i haven't had any leaks or the such from mine and i have been using it daily for about 2 years. I have probably knocked it off the ironing board at least 6 or 7 times, and it still is up and running like a champ.

i also like the grip on the iron.

i find using this bad boyto be a pleasant ironing expierience (even though i dont honestly like to iron).

Don't jump to conclusions with the other reviews. Maybe they got duds or something, but I can't complain a bit about mine. It also cleans very very easily. I do use water from my PUR filter, even though the manual says its not necessary. i'm not sure if this makes a difference or not, but it has stayed very clean and i see little or no calcium deposits. I don't even use the self cleaning thingy on it.

There are nicer irons out there i'm sure, and you will pay for them in price. At one time i thought it was important to have a heavy iron, but this one is pretty damn lightweight which seems to make it an ideal unit for those with lazy or weak arms,

Like i said, it steams better than any of my other previous irons and i would honestly rate it being as nice, or possibly better than my mom's Rawanta (or however you spell it). I'm not sure her model, but i knew it wasn't cheap (around 130 bucks).

Also the attachment piece that displaces the iron plate from your clothing works really good on slacks. i have some silk slacks that hang great after using it. That in itself makes me a happy ironer.

As for the others who had bad expieriences, i feel sorry for them. Braun is really good with customer service and i own a lot of thier products.
I'm surprised to see the other reviewers so disappointed. So if you are ballsy, give it a shot... the non-stainless type finish (some patented crap i can't remember what it is called) rocks the fact that the iron is pretty lighter in weight will leave you with plenty of zest to iron till the cows come home.

now that i think about it, maybe the other ironing 'pros' (?naive domesticated slaves?) might need to read the manual or something. it does offer a few pointers for a stellar ironing expierience. but then again who likes to read manuals right? :-)

"Not Impressed"
I've used this iron for a couple of weeks now and really it does no better than the $25 Black & Decker I used to have. This one has more "bells and whistles" but really other than good steam I don't need a fancy looking iron. And that extra plate thingy they give you is a waste...in my opinion, I'll never use it.

There are also some problems with water spots/drips onto the fabric even after the iron is warmed up. I bought it at Bed Bath & Beyond for $60 so that's the only reason I'm keeping it :) If I ever need another iron I'll get a Rowenta.

"Bad Product"
I am on my second iron. They all shut off and do not turn back on, result water shoots out and stains clothes.

My second one will be returned ASAP.

"Any Iron will work better than this"
I wouldn't recommend this iron to anyone!!, you could grab any iron and it'll perform better than this one. I brought this iron back in 2002 and it worked fine for like a month and ever since it has failed to perform all the special stuff it's suppose to do. The worst scenarios I face is when water drips out of the iron face plate. I'll try to return it back to braun if possible, I'm lazy.

"Don't buy this iron."
I bought this iron in December 2002 and it has never worked properly. It shuts itself off in about a minute or two leaving watermaks on whatever I am ironing. It will not come back on unless I unplug and replug it. I am sending it back to Braun.