IRONS

[tinams]

My iron just quit and I was wondering what iron you would recommend and why.

Tina

[Mary Beth]

I have a Rowenta Commercial/Professional. I read up on irons before I bought a new one and this one sounded the best to me. I think the price was around $90.00 at Lowes. You are suppose to use regular tap water, not distilled. Distilled or bottled water is suppose to make this particular iron leak. The problem I had with my last iron was that it would leak rusty looking water on everything. I tried cleaning it with a white vinegar/water solution with no luck. I have had this iron for about 2 years and I love it.

[LynnQuilts]

I have a Maytag cordless iron that I really enjoy. I got it at my local quilt shop. But they are apparently discontinuing making them, so they will be unavailable before long. I really like mine.

[compulsivelyquilts]

Hello!

I just went to a retreat where the lady had a rowenta...it was one that had a base that held 4 cups of water...and the iron is regular sized, but it STEAMS beautifully!!!!!!!!!!!! I came home, and HAD to have one! I looked at all the regular places...and decided to buy it, (still new) at ebay...It was cheaper there, than even on sale anywhere else. It cost me $142.00! Totally worth it, and now a lot of my friends have purchased the same iron, with the same great results!

Hope this helps,

Karen Burns

[Mary Beth]

My Rowenta has a cord, so that is a down side...but oh the steam. And it really heats up. Love it!!

[kennan100]

I bought a plain Black and Decker Steam iron at Walmart. It looks like the old black and silver irons from the 50's - 60's. I like it because it's heavy enough that it literally "presses" the fabric without my having to run it back and forth or press down on it myself so it's great for applique and seams and doesn't cause any distortion in what I'm working on. No leaking problems, either!

[Guest Linda S]

I love my Rowenta too. Note: Rowentas each come with a cleaning feature, where you heat them up to max temperature and then take them to the sink and purge the water tank. You MUST do this occasionally. I hear people complain that their Rowentas start to spit and leak and it turns out they've never cleaned them. Well, DUH!!! LOL

Linda

[Bonnie]

I've had several different Rowenta's both the commerical ones and the proffesional ones....loved each one....Love the heavy Black and Decker, my fav was the Shark that I got at Linen's N Things spendy, but well worth the price. Poo Pooed Rowenta's bragging rights to great steam....the Shark had way more steam and got hotter as well. I've even had the tank style irons...loved them, but could only get them to last a year before hoses started to leak or the heat went south.

But, during my years of teaching classes...(I had to provide Irons for students), I found out that they don't bounce well. And should one hit the hard cement tiled floor they break and pour out hot water. Not good since I sew bare footed. My only wish is that someday they will create an iron that will at least take 2 hits or more to the floor....in 5 years I've purchased at least 9 irons....2 new ones died the same days....students dropped them the same day and hour apart.

[chickenscratch]

I have the Maytag cordless and love it. It was about $95 if I remember correctly. It is great because I can carry it from the cutting table to the ironing board or the pad on the dining room table, wherever I happen to have whatever needs ironing.

[rduncan]

I absolutely love my cordless Maytag. It even is easy to take along to crafting night at church. I do not know what I would do with a corded iron now because I am spoiled by not having to deal with the cord. The kids even use it, and it is hard to get teenagers to iron anything.

Rona in Mid-Mo :-)

Shortarm with longarm wannabe tendencies.

[dfjett]

I'm glad that those of you who have Rowenta are pleased. I was also, with my first one. When it finally just wore out; I gladly purchased another, the top of their line. My experience with it and the two succeeding Rowentas was just awful. They all leaked, spit and generally were a pain. I now have a very inexpensive Panasonic that heats quickly, steams well and has a nice, sharp point for those seams. I can't imagine ever purchasing Rowenta again.

Deborah

NJ

[TishMarshall]

I have had just about every Rowenta on the market and am currently using the "Professional"....I love the iron BUT each and everyone has leaked.....It leaks from where the cord comes out on the bottom.

I love the iron so continue to use it, I just never sit in down on anything I don't want wet. It gets cleaned, so it doesn't spit. My iron is used every day sometimes all day.....( I iron almost everything).......lol.......

I would love to have one that works as well w/o the leak of water......

T.

[Bonnie]

Now I always thought my irons were leaking because they had been dropped....I did see a few hit the floor, but now wonder if that's not totally true....since some of you have had them leak right out of the box. Hummmmmmmm

Currently using a classical style Black N Decker. Makes a wild nose when it heating up, but totally steel and a brick to iron with. Not likely to jump off the board like some of the others have.

[moonmade]

Since my business started out in the home dec. area, I bought a truly professional iron and tank from Dofix Nosew - a German company housed in Sanford, Michigan. It was pricey to say the least (about $500 about a decade or so ago). Every 2 -3 years, I've send it back to Michigan for repairs. These are very modest charges and the iron comes back to me very quickly. My iron and the hoses hang over my work space from a sliding track. I just pull the iron down to use. The steam is generated in the tank so the iron can stay a little cooler than an iron which makes the steam within itself. I can press delicate silks, polys, with the same setting as for cotton. I think I have spent about the same as it would cost to replace Rowentas over the same time frame. I don't know if you can get Rowentas and other brands fixed like I can - my iron is meant to ultimately last forever if the parts are still available.

