??What is a good Iron for Quilting?? Please Help
 

Hello Quilting World...I need your help...I want to get a good Iron to use for all my quilting projects...I have never had a good iron...Christmas is here in that is my one wish to get...JoAnn's is running special with 50% off on a Rowenta DZ5080 Focus Iron...I went to research and found many problems that customers were having with this iron...I have never had the chance to really have a great iron and I want to buy the right one...please if you can give me your opition of the iron you are using....so I am going to thank you now for helping me figure this out...Happy Holidays to all...Nanda from Texas

I can tell you this about Rowenta. Some are made in Germany and some have been farmed out to China. If you can find one from Germany, you will have a really nice iron. Personally, I never put water into ANY of my irons (I have four, The Rowenta for home, and three other really cheap ones that work really well for travelling, classes, etc.). I keep a spray bottle with a fine mist full of water and a spray bottle of Best Press on my ironing board. I spray the yardage with the Best Press and iron it before I measure and cut. I dry press the seams as I sew them. Then I spray the completed top with water to press it before sandwiching it for quilting. If you don't want to go with the Rowenta, I've heard that the Oliso is a great iron too.

the iron i have been using for the past 5 years AND LOVE is a $20 Black & Decker from wally world. i have had really expensive irons-that i hated...in fact i have a new one (7 years old new one-never been out of it's box) on my closet shelf=because it's twin was a piece of...
and when i threw the twin out i went shopping and bought the inexpensive B&D---it is a wonderful iron! it stays hot- it is just the right weight- it has been very relyable- and i sure hope it last's forever- i would hate to have to pull out that garbage $159 iron in the closet.
btw---i do not put water in my irons- i keep a spray bottle on the end of my ironing board- i don't care how expensive they are- or how fancy they are- every iron that someone puts water in sooner or later starts leaking- spitting and sputtering- i do not like being burned so i don't go there- i also do not like irons that shut themselves off- when i want my iron to be hot i expect it to be hot---i don't want to shake it-and stand waiting for it to heat back up- i unplug it when i'm done with it- until then it stays hot. (and the one i hate...it is a fancy- cordless- heavy---big---not my idea of a good iron at all)
i'm sure there will be plenty of people who will rave about the one i hate---but i will stick with my $20 iron for as long as i possibly can.

I have heard that Home Depot has a great iron for around 28 dollars...solid surface and a nice weight..we were going there today but since we shopped for over 12 hours ..thought we would go there tomorrow after JoAnns

Love my oliso!!

What do you want in an iron?

Spray? Weight?

I have an older now Maytag cordless iron for quilt tops. Then I have a Black & Decker steam iron, probably from WalMart.

The Oliso is great but way to heavy for me and friends have had too many problems with Rowenta for me to want one.

ali

Thank you all for the information...I myself do not put water in my iron..i use spray bottle also...the information helps...i really do not want a heavy iron also..it hurts my hands...just want a great hot iron that will last...after having some go carpet diving I do not even set the iron on the ironing board anymore...and when my family quilters come over i have to remind no water...no sitting on board...its funny...but i have a kitchen bar top that's higher and i set the ironing board in front of it so it works out...thanks again for the help...

I love my Dry Iron from Vermont Country Store - http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/s...Dry_Iron/42277

For steam, I keep a spray bottle in my work space and spritz the fabric. No more worries about steam burns, and the solid plate means no more funny indentions on the fabric.

Cheers, K

Rowenta's have a tendency to leak. I have had probably a dozen of them through the years. I liked my Shark and my Black and Decker. The electricity is weird in my house and I tend to run through irons, TV's, light bulbs, etc at an amazing rate so I have LOTS of experience. Nothing totally unsafe because I have had it checked out.....just the guy who built the house had some interesting ideas about wiring! Don't even ask me about his ideas about roofs!!!

Anyway, my current iron is awful. It is a Sunbeam from Target and it is pink. It is either not hot enough or so hot that my fingers have blisters. There is a medium setting but it doesnt seem to work. The steam just rolls out of the thing or you cant get any. I have been using it now for about three weeks and am ready to pitch it.

I literally just finished binding a table runner before I sat down here and two of my fingers are now burnt.

