Rowenta DG8430 Pro Precision 1800-Watt Steam Iron Station Stainless Steel Soleplate, 400-Hole, Purple

**Product updateAfter two years this iron is still working well. I have absolutely no regrets with this purchase, and feel although somewhat pricey, was the best choice. It has cut down our ironing times by about 80%. It's so efficient, Just a few passes with the steamer and the wrinkles are out. It leaked in the beginning, most likely because the reservoir was overfilled accidentally. Don't let it run dry would be my biggest advice. We used tap and well water, without problems. Not sure what the manufacturer has to say about the water types, but there's been no issues. It's a quality iron, very useful. It takes the headaches out of ironing. My rating has been increased from 4 to 5 stars, as we never thought it would last this long.I debated and shopped a lot before deciding to make the plunge, and purchase this iron. There were multiple reviews read, price comparisons and then more reading and debating. Overall, I'm glad I made the purchase and wonder how in the world I kept my sanity without this type of iron. It has cut my ironing times in more than half. The passes made with this iron is a clean-sweep. It is very efficient and powerful. I will never use a "traditional" iron again. The steam station type irons are definitely the way to go. I used to hate ironing, because it took so long to take out wrinkles, especially in cotton. Our household is a cotton family due to skin and sensory issues, and that means lots of ironing out wrinkles.Pros:Powerful steam ironCut your ironing time way downActually enjoy ironing for the first time in my lifePRECISE ironing, gets into those hard to reach corners of the button shirts, nooks and crannies, piece of cake!Easy to set upEasy to useI like that it has to be unplugged to turn it off. To me, it's a matter of safety especially with kids running around. I don't have to worry about forgetting to turn it off, I just pull the plug out.Cons:It can be loud when the water is loading up for steam. It's not annoying, it's fine and doesn't last forever.It's finicky and needs care. For example, it leaked on me only once, and that was because I over filled the water chamber. I no longer overfill the water chamber, in fact, I only fill it once the iron sensor tells me the water is too low.It's a bit bulky, but all the steam based irons are like this. It just takes getting used to.When steaming items vertically, the steamer poops out after about a minute, then it has to reload water from the chamber, then you wait until it's warm enough again. This is not a problem if you have a shirt, and can use short boosts. But with my heavy blazers, it's too time consuming and didn't seem to be very efficient for that type of fabric.To make it even better, I invested in a larger ironing board, so I'm an ironing machine mama now!What I've concluded is that this iron is excellent for the price range it is in. It seems that I would have to buy the more expensive brands that are about twice as much in price to get my bulky materials (wool blazers) to steam in the vertical position. For every day family ironing, this is an awesome iron that will get it done really fast. Shirts, pants, blouses, kids clothes, you name it, it's done. Just treat it with care and she will be good to you.*UpdateI've owned this iron for a few years now- it is a work horse and still going strong. I highly recommend this product. Don't over fill the water chamber. Allow time for it to fully power up. Enjoy!

Below is my previous review for the DG8430 and I only gave it 1 star. This is my review on the DG8520 and I'm giving it 4 stars since I haven't used it that much as yet. Prior to buying this DG8520, I asked two questions.First, was there an on/off switch since the DG8430 didn't have one? (I suggested in my prior review using a power strip.) The responses I got said "no" but this isn't true...the DG8520 DOES have an on/off switch...YAY!My second question was...does it use a pump? Again, I got replies that were vague or had no clue about the pump. Well, the DG8520 DOES have a pump. Thankfully, it works better than the pump in the DG8430. Mine would run out of steam and I'd have to wait for the pump to finally work, then wait for steam. Not so with this newer model. Far better, in fact, but not perfect (thus the 4 stars).As mentioned in my previous review, I wear a lot of cotton/linen and want a constant stream of steam. Plus, being handicapped, using a power strip wasn't easy for me. All-in-all, the switch and the pump action are meeting with my approval.Before you buy, make sure you're getting the DG8520, not the DG8430.~~~~~Preview review (DG8430) - Gave it ultimately 1 star:I'm allergic to polyesters, acrylics, microfiber and wool. With that said, I wear a lot of cottons and linens; therefore, I need an iron that makes pressing them quick and easy since I'm also handicapped. I've been using various Rowenta irons for many, many years. My favorite has been the Superpress 050, but decided to upgrade to a newer model based on speed of heat up, plus not having to wait for it to cool before adding more water, etc.So far, I'm grossly disappointed in the Pro Precision Steam Station (DG8430). The tank itself has no on/off switch...which means you have to plug and unplug it. I'm sure they thought this would be a safety feature, but if a switch works properly (as it did with the Superpress), this shouldn't be a problem. For me, I ending up plugging it into a surge protector power strip so I can turn it on and off with my foot since my handicap makes it hard for me to bend over. Secondly, it runs out of steam before it pumps water into the tank to make more. So, there's a lag. Also, the instructions say when more water needs to be added, the steam light will flash. Not so. The workaround I've done for this is to add water to the tank every few garments being careful not to overfill. This helps by keeping a water flow to the tank for (mostly, but not always) continuous steam.I have a Rowenta ironing board. The Superpress 050 fit on on the side bracket really well. The Pro Precision is too large and has to be set on a separate surface. What on earth were the engineers thinking?I do like the micro holes. It does make for a more uniform spread of the steam.I promised to pass on my Superpress 050 (it still works great) to someone who can't afford one and I hate being an "Indian Giver". The jury's still out on whether I'll keep this or not. I hate disappointing my friend, but I also don't want to be stuck with an inferior iron, especially a pricey one. I've given it 2 stars based on the micro holes otherwise, I'd give it a one star rating.Update: I was unable to return this iron. The "return window" is very small and the seller will not refund if box has been opened (at least, that's what I understood). How on earth can you test an iron without opening the box. This tells me they know this iron is inferior.I still struggle with it. It stops steaming when pressing. The instructions say if this happens, it's probably caused by the ironing board. Well, my ironing board is also made by Rowenta and I'm only using what was supplied...no added padding, etc.Don't buy it!! I have reduced the stars from 2 to 1. Buy the Superpress 050 if it's still available.