I have had several high priced irons but HATE the auto shut off!! I bought a Proctor Silex at WM and love it !! It was about $8.00 and it stays on until I turn it off! I heard they were going to start making all irons with an auto shut off so I went to WM and bought 3 more. Price is right and should last as long as I'm able to quilt!!

I went to Target and test drove all their irons and picked one up there. I believe it was a shark, the only problem is it shuts down and then you have to move it to reheat again. Price was about $15.

I used an Oliso on a retreat recently and it was really nice, thinking I may upgrade, right now I just have something inexpensive from Target but I really liked the lift motion on the Oliso.

I thought I just had to have a Rowenta when my last iron (a cheap brand that I had for more than 20 years) finally gave up. So I spent over 100 dollars and am not impressed at all. Oh, it works fine but not any better than a cheaper brand. My advice...save the money for fabric and buy a less expensive iron.

I bought the cheapest iron at Wal Mart recently (GE I think) for $6.97. I love it. It does not have an auto shut off, so it stays hot! Just have to be sure to unplug when I'm done, but if it doesn't last long, I won't be heartbroken. I had a Rowenta and it started leaking after a few months, I'll never pay that much for an iron again!

I have had two Rowentas. The first one lasted 10 years and never gave me any problems. That was the reason I bought my second one. This one leaks. I have an cheap one in my closet and may get it down and start using it. I do like the auto shut off as I use to find my iron on in the morning after a night of sewing. :( Now I have my iron plugged into a power strip and also have a night light plugged into the power strip. If the night light is on as I leave my sewing studio, then I know I have left the iron on.

I bought an Eliso and really love it.
Janet

I have a GE that I have used for years and I am happy with it. It has an auto shut-off and doesn't shut off too quickly. I really like that feature. I don't use water in my iron anymore-just use starch and a spray bottle for water.My mom went through the Rowenta leaks and finally bought a Shark from WalMart ($50.)and she loves it. It does shut off fairly quickly but heats back up quickly.

I have a B&D that I got in 1986 - still going strong.

DH wants me to get a new one and is fascinated with Rowenta. Why, I don't know. Maybe the models made in Germany are better than the lower priced models which are now made in China.

My LQS has Sunbeam but they leak and sputter.

My only complaint with my iron is that it isn't auto shutoff if the iron falls on its base or side and the cord isn't in the middle - more for a right-handed person.

Had two Rowenta irons. Both leaked massively. Today I'm using an old Sunbeam I bought at the thrift shop. Steam doesn't work but a mist water bottle does when I want steam. Recently bought and returned a Braun because of leakage. Have a Shark but hate the auto off. Most irons made today have that feature and I personally hate it.

I absolutely love my Sunbeam "Drip-Free" which is truly drip free and comfy to use; and going on 6 years now with never a problem. It does have the auto off which I need because if the phone rings.... well, you know how we are. Bought it at WMart, about $40.

Have had 2 Rowentas German made ... both croaked, leaked and sputtered. Never again.

Bought a Rowents she has leaked from day one would reccomend anything that you feel is in your price range.

After my iron died last year my hubby went to Walmart and bought me a Shark, I absolutely love this iron, have had no trouble with. It was about $20 something, but so far very worth it!

I agree with the cheap irons. They stay hot--don't shut off every 5 minutes. I don't use water either--spray bottle does it.

I have the same Norelco e-z steam for at least 10 years. I use only distilled water in it. It is serving well.
It seems that the distilled water makes a great difference in the life of irons.

I found a Rowenta in a 2nd hand store that was an older model and barely used. Looked brand new; paid $20 for it and it is wonderful. Also have an old Sunbeam that I love.

I also found an antique small iron, perfect for quilting classes, etc. No steam; I use Perfect Sizing anyway. THis little iron is a Toastmaster that just gets nice and hot and irons; no steam, no shut-off, is there hot when I want it and is great for my little sewing station in classes. It is that Harvest Gold color that many appliances like refrigerators, washers, etc. came in so that should tell you the era. Go figure! Anyway paid $5 at an estate sale a few months ago. Was in a quilting class two weeks ago at a LQS, and the iron provided was that Oliseo which I had never seen or heard of, much less used. I started out pressing out my background fabric and low and behold when that thing jumped I thought what on earth is this new contraption?? I can see though where someone could get really dependent upon that feature as someone borrowed another lady's iron and ironing pad and left it down, forgeting it was not the Oliso.