I am actually posting to add something to the discussion. I got one of those Miracle Ironing board covers that are fiberglass and I love the thing. If I was going to invest money into an iron, I would think about investing money into one of these covers.

Don't buy a Rowenta...or a Shark! The Rowentas are really, really bad and the Shark lasted exactly one month after the warranty ran out...I am using a Rival I bought for $5 at wally-world....not heavy enough but at least I don't have to put out another $100 or so....

I know someone said they had a Sunbeam that they did not like. However, I have a Sunbeam (lavender) that I've had for several years and I love it! Just the right weight, does not spit and spew, and has a cord that's about 10' long that I love. I hope it lasts a long time. I also have a Black and Decker that I got at Ross and I am happy with it, also.

I hate my Rowenta and love my 20 dollar Shark I have an extra Shark put away to use if mine dies I like it that much

I have the dry iron. I love it. No holes, just solid metal sole. I also have the classic Black and Decker for using steam. I have the no auto shut off one which is hard to find. Lowe's here had some but the new ones were all auto shut off. No matter what the iron instructions say, you have to use distilled water or the iron will sputter and leak in no time

I would love to have an Oliso some day. But, for now I have a $8 Proctor Silex from $ General. I love it. It gets good and hot, good steam and DOES NOT have an auto shut off. It is also small and light. Make it a good one to take to classes. I'm happy!!!

I have the Rowena but I would NEVER buy another, I am much happier with the $20.00 Black & Decker

my GE iron purchased in 1975 is still going strong, it uses distilled water, teflon faceplate, doesn't automatically turn off ... I hope it outlasts *me*!!

I also have a B&D iron that I bought from Walmart. It's a great iron for $20. I've been using it for several years and have had friends who liked mine so much they went out and bought one as well.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Deck...-Iron/15806197

I love my Rowenta!! Yes, they will leak eventually, as I do put water in mine. When I last needed to replace it I bought a Shark at Walmart and promptly took it back because it didn't get hot enough. I now have a Rowenta Focus 1700watt and this baby can steam!!! And I love how heavy it is. The only annoying thing is how often I have to fill the water tank. I personally need the auto shut off because I have been known to leave it plugged in. I know myself and would never have any other kind.

Isn't it interesting how different we all are?????

I will not buy another Rowenta as mine leaks tewrribly. I had an Oslo but it did not last either and I paid good money for it. Next one will be a cheapie.

I recently bought a Sunbeam Turbo Steam Master Professional iron at WalMart. The UPC Code on it is #2704571627. My friend had bought one and loved it and so I bought one and it is the best iron I have ever had. It has tiney rounf holes inthe bottom so the don't"catch" pn the seams like my previous iron did. And it is heavier than my old iron. It also had a stainless steel soleplate so it glides very nice over the fabric. I knew the UPC Code because I saved the box because I like the iron so much that I would like to buy this iron for whenever I buy future presents for people (Bridal showers, Graduations, etc.). This iron only cost $27.88 at my local WalMart. The price could differ a little at different WalMarts. I don't think I will ever buy any different iron after having this one.

Thank you so much Quilting friends...this has been a good topic to see and read all the information on Irons..Thank you again for I will not be buying the Rowenta family...its sad to see the high price iron's dont really hold up to the price they want...but I am like you all...wanting a iron that stays hot..and I did not think about having the iron stay on or off..never really thought much about it till now..staying on and ready is better...have a good day my friends and stay safe...Hugs from Texas

Oh, I like this one. Thanks for the link

Me too! I hvae the blue one.

I love my Oliso, that I have had for about 6 months now. It heats up quickly, turns it self off only after 30 minutes, makes great steam, and once you get used to not setting it up right, is so easy to use.....have had cheap all my life....
now figured I was worth a good iron....would buy again if needed. I got mine on ebay, new, after waiting out several for under a $100 delivered....

My everyday iron (purchased at wally world on sale) and a mini Clover for points and tight areas. I don't use the steam feature at all, just have a sprayer handy. I also have an old mangle or ironer (they are called both) to iron material before it is cut up. Since I also hand dye material, it comes in very handy then as well.

