Threw $150 down the drain on a cheap seam iron from Amazon

I bought a no-name seam iron off Amazon last month because I was between jobs and didn't want to spend $400 on a decent one. It worked okay for about 50 linear feet, then the heating element just died in the middle of a living room seam. I had to finish the whole job with a borrowed iron from a buddy down the street, which wasted like 3 hours of my day. Anyone else get burned by cheaping out on tools?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice_wilson737d ago

My neighbor Bill had the exact same thing happen with a $120 iron off eBay. The heating element shorted out after about 40 feet and it actually sparked, scared him half to death. He ended up having to scrap the whole section of carpet because the melted plastic from the iron left black marks that wouldn't come out no matter what he tried. Its not just the money lost on the tool, its the cost of the wasted materials and your time that really adds up. I think these companies know exactly what they are doing, making the heating elements just good enough to last a job or two before they give out.

william8167d ago

Oh man, that is brutal! I did the exact same thing last year. Bought a cheap knockoff iron for $130 because I was trying to save a buck, and it literally caught on fire after about 30 feet of welding. The handle got so hot I burned my palm, and the plastic base melted into the carpet I was trying to fix. I had to rip the whole sheet out and start over because the goo wouldn't come off. Ended up buying a real one anyway, plus the cost of the ruined carpet. Those cheap ones are just a trap, they always fail right when you need them most.