[dancingstitcher]

Rowenta little portable iron was my favorite for piecing quilts when we lived in an RV. Now I have a large one too. Just used one of the little irons, sold in a quilt shop with the colorful plastic base, looks like a miniature iron, and it worked well for fusing quilt pieces first on the board and then right on my design wall. It detaches easily from the cord and becomes portable. Also have a large press (Singer) for ironing yardage, though I don't use it on anything that I have already quilted because it flattens the puffiness.

Try using RO (reverse osmosis) water in your iron so that the harmful minerals will be removed. We had a system installed in our house with taps at the sink and through the refrigerator. Lowes and Home Depot have a small under the sink system that you can install that produces high quality drinking water free of hard water and bacteria. Nikken portable water filter system I bought from a dealer for drinking water also works well in my iron. Sure eliminates carrying those bottles from the store. My dream is a whole-house RO system because there would be no more hard water spots on anything and even the shower water would taste great.

Vicki

[quiltaholi_518]

Okay, I gotta weigh in. I just got the Oliso Touch and Glide. When you let go og it, little feet in the bottom come out and lift the ironing surface off the board. So no lifting and prcariously balancing the iron on it's heel. I also heats FAST. Here is a link to see it...........

http://oliso.com/

Too wonderful for words!!!!

[sewbobby]

Has anyone tried the Oreck cordless?

[Georgene]

I have tried the Orec cordless and did not like it. It actually blistered my hand from holding it. The handle was not comfortable to my hand. And it's big.

Others may find it to their liking, but I didn't.

[JAB]

Originally posted by quiltaholi_518

Okay, I gotta weigh in. I just got the Oliso Touch and Glide. When you let go og it, little feet in the bottom come out and lift the ironing surface off the board. So no lifting and prcariously balancing the iron on it's heel. I also heats FAST. Here is a link to see it...........

http://oliso.com/

Too wonderful for words!!!!

Wow, that is one cool iron. I think I just may ask for one for Christmas!

[Phyllis]

I have an Oreck and just love it......tried the Maytag cordless and it didn't stay hot long enough, so I sent it back. The Oreck can either be cordless or corded. I've only had it less than a month, but so far it is definitely a keeper. I do use it corded alot.

The Oliso sounds really great......one brand that I've never heard of though.

I just wanted something that did the job that it is designed to do.

[Nadia Wilson]

I have a Rowenta and love it....lots of steam, hopefully I won't kill this iron as fast as my past ones...gravity you know!

[dancingstitcher]

Thanks Caron. You always have such good product information.

Vicki

[misslois]

I love my Oliso too. I have never had long term luck with Rowenta. My granddaughter is running all around the place. I don't have to worry about the iron toppling over on her or being accidentally knocked to the floor.

[9patch]

Hi,

I think that another factor in choosing irons is the WEIGHT. I once had a Rowenta, but when it died (gave up steaming) I replaced it with a Black and Decker iron from the local outlet. So much lighter!!!! I have had this iron for ages.....golly...I think I am about to give it the kiss of death......and it still steams well.

Linda

[annlittle1]

I have a Black and Decker Digital Advantage that I really like using. It is heavy, but it feels so comfortable in my hand that I don't notice it. It tells me when it reaches the correct temperature and when it needs to be cleaned. It produces a lot of steam for helping control those "friendly" borders. I think I paid about $65.00 on it on eBay. It does have the auto turn off which I know a lot of quilters don't like but for me its great. I've burnt out a couple of irons by leaving them on for long periods of time. No, I didn't catch the house on fire, but I've been very lucky.

I bought an Oreck corded/cordless model two months before the B&D. I hated it. Its heavy, but not as heavy as the B&D. I found it akward lifting it up to place it back on the base. My wrist got tired and sore very quickly. It also didn't have enough steam when used in the cordless mode. I still have it, but it sits up on the shelf by the starch bottle and looks cheerful with its bright blue color.

I bought a Rowenta ten years ago. It leaked like a sieve. I'd try to press something and if it had water in the iron the item would be wetter than before I pressed it. I swore I'd never have another one. I have been told that leaking water was a common problem with Rowenta about that time and they have fixed it. I considered the one with the steam tank before I bought the B&D but cringed everytime I thought about the Rowenta name.

Then there is "old faithful". When we moved to Hawaii in the mid 80s it took two weeks before we got our first household shipment that was supposed to have all of the immediate need type things in it. DH husband had to report for duty before it arrived so needed wrinkle free shirts. I went down to Sears and purchased their cheapest iron for $10.00 (probably $20.00 now). Its very light so you have to do a lot of the pressing yourself and it's not the greatest for steam but that little iron just keeps going. Yes, I've left it on for long periods of time and so far it doesn't seem to have hurt it. It still gets pulled out and used to press a shirt or a pair of pants now and then because it is in the laundry area with the built in ironing board. It wouldn't be good for quilting, but for ironing a shirt its great.

Phyllis Hughes

Oklahoma City