I have one in sewing room that auto shut off and with my memory thats a good thing. It also gets hotter than I would like sometimes but works great. Its a old black and decker. I have had it for a few yrs and inherited it from mil. So I don't have any idea how long its been around. Love it tho, good iron. I too have heard bad things about Rowenda, and my cheap side would never let me spend that kind of money on a iron.
Hope this helps.
Rita