006NGZK0/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_tjKXtb0TK5AQQ

MG Chemicals 835 Liquid Rosin Flux, Non Corrosive and Non Conductive residue MG Chemicals http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0080X79HG/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_WlKXtb1MS6ZZ8