LaureStar steam iron?

[Gymrat76]

Hey guys,

Anyone owns one of these irons? They're a professional series steam iron used by laundromatts... able to iron 2-4 layers of clothing with one burst of steam.. uses dry steam technology. as thinking of getting one, since my wife and I HATE ironing, and this will enable us to greatly speed up our ironing.

Its available in Tangs, and there are a few models. Cost from $300+ to well over $1k. I was looking at the $600+ model, since tomorrow and Wed got rebates at Tangs for Citibank cards. Just wanna know if anyone who has used it have any comments to share.. thanks!

Swiss made... webbie here http://www.laurastar.com/

 

[Clown]

yo bro!
from what i know hor, the steam iron is not enough. u still need a special table/ironing board that uses vacuum action to hold the fabric down while u iron.
recently was at a shoot in a factory in cambodia where i learnt this.
if dun have the table hor, the clothes at the bottom layers sure will have lines one.

 

[Gymrat76]

yo bro!
from what i know hor, the steam iron is not enough. u still need a special table/ironing board that uses vacuum action to hold the fabric down while u iron.
recently was at a shoot in a factory in cambodia where i learnt this.
if dun have the table hor, the clothes at the bottom layers sure will have lines one.

Really? Last time I saw the demo, the guy said can use normal ironing board..only that the LauraStar board has the vacuum effect you talked about, to hold fabrics such as silks etc from slipping off the board. Thx for feedback, will check with the guy again when I head down (probably with some of my clothes for him to demo/iron) :bsmilie:

 

[Parchiao]

If you truly hate ironing, buy those 100% cotton shirts that explicitly says something along the line of anti-crease or 100% wrinkle free. Such shirts require very little effort in ironing, and stays relatively wrinkle free throughout the day. A good iron may help, but if the quality of the shirt is bad, the creases will appear in no time at all. Also, good steam irons like these only helps to reduce the effort to iron, but you would still have to go through the entire shirt or pants. I had the same thinking as you, but after much deliberation, settled for a good $200 odd iron, one that allows for a reasonable amount of steam without all the dripping, and spent money on very good shirts (about $60 odd) that looks good throughout the day.

 

[Sjourn]

$600 for a steam iron????:bigeyes: :bigeyes:

What's the difference between a $30 iron and a $600 iron? Is one gold plated?

 

[Parchiao]

For the uninitiated, nothing much. But when you have to go through a family's worth of clothes to iron on the weekends, you will feel the difference between the better irons from the el cheapo ones. Sometime technique plays part too i.e. directly spraying a mist of water onto the garments, hang them up for a while for the water to settle before you iron is one way. A good wide ironing board does play a part too. Good steam irons with high pressure play a big part, and good quality materials used in clothes is equaly important.

 

[seankyh]

I am waiting for the made in china one :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Tetrode]

Really? Last time I saw the demo, the guy said can use normal ironing board..only that the LauraStar board has the vacuum effect you talked about, to hold fabrics such as silks etc from slipping off the board. Thx for feedback, will check with the guy again when I head down (probably with some of my clothes for him to demo/iron) :bsmilie:

You'll need an ironing board that has a grill table top (to allow the steam to pass through) instead of the ones with random ventilation holes punched in. The latter tends to trap the steam and will cause the metal frame to rust over time.

You don't need the ironing board with the vacuum hold down but it is handy to have.

Depending on the model you get, the main disadvantage of steam irons is the time it takes to heat up the water. So if you want to iron a shirt quickly just before step out of the house, you are out of luck. It takes about 10-15mins to bring the water to a boil and before you get steam out of it.

The lower end models can't be refilled on the go, so you have to wait the 10-15mins after you have refilled the chamber once it is depleted. No big deal in the whole scheme of things as one refill lasts for about an hour of ironing(depending on how many items you do within that hour). You can have a cup of coffee and a rest while you wait for it to reheat.

However, once they get going, they do make the task of ironing hell of a lot easier and your clothes come out looking nicer than they would with an electric iron.

 

[Gymrat76]

You'll need an ironing board that has a grill table top (to allow the steam to pass through) instead of the ones with random ventilation holes punched in. The latter tends to trap the steam and will cause the metal frame to rust over time.

