I tried a Quantum last summer and screwed something up... troubleshooting it is way down on my to-do list.I have done A LOT of SMT soldering. Good tweezers and technique are king. I only need magnification when I inspect luckily.
Not sure about the utility of the third hand things. If it works, go for it
Now you just need to convince everyone else who is scared of soldering these that they should have a go.
I have tried both methods and normal hand soldering is mostly the easiest, by a long way, for me, even for the fine-pitch and small chip (0402) components. Other people love the paste method. Whatever works.Paste reflow is probably easier, particularly if you have a stencil.
Have you discovered the right way to use the clamping tweezers? I am assuming you mean the ones that have a crossover and spring shut. If you hold them with index finger and thumb at the crossover point you get to open or assist the closing by rolling the position of your fingers. Works a treat!Used a third hand in bright sun light and clamping tweezers.