I am also making the transition to SMDs and it is not that painful.
Some things I have done and find useful:
1. I did buy a new soldering station, not because my old Weller WTCP
station was bad for this work, but I just wanted a new one for a
second work bench. I have used a Hakko solder/unsolder station and
found it grossly overpriced for what it did. The unsolder side had a
seriously underpowered vacuum pump and the tip constantly required
disassembly for cleaning. I stopped using it and went back to the
hand operated vacuum device. The soldering side of it was OK, but I
found my Weller to be just as good or better. And a lot less expensive.
I bought a Tenma digital station with interchangeable tips and have
been using it for about a year now. It is every bit as good as my
Weller for about 1/3 to 1/4 of the price (of the Weller, not the
grossly expensive Hakko).
2. I purchased a cup warmer and use it to preheat circuit boards to
make working on SMDs easier.
3. I found this internet article on modifying an inexpensive Radio
Shack desoldering iron into a hot air soldering iron.
http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/07/how-to-make-a-surface-mount-soldering-iron/I have built this and it does work for soldering many SMD devices. I
use it in conjunction with the cup warmer and soldering paste. It can
also be used to unsolder some SMD devices with just 2 to 4 leads. It
has a very gentle air flow which can be directed to just a few leads
at a time.
4. Tweezers. Small, sharp tips. Straight and bent.
5. Visor with magnifying lenses. You need this even if your vision is 20/20.