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Decent waxing iron?

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FatWhore
Posts: 2213 - Karma: 1,098
Does anyone have experience with a decent waxing iