iron

[Bunny]

ok - my Rowenta would not heat today (I used it yesterday) so I am in the market for a new one to use for quilting.....I loved my DX8800 but wanted to get some expert opinions........should I look at something else, I get conflicting reviews online....

What do you gals use??

[Gator]

Bunny, you can do a search on here and find hundreds of opinions on irons. I love my EuroSteam but it's expensive. I also have an old fashioned black and decker (heavy) for piecing. The "experts" rave about the Reliable Digital (they also have a new one introduced at Quilt Market). From what I see, lots of people have problems with the Rowentas.

[Quilting Heidi]

I'm with Connie love my Euro steam. Connie you should look into the mini hand held euro steam for piecing. I have it and it is my all time favorite iron!

[LauraJ]

My mom and I both have the dry iron from Home Depot. Gets hot - irons seams really well and best of all - doesn't spit! They don't carry it in the store - have to order online.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgl/R-100598843/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

[Lynne in Iowa]

Must be the week for Rowentas to give out. Mine left a puddle on the ironing board, leaked out the bottom. Still heats though.

Does the Euro Steam have automatic shut off? I tend to walk away from mine and leave it on.

[carolinequilts]

I have a STAR iron. I've had it for over 10 years. It was $200 when I got it - I think you can get it from Atlanta Supply. It is the kind used in tailor shops - small and heavy. The water drips down from a container you hang from the ceiling. I think because there is never any water in the iron, the iron lasts longer. It still gets really hot after all these years and I would never switch back to a regular iron.

The only downfall is that I can't move the iron from room to room - it must stay in my sewing room. I have a basic iron if I want to set up a sewing area somewhere else (i.e. in case I invite friends over for a sew-a-thon).

[LinneaMarie]

I want one of those Reliable Irons! But they are $180. Mark Lipinski swears by them; as do a lot of others. My girlfriend has one and loves it. I HATE my Rowenta! Always have, but since I paid $140 for it 5 years ago I feel like I MUST use it til it dies. You know. It's like buying a Marc Jacobs/Kenneth Cole handbag for $1200. You have to use it everyday for the rest of your life!!!!:P:P:P Not that I'd put that much $$$ in a purse. I save my $$ for fabric and other quilty goodies.:P

Ok, that's my rant for the day!!:P:P:P:P

[Mary Beth]

I have a love hate relationship with my Roenta. I too paid too much, but only $99....I guess I should be happy. I, like Linnea Marie, feel I have to wait till it dies before I can buy another. I know a lot of people have problems with thier Rowenta's leeking. I don't have that problem....on my love days. I use tap water, not distilled water, which is what the instructions said to do. However, there are some days when it leeks and I have no idea why. I will say, it is the best iron for pressing....it gets very hot, and presses a great seam. Now, that helped a lot didnt' it??

[quiltjunkie]

I have a Silver Star Gravity fed, just hung the water container on the wall above the ironing board...I love it, only $129.00 do a search on EBAY and you should find..My girlfriend was here for a visit and used it for2 minutes and had to have one..we went directly to the computer and ordered right then and there...It gets sooo hot and is a little heavier than domestic irons.

[Quilting Heidi]

Originally posted by Lynne in Iowa

Must be the week for Rowentas to give out. Mine left a puddle on the ironing board, leaked out the bottom. Still heats though.

Does the Euro Steam have automatic shut off? I tend to walk away from mine and leave it on.

Lynne there is not an auto off, one of the down sides but I got used to it.

[Dave-Jane]

My first Rowenta was great and I loved it - but my daughter dropped it on the cement floor and it died. I bought a new one and the quality is not very good and started leaking in about a year. But still works and like the rest of you need to use it until it dies. The gravity fed ones sounds like the best ones!!

Jane

[o2b Quilting]

Love my Reliable. I have the one where the water is in a removable container on the side of the base. Not sure these are available any more but the neat part is I don't have pressure in the container to burn me with steam when I need to fill. It is designed to be on for more than 8 hours at a time or more. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT !!

[Gator]

Heidi,

I did get the "mini euro steam" iron, it was free when I bought the iron at MQX this year.

LinneaMarie,

Reliable has a new iron that Mark showed at quilt market it's the V50 and is $99.00 on the Reliable website www.reliablecorporation.com. The also have the digital that I think you're talking about for $179.00. You can get the second one lower on Amazon, Sewforless, AllBrands etc. Non of them have the new V50 yet, but you can order from the corporation site. The V50 has a switch to select auto turnoff or not. I've gone through a gammit of irons my husband does all the "clothes" ironing and he can kill an iron in no time (but I don't complain, I just get him a new one for Christmas or birthday (LOL).

