I "toasted" my iron last night and was wondering if you would tell me what your favorite iron is? I'd rather not spend several hundred dollars. Help!

my favorite iron is a $12 black and decker from walmart...been doing me good for 3 years now...my $139 iron lasted almost 3 months

I have the Black and Decker digital advantage and really like it. I researched Rowenta when I was getting ready to buy and for the cost, there were too many negative reviews.

I have the Black & Decker Digital Evolution that I bought at Walmart and love it. I especially love the auto shut-off feature for those temporary lapses in memory.

I have a Black and decker one... My next one though will have a retractable cord! just for easier storage.

I have the cheapest one Wal-Mart carries. They usually last me 3-4 years which works out to about $3 per year, not bad.

My Black/Decker is going on 22 years now...

I have a $12 B&D from Walmart also.
I bring it with me to my sewing group and 3 of the other women in the group (mind you, there are only 9 of us so far) loved my iron so much that they went out and bought one too!

I have to say that I really like the newer one - you can see the water line a bit better... I have iron envy lol... but not enough to go out and buy another one yet!

I have a Rowenta and love it; I didn't know there were negative reviews about it. Kohl's has great sale prices on irons. Good luck!

If you have a Tuesday Morning near you check there, they have some good prices also, but it is a hit or miss there. If you see what you like buy it then cause it may not be there when you go back.

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!

I have the Oliso too and I love the auto lift. My only problem with it is the auto shut off. I got a $6.00 Proctor Silex from Walmart and love it too because it doesn't have the auto shut off feature. I solved the safety issue by plugging it into a plug that's controlled by the light switch. When I leave the room, I turn off the light and the iron goes off with it! ;-) I do, however, have to remind myself to stand the Proctor Silex up if I've used my Oliso recently :oops:

When iron spits brown water that stains, I put white vinegar
in iron. Let the iron heat and steam, this cleans the gunk out of iron. Maybe necessary to do several times. This works for me.

Mine is a cheap Panasonic I got at Walmart. Five years and going strong.

I have the Black & Decker Travel Iron and love it. It is probably 20 years old, used several hours a day and still going great!

I agree, the cheaper irons are the way to go. I bought a Rowenta at Joanns and it didn't seem to work any better than the $15 one at WalMart. So I returned it and got a cheap one. They all do the same thing, so why bother dishing out a few hundred dollars on a name brand when you could be using that towards MORE FABRIC!

My mom had an iron for almost 30 years and she used it faithfully every day because my dad wanted everything ironed. Hers was a plain Jane iron and it held out.

Just my opinion.....

I don't use steam, ever. Our tap water is so darn hard I'm sure it'll screw up any iron and they all say to only use tap water these days. The rowenta travel iron I have says to not use soft water or bottled water. Some people don't have any other choice-most people around here have to have a water softener. We do have unsoftened water in our kitchen cold tap and outside but you can almost see the lime come through the tap.

Black & Decker for me too. I would like to get one of those irons that "jump" up when you quit moving it. Ah to dream. grin

I HAD a Rowenta, the expensive one, and it did not get hot enough and it "spit" all the time. Gave up purchasing expensive irons, go to Goodwill and buy them for $1.00 or $2.00. That way, if it dies on me, I just throw it out. Bought 4 about 8 months ago, still on the first one and it works like a charm!

I have a Rowenta professional steam and press and absolutely love it. I sew garments as well as quilting and it is the best iron i have ever used.

My daughter used her cell phone rebate card and bought me a Rowenta for Christmas 3 years ago. I absolutely love this iron. The steam is great and it gets plenty hot enough. And the shut off feature is wonderful.

I did feel guilty that she spent that much on me for an iron (she left the price tag on). So, my husband and I gave her the money back. She is such a sweet and thoughtful young woman. I have two wonderful children and they always think to do things for me before they do for themselves. They are amazing.

Well I like the Rowenta also.
have a small steam travel iron that works great for piecing
but they are pricey $50
but I go thru irons really fast some only last a few weeks some a few months.
I have a cordless ORECK that I have used daily for over a year great iron! Lots of steam!
yesterday while checking out the thrift store I found another one in new condition for $9.99!
needless to say it came home with me along with a vintage travel iron for $4.99!

I have a Euro-pro with the steam tank underneath. Its over 15 years and looks and works like new.I can use the iron in any direction to steam clothes, pants, coats because there is no water in the iron its all in the tank and flows thru a hose connected to the electric cord. Super idea,

I have a Rowenta Powerglide 2 , which isn't made anymore. It does not have the auto shut off feature, which I don't want. When I'm piecing and pressing seam allowances, I want the iron to be hot when I want to use it. This iron is over 10 yrs. old, so I've been wondering how long before it dies. I picked up another Rowenta ( Focus) on sale at JoAnn's last month. This one also does not have the auto shut off. This is the only one of any brand, within my price range, that doesn't have the auto shut off. I really like the stainless sole plate, it slides easily across the fabric.

Love my Oliso, not having to lift it. The only thing I wish it was a retracable cord. But it definitely gets warm enough to press anything I need and I haven't found the auto off feature to be a problem since I'm usually up to the ironing board frequently once I turn it on.

I have had 3 Rowenta Irons. I love them because they are hot and have lots of steam. However, after !2 years they will not heat! Called their customer service, "no one has ever reported that problem before." Just got a Shark at Kohl's with a discount coupon and paid $31 for $49 iron. So far I like it. Has anyone else had similar problems with Rowenta irons?

Ditto!! I love my B&D.

Wini - House of BCC in Houston

I had one with the opposite problem....with a Rowenta it heated out of control, it actually melted the thread in one of my quilts ( I had used a poly cotton blend in the bobbin). It just kept getting hotter and hotter and not stopping, nor would it shut off of after no activity. This was after years of service, but the damage to the peiced units was ... huge. I had to re- stitch alot of work. I think the thermostat went ... My new one is doing fine 6 years with this one. Love the level of steam I get from the Rowenta.

My iron died the other day, had to replace it. I found a B&D at Target for $25.00. I've heard pros and cons about the Rowenta, but just couldn't shell out that much for an iron. So far I like the new one. And it beeps when it's shutting off!

I purchased an iron from walmart about a year ago for nine dollars, it is light weight and it is a steam iron.I love it.Beats my high priced one all the way around. I take it to retreats and the people usually come to use it.

I have an Oliso iron that has feet on the bottom. I do not prop it up: the feet come up on it. It was a bit pricey but I absolutely love it! It really cuts down on ironing time and is easier on my hand (carpel tunnel). I bought mine at shoppersrule.com. Sewing with Nancy also has it in her catalog.