I wouldn't shop by brand; I've been down that road. Shop for the features you want. I prefer a lighter weight one so my arm doesn't wear out. I also don't like the dial under the handle; makes it very inconvenient for turning on and off. And I iron dry, not steam. I don't like lots of holes in the plate because they catch on seams. The auto off is a nuisance, but no way around that. Happy shopping!

I love my Oliso

I had the Sunbeam lavendar one and loved it. The pink one is weird....maybe it is just this iron. The thermostat is crazy.

I have had leaking issues with the Rowenta, but I love how it moves so easily over the fabric. I also have one of the non-steam irons from the Vermont Country Store that I use just for fusing. It's hot, stays on, and doesn't leave hole marks when you fuse, but I find it grabs when you iron with it. The latest one I have is a Reliable. It is made in Canada, glides nicely, gets pretty hot, and can be made to disable the auto-shut off feature. What is really neat is that it has separate heating elements for the iron and the steam, so you can have steam at lower temps.

I have a Rowenta and haven't had any problems with it.
I dry iron only, have never added water.
I bought mine from JoAnns.

Love my rowenta, don't know what model, got it at target 6 years ago, it is one of the german made ones so I have had no problems with it, just look for the german made ones if you shell out the bucks for it

I use Shark's and nothing but for the last 2 years, they are heavy and great steam, which I do use. I go through one a year. I am hard on irons!

There are some appliances that I seem to have to chronically replace: toaster ovens, hair dryers and irons. Has there ever been an iron invented that takes regular tap water and doesn't leak? Me thinks not. I am ready to retire my three year old Sunbeam Master. It says under the logo "Drip Free". It's not (but it's not the worst I've ever had.) I found I had to fill it up several times per hour when using the steam (which I always do). It has the retractible cord which worked for about 2 retractions and then only went about half of the way back in.

A couple weeks ago Canadian Tire had the Shark X-Tended Steam Burst on sale for 60% off, regular $99.99 on sale for $39.99. I used it for about 3 hours straight last weekend and an hour this weekend, and so far, so good. The plate is really smooth and the steam is good. It holds a lot of water and doesn't seem to run out frequently.

I also bought a small, no-name iron at Loblaws to take to classes for $10 three years ago and you know, this little guy is a real work horse. When I'm quilting, I keep it on the kitchen table on my mini-ironing board to set seams and for the constant pressing you need to do when making a quilt top. It has good steam but if you tip it over, or if it accidentally falls on the floor, all the water runs out as there is no cover for the water resevoir.

About a year ago I got fed up with the big iron falling off the big ironing board and bought a board on sale that has the metal iron rest on the side. Best thing ever. I just wish it had a spot to hold the spray starch can as it falls on the floor regularly.

Thank you all so much for the great information!! you have been great telling me your iron stories...I will try the Dry Iron with no holes...I do not add water to the iron..use spray bottle if needed...I have found this Iron cheeper and cant wait to start using it...how funny we are all...and the different kinds of irons we use...its like me..I love quilting rullers...might not know how to use them all yet but someday i will...Happy Holidays from Texas..!!

I love my Rowenta, except that it shuts off by itself - I haven't had any issues with spitting. I just bought a dry iron on Amazon for $15. No fancy features. I've heard good things here about the Continental dry iron so I can't wait to get it!

I have a Rowenta Professional and love it. They are wonderful Irons, mine is made in Germany.

After 2 Rowentas- never again. I love the weight and gliding, but leak terribly.

After spending too much money on inferior irons, I researched and found my gem on eBay. The one thing I did not want was that stupid auto shut off. Geez. I think mine is a Black and Decker but can't be sure. Have had it about four years and it is great and costs around $11 plus shipping. Gets hot, can put water in with no issues and it turns off when I decide. (Its brother is waiting under my cutting board for when this one goes kaput.)

i've had two Rowentas that just stopped working. I think the heating coil stopped working. i figured for as expensive as they were someone could repair but i guess they're disposable. Third iron i bought was a Shark at Wally world. Works fine at half the price. if your rowentas are leaking check your instructions about water. Tap water should be used but if hard water and distilled water is hard on the tanks. I use dehumidier water that i save during the summer monthes I've not had any problems with the water tanks leaking. my plants like this water also.