Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron
by Black & Decker
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron
Customer Review: Excellent - Consumer Reports rated it #1, and now I do too!
Summary: 5 Stars
While I don't claim any brand loyalty, my last (and over 6 years old) iron was a Black and Decker Steam Advantage. It's forced steam function finally died, so I went trekking for something new.
I was quite surprised to get my first issue of Consumer reports and see that the D2030 Digital Advantage was #1 above several other $100+ Rowenta's. Their total score given was 74/100 but don't let that fool you. The second place contender was 62/100!
Just for reference, here's their take on the D2030:
Performance: 4/5
Durability: 5/5
Steaming: 4/5
Ease of Use: 4/5
Weight(lbs.): 4.1
Water Tank (oz.): 12
I am... well I WAS used to dial-turn type irons when it came to heat level adjustments. Seeing a high rating on a "digital" iron made me nervous, but hey - why not?!
There's one turn-style knob that adjusts steam output to your preferred level, and when it's fully open it puts out an impressive amount of steam. Not so much as to drown your clothes, but more than any iron I have encountered.
On top there's a digital display that displays the numbers 1-7 as you press the button. Each level is accompanied on the digital display by a fabric type, so if you have it at level 7, the display has a LARGE "7" and below that it reads "cotton". The display, by the way is backlit and large, so it's very readable for pretty much anyone who would want to.
The swivel built into the back end that keeps you from getting cord-entangled is excellent. It moves smoothly, not chunkily. It twists as well as pivots, so there's no annoying sudden POP that makes your iron shoot across that shirt you were ironing. It's the little things like this that make the D2030 impressive.
The water fill opening is near the front of the Iron, and when the iron is standing up - the hole to fill it up is 100% upright. This was a biggie for me. My previous iron needed to be held a certain way to avoid the lid and you always ended up spilling some. The lid/door on the D2030 gets WELL out of the way for filling, and the little filler cup that it comes with is absolutely PERFECT for it. No effort required here, just pop it open and pour. Ok, I COULD complain that it takes 2.5 fills of the filler cup to fill the D2030 up, but I'm not super lazy, so I won't; I'll just point it out in case that's a concern for you. =)
What else.... The steam output, again - amazing. The adjustment from little to fog machine is very precise and it's easy to make slight steam in- or de-creases. It shuts off after 10 minutes if you walk away from it - whether or not it's upright or face down. The weight is slightly heavier than most I have seen, but I can't say it's any less easy to move than any other iron I have used. 4.1lbs isn't much when most are in the 3-3.6 range and I tend to think that the weight helps with those tougher, thicker cottons.
Final thoughts: Buy it. Buy it now! You won't regret this purchase. I would have paid $200+ easily if I had been given a 7 day in-home trial.
Customer Review: Black And Decker 2030 Digital Advantage Iron - Some Small Issues, But Nice Value
Summary: 4 Stars
The Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron has a lot of nice design elements and good performance. Most of all, this unit is priced very well for the included features. Of course along with that come a few things that could have been improved. Some may opt for a higher end model, but for most people this unit's flaws should be overshadowed by the positives.
I have used more irons that would be considered *budget models* than those that could be considered *premium models*. I am aware that some brands, like Rowenta, seem to have a very loyal following. However, being very value focused I have yet to take the plunge with any of those much more expensive models. So my comments come from a user who wants the best value for the money. I am willing to accept this iron's flaws because it performs so well given the price.
PROS:
+ The iron heats up quickly and alerts you with a *beep* when it's hot
+ The weight of the iron seems evenly distributed and easily glides over clothes
+ The cord has a rotating base that allows it stay out of the way as you iron
+ A nice screen clearly displays the fabric number you select with the simple controls
+ The water reservoir seems to hold more than some of the other units I tried
+ Produces nice steam, though adjustable wheel gives less than ideal volume control
+ Also squirts water with the push of a button
+ A convenient red LED on the handle lets you know that the iron is plugged in
+ The unit gives a warning beep and automatically shuts off when not in use
+ Included 1 yr warrantee gives some peace of mind
+ The price seems very reasonable compared to a few other irons I tried and returned before settling on this one
CONS:
- Refill water with caution because the cover does seem poorly made
- There might be a shorter life with the electronic controls than plain old knobs
- Changing settings goes in order, so to change from 6 to 5, you have to go through 1-4
- May feel a little heavy to some people
- The unit beeps every time you change a setting, which can get annoying
- The steam adjustment wheel seems to go from "off" to "on" with only a little variation
Like all irons I have used, it may feel heavy for some people. I like the overall feel, and think that the weight helps with thicker fabrics. I know there are steamers that are much lighter, and some people may prefer that.
Considering the digital controls, nice steam and quick heat up time, this is a great value. I do worry about how long some of those electronics may last. On my old iron, I never had to worry about those types of parts failing. But hopefully with careful handling and storage this unit should last a long time.
Enjoy.
Customer Review: In a crowded field of irons, this stands out.
Summary: 4 Stars
I was researching irons and this was highly rated in a popular consumer ratings magazine. I took their advice and purchased it from Amazon and do not regret my decision.
The Black & Decker D2030 iron does what a iron should to. It gives you a suitable range of temperature settings, it gives you a variety of ways to apply water to the clothing you are ironing (steam, spray, surge), it has a nice long cord and it has just the right amount of heft that makes it feel like a good quality iron. The handle is very comfortable in the hand because the top side of the handle is not hard plastic like many other irons. I also like the fact that you can easily see the actual water level through the translucent water tank.
The backlit LCD digital display is easy to read and it is comforting to know that there is an auto-shutoff that will take care of any forgetfulness to unplug the iron when finished using it or if you are unexpectedly taken away from your task of ironing.
