Fed up with "home" irons

[Rich]

My wife and I have used one poorly made steam iron after another at home and are fed up with having to replace them every so often. We were wondering if it makes sense to buy an industrial steam iron to use in the home. I'm thinking it would last much longer, but is there a cost benefit being that the price is a good bit higher? I saw one on Keyston's site for about $125.00.
Any input?
Thanks,
Rich

[sofadoc]

There are a lot of "disposable" household items nowadays. Take the vacuum cleaner for example. Some people buy the $1000 Oreck that'll last 10 or more years, while others just buy a $100 Hoover every year.

At my house, we're still using the same GE iron that was given to us as a wedding gift back in '77. I mainly attribute it's longevity to the fact that we just don't own very many clothes that require ironing. :D

Hair dryers, blenders, toasters, can openers, TV's, VCR's, DVD players........we've plowed through a million of 'em.

When my washer or dryer goes on the fritz, my local independent appliance repairman just brings me a rebuilt one, and swaps them out for 40-70 bucks. Beats the heck out of paying for those extended warranties from the big box stores.

Do you own an industrial steam iron at your shop? If so, why not treat yourself to a new one, and take the old one to the house? Easier to justify the cost that way. ;) 

[Rich]

Thanks sofa, I use a Jiffy steamer, never used an iron at the shop.
Yes, it's pretty cheap to keep replacing, but there always seems to be a period of frustration between the time the current item starts acting up and you get a replacement. Just wondering if we should go to a professional model (which BTW, I think was the way the home items used to be made, before the marketers wised up and found they could sell a load more to an unsuspecting public).
Rich

[zanepurcell]

speaking of Oreck, one of the best home irons I have ever had was made by them, It had a special rest and some weight to it. It actually came with a vacuum.
If you want to have a permanent setup in your home, you could go pro. Generally, you have a bottle on a hanger that holds the water and it siphons through a filter and then a hose and down to the iron. So you are negotiating an iron that has a cord and a hose going to it, but it is made to not run out of water as fast. This really isnt the kind of setup you would want to take down when not in use (or maybe you do). It is crucial to any iron and especially a professional iron that you clean it regularly to eliminate mineral buildup internally and gunk on the pad itself. A magic shield for the foot is helpful with delicates do it does not leave the material looking polished.

http://charleszarit.com/charles_zarit_sewing_supply_011.htm

Zane

ps- this is my Oreck, it has a dock and you can choose to lock it on the dock for storage and moving, a second mode that lifts the iron with the cord attached (that is what I do) and a third mode lets the iron leave the dock and cord behind for cordless ironing(no, no batteries, just retained heat for a little while) and its a deal for the price.

http://www.target.com/p/oreck-white-and-blue-speed-iron/-/A-14192982?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C14192982&CPNG=Appliances&kpid=14192982&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14192982

[Darren Henry]

BTW, I think was the way the home items used to be made, before the marketers wised up

I'm like Dennis; I never go anywhere so don't iron much at home LOL, but the irons I still have are both old and kick the pants off any of the newer ,lighter, irons I've gotten rid of. Keep an eye out when yard sale season comes around again. For a couple of bucks you could snag one that still puts out some heat and has some mass to it that was designed to work for years.

[Rich]

Thanks for the responses.
Zane, we had one of those that we also got with the Oreck vacuum. The iron is long gone, but we still have the vacuum. As I remember, the iron was pretty good, but after awhile, the cord broke inside the unit and required a very small torx driver to unscrew.  I didn't have that size and had the drill the screws out.
On the subject of vacuums, recently, I did some drywall work at our house and brought my Shop-Vac home along with a sanding attachment to keep the dust to a minimum. It worked, and when my wife tried the Shop-Vac to clean up, she fell in love with it! She says it picks up so much better than any home vacuum she's used and with the hose extension, she can go up and down the stairs without carrying the vacuum up there if she doesn't need to. She said she doesn't mind the industrial look.

Darren, I know we've picked up irons for .25 each at yard sales. Now those were worth having and tossing in a year!
Of course, it's hit or miss then.

Rich

[bobbin]

I feel your pain.  I came up through the ranks of tailoring and alterations and that sort of work requires a steam iron at the ready every hour you're in the shop.  "Domestic" steam irons are not adequate.  IMO, you should look for a gravity feed iron.  Many are available and are reasonably priced. 

Make sure  you hang the reservoir well above the pressing surface.  Mine is sited on a ceiling mounted track that permits me to move the iron down the length of it at will.  I do some drapery work so longer pressing runs are commonplace for me.  The hose that carries the water to iron should not have any kinks in it.  Know your water type!  If you water is "hard" make sure you fill the reservoir with distilled water (a gallon lasts me several months) or you will have to replace the deionizing crystals more often than is necessary.  Make sure you get the heat-proof resting pad for the iron.  Make sure you take the time to close the reservoir and blow out the water that remains in the iron before you shut it off. 

I have a Sapporo that is now toast, but it lasted nearly 14 yrs. and that included a few times when I left it "on" for days on end.  My guess is that a new thermostat could well solve it's "issues".  I now own a Naomoto and it was nearly $400, but decent models are available at more moderate price points. 

IMO, a full boiler set up is not necessary for most applications.  If you're convinced the full boiler is what you need, make sure you go the extra distance and set yourself up with vacuum for the perfect press.  (I worked for years at a dry cleaning establishment and the key to really fabulous press is vacuum and the correct pressing bucks).

[wizzard]

I don't know how much or often you use your iron, but if you want something professional
just look at the doefix steam irons.
They are not cheap as it is with all pro-items, but they have great customer service and
if your iron goes bad you get it fixed by them in a very short time.
We have their complete set up with the aluminum rails etc.
I would not even look at anything else. It paid off already for a long time
http://www.dofix.com/English/Products/equipment/equipment.htm

[bobbin]

My set up is nearly exactly what Wizzard linked.  The difference is that my iron is gravity fed and the water tank runs along the track, too (there is no water to my building).  And I don't have a regulator (that's the mechanism that balances the iron for the presser) they're $50-60 and easy to add, and make pressing a lot easier on your wrists. 

Pressing equipment is great, but if you just need a reliable iron for smallish stuff I don't think you can go wrong with a gravity feed iron.  $100-200 and you're "good to go". 

[Rich]

Thanks for the replies, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to keep an eye on ebay for this.
Thanks,
Rich