Reliable Digital Velocity V100 Compact Vapor Generator Iron

To qualify my opinion I use this for quilting, general ironing and garment making. I owned a clothing alteration shop & used commercial irons which take up too much room in my home sewing space otherwise I would buy a commercial unit for home use. This is the 2nd time I have purchased the iron. I attributed the failure to suddenly stop heating to the number of times I have knocked it from the ironing board to the floor. Some of the 1 star reviews complained about that problem. The first couple of times I dropped it caused it to leak around the fill hole so couldn't fill it full. It NEVER spit, gave me steam when I asked for it. I don't quite get why one would want steam on low heat. I use the highest heat setting almost all the time and haven't had any issues. I love the weight as I don't have to put my weight on it, the iron does the pressing. Don't use the spray feature, doesn't spray a large enough area. What I looked for the first time I bought this was a 4 lb, NO auto shut off, large water tank, metal sole plate, good steam and reliability. I live in area with treated city water & used tap water even though instructions say to use distilled water. My quilter friend also bought one on my recommendation and she has not complained at all. She isn't as careless as I. I only gave 4 stars because of the failure to heat. I really hope it fizzled out because of tap water and being dropped on it's head several times. I'd be a little fizzled too if I was treated that badly.

Although the publicity states that this is made by a Canadian company, it is actually made cheaply in China. Although it ironed as well but not better than my Rowenta 8800 I returned it to Amazon because:1. The sole plate is made in China from cheap Chinese stainless steel, the kind that stained right away and spread the stain on my trial pieces. Stainless steel is not all the same quality; this one is low quality. I don't know where the stains came from but they were difficult to remove because unlike the Rowenta, it has a satin finish sole instead of a polished stainless sole. I also did not like the filler, awkward to use and cheaply built like the rest of the iron.2. It is supposed to have a very precise digital control allowing the user to select high steam but low sole temperature so that the iron will not shine or burnish your clothes. It does have those controls, just like on the expensive steam generators but even on the lowest sole temperature setting with high steam selected, it immediately put a shine on my trial silk and linen pieces, even on cotton the temperature was too high when set on the lowest setting.3. It spits, very impolite.4. It is one pound heavier than the Rowenta and it is big.So it would be a nice $55.00 iron but it certainly is not worth the retail price.

I would actually rate this 4.5 stars. I use this iron for my quilting projects and so far I love it. It has a heavy, solid feel to it and I like the grip. The buttons to regulate the heat are handy to the fingers while holding it and the display panel is easy to read. I've had a few instances where I know my previous irons would not have ironed out the wrinkles and this iron did - the piece became literally "wrinkle-free." I use the steam feature most of the time and I don't feel that the water reservoir needs to be refilled too often (other reviews stated that it did). I have, however, had a couple instances where water did leak. For that reason, I give it a 4.5. Maybe I used it before the water was totally heated? I'll have to keep a closer eye on that.

I researched for a very long time before spending my hard earned money on what some would call an extravagance. I know that ironing is not as popular as it used to be, but I'm almost 59 yrs old and I still don't like wrinkled clothes for me or my husband. We both work in an office setting and want to look our best, so yes, I iron our clothes, instead of just throwing them on straight from the dryer and out the door. Call us old-fashioned or old-school, but we don't like the casual look of wrinkles.Also, I am a seamstress and sew a lot. After going through 3 Rowenta's and many, many, other brands just to have them spit dirty water and spot my new fabrics was too much for me. They all went in the trash when I ordered this Reliable iron. It is absolutely a dream come true because it does exactly what it's supposed to do -- iron with lots of steam (no sizing or starch needed) and absolutely no wrinkles are left. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this iron!! It's a little heavier that my previous irons, but I don't have to push down as hard either. I do use the max steam setting most times, so of course I need to refill the water chamber more often, but the end results are so worth it. I use the small measuring cup with the perfect spout that came with it and only use distilled water, like the manual instructs. Some have said that the measurement markings are hard to read (behind the blue window) and you don't know when you've reached the full mark, but a trick I learned is to shine a very small flashlight on the water level as I'm filling. It works like a charm for me and not a single overflow has happened.To sum it up, the iron is perfect for me and I highly recommend it. If you're searching for your 'dream' iron too -- this is it! You will not be disappointed.

As an avid quilter I use my iron daily. This is hands down the best yet. For ironing fabric yardage just out of the drier it is a dream. The irons weight seems to melt the wrinkles right out. My husband irons his own dress shirts using the steam feature. He said the water well is big enough that the need to refill is cut down. No leaks. He had done the research and selected this make and model. We used Amazon to find the best price. I am very happy.UPDATE: 2012 and the rubber of the hand grip is Disintegrating? Do I grip to tightly? I think not. The tiny black crumble dust must not be ironed into you clothes. It melts. For the price of this iron, I did not anticipate it to fall apart.