Have you tried stuffing the Hakko wool in the JBC stand?
I'd even try a second one if it wasn't large enough to fill the hole.
I've tried everything, including double wools. The problem is the design and shape of the holder. There are even little teeth on the inside of the dome that catch the wool and hold it back, preventing it from moving forward.
It's almost like it's designed to be annoying. Really baffling on an otherwise fine station.
re: tip changes
I would be lost without quick tip changes. I do it all the time. I only wish their holder/changing station could hold more than just two tips. Really, it just holds one tip..the other is in your iron. That's just not enough. I need at least 3, and 4 would be better. At a minimum, I need to have a small, medium and large chisel tip at the ready.
Hakko's tip changes are convenient on their higher end stations. I have an FP101 (long discontinued, but basically the same tips/holder as their current lineup). They're not nearly as convenient as JBC, though, and having to do it by hand always puts you at risk for some nasty burns. I've burned myself a number of times. Still, it's much better than having to remove locking collars.
Pace did a good job with their irons. Very low tech, but very usuable...just a simple set screw, and a combination tool that allows you to loosen the screw, grab the hot tip, replace it and snug the screw. Great design that's almost as convenient as a cartridge.
No worries with buying tips. As I said, I do a lot of soldering for my business. I'm still on my original tips from last year. They last a good long time. I've yet to replace a Hakko tip from my FP101 too. Weller's disintegrating tip problems from early 2000s are what drove me to Hakko in the first place. A mistake on a production run of boards (somehow forgot thermal reliefs on a pour) is what drove me to JBC. I just needed something to muscle through a really difficult soldering job. JBC got it done and has been my main iron ever since, but I truly love the higher end Hakkos as well and use their desoldering station.
And if you do anything with guitars, soldering the trem claw with a JBC and big fat tip is an experience that everyone should have. The amount of heat you can dump into your work with the right tip and a nice fat solder bridge is just phenomenal. I don't even have the heavy duty station...just the lowly compact with the standard handle.