I'm odd man out here. 1 - I love my Rowenta's...have never had issues with them; 2 - I like a heavy iron. Couldn't really tell you if Rowenta's are heavier than others, though. My grandmother's adage was 'get a heavy iron and let IT do the work for you'. Now granted, that was probably from the days prior to steam irons but I agree completely.
I am also a firm believer in reading the owner's manual/instructions for type of water required for any given iron. Even within the Rowenta line some are made to be used with tap water and others are made to be used with distilled water. I have always used the recommended water type in each Rowenta (I've had a couple due to age and/or droppage) that I've owned and never had the spitting/leakage issues that other's have mentioned.