Sparkfun's SMD sets are supposed to be good quality for the price. They have a lead-free version too (higher temp).
SMD paste may recommend a lower temp pre-bake that forces the solvent and flux out of the paste before the high temp to melt the solder is applied.
SMD can also be done in a toaster oven, doing the whole board at once. This is faster than mounting each component by hand. These hot air kits are great for rework though. Otherwise, you have to be a real wizard of technique or just use ChipQuick alloy solder to remove them.
Some parts can't be done in an oven or even with hot air. I've seen plastic-cased pressure sensors stated as such in their spec sheets, they won't take the heat. I think the best solution is to leave enough exposed copper pad around it to use a conventional iron to wick solder onto the pads or leads.