HELP - What's the best iron?
 

I have a Sunbeam iron and when I am pressing seams I have it set on linen - the hottest it will go. When I am doing just one seam it works great. But I have started a double irish chain quilt and I iron each seam as I go. But when the block is done it just doesn't look flat. I don't know if when I look at tutes on line if the seams just look flatter than they really are or if my iron just doesn't get hot enough.

I noticed a lot of tutes show Rowenta irons and I just wasn't sure if they were worth the price. Do they really iron that much better or get hotter?

I will be honest. The best irons IMHO were cheap ones. I've had more problems with high dollar irons. I've also heard allot of unhappy campers with Rowenta. And fire problems with them. What are you ironing on? Is it pretty padded? If so you might not have a firm enough pressing surface. One thing I personally prefer is an iron without a auto shut off. Hard for me to find.

I have had 2 Rowentas and I hated them. They leaked and the cord shorted out and had to be held at a very specific angle in order to work. I tried a Shark and I hated it too! I then asked the owner of a local Bernina dealer what they would recommend and she told me a "Reliable". She also said that they used to sell them but Rowenta did so much more advertising that the Reliable never really caught on for them and they quit carrying them. I had never heard of a reliable and did some research. I finally bought a Reliable Velocity off Amazon. I have had it a couple of years and I love it. It is heavy and when it steams, it really steams. One of the main reasons I bought this model is that you can set it auto shut off or to stay on indefinitely - a real time saver for me. It cost around $100 which is a lot, but I use it every day and had been worth every dime to me.

Good question. I will be following this post. I would like to have a small (6-7"), lightweight iron that get hot - no steam needed. Hope someone can direct us to the right tool.

I need a new iron and have also heard good things about the Reliable brand irons. I was wondering, though, if the steaming option can be turned off for those times when you don't need it, or do you just leave the water out for those occasions?

i've been sewing for 45+ years- and love my cheap, cheap irons...i've over the years had a couple (high-end) irons which i hated and would wind up going back to the $20 or less irons.
I never ever put water into an iron- i hate sputtering, spitting, leaking irons! i keep a spray bottle of water on the end of my ironing board when i need to press a seam nice & flat- or need a spritz of steam on any block i simply spritz with my spray bottle then press- works great.
remember there is going to be (layers) of fabric where seams are- so they are not actually totally flat- as long as your seam is (crisp) straight & smooth you are probably doing just fine.
I have found i normally have to replace my cheap-o iron about every 3-5 years (although i've had a couple that lasted longer) but i don't mind- figuring i had to replace that last $159 iron in less than 3 months!
i know there are people who swear by the expensive ones & love them- i am happy they have something that works for them (i do have to wonder though how often they buy a new one???)
in my mind (since i used my grandmother's iron for almost 20 years after she passed away & i don't know how long she used it before me) i think an iron should last a good long time- not a matter of months....just my opinion...

I bought this iron from walmart... http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Deck...urple/16816451 I bought it online and picked it up at my store since they had it in stock... but it's a great iron for me. It's much more powerful wattage wise than my last B&D iron and it has a really long cord that I love. It's my favorite iron.

If you do decide to get that one make sure you remove the plastic on the iron's soleplate before you turn it on... yeah... ask me how I now know there's a plastic film on the bottom of the iron....

any old one anything before 1990. I have a few old irons, a couple for the 50's and one for the 70's. First of all they get very hot!!!! second the don't shut off...will stay hot the whole time in use...because of safety reason today's irons don't get too hot which is bad for us quilters....if you want to see my irons I will post pix for you. One cost $3.00 at a yard sell and the other was 10.00. I got a 100.00 dollar (will not mention names but, it starts with an R) and returned after two weeks. Started leaking!!!!!!

One that doesn't have an automatic shut off and has a heavy metal plate. This has the auto shut off but just tilt it and let it heat before using. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Deck...ndingMethod=rr
Using spray starch is nice too. Let the starch dry before ironing.

