Hate to say it, but that tip to grip distance is ridiculous. Any longer and you will soldering from across the room. Then again, I may be spoiled by my Hakko FX-951
It can be a good thing to have long reach, but it can depend on the tips as well as the handpiece design. I wonder if the TS-100 tips have been shaped to account for the difference in minim tip-to-grip, which appears to be substantial, between TS100 and 2027 handpieces.
For nearly a decade, I have used 888. After many hours of using T12 (hakko 951 clone handpiece), I come to the conclusion that with T12 BCF3, I do not have the same amount of reach when drag soldering as with T18 CF3. Close inspection shows that the angle is flatter on the T12 version,* meaning you have to hold the iron closer to the tip (and put hand closer to the IC) to get the same angle.
*According to Hakko website the angle is cut at 45 degrees on both styles, but the angle is different by about 4 degrees, plus or minus 1, per my eyes when holding them end-to-end under the microscope.
IMO, shorter tip to grip is only a minor advantage for rework/repair, and longer reach (based on tip shape and handpiece ergos) is a more substantial advantage to me, personally, at least up to a certain point (936/888 distance seems to be just about perfect, to me). I have never had to put away the 888 to do something with the T12 station. But I have gone the other way for certain batch assembly applications. It probably depends on how much tremor you have, and your personal ergos, I suppose. E.g., under the microscope, the tip is rarely significantly more stable for me when using 2027 and holding it closer to the tip vs 888... the lack of mass towards the point seems to largely offset the shorter tip to grip for me, personally. My mitts are fairly beefy.
That said, I don't believe the TS-100 (/T12 station) is lacking in power vs an 888. I'm not sure which one has more practical power for specific tip/application, but I would bet on the TS-100, given similar tip style and full supply voltage.