Trouble desoldering through-hole components

So I’ve been working on repairing Xbox controllers and have hit the problem of not being able to desolder the analog sticks, which are through-hole. I have an $80 soldering station I got off Amazon (can’t remember the name of it right now), and have been using a hand-spring solder sucker. I’ve gotten new tips for it and didn’t seem to work a whole lot better. I’ve been using flux pens sometimes (yes, gel is probably a better option). I’ve cranked the heat on it and it doesn’t seem to help either.

Is there something else I could try or should I just look into replacing the station? I’ve had it for almost 2 years so I wouldn’t be too distraught buying a replacement