Since I paid $150 for it at a LQS I was a bit disappointed that it didn't last longer...well, more than a bit.
So I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought a Rowenta. The best, they said. I even asked other quilters before I bought...the best, they said. It was great for about 6 months, then it started spitting sometimes, and after another 6 months it quit. A fluke, I thought. I'll buy another. Which I did, a year ago. This one never did spit - yea! But it leaked after about 6 months. Last night I was sewing up a storm and smelled something burning. I unplugged everything in the room and did some investigating. Regular Private Investigator am I..I should get a license. When I plugged the iron back in it was dead. A corpse, right there in my sewing room. Those two Rowentas each cost about $130.
I can add ya'll. I know that I've spent a lot of money on irons in the last 6 years. I also bought a travel iron during that time - another Rowenta - which isn't great after a few months either. So I'm over $400 out and .. have .. no .. iron. I know I could send the Rowenta back to them, and probably will, but meanwhile I have to have an iron. Repairs will likely take 3 months or so. I can't wait that long. So today I went to WalMart to buy yet another iron. This time I went much cheaper. Much cheaper. I figured that in 6 years I'd spent over $50 a year on irons so I went lower. I spent $40 on a Shark iron. I have a Shark floor steamer and I like it. And if I don't like this iron, or if it quits I will take it back to WalMart, who takes most everything back. And if they don't I will still have spent less than I was spending before.
What kind of iron do you have? Do you like it? Do you love it? Does it spit? Does it leak? Does it steam good? Would you buy another one? Would you buy a green one? I sound like Dr. Seuss. But I need to know!
29 comments:
Let's face it - many items are not made to last any length of time...just a throw away world we live in. I bought a Shark from Wal-Mart several months ago...true I have not used it a lot...but so far so good...I like it because of the weight - since it is heavy it seems to work better. One thing I have noticed over the years the irons do not get as hot as the old ones of years ago.
I also have had trouble with Rowentas. Had one that leaked and had one that the thermostat apparently had something wrong and it would get too hot, which you did not know until you sat it down on the first piece of fabric. I now have a Sunbeam that I bought on sale at Penney's. So far so good on that one. Paid less than $30.00. Also I do not like the auto off that they all have. I know it is a safety feature but it is frustrating when sewing and I go back to the iron and it is not hot anymore and I have to wait for it to heat up AGAIN.
First of all I LOVE your new blog look!
I've heard bad things about the Rowentas from other quilters. My Black and Decker (I think around $40) has worked fine for years, and the one I had before that did well for years too, another B&D ($30).
I bought two of those Maytag irons a few years ago direct from Maytag before they quit making them. We use them both each month at our quilting group all day long. The only complaint I have is that I have to keep turning them back on, but its safer than burning the house down. My Maytag's still work, and I hope they do for a long time, but we rarely use the steam setting on them. Before I got these, I used irons I bought from Goodwill, with Cords. I do love my cordless irons though.
I have heard nothing but bad about the Rowenta's, so I have never bought one. I did pick up a travel iron though, at Goodwill, which was a Rowenta, but I haven't tried it yet. It's in my quilting drawer.
Hope you find a good iron soon.
Michelle
I have been through a lot of irons too. So aggravating. I also bought a shark. So far so good. And you have every right to be mad!!!
I'm sorry about your corpse situation. Maybe you can busy him out in the backyard with the others and have an iron cemetary!
I'd really like an Oslio (or however it's spelled) but for now I just have a cheap Wal-mart something or other and I don't think that thing will ever kick the bucket!
I have seen this discussed on other blogs and the consensus seems to be buy a cheap one because none of them last very long so you are out less money with the cheap ones. Rowenta consistently got bad comments.
I have a small rowanta that I bought to use in the camper but use it in the sewing room also, it leaks. At a LQS it cost $40 I found it on line for $27. It started to leak within 6 months. I have a regular size iron that I bought from Wal-Mart that I use for clothing and it works good, I have had it for over 5 years and doesn't spit or leak, Mike has replaced the cord on it but that is it. I think the prices charged are high and it is because quilters buy them - why? A iron irons the same basically no matter what kind it is in my opinion so why spend 100's when you know it won't last long.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
Yes, mine to is incontinent.. Always have to be on guard for that.. I have an selfcleaning Rowenta autosteam, stainless sole plate and while it does sputter at times I do like it and have had it awhile. shhhhhhh... It cost me about $50, not sure but seems like that..
Good Luck and email them and tell them, I did with a Mr. Coffee and they sent me a new one.. yahoo
Maggey
I have a Rowenta steam generator and I do love it, no problems over the last 3+ years... knock wood.
After reading all the comments I know what not to buy.(not that I am in the market)
My old toshiba works fine. I've had it so long I can't remember. It does all the households work and only spits if my husband fills it too full. The cord stores inside on a spring roller and comes out the back, which is the reason I picked that model, being left handed.
Gee - I still have my old Black and Decker iron from 1986 and it works fine. I think it cost $12.
After hearing friends complain about Rowenta and other pricy irons for yrs. I also bought an iron at Wal Mart costing $7.00 which worked hard for 4 yrs. At less than $2.00 per year, I shed no tears, purchased another iron from Wal Mart (the price increased to 10.99) and after 2 yrs. it is a work horse on almost daily basis.
I've had the same thing happen. A few months ago I bought a Digital Velocity steam generator and so far, I love it. My blog post about it is here:
http://www.patchworktimes.com/2010/09/15/big-daddy-iron/
It's expensive but so far, it steams really good and hasn't leaked once.