Setting temperature is accomplished by pushing a small button at the base of the LCD display until the desired fabric type is reached. I'd personally prefer a dial to choose temperature setting simply because I'm a visual kind of person and it's easier for me to dial in the right setting rather than press a button a multiple number of times to arrive at the "6" setting for cotton, for instance. But the method this iron uses is OK and I do like the audible beep that lets you know the iron has reached the selected temperature.
There only a couple things that I'm not totally pleased with...
-The provided filling container for the iron water reservoir is a joke. It is cheesy and does not hold enough water to actually fill the iron's reservoir in one fell swoop. It takes a couple trips to the faucet for that to happen.
-The cap that closes the spout where you fill the iron with water is of dubious durability. I've owned this iron for 8 months and the cap has not broken off yet, but there are numerous reports of other people not being so lucky. You do need to handle the cap gingerly because it does not seem to be very robust in its construction.
-The steam volume dial is not designed or placed very well. I am continually and inadvertently hitting the dial with my thumb while ironing which causes the dial to spin so that the steam is turned off. This is quite annoying and after 8 months, I -still- haven't been able to train myself not to hit the darn thing while I'm ironing. I'm right handed by the way and maybe this wouldn't be an issue for left handed users, although I'm not certain.
This iron performs quite well overall. I am happy with it. My wife loves it. The price is right and in spite of it's shortcomings, it rates a solid 4.
Customer Review: Consumer Reports really knows their stuff! UPDATE: Didn't quite last a year
Summary: 3 Stars
NOTE: See end for updated information
Original Review:
I was looking for a new iron and I had in mind a Rowenta. I even got as far as trying to get one at Target, but the model had been discontinued and was out-of-stock. I went home, thinking I would order it online from their website. That model was very poorly rated on the site and then also on here and epinions. So I deided to back up and see which model Consumer Reports recommended. This was it! And OH MY GOODNESS!
I host a few friends over once a month for a quilting day. They got to use this iron before I even did. It was so funny -- I heard this pitiful "No, no, no!" from the other room and I thought maybe the iron had malfunctioned and scorched something. I rush in and my friend is holding the iron and said "Why didn't I know about this iron before. Now I've got that awful one I put on my registry and I can't justify buying another expensive iron when I just got one that costs $120!" To which I replied, "Well, this one only cost me $50..." I thought she was going to throw it at me.
The iron heats up quickly, reheats quickly from auto-off, and it doesn't leak water like every other iron I've ever used (even the Rowentas). The self-clean feature is really nice, since I use starch in some of my quilting and it gunks up the iron. Now that's not a problem. I do have to re-read the instructions every time, though. I keep forgetting how it works. The only complaint I have is that the lower part of the soleplate (towards the cord) doesn't seem to iron as well as the tip. But I will say that I iron sitting down at my sewing machine so that (or my ironing board that needs more padding) might be to blame.
UPDATE:
After 10 months of daily use, the iron suddenly stopped heating up. The power came on and it knew it should be heating up but it never got hot enough to trigger the beep for the set temp. After some research, I found that there's a common problem with this model. The fuse that keeps the iron from overheating had blown and it was permanently thinking it was too hot. Great! A little $2 part from Radio Shack and I'm fixed. Not so fast... there's absolutely no way to take this puppy apart without pulling apart plastic. No screws to let you in to the inside. It looks like there are but those just hold on the foot and the plastic handle. I gave it to my hubby to play with the next time he wants to take something apart and bought a new iron. So sad... I really loved this iron. And even though it was still under warranty, it would cost me more to ship it back than to buy a new iron.
Customer Review: Impressive
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been through 2 high end Rowenta irons in 2-1/2 years. After my last one kicked the bucket, I decided to abandon the brand for something different. After spending nearly $200 on the last iron, I figured there must be a better use of the same money, so I turned to Consumer Reports. To my surprise, a Black & Decker out performed every brand tested (including one of the three Rowenta models I had). It rated #1 in 11/06, and remains there in their most recent recommendations. But $50? It couldn't possibly be better.
The test was a totally wrinkled 100% linen shirt. It was the first thing I ironed with my new purchase, and the creases melted under the B&D. I couldn't believe it.
While it lacks the visual luster, appearance and appeal of expensive irons, it also lacks the weight. The water reservoir holds 12 ounces, which makes sense since a steam iron needs water to deliver - a smaller tank means more frequent filling. Even filled to capacity, it is still lighter than my other irons half full.
The digital display makes this iron full proof. Whether coming out of auto-shut off, or from being freshly plugged in, it heats up quickly, and holds it's temperature. The cord is longer than any iron I've owned, which is a huge bonus for me.
The manufacturer recommends distilled water for regular use, and a tank of "regular" (not softened) tap water once a month. You should follow the recommendation - composition variances of water hardness can affect performance and longevity of any steam producing appliance. (Ever wonder why an iron leaks, spits out hard white bits and/or "dirty" water, and stops steaming consistently after a while?) Distilled water in this iron has performed amazingly well, producing excellent, consistent levels of steam.
One negative for me is where the steam dial is located. It is under the handle and I find that as I am ironing, I move it easily. There is no "clicking" sound, so I don't know I've moved it until I realize there's diminished steam, no steam, or too much steam. If you are used to the dial being on the top of the iron, you may have this issue, too. But, as I use it more and more, I am adjusting to the different design, and it is becoming less of a problem.
Aside from regular ironing, I sew and quilt as well. The true test will come in time - I don't know how long it will last! I've read other reviews, and it seems this will hold up to the time test. For now, I am pleased with this iron. The price is worthy of a shot, and if I "wear it out", I can get three more for the price I paid for my old one.