I wonder if our iron problems are more related to how we use them, vs. how our mothers used their irons.
And the iron makers are still building them for our mother's use habits.

Mom did wash once a week, followed by an ironing day once a week. The first iron I remember was a flat sole and she used a sprinkler to prep before pressing.
The next was a Black and Decker steam, which I inherited some 20 years later, she decided being retired meant she didn't have to iron anymore.

But ... When she was finished ironing she always emptied out the remaining water. Always. Always.
We on the other hand leave our water in the iron and refill and refill and refill. And I've never heard anyone here (except in the starch in the iron thread) talk about iron maintenance... Letting it steam out on a rack over the sink. Most commonly with a splash of white vinegar.

Personally, I'd forgotten all about this step, and I'm thinking the way we use our irons, doing this once a month would probably eliminate the dirty bubbles that sometimes come out. Is that way you all mean by leaking?

It is a thought anyway, I'm going to give mine the sink spa treatment today.

Black and Decker
 

I too had problems with a Rowenta leaking so I purchased a Black and Decker and have been happy since.

When I had my LauraStar steam generator they recommended rinsing out the generator every so many hours. Since I could never figure out whether that was hours on or hours used, I just did a thorough rinse according to their instructions every time I had to refill. The iron worked for 10 years with a lot of heavy usage. You're probably right about the way our mother's used their irons vs the way we do. I mostly sew on weekends now and I think I'll start emptying my iron on Sunday night and letting it dry. I think I"ll try steaming it out, too.

I have had both. The rowenta leasks and the Oliso doesn't hold enough water and it can spit.

I love my Rowenta, but I'm on my third. My dials have been the problem. I also have an Oliso, which is much too heavy for me.

Buying an iron is more problematic than buying a sewing machine these days. There doesn't seem to be any manufacturer that you can depend on for a consistently good experience. Every positive story has a corresponding negative one. Sheesh.

I needed a new iron for my NC home. I have a Rowenta at our NY place that I've used for yers and really like. I don't put water in my irons so leaking isn't a concern for me. I just want heat and lots of it. I researched and bought a Rowenta Steamforce, which was rated #1 by Consumer Reports. It was hot but weighed a ton. My elbow started to ache after using it a while so I bought an Oliso. Still heavy but I don't have to lift it much. So far so good, but it's only been a few months.

I did look at the Rowenta website today and they tell you which irons are made in Germany. I think I will steer clear of any that aren't specifically labeled 'Made in Germany' in the future. Maybe that's the key.

The German Rowentas are better. Where the iron is made is on the box. The only China made Rowenta I have is the travel iron and that one has worked well. I actually wore one travel iron out and had to buy a new one.

I never put water in any of my irons. I prefer to spray, since there does seem to be a lot of leakage with any iron.

However, I recently purchased a Panasonic Cordless and have been very happy with it. Again, no water in the iron. I do have to remember to put in the cradle properly, but otherwise it has been great.

I just buy a procter silex from Walmart. (Approx. $10) Last one lasted me twelve years and no issues!

I love my cordless Panasonic. Does the job great and no cord hassel

Love my Rowenta Pro Master! Heavy but tons of steam and heats up fast. No leaking.

I haven't used the Oliso but will not buy another Rowenta. The price is high and with regular use they breakdown fast. I have a very reliable Black and Decker that works every bit as well as the Rowenta did. Think i'll stick with the tried and true

I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to clean any gunk that accumulates on the bottom of my iron. It works like a charm, just dampen with water and wipe down the sole plate. Mine is shiny metal, don't know what, exactly, but the Mr. Clean Eraser cleans it perfectly, no scratches or marks at all. I do this when the iron is cold, of course. My shark seems to accumulate a lot of stuff on the bottom.

I will never buy another Rowenta. I bought one for myself and one for my Mother and within 3 years both had died. Mine started leaking within a year, even though I only used bottled spring water as directed. Then at about the 3 year mark it went crazy steaming one day then POP! and it was dead.

That said, I am still using a Rowenta. I got it at a silent auction (to raise money for a charity drive) at work. It had a brown gunky bottom and I was the only bidder at $1.00. Cleaned off the sole plate and planned to use it for applique stuff. Well the other one died and I got this one out to use. That was at least 5 years ago and still going strong, no problems.

When it dies I will only buy cheap irons in the future. It seems the expensive irons don't last.

I won't have another Rowenta ever!

I found a Singer Extreme Heat II on the clearance shelf of Tues Morning. Like that it shows the actual temperature setting and is little heavier than my old Sunbeam (which I now just use with fusibles--tired of having to worry about cleaning the sole plate everytime!). I'm still having little trouble figuring out the steam option--but maybe I should be reading the directions some, huh?

I have had two Rowenta's and will never have another. Both made in Germany but still bad about heating and leaking. I also have the Reliable V1000 and love it. I have used Oliso at quilt shop and like it.

I have heard others complain about having problems with the Rowenta. And they complained about the horrible customer service also. I'm glad you mentioned the iron you have and the fact that it has a NO auto shut off feature. I do a good bit of piecing and I'm kinda slow so I HATE the auto shut off. I feel like I'm constantly turning the dang iron upside down so it wont shut off. LOL. I'm going to Amazon to see if they have the iron you do. LOL

I have been very pleased with my Chi Home (ordered from the major on-line everything store). It was under $40. If I had known it did not have auto shut-off, I would have ordered the higher priced model for a bit more but I LOVE the ceramic soleplate! Besides, I have it plugged into a power strip and just shut everything off when I walk out the door so works great for me. Steam does not seem to drip out and so far no leaks. I have had it over a year now.

I'd go with a nice Black and Decker if you like steam. If no steam is needed I'd buy that Continental Dry Iron again in a minute. My friend had 3 of those Oliso - yellow version and everyone... the feet failed. A bad batch maybe, but still burned up her ironing board. Thank goodness she caught it right away and the drapes didn't catch on fire. I've had several Rowenta's and they have been awful.

My new Sunbeam Pro Steam just came today. After owning two Rowenta over the past few years both having bad leaking issues I decided to make a change. I know nothing about the Oliso but the Sunbeam Pro steam had several good reviews from fabric shops - so for less money we will see. It has a super long cord but did not get the retractable cord as my iron is set up all the time ( cannot sew w/out it) Just my preference I guess.:p

I have an expensive Rowenta. It started leaking right after I bought it. I have an inexpensive iron I like much better. I would never buy another Rowenta.

DH bought an Oliso and I've tried to like it. I find that I don't like the auto-lift feature as anticipated so I use it as a conventional iron. This poses an issue with the iron's feet catching the seamline, and wrinkling new creases.
I'm probably going to reinvest in a traditional iron that produces good steam.

I wouldn't buy another Rowenta. I've had 3 and they all leaked. Don't know anything about Oliso.