The Complete Handbook of Iron Accessories

It's a solid reference, I'll give it that. The chapter on steam valves alone was worth the price because I finally understood why my pressure iron kept sputtering. But I felt the chapter on brands spent too many pages on positioning and not enough on actual part numbers. For a handbook that claims to be practical, I wanted more cross-reference charts. Still, it sits on my workbench now, so I can't complain too much.

This is the book I've been looking for since I started repairing irons professionally six years ago. I've bought all the manufacturer service manuals, but this covers the entire category in one place. The troubleshooting chapter alone has saved me hours — the steam leak diagnostic logic is spot on, I followed it step by step and fixed a Phillips iron that I would have replaced. The business chapter also gave me concrete ideas for expanding my repair shop. Highly recommended for anyone serious about this trade.

I run a small dry cleaning operation and bought this mainly for the maintenance chapter. It delivers on that — the scale removal procedure for steam irons is clearly written and I've already used it twice. My only gripe is the chapter on choosing accessories could have used more photos or diagrams. Some of the soleplate descriptions are hard to match up with what's actually in front of you. Other than that, it's exactly what a working professional needs.

Decent book, but it felt more like a textbook than a handbook in parts. I was hoping for quick reference cards or at-a-glance charts I could laminate for my repair bench. Instead there's a wall of text in the installation chapter. The information is accurate, I checked it against a couple of my irons, but the format could be friendlier. The glossary at the back is genuinely useful though.

Good practical coverage of a niche topic that has needed a proper book for a long time. I appreciated the honest discussion of OEM versus aftermarket parts — the price comparison table in chapter 3 was eye-opening. I have a repair and resale side business, so the supplier positioning chapter was right up my alley. Minor complaint: the paper quality is fine but the book is heavier than it needs to be for bench work. That's nitpicking though, the content is strong.

The book knows its subject matter, I'll say that. The explanation of how steam valve calibration affects pressing quality finally made everything click for me. But I found the writing dry in places, and the chapter on future trends felt speculative compared to the rest of the book. It's a good reference to own, I just wouldn't read it cover to cover like I did. I've flipped back to the maintenance chapter several times already, so it's earning its shelf space.