Steam Iron Advice

[Nancy R.]

My 10+ year old Rowenta Professional died last week. After years of no problems, it almost instantly burned out the switch or some other internal circuit and that was it. Shopping for a new one is a headache. Apparently Rowenta has a new owner and the irons just seem to have bad reviews plus my quilting friends that have them complain about them all the time. Can anyone provide some good advice about an iron that is wonderful for quilters, is reliable and not going to give out in a year? I'd appreciate some feedback. Thanks.

[Margo C.]

I have no idea how long it's going to last, but my latest iron purchase was the Rowenta Steamer:
http://www.amazon.com/Rowenta-DG5030...931&sr=8-5

So far I REALLY like it. The steam is impressive, and it doesn't cut off automatically. The water tank holds over 4 cups of water, so it lasts longer than a regular iron. I do have a problem with water spurting when the steam button is first pushed, but that is easily absorbed by a handy towel. I also use it for steaming clothes that are already on hangers. It works great! However, I don't think this iron gets hot enough for some pressing projects.

Because there are times when I really don't want steam, I also use a hot dry iron from Vermont Country Store. This thing get HOT, and it gets hot FAST! No auto-cut off.
http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/p...l?evar3=browse
Because it's a dry iron, there are no steam holes that leave void spots when using fusible products.

I keep them both plugged into a power strip/surge protector that also has a light plugged into it. When I turn them off I use the switch on the surge protector, so I know that if the light is on, the irons are on. If the light is off, the irons are off.

[Paula D.]

Mark Lapinski & the QNNTV guys are touting the "Reliable" Iron. Bought one, and it works well so far....you might want to check that brand out.

[Eileen K.]

I have one of the Oliso irons. http://www.oliso.com/ It's heavy, which I like, and you don't have to pick it up.

[Kathryn S.]

I have the iron from the Vermont Country Store and I second Margo's opinion. It's a pleasure to use because it's HOT and doesn't leave steam vent marks. My old steam iron is still working, thank goodness!

Kathy

[Hannelore N.]

I spent two days in Vermont in 2002 and loved, loved, loved every second of it. So, Kathy, anything with the name 'Vermont' on it must be special.

[Kathryn S.]

I spent two days in Vermont in 2002 and loved, loved, loved every second of it. So, Kathy, anything with the name 'Vermont' on it must be special.

Lucky you, Lorchen. The Vermont Country Store catalog sells things from "bygone days" that are impossible to find at retail stores but people still want to buy, like this iron. My Mom bought a toaster for me from there, it's old fashioned, all it does is make wonderful toast.

I hear it gets very very cold in Vermont during the winter! This California girl will stay here, where the birds are singing like crazy and we can have the patio door open to hear them.

Kathy

[Janet S.]

I have a Reliable Digital Velocity iron that I really like. It is heavy, which I like, and has 1800w so it gets pretty hot. Also you can control the steam easily and it has a feature that overrides the automatic shut off. Here is a link for their new iron which I would have gotten just because of the color!, but it wasn't out when I got mine. http://www.reliablecorporation.com/P...s/Velocity-V50
Be sure and look at the wattage of an iron because the higher the wattage, the hotter it gets. I have had a few irons in the past that didn't get very hot.

[Janet S.]

Thanks. I've been researching the Reliable irons and have found that they're often loved by quilters who use their irons a lot however I'm a bit nervous about them because my Viking dealer had the same model you do and it suddenly burned out after 13 months....one month after the warranty ran out. My old Rowenta pro was a wonderful iron but I know that I don't want to get another one....too many problems out there with dripping, spitting and just plain malfunction after a short period of time. Thanks again for taking the time to send me a note.

[Janet S.]

Just my two cents worth--Don't judge an iron, or anything for that matter, based on one person's biting the dust after 13 months. You always hear about the bad long before the good. This could have been am exception. I guess I was in business too long to judge everything based on one person's complaint when many others who bought the same product had no problems and were actually pleased when I inquired to get their opinion.. Buy based on wattage and the features that you feel you must have.

[Janet S.]

Thanks Agnes. After owning a retail business for 25 years I agree that the complainers most often are the loudest. I just want to make a good decision before I pay for a good iron. Happy Quilting.

[Janet S.]

My Rowenta died last month....actually the cord shorted out. BUT my brother was able to take it apart, cut the bad cord, and reassemble it. He had to buy a special bit for his screwdriver but then we were in business....and my trusty Rowenta seems to be better than new. Any chance yours can be fixed the same way? May be worth a try.