Ginny:Judy I have a Tfal iron . I have had this one for about 4 years.
The Tfal seems to get very good reviews on Amazon, the Shark very poor, the Singer really bad. (although Singer was a top pick in Consumers Guide) The Rowenta and Reliable were also low ratings. My Sunbeam lasted for 20 years when it finally started leaking. I did stop and pick up another Sunbeam at the local Goodwill Store for $2.00. But it makes funny noises and spit out a goober. At least I'm not out much and it'll go back in the box for our next trip to Goodwill.
I'm befuddled. Good grief, are there ANY good irons out there that last more than a year? I'm beginning to think getting a good iron is an accident. I spent $29.95 on my Black and Decker which lasted only a few months. I think I'll just go pick up the cheapest steam iron I can find and figure if it lasts 6 months I'm ahead. Bah, we've become a throw away society.
In the beautiful Pacific Northwest!
Judy T-Bellingham: Bah, we've become a throw away society.
Yep, pretty much!
Life is like a quilt...bits & pieces, joy & sorrow, stitched with love
Judy,
I have a Continental Electric iron that I bought for $12. I really like it. You want your iron to last don't put water in it. Even if it's made for steam.
Hey Judy,
You are right about this being a throw away society. I think our parents and grandparents were better at recycling than we are now. With all the electronics, etc what would we do without the Goodwill stores? When anything breaks down in my house it just ends up in my garage or den and we buy a new one.
Good luck finding a good iron....
from TN
Judy T-Bellingham:The Tfal seems to get very good reviews on Amazon
I'm on my second Tfal - the first lasted 15 years, so they've been reliable for me. I use bottled drinking/purified water - but NOT distilled. My only complaint is that they do go to sleep.
My friend has a high-priced Rowenta with an external water tank that steams gloriously and never goes to sleep. I lust after her iron!
On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)
Sue: Good luck on getting an iron that you like and that works! I've several in the past two years and the one I like the best is the one I inherited from my Mom in 2001! It's a General Electric, Light 'n Easy that has spray, steam and dry. Look in the thrift shops for them as I've not seen one in a store in years. I do not steam, but, that said, sometimes I will "sprinkle" like we used to do when we were kids
Good luck on getting an iron that you like and that works! I've several in the past two years and the one I like the best is the one I inherited from my Mom in 2001! It's a General Electric, Light 'n Easy that has spray, steam and dry. Look in the thrift shops for them as I've not seen one in a store in years.
I do not steam, but, that said, sometimes I will "sprinkle" like we used to do when we were kids
I/m late on this, but I agree with Sue - I had a Light 'n Easy that I've used for years, and really liked, but recently, it just quit heating (couldn't be because it was 25 years old and used just about every day, could it?) I went on a search of flea markets, etc, for an old "no steam holes" iron - found only one, a travel iron, and when I plug it in, it gets hot enought to melt tar for the road, so that's out! So I decided to go for it and pay the big price for a cordless - it's a Panasonic, and I really like it. Not too crazy about the ten minute shut off, but at least you can't accidentally leave it on! It heats up quick, and love the shape, it's pointed at both ends, great for small pieces. It does have steam holes, but I NEVER put water in an iron, like Kris, I think it ruins them. I just spray if I should need to dampen something, too. Someone on here told me that Vermont Country Store had a model without the holes, and I finally found one, it's only 30 bucks - I'm waiting for it to arrive in the mail now, soon, I hope! Their website is www.VermontCountryStore.com and they have a lot of other neat stuff, too. Hope you find what you want.
I love my rowenta, bought it a Costco 10yesrs ago and it is still going great. Key is to use only tap water as instructed.
Tap water varies so much from place to place - I'm surprised they recommend that.
I use lots of steam, if I think it would help. So many of the quilters I know around here do, too. My problem is I have, for years as a klutz, knocked my irons off the board, and they leak like a sieve. I have problably had 30 irons in my life. I have three now, two have been knocked off and I bought the new one and knocked it off. Now it has started to leak. I use a smaller one that I knocked off for when I applique with fusible web. I also have a spare rotary cutter that I use to cut fusible web.
Elizabeth, I'm with you. Bought my rowenta about 2 years ago and really like it. I've had one good iron, that didn't leak but stained. I like the Rowena's because it never leaks, provides a lot of steam and you can even control the amount of steam. I also like that it stays on for 8 minutes before it shuts off and doesn't take long to heat up at all. My only complaint is that it is a bit heavy, but all in all I like it and would recommend it
My Black'n'Decker is about 10-12 years old...it heats up quickly, does not leak, and doesn't go to sleep for about 30 minutes. It was cheap and it's been a great iron.
I have started doing what my mother use to do Instead of puting water in the iron she used and old coke bottle and sprinkled the water on the fabric. then used a dry iron. works well for me and I don't worry about my iron going dry . I also found and older rowneta at the thrift store for less then 5.00 and it still is working well. I have been thru many irons and I stoped buy ing the expensive ones. Also using a spray bottle with water I can get it to the places I need it to go .
EAT!! SLEEP !! QUILT!!
Barbara, that reminds me what my grandma used to do. She would cut a piece of a paper grocery bag and dampen it with a wet wash cloth an then iron fabric with the moist paper bag between fabric and iron. She said she would get crisp folds that way.
Annie, now I admit that's one I've never heard of . It must have worked great or your grandmother would not have continued to do it.
I bought an old GE with the cloth cord in excellent condition at the goodwill for 2 dollars nice and heavy gets very hot works fantastic.
[Ava, Missouri