My New Cheapy Iron...
 

My old, standard-size iron has been wearing out for some time now. The Teflon is now peeling, the tip has a dent in it and I'm never sure whether the temp is on HOT, or COLD. It's latest breakdown was the spray nozzle. I pressed the sprayer and POOOT...out shot the nozzle from the iron, soaring past the cat and landing clear across the room! (The cat's still not over it.)

So, off I went shopping and I found this cute, little iron at the bog-box, discount store that starts with a "W." It was only $6.97. Surely, this thing won't last a day, I thought. What a piece of carp! But I'm a cheap gambler, so I bought it anyway and set it up at my quilting table.

I've been using it a week now and I have to say, it's a pretty nice li'l iron. It's light weight, which I think is wonderful. I especially think so, after pressing a gazillion blocks that each have a multitude of seams. Ahhh...My arm is NOT falling off. The iron has a spray feature, (with a nozzle that is molded into the body, thank Gawd,) a steam feature that can be turned on and off, a Teflon coated plate, a clear, see-thru, water storage, plus, it's small, so it can get into those intricate seams and points...not to mention it could be a great travel buddy. Now, maybe it won't last as long as a Rowenta, but hey... just think of how many of these cheapy irons I could buy for the price of one fancy iron!

Anyway, check it out. It's the "Lightweight Iron," made by RIVAL.

~ Cindy

thanks, I will look. I am not in love with my Shark one. it's ok but takes awhile to get up steam and then most of it is lost when I set the iron upright. my Rowenta blew out my power cord so I trashed it.

i almost always get my irons there. i've been happy with them. and i don't feel badly if they don't last that long... but they usually last long enough.

The iron I'm using now came from a garage sale, and my backup also came from a garage sale. So I'm not out much money on either one, but I do like the one I'm using right now, it's a sunbeam.

I think I have the same iron .. and it a pretty nice little unit! Like you said light weight and keeps my carpal tunnel from flaring. After spending big $$ on two Rowenta's I gave up .

I don't spend a lot on my irons either - to me the secret is in the water - I use 1/2 distilled and 1/2 tap water. None of my irons spit or leave deposits. Isn't it nice to find something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

That's a good price. I used to use a travel iron, but it seemed to stay so hot all the time. I preferred my big iron, but that took so long to heat up. So if I used the travel iron, I'd have to keep turning it off, although it did heat up quickly. Let us know if this one doesn't stay too hot.

I read somewhere last week that you are NOT supposed to turn your steam on until the iron is completely hot. It made sense to me. (heating iron/cold water) Keeps it from spitting. So, that's what I've been doing & have not had a problem since. I too, like the cheapy irons. I bought one at the $ store that doesn't have the auto shutoff. I think I paid $7 or $8 dollars for it. I have a bigger, little more expensive one, that I bought at Wally World but, I don't care for it. To heavy & has the auto shutoff. It makes a good door stop. LOL!!

You may have to wash your hands after using it. Almost all the irons there come from China, and many have a warning in print so fine it almost doesn't look like letters, but like a dark line, saying something like: "Wash hands after using due to lead content in the cord."

If the iron was made in the past couple of years, there shouldn't be in lead content in it. The US and Europe have to many regulations going on that China has to be compliant to. I purchase parts from China and US vendors for a major manufacturing company and they have to meet these regulations.

Sounds like a very made up story to me.
Not much of anything made in U.S.A.

I've bought three cheap irons in my life - and I am 60. They last for decades. However, I don't use steam - ever - and that may be the trick! It works for me and I iron as hot as I can get it. I hate automatic shutoffs, by the way. The last one I bought, about 4 years ago, was the first to come with this "magic" feature. Retraining the old mind is for the birds.

I must admit iam a cheap iron fan. I used to purchase expensive ones but mine never last. My mother had her iron for fifty years. I'm lucky to get fifty days sometimes. No idea what I do they just stop working. No blown fuse etc. so I decided to buy cheap if they only lasted that long.

Some times price is no indicator of quality or lastability (probably not a word but you know what I mean:)). I have a Philips iron that I'm quite happy with....but I've had a Rowenta which performed terribly and I ended up using a second hand cheapie for quite some time. The only reason I stopped using it was my step-son moved out and needed an iron so I gave him mine.

Does it shut off automatically? That safety feature is ok for "doing the ironing", but I do not like it when I'm piecing a quilt top.

I bought a cheapie iron with an auto shut off, it went to the thrift store pronto. Nothing is as frustrating, as piecing for a few minutes and then trying to iron with a cold iron. I love my $10 iron, it steams, sprays and gets hot.

I never use water in the iron, I keep a water spray bottle on the ironing board, with well water I found this works best for me. It is amazing just how much I use the iron when sewing, way more than I used to.

No, there's no auto shut-off on this iron. That's fine with me.
~ Cindy

Thanks - can't tell you how many irons I have gone thru, I should buy a supply of these Rival's LOL

I was just there (W) last week to buy a new iron because my quit. I bought one and took it back because it kept leaking - no fun. I looked at the little Rival, and looked again, but didn't buy it. Now I wish I had. I did buy the Shark lightweight and it seems to be working fine - although it is not very light.

