I have had and used my Rowenta for 15 years, I love it!

I love my Shark Pro, got it at Bed Bath & Beyond for under $30.

I have a Rowenta ... love the amount of steam it puts out. A plus is that it takes tap water.It does have a self clean feature to clean out the deposits in the tank. It does weigh more than other irons. So if weight is an issue for you I would go for a Black and decker... cheap.... light weight... and if it goes ...not big deal ...just get a new one. I got my Rowenta after my Black and Decker started to spit brown stuff ( yep it stained) but this was after a few years. After my sewing machine I log more hours with the iron so ... I made my "upgrade" to the Rowenta. Many models to choose from ... so when comparing prices ...make sure to note the model number.
What ever you choose do avoid a teflon sole. They are tough to clean without damaging the teflon. This is particularly a problem if you do any fusing.

I love my Rowenta that I got years ago. Heats up fast and gets very hot. Has survived several inadvertent trips to a concrete floor and currently is glued and duct-taped together (thanks to dh); still works great! This is the Rowenta that does *not* have a removable tank; the removable tanks are more likely to develop leaks.

In order to have a replacement iron if this one ever dies, over the years I have acquired two similar Rowenta irons from Goodwill, both for around $5. I plugged them in at the store to make sure they were working before I purchased them.

I see a lot of irons in thrift shops for about $5, and have also seen them at garage sales for $3 or so. A lot of people buy an iron, find they never use it, and want to get rid of it. A lot of quilters don't like the auto-shutoff on the Rowenta (I happen to love it!) and I'm pretty sure that's why some of them end up at Goodwill.

The auto shut off is good if you leave an iron plugged in. The problem I have is with the irons that will shut off when you using them. If I have a lot to press I am irritated when I have to keep "waking" the iron up.

I was just waiting for someone to start a topic about irons.. I just love my .. Got it just a few months back, but didn't get to use it until my sewing studio was ready. It is an auto-lift Oliso. LOVE IT...LOVE IT. When I was in Home Ec. (60's) I burned the ironing board at school because I had left the iron down, I yelled out why can't someone make an iron that I could leave down, and bless pat someone has. It is perrrrr fect for me. I will not go back to the other kind. It is worth the 79.00. I have been ironing over 300 fat quarters since Monday.

Same here!!! LOVE my Oliso iron. Extra long cord, auto lift and auto shut off. Had mine over a year and no problems.

I have one of the pricey Rowenta irons and it does not get hot enough to get the wrinkles out! More like lukewarm. Go with the cheapest thing you can find, they are way better.

I bought my first Grown up Iron Rowneta effetive it was $69 at joanns with out a coupon. I LOVE this iron. You can use it like a steamer it shuts off automatically and all you have to do is lay it down to turn it on again. That is my 2 cents worth!! Good luck!

I too use a cheap Black & Decker from WM that I bought for $10. It has been knocked off my ironing board numerous times and the iron has been doing great for 4 years!