Irons – part II
Yesterday afternoon I went to Target and returned iron #1, bought a black and decker #20 iron to replace it. It worked perfectly and I was thrilled – it got really really hot and it was gliding along making quick work of the fabric.
And then I suspect it overheated and the teflon coating began to get sticky and I couldn’t move it across the fabric at all – it was like a post it note (or super glue) on the bottom. I cooled it down a few times and washed it off but every time I turned it back on it got sticky again.
So yesterday evening I bought iron #3 at Walmart – another black and decker (on the theory they get hot) but this time with no teflon. Well yes – it glided smoothly but the darn thing barely got warm at all. And it leaked a bit. Useless to spend time ironing only to end up with a bunch of wrinkles the iron is too cool to actually press out.
So late last night I got totally frustrated and got out my original iron because I just wanted to get all that fabric finished and decided I could deal with the drips. But – tada – it worked perfectly. In no time at all I finished pressing all the fabric and it’s looks beautiful (photo coming soon).
I think the poor iron was afraid I was going to replace it so it finally decided to behave for fear of becoming landfill fodder. Okay – it’s an iron. But whatever happened – I’m thrilled.
Today I returned #2 and tomorrow night I’ll return #3 and forget the whole mess. What a hassle and waste of time.
One thing I noticed about these new irons was that they were almost impossible to fill with water. They had microscopically openings and they required their own special filling cups. Very very annoying. My old iron has a nice big opening that I can fill in a matter of seconds straight from my gallon jug of distilled water.
What is wrong with iron manufacturers these days? Do they think we don’t actually use them anymore so there is no reason to do a good job making them? A good iron is absolutely essential to making quilts and there seem to be few affordable solutions out there.
Posted by Lisa in: Musings
Wow, that’s bad iron luck you’ve had! I hope the original one keeps behaving for you!
I guess I was thinking about your iron dilemma because when I was in my work area yesterday, I took a look at the manufacturer of my iron. I didn’t even know what I had. It’s a Black and Decker and it’s okay for what I need it to do. I’m pretty sure that I found it at Target.
It does have some stains on it…must be from the fusible interfacing. I haven’t had any trouble with it transferring to anything else. Although, I probably don’t want to iron anything light.
What a hassle! I suspect that irons are designed by people who do not do their own ironing. I must say that I have yet to find the perfect iron though by now I would have thought it would be quite a simple tool to design. Thank goodness you had not thrown out the existing iron. Glad you got to do what you wanted in the end.
Have you ever tried a rowenta? I’ve had two – the expensive one and the not-so expensive one, and they have both worked out well. Good luck to you with your iron saga!
I’ve gone through a couple of Rowenta (in the $60 range) and had leak problems. For fusing I splurged and bought the cordless Maytag teflon – had to order it over the internet for around $120, I love it for fusing but it’s not that great for ironing out yardage. Recently I bought another Rowenta that’s silver and black and it steams up a storm. It’s designed to steam from a vertical position too, and I really like it. I think it was around $50-60.
I guess I should try a rowenta one of these days. But I’ve never found one that feels right. Next time I’m willing to stomach a stroll down the iron aisle I’ll give them a chance.
Thanks for the comments everyone!
I have a Panasonic teflon coated iron. It is a work horse. I have taken it to classes, dropped it a couple of times and it just keeps on working. I bought it on sale at Target. I would not hesitate to buy another or to recommend it.
Thanks for the recommendation Gerrie!