Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've recently gotten this Black & Decker D6000 iron and also currently own the Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron (I have posted my review of that iron previously on the D2030 product page). Regarding the D2030, overall I am very happy with the D2030 iron with one or two quibbles, the most problematic of which is that I constantly, but inadvertently, turn off the steam while ironing because of the placement of the steam dial. It's positioning coincides with where my thumb naturally wants to rest while ironing. As a result I am always accidentally turning off the steam. The D6000 resolves that problem since the steam control is no longer a dial, but a button that is placed on the top front area of the handle. So in that regard, this iron improves upon the D2030. However in almost all other areas, this iron is actually not as good an iron as the D2030 as I'll explain.
As others have noted, this iron is quite heavy. I found using this iron for any length of time to be more fatiguing than the D2030. The D2030 is not a light weight iron and actually the "heft" of the iron feels solid and just about right. My wife complained immediately about how heavy the D6000 iron felt to her. I weighed the D6000, without water, and it tipped the scale at 3 lb, 11oz. Compared to the D2030 that weighs, without water, 2lb, 15oz. So this iron is nearly a pound heavier than the D2030... that's significant difference. It can be debated whether a heavier iron makes a more efficient iron or not, but the reality is that it is a heavy iron to use and some people may find it too heavy to use for extended periods of time.
Another issue is the water fill cover. Unlike the D2030 that can be filled when the iron is standing vertically on it's heel plate, the D6000 can only be filled when it is in the horizontal position, or the active ironing position. This is extremely poor design because it means that you have to fill the iron, probably while it is still really hot, with the hot soleplate just sitting on your ironing board cover. Furthermore, the water fill cover lifts open in such a way that it is more difficult then necessary to pour water into the reservoir with a standard measuring cup. You are unable to get the lip of the cup close enough to the water fill hole since the lid is sticking straight up into the air effectively blocking your attempt to get close to the hold with your cup. Black and Decker does not include any sort of cup with a pointy spout to facilitate this either. The end result is that you end up spilling water as you attempt to fill the reservoir. I also noticed some water spilling out of the closed filling spout when I tipped the iron back up on its soleplate. It seems that this might even be dangerous since the heat control buttons and backlight display are in the path of the dripping water.
The reservoir holds approximately 14 oz of water which sounds like a lot, but I was amazed at how quickly it depletes. The iron produces great steam but the water empties quickly as a result. If it were easier to fill, that wouldn't be a real problem, but it becomes a problem since it isn't that easy to fill.
I also noticed that the cord of the D6000 is almost 2 feet shorter than the cord length of the D2030. It's not a short cord by any means, but it is significantly shorter than the D2030 cord.
If you are a "cord wrapper", this iron falls short because you will discover that the design of this iron prevents you from wrapping the cord around the iron for storage. The front of the iron is sloped plastic with no way for the cord to nestle into anything that will enable you to wrap the cord around it.
The iron does have conveniently placed controls. The temperature is controlled by two buttons, one on either side of the front part of the handle. The left button turns the iron up through the various settings while the right button turns the iron down. The top of the handle also has two buttons that control the spray and shot-of-steam functions. A button for "auto clean" is located on the top of the water reservoir cover, underneath the handle.
A nicely backlit display indicates the various iron functions which makes it easy to see what functions you have enabled.
The iron was quick to achieve desired temperature and also features an auto-shutoff if you leave the iron unattended.
But the biggest problem with the iron that I had is that it lets water, not just steam, sputter out of the soleplate when ironing. When the iron is brand new, this isn't an issue. But as the iron begins to accumulate mineral deposits, this will be a big problem. If you've ever ironed a white shirt and had mineral deposits spit out of your iron, you know how it can stain the fabric. For this reason alone, I would avoid this iron.
Overall I was disappointed with the D6000 iron. In spite of the couple of control improvements over the D2030, the other things wrong with the iron make the D2030 a better choice (and at a significantly lower cost).
Pros:
-Quick to reach temperature
-Control buttons are well-placed
-Iron produces a lot of steam
Cons:
-Difficult to fill with water and can't be filled in the vertical position.
-Water sputters out of soleplate when ironing with the potential to stain your clothing.
-Iron is quite heavy which makes it tiring to use
I'd suggest looking at the Black and Decker D2030 which avoids most of the problems that this iron has.Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron
Click Here to see more reviews about: Black & Decker D6000 All-Temp Steam Iron with Stainless-Steel Soleplate
Smooth out wrinkles quickly and easily with this versatile iron. The unit features an INOX stainless-steel soleplate for effortless, gentle gliding, plus a narrow, rounded tip that works well for getting into pleats, between buttons, and along seams. The iron's digital control panel with a blue backlit display makes it simple to set the desired temperature, while its thumb-activated push buttons allow for engaging the spray-mist and steam-surge functions. Best of all, the iron comes equipped with Smart Steam technology, which generates steam at high temperatures automatically, as well as All-Temp Steam technology, which makes steam an option at every temperature setting, even when ironing the most delicate of fabrics like acrylic, nylon, and polyester. Use the iron on a flat surface for traditional ironing or hold it upright for vertically steaming wrinkles out of curtains or hanging garments. For safety and peace of mind, the iron will shut off automatically if left inactive on its soleplate, tipped over on its side, or left vertically on its heel rest. Other highlights include a large translucent water tank, a Comfort Grip handle, a 360-degree pivoting cord, a non-slip heel rest, an anti-drip system that prevents water spotting even at low temperatures, and an Auto Clean system for keeping the steam vents free from buildup. Powerful and easy-to-use, the iron measures approximately 12 by 5 by 6-2/7 inches. From the Manufacturer A Host of Helpful Features
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