I have a Rowenta, and would NEVER buy another. This is the third one. They leak, they spit, and they totally die an early death. This one was over $100 and it's no better than the others. When it dies, I am getting a couple of WalMart cheapies! The ONE good thing I can say about my current Rowenta is that it has a very pointed front on the sole plate, good for pressing seams but not worth the leaks and spits.
And I love your new look!
My mother bought a Shark for me on my 37th birthday. I am now 42 and it has held up nicely. I don't quilt but I do use it quite a bit for regular ironing. I am not sure what you mean when you say yours "spits" but I will say mine has "spit" a colored water on my clothes while ironing them but I chalked that up to leaving water in it for long periods of time between ironings.
Good luck!
If I were you I would have done a mom on the first iron and all the others. My mom would have called and /or written a letter to the ocmpany. You will be surprised what a little squaeking will do. I had an electronic labeler that died after 2 years and I called the company-they sent me a replacement free of charge. BTW my first $12 iron a black and decker lasted about 12 years and my current one is probably as old and was free. My sisters roommate left it and she didnt need it. Go to Walmart. Go cheap.
I had a Rowenta that I liked for awhile - before it started spitting! It finally got bad enough that I tossed it out and bought a cheap iron at K-Mart. I bought a Hamilton Beach on sale and like it so far, except for the automatic shut-off. I chose it because I like the way it felt in my hand and it has the longest time before shut-off in an upright position. Good when I'm sewing. I almost bought the Shark and, at times, wish I had. My dear, little mother's Black & Decker is still going strong after many, many years.
~Adrienne~
I'm using a Rowenta Professional that I got at Joanns Black Friday sale last year, and I LOVE it. It was a replacement for a Rowenta that died after 4+ years. I guess I've been lucky with them. I bought one for my daughter early this year and she hasn't had any problems yet.
I had a Black & Decker I got as a wedding present in 1968 that lasted until 2007!! It quit steaming about a decade before it actually died. I replaced it with a Rowenta ($50) from Costco. It lasted 6 months. Since then I only buy super cheap ($10-20) at Walmart. If they last over a year I feel lucky. I do have a B&D I paid $50 for at Orchard Supply that I keep as a back-up. It has a bad soleplate that catches on everything so it is a pain to use. But it's there for the times I'm working away and the cheap Walmart iron dies. Walmart will not exchange after 30 days. My last iron died at 40 days old and Walmart refused to exchange it! Grrrr.
I have a steam station type iron, a Laura Star, which I love. Have had it for 3 years and it's terrific for ironing pure cotton fabrics. Think they are made in Sweden.
I used to be always needing a new iron too so I went to our British member of the WalMart family - Asda - and bought the cheapest they had at £4.99. It worked perfectly, and still does, including steam.
Since I lost some of the use of my right arm I bought a Hinari steam press and just use the iron for fiddly bits.
The Rowenta bit the dust many, many years ago and was followed by a Black and Decker. I liked the B&D except for the large steam holes that caught on corners. I now have a dry iron from the Vermont Country Store. I love this iron and if I need steam I just spray with water from a spray bottle. Just look at the lovely sole plate on that iron!
Boy, I've never had luck with the Rowentas, big & small, and will never buy one again. Just gimme a Black & Decker--WAAYY cheaper and lasts longer!
I have had 2 count them Rowentas in 2 count them months???? After the second one went to meet his maker...I had enough..Went out and purchased 2 sharks, count them 2...one for our quilting group and the other for home..that was 3 yrs ago...never spits in my face, never plays dead and cost me less than $50.00 a piece...lol
I've had a Sunbeam for about fifteen years and been unable to kill it, which is too bad, because up until I read your post, I made up my mind that when it finally died, I would replace it with a Rowenta but after reading your post, I'm now going to be much kinder to my little Sunbeam and show it a little appreciation, LOL.
And no it doesn't spit or burn out nether does it have any fancy electronic features like auto shut off or an LED display or teflon sole but it heats up fast and has never given me any trouble when I wanted to use it (knocking on wood at this point).
I agree that even the best seem to only last 6 months, so why waste money on the best? Cord gets damaged, dials aren't set hot enough, dials don'a turn off, auto timing gizmmo works too well, or not at all, spits, won't steam, not hot enough, cords too short etc. I now buy a crummy one when necessary.
I DO find some that are hot enough but you really have to look HARD for 1200 Watts, at least. I suppose the hot ones cause burning of fabric (imagine that!) and people complain at burned fabric and want their money back!
Hey, maybe we should get that Dyson guy to help us out? You know, he improved the vacuum cleaner system.
Just found your blog and read this entry about irons. In fact, I could have written that entry. Yes, I've had Rowenta, Shark and there's a brand new Oreck that came with a vacumm cleaner but I've never bothered with it. My favorite iron is an old Westinghouse that my mother bought in the 60s. It has a black cloth cord, a piece of masking tape on the handle that tells you to fill it in an upright position and it weighs a ton....but the soleplate is spotless and it is the best iron I've had since my own 1960s that I foolishly pitched when a new one came to me. This one gets hot enough to press linen tablecloths properly. Hope you have better luck with your next one :-)
Chris
I know you posted this a while back, but I wanted to say that I too had big problems with Rowenta- two of them - and stopped buying that brand a number of years ago. I bought a cheap Sunbeam at Wal-Mart and wouldn't buy that again either as it doesn't get very hot, and the cord always catches along the base rim of the iron. According to the 2009 Consumer Report, the top three brands of irons are: 1) Black and Decker Quick Press F975 that sells for $20. 2) Black and Decker Steam Advantage F1060 sells for $20. 3) TFal untraglide FV4379 that sells for $65.
What did you end up buying?
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