I have a Reliable and had loved it until it blew out and I had to send it in for repair. Company is located in Canada and it cost a lot to mail both ways. A couple of weeks after I got it back, it went out again. Back to Canada. I am hoping that was the last time! It heats up so much that it becomes a space heater, so Im waiting for cooler weather to start using it again. I will never buy a Rowenta again! Spits and spews. I really like my $13.00 Black & Decker I got to replace the Reliable while it was in for repairs. I suggest when buying an iron to get whatever Costco has because of their return policy.

Right now I am fighting with Oliso regarding my year old $200 machine that keeps on turning it self off....so I am not recommending this iron....I plan on going to Walmart tomorrow morning and finding a cheap one that does not have a shut off feature.... probably spend between $20-$30 ....probably look at a Black and Decker.....

I am extremely happpy with my Black and Decker Digital Advantage. It has a strong and very long cord, heats up fast, shuts off but again heats up fast. I do not use water in it so cannot comment on the steam aspects. I use a spray bottle. Sole plate is smooth and has a smooth rounded edge so it does not get caught.

I do a lot of sewing and ironing and love this iron. I have a wood ironing board with many layers of padding but not poufy layers.

I got it due to the number of positve reviews on Amazon and it was around $35.

I found my el cheapo Rival iron at WallyWorld for $6.00 after reading reviews for all the irons on Amazon.

Bingo! One of the reviews for my iron complained about the lack of the auto-shut-off feature. Exactly what I wanted! :) There's nothing like having to wait for the %&^!* iron to heat back up again and again when you're on a roll trying to make blocks. So back to Costco went the expensive iron that had started spitting.

My little Rival iron has steam and it doesn't spit or leak. The "Cotton" setting could be a little hotter, IMO, so I set the temp just inside the "Wool" setting. It's also light in weight which is nice for my wrists. :)

Not to mention the price was right!!!!!

I have this one too. It works just great. Because of our hard water I have found it more cost effective to buy a "cheap" iron so it doesn't break the bank when I need to replace it.

i have my moms oreck. that is sure a good iron. not a bit a trouble with it
so far. and my mom used it for years too. expensive i think but really nice.

I have the really cheapo Rival ( walmart)... lots of steam .. does not shut off very very light weight... but does not get quite as hot as I would like.. But when all of my more pricey Rowenta and other brands have failed this one comes through every time.

I bought this travelling Iron http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richa.../dp/B0002J4YKG 7 years ago and it is still going strong, i hope it keeps going for another 7 as it looks as tho' they don't make it any more. The thing I liked most of all, besides it doing everything a big iron does, is the grip instead of a handle, if certainly makes my life easier, for quilting.

I bought this iron and really like it:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AMJ0KS/...SIN=B001AMJ0KS

No problems at all.

It is an ironing pad on top of a table. I guess I stick with my cheap one (from Costco) and start using spray water bottle as some have suggested. I do hate the auto shut off feature, but I guess I'm doing okay and it is just all of the layers of fabric that is making me think it is not flat enough.

Everyone has so many good suggestions (as I knew you all would). Thanks so much.

There is a lot to be said for cheaper irons. If they stop working you don't feel so badly about tossing them. On the other hand, the more expensive ones can be wonderful if you are willing to risk paying a higher price. If your budget permits, I would recommend the Oliso Pro. I have had an Oliso Pro for almost 4 years now and have not had one moment's trouble with it. With any product, there will be "lemons". Just make sure that whatever company/brand you choose to go with has great customer support and will stand by their product.

I, also, have the B & D Digital. Have had it for several years and would get another one. Heats rapidly, has never leaked or spit. I do you distilled water. It was Consumer Reports #1 several years ago.

Well thanks HouseDragon and Lori S you both said Rival which I had looked at but it didn't say it had shut off or not. I do not want shut off. I can always turn it up if I need more heat right? I will be going down to Wal Mart and getting a Rival. Hope they have one :-)