[quote=vschieve]I also found an antique small iron, perfect for quilting classes, etc. No steam; I use Perfect Sizing anyway. THis little iron is a Toastmaster that just gets nice and hot and irons; no steam, no shut-off, is there hot when I want it and is great for my little sewing station in classes. It is that Harvest Gold color that many appliances like refrigerators, washers, etc. came in so that should tell you the era. Go figure! Anyway paid $5 at an estate sale a few months ago. Was in a quilting class two weeks ago at a LQS, and the iron provided was that Oliseo which I had never seen or heard of, much less used. I started out pressing out my background fabric and low and behold when that thing jumped I thought what on earth is this new contraption?? I can see though where someone could get really dependent upon that feature as someone borrowed another lady's iron and ironing pad and left it down, forgeting it was not the Oliso. Needless to say there was a scorch.

My newest iron is a Reliable...quite expensive but nice features for quilters. It's the best iron I've had so far, and I've had two Euro Pros and a Rowenta.

I agree! I have had 2 B&D irons over the past 25 years; just had to replace both of them with another B&D from KMart. Good irons.

Mine is a Sunbeam. I know our brands will be different to yours but I just bought the cheapest one on the shelf last week. It steams nicely as well as dry irons, doesn't have auto cut off, which is a nuisance when patchworking, has a 2 year replacement guarantee and cost $36. I've had the expensive irons and don't think they are worth the money.

Same here. I loved my first Rowenta and had it forever. I have bought a couple since then, and they just didn't last!

I have a Black and Decker light and easy, got it at Walmart, just love it. Lots of good steam and light weight. Gets really hot etc. swivel cord and long.

My sister cruises yard sales and always buys the old irons that get hot. When it dies she tosses it and finds another old one. She says it is worth a couple of bucks at a yard sale for the old ones that get hot.

I've had my Rowenta for about 12 years & never had a problem with it - although I know others on here have had problems with theirs leaking

I have a T-Fal. Love it. Works great. I also have an Oliso and I love mine. Have never had trouble with it yet.

I got a pricey one for Christmas and thought it was too heavy. Took it back and got a Sunbeam from WalMart for 10.00 and like it a lot.

Don't know if you have the same brands there - I have a number of irons - the best two are Phillips (headquarters originally in Holland) and Tefal, which is made in France.

I did not have success with Rowenta ( the Costco model) it would not get warm enough on 'linen' so I bought another Sunbeam with all the bells and whistles.

I like my B&D so much I went and bought another one and put it away for the day (hopefully years from now) that I need to replace it! It's the Digital Advantage.

I needed a new iron a couple months ago. Bought a
shark for about 30.00. It irons great but the auto shutoff drives me crazy. Went to thrift shop, bought an old Sunbeam for 3.00, works great, stays on.

I like my Black and Decker.

I had problems with my Oliso iron also & the co refused to do anything about it! They said they needed to see a copy of the receipt before they could honor the warranty. I am not in the habit of keeping receipts for stuff I buy at a quilt store or show so I was not able to provide that. In my opinion that should have had no bearing on honoring the warranty whatsoever. What if it had been given to me as a gift? Mine would suddenly go up & down several times & then stay down. A co-worker said it must have started having seizures! Never again would I ever buy anything from that company!

My Rowenta went belly up, so I went to consumer reports to check on what's out there. They recommended the Black & Decker, that's what I got, and I love it. Has a nice weight so I don't feel like I am pushing on it. It gets hot enough to do the job, and has a nice sized surface for doing large pieces of yardage. Go Black and Decker!!!!!Oh, and it was only $26.00

I guess I'm in the minority-I like my Rowenta! But what I like more is the fiberglass ironing board cover I bought at a quilt show 6 years ago. It reflects the heats and I keep my iron at the same setting no matter what the fabric. I can iron satin, then cotton and then denim and never change the setting. Plus my iron doesn't get anything on the plate. It takes some getting used to because the fiberglass is slippery. I made all the dresses for two of my daughters' weddings and never scorched a thing!!
Oh it's called miracle ironing board cover by measurematic, inc.

I have the Black and Decker Classic and I love it! This is my 3rd one. You know they'll only take so many hits and I'm bad about bumping the ironing board and knocking it off. It's a good heavy (but not too heavy) weight and it gets hot without have to turn it all the way to the linen setting. I also don't use water in my irons, starch only for me. I use Faultless Premium Starch and it seems to make the iron glide over the fabric with no build up at all.
Next time though, I think I will try to find a used iron as I hate the auto shut off feature!

About 15 years ago I purchased a cheap iron from Walgreens or some place like that. It just failed last month. I purchased a $12.00 Black & Decker from Target. So far so good. I do a lot of dry ironing and when I want steam I can add distilled water or my usual standby-my spray water bottle.

I love my new Rowena pro master. I just hope it lasts. My last iron was a Maytag cordless and I hated it. It never steamed right and my new one does.