My DH used to have a job a few years ago where he repaired return items at a store that bought pallets of returned items from large stores. Most of the irons that he had to work on were Rowenta. The main problem he found was a cracked water tank inside. I have used the "cheap" and garage sale irons for ages. I guess you can say I am cheap.

About a month ago, I purchased a pair of kitchen tongs and when I got home, there was a warning to wash hands after use due to lead content. On a kitchen utensil????? I was furious! It went back to the store with my complaints, which seemed to fall on deaf ears. Never thought to look for a warning on an iron. It is just so hard to find things made in the USA.

I never knew that! It makes sense, though. Thank you for the hint of the day!

When my Mom passed 6 years ago, no one wanted her iron (a GE, still in the box-with instruction book that says 1976) so I brought it home and decided to try it out. It gets HOT stays HOT and works like a charm. Glad I didn't send it to Goodwill.

Absolutly hate my Shark iron....shuts off too soon..have to click the button five times every time it stops to get it up to temp....sucky iron...i wish it would die so i could get another..migh just have to look at the 6.00 iron!

I hated ironing so I would never buy clothes that needed ironing. So I do not know why, but years ago, I bought a light Black and Decker iron. It sat in the drawer until I started quilting 2 years ago. I began using the iron, and it works just fine - knew it was good for something! It is great, I only use it dry for pressing seams but with steam for pressing wrinkled fabric. No teflon bottom, no auto shut off, but I like it. I don't think B&D make them any more either!

DH bought the Iron I've got now and recently found the other one. Will get rid of that one since I dropped it on to a concrete patio. Did more damage to patio but did put dent in the iron. Anyway, DH spent more than I would've.

Rowenta used to be a good iron, but my last two were lemons. So I changed to a shark and I really like it although it took awhile to get used to it. But for now I am happy.
I hope your cat recovers soon, I'd hate for that to happen to my cat as she is a little skittish to begin with.:D

Made up story? I wish. Sorry, it's absolutely true. Why would you think I would make that up and post it here?

thanks for the info...I need one with an auto shut off as well as I have those "senior moments" a bit earlier in life than I should

the non steam irons I use one came from wally world and the other I paid $1.59 at a thrift store 7 years ago and it's still ticking..I have a shark, I love it. My friend gave it to me she didn't like it.

Are irons so expensive in the U.S.A ? I can get a decent iron here in the U,k for about £20. I use my quilting iron such a lot and , as I hate domestic ironing !! prefer to have a reasonable one for peicing , although I admit do have a slightly better one for every day use.Either way, a good iron is so important for whatever use,startching with an cheap iron can cause all kinds of problems, just my take on this.

Sounds like you picked up a winner at a great price, I might look at it the next time I'm out and about. I must say though that I got a good chuckle from the mental picture of the nozzle shooting out, soaring past your cat and flying across the room. My cat takes a detour when I'm using my water spritzer while ironing, doesn't like it at all.

I looooove my Oreck iron. In fact, my original iron (got in a package deal when I bought the vacuum) stopped working over a year ago. I checked into buying another Oreck iron and they were like $150+, which I could not afford. In talking with one of my co-workers, she mentioned that she needed to buy a more lightweight iron because hers was too heavy, and she was going to throw it out - amazingly, it was an Oreck! She just gave it to me and wouldn't even let me put some money toward her new one. I was thrilled.

I've had more than one Rowenta iron and I hated them all.... too much spitting all over the place. I had a Black & Decker extra-long cord iron that I liked also. And I have an old-fashioned dry iron that I bought at our local Job Lot store which is pretty awesome and gets very hot (so nice for pressing quilt blocks).

I loved your description of your iron and its demise. Made me laugh on this rainy dark day. I too am a cheapie fan. My Rowentas only last a short time. Wish they were better made because I do like the feel of them.

That's about $30, and plenty of decent irons can definitely be found for that, or less.. to be honest if you walk into any department store 90% of the irons you find will be priced less than that.

I had that SAME crappy iron.....hated it...used it one day and took it back. Believe it or not I returned three irons within one month until I got one I liked. WM probably has my name in their black book. I'm 72 and have never had that problem before.

Sorry, I just had to laugh when I read your post. Not because of your iron dying on you, but what you wrote about the steam nozzel flying across the room and the "cat's not over it yet" I can just visulize that happening and seeing the cat scampering and wailing. I personally don't have cats, we have always had dogs, but my daughter has cats and I have seen them spooked before.One can only imagine what the poor animal must have thought was happening and that you were definitely angry at him when it happened. I bought a cheap iron to take to quilting, it works fine. We all use it.

I have this iron and LOVE it for 2 reasons, it's small (don't need large iron for small pieces) and it's the only one I was able to find with NO AUTO SHUT OFF.

I bought the shark based on some recommendations here and can't say I love it. I sprung for a new Rowenta. I may still check out the "no auto shut off" one at W.