recommendations for a good iron <£50 that'll last more than a year

[dollybird]

I do about 3 x 1hr a week ironing, and I can't seem to buy an iron that lasts more than a year. My current one is a Russell Hobbs but the steam's starting to fail on it. The last two were Phillips and Breville. I don't know if I'm just unlucky or iron's aren't made to last any more. I would splash out on a steam generator, but am wary of it still not lasting. Any recommendations? TIA

I think a Tefal iron on sale at Argos was recommended a few weeks ago.

You may want to check them: these two get good reviews.

• £34.99
• now £54.99.

I think ironing is a bit of a lost art on Mumsnet so you may not get that man recommendations.

many recommendations

Are you in a hard water area? Perhaps it's just furred up with limescale?

Morphy Richards. We just got the one with the best Amazon reviews around £30 as we were recommended to get Morphy Richards by family. We don't do as much ironing as you, but we iron regularly throughout the week and have had this iron for over 3 years and it looks and works like new. We do live in hard water but we have a Brita jug so we use that water in the iron.

My grandparents use a steam generator (no idea of the make I'm afraid, but also an Amazon purchase), they use it a lot as they iron all sheets, wear shirts daily etc, grandad always presses his trousers, they've had it for at least 4 or 5 years, could be longer, and no problems with it at all and still going strong. They say it breezes through the ironing.

yes, we are in a hard water area, but I regularly do the self clean. I did it this morning, and then it gave up the ghost halfway through. The steam shot button stopped working as well as the general steam being intermittent. I have a £10 sainsbury's one as a spare, but it took ages! Thanks for the tip re using filtered water - hadn't thought of that before! Will have a look at the recommendations thanks!

have been very pleased with the Phillipsd Azur, was a Which best buy, but we have softened water (you can also buy 5 litres of pure deionised water from the motoring shelf, as used in car batteries, for about £2.50, but the Brita should do the trick)

looking at current Which best buys (best first) under £50, the top few are:

Philips
GC3593 EasyCare
scored 85%
£50

Tefal
FV5370 Aquaspeed
82%
£46

Russell Hobbs
18617 Plug and Wind
scored 78%
£29

Bosch
TDA4650GB
Jan 2013
scored 77%
£49

if your wrists are strong enough, you might like a heavy iron, otherwise you have to push a light one down harder

I expect you have your own preference for a stainless sole or non-stick.

If you are in a hard-water area, the self-clean is supposed to blow through the little holes, but I think it still needs a regular descaler and rinse.