[SewzQuiltique]

I had a Rowenta Pro but it did its share of spitting water. I also had a Rowenta Sewand Press and was very satisfactory. In the spring of this year ,I bought an Oliso and love it----Long cord,easy to fill, heats up quickly,has a V-slot in iron front for pressing tight or difficult areas and lifts off the pressing surface when your hand is not on the handle:)

[Quilting Heidi]

Originally posted by Gator

Heidi,

I did get the "mini euro steam" iron, it was free when I bought the iron at MQX this year.

Connie I ended up getting a new one at MQX too and just love that little hand held iron! I gave my old one (4 years old and going strong) to my daughter. She had used it and told me it was the best iron ever. She is loving my hand me downs these days!

[carolinequilts]

Hester - that's the same one I have - Silver Star gravity fed! I couldn't remember the exact name when I wrote my post. I guess I paid more for it here in Canada, but still worth every penny.

[Bunny]

UPDATE - I finally purchased the Reliable Digital 100 , so far it is doing fine. My observations thus far: it is too easy to bump the buttons while ironing and change the settings, the cord does not seem to follow the iron as well as my rowenta did, maybe as it gets looser (with use) it will. It does fine so far with no spitting. It is heavy, but so was my Rowenta. The water capacity is great and it does not sit there and steam away the water. For so few holes on the bottom it does great. I would say it is a 'different' steam system than I was used to. It is easy to shut the steam off and it is off with no dripping/spitting. Hope this helps others who have to replace their iron.

[Kueser]

i've had two Rowentas and will be looking for another brand when this one dies. Thought that the leaking would have been resolved when I bought the new one but within weeks, the new one started leaving puddles on the ironing board. I don't put water in it now, just waiting like a vulture for it to die. Die, die!

[BossQuilter]

I have had just about every steam generator on the market at some point... The LauraStar's beat all of them hands down... I used them in my classrooms and sold them off the floor after customers used them, never had to advertise them for sale!

Expensive, yes, worth it, yes... Just as we charge for our quilting, so it is in the rest of the industry.

I use the LauraStar Magic I-S6 for myself at home in my little studio now after closing the store. Great for pressing tops seams into submission so that I can float throught the SID process without hesitations...

And I can iron clothes faster than with any regular iron. In 12 years I have only had one system burn out a heating element, classroom use was not the intended usage to keep the iron on 12-16 hours a day almost 7 days a week I guess :_).

PS... I don't sell them anymore, but can help you get a great price on any of the models. Just love the product...

[skrat]

i love the euro steam iron.

[rrteach]

Originally posted by Gator

From what I see, lots of people have problems with the Rowentas.

My Rowenta caught fire. When I complained to the company, they responded it was "normal wear and tear." The iron was turned over to the Consumer Protection Agency for testing, and was eventually recalled, but by then I gotten rid of it. They offered me $10 off a new purchase. Yea, right!

[Guest Linda S]

If you buy another Rowenta, make sure it is made in Germany -- those are the ones that last. The others are made in China and kind of poop out really quickly. I have two full sized Rowentas that I just adore. One is now 6 years old and still going strong. I do have two of their travel irons and, I must admit, I no longer put water in them. They leak worse than a droopy diaper.

Vermont Country store has a plain iron with no steam that works great when paired up with Mary Ellen's Best Press.

[Berylj]

Buy a commercial iron.

Buy what they use in your dry cleaners.

They work, you could throw the out of a 10 story building and they would still work.

You can buy parts for them and real people service them and repair them.

Upfront cost is higher down time cost is next to nothing.

[RitaR]

I had two Rowentas and both began leaking within 2 months.. one spit and sputtered, would heat when and if it wanted, etc. I ditched it, and got a Walmart $9.99 iron, worked well, but not on steam.. it spit out the sprayer nozzle area.. I bought fine mist bottles from the cosmetic dept of a drug store, think it was Walgreens, and when I want to dampen or "steam" . I use it mostly here at home. For sewing class I bought a little American Tourister travel iron, dry or steam and it's lasted longer than most iron.. I'm bad on them. It doesn't fold or come apart as most travel irons do.

Now we also, for clothing or where I need heavier irons, we bought a Shark.. lovely iron. I think I've had it 3 years now.. it is heavy, so I don't use it for pressing seams.

We checked an American Tourister store and they no longer make the small travel irons. I'd buy another in a minute.

[iedquilts]

I really like my LauraStar!!!

IreneD

Originally posted by BossQuilter

I have had just about every steam generator on the market at some point... The LauraStar's beat all of them hands down...