You don't need the ironing board with the vacuum hold down but it is handy to have.

Depending on the model you get, the main disadvantage of steam irons is the time it takes to heat up the water. So if you want to iron a shirt quickly just before step out of the house, you are out of luck. It takes about 10-15mins to bring the water to a boil and before you get steam out of it.

The lower end models can't be refilled on the go, so you have to wait the 10-15mins after you have refilled the chamber once it is depleted. No big deal in the whole scheme of things as one refill lasts for about an hour of ironing(depending on how many items you do within that hour). You can have a cup of coffee and a rest while you wait for it to reheat.

However, once they get going, they do make the task of ironing hell of a lot easier and your clothes come out looking nicer than they would with an electric iron.

Thanks... do you own one of these irons? You seem to know a lot about them.

My ironing board is of the grill-type on the bottom, so no problems using this iron. And this model (the $639) can be refilled whenever. Its the cheaper $300+ model that needs a cooling down period before water can be filled in. Anyway, will check again when I drop by Tangs tomorrow. Appreciate all the comments so far, keep em coming. Thanks!

 

[Tetrode]

Thanks... do you own one of these irons? You seem to know a lot about them.

My ironing board is of the grill-type on the bottom, so no problems using this iron. And this model (the $639) can be refilled whenever. Its the cheaper $300+ model that needs a cooling down period before water can be filled in. Anyway, will check again when I drop by Tangs tomorrow. Appreciate all the comments so far, keep em coming. Thanks!

Yes, I own the cheapest model in the line. I don't iron that much to justify paying the $300 extra - bought mine 2 yrs ago. I did my research before buying - like always. The chap at Tangs is a nice guy - I bought the iron off him - he is still there I believe.

Yes the one that can be refilled is the one to get - their most popular model - it used to be lime green in colour but I think the new model comes in white.

 

[Gymrat76]

Yes, I own the cheapest model in the line. I don't iron that much to justify paying the $300 extra - bought mine 2 yrs ago. I did my research before buying - like always. The chap at Tangs is a nice guy - I bought the iron off him - he is still there I believe.

Yes the one that can be refilled is the one to get - their most popular model - it used to be lime green in colour but I think the new model comes in white.

OK thanks.. we typically 'save' all the clothes till the end of the week (or two!) so there's a small mountain of unironed clothes waiting all the time, so I think yes, the refillable one will be a better option for us... From what I heard the last time, after ironing with the LauraStar, the clothes tend not to be so easily crumpled compared to ordinary steam irons.

How long have you had this iron, and any comments (good or bad) about its performance, ease of use or servicing etc? Thx mate!

 

[Tetrode]

OK thanks.. we typically 'save' all the clothes till the end of the week (or two!) so there's a small mountain of unironed clothes waiting all the time, so I think yes, the refillable one will be a better option for us... From what I heard the last time, after ironing with the LauraStar, the clothes tend not to be so easily crumpled compared to ordinary steam irons.

How long have you had this iron, and any comments (good or bad) about its performance, ease of use or servicing etc? Thx mate!

Like I mentioned earlier - about two years. Nothing bad except waiting time, performance wise, what you've heard is correct, clothes tend to stay crease free longer. One big advantage is the need for less effort when ironing. You don't need so much elbow grease and you get through more clothes in the same amount of time (barring the waiting time) than you would with an electric iron. You'll do shirts in half the time you than you normally would and get those razor sharp creases that electric irons can't really give you.

You can also remove creases by spraying jets of steam over an item hanging off a hanger (like they do at some clothes boutiques)instead of ironing the traditional way.

Ours unit is used weekly and it has been great over the two years. There isn't much that can go wrong with it.

btw the model we got is still available according to the website - it is the FIRST G1.

 

[Gymrat76]

Thanks Tetrode,

I got my unit earlier today and just went through a mountain of unironed laundry.. phew... took a bit getting used to, but I found my cotton polo-tees (which I wear for work) much easier to iron out -one pass with steam and the creases were gone. Still haven't figured out how to properly iron my wife's skirts with the 2 million pleats.. :angry:

I had one particularly thick linen shirt that no matter how much I steam-ironed it, I could stlll see fine creases on it.. ever encounter this?

Another thing is what Clown mentioned... on my ironing board (new design grilled one) I could still see faint lines when I ironed my clothes on it.. perhaps the layer of cloth is too thin on top? :think:

Anyway, a good buy I think, especially with the 10% off at Tangs today and the 12% rebate when using Citibank credit card :thumbsup:

 

[Tetrode]

Thanks Tetrode,

I got my unit earlier today and just went through a mountain of unironed laundry.. phew... took a bit getting used to, but I found my cotton polo-tees (which I wear for work) much easier to iron out -one pass with steam and the creases were gone. Still haven't figured out how to properly iron my wife's skirts with the 2 million pleats.. :angry:

I had one particularly thick linen shirt that no matter how much I steam-ironed it, I could stlll see fine creases on it.. ever encounter this?

Another thing is what Clown mentioned... on my ironing board (new design grilled one) I could still see faint lines when I ironed my clothes on it.. perhaps the layer of cloth is too thin on top? :think:

Anyway, a good buy I think, especially with the 10% off at Tangs today and the 12% rebate when using Citibank credit card :thumbsup:

No worries, you're welcome.
You should get some tips from the salesguy, he'll have a few tricks up his sleeve. I learnt most of it from his demos.

Linen(cotton) as a norm is pretty hard to rid of creases, you might need to use some spray on starch. Available from most supermarts.

A padded cover is what you need - available in various sizes. If your board is a well-known brand, there should be custom made available covers for it. Check Tangs or Robinsons.

Good buy. I paid $399 for mine but I got a new washing machine for $72 out of that. The offer two years ago was spend $500 at Tangs Basement and get a new LG washing machine for $72.

 

[Gymrat76]

No worries, you're welcome.
You should get some tips from the salesguy, he'll have a few tricks up his sleeve. I learnt most of it from his demos.

Linen(cotton) as a norm is pretty hard to rid of creases, you might need to use some spray on starch. Available from most supermarts.

A padded cover is what you need - available in various sizes. If your board is a well-known brand, there should be custom made available covers for it. Check Tangs or Robinsons.

Good buy. I paid $399 for mine but I got a new washing machine for $72 out of that. The offer two years ago was spend $500 at Tangs Basement and get a new LG washing machine for $72.

A good deal indeed. I believe the model you bought, the G1 now costs $499, or at least, thats the cheapest model they have currently

The sales guy,Vincent, I think was quite helpful. Told me to go back and see him whenever I'm around to learn more tricks... will send the wife instead

Padded cover eh? My board is one of those European-brand ones, can't recall the name. I thought they only sold the replacement pad, which is the standard pad that came with the board. Not sure if they have a thicker type, but will look.

Do you iron with the softpressing soleplate on all the time? Manual said to use for delicate fabrics but the salesguy seemed to use it all the time..?


Just put another load into the washer, so can iron again on Friday... think my wife knew this would happen and allowed me to buy :bsmilie:

 

[Clown]

haha... u're now addicted to ironing.

 

[Gymrat76]

haha... u're now addicted to ironing.

Heheh... no lar, just 'backside itchy' cause of new toy. I'm sure I'll get bored pretty soon and pass it back to my Minister of Home Affairs :bsmilie:

 

[Clown]

haha.. they should make irons to have optional accessories so the u'll be permanently stuck to playing with it. =p

 

[Tetrode]

A good deal indeed. I believe the model you bought, the G1 now costs $499, or at least, thats the cheapest model they have currently

The sales guy,Vincent, I think was quite helpful. Told me to go back and see him whenever I'm around to learn more tricks... will send the wife instead

Padded cover eh? My board is one of those European-brand ones, can't recall the name. I thought they only sold the replacement pad, which is the standard pad that came with the board. Not sure if they have a thicker type, but will look.

Do you iron with the softpressing soleplate on all the time? Manual said to use for delicate fabrics but the salesguy seemed to use it all the time..?


Just put another load into the washer, so can iron again on Friday... think my wife knew this would happen and allowed me to buy :bsmilie:

No, we took it off because it seemed to get in the way. Yes, the guy demo'd the iron with the thing on all the time. Perhaps we need more practice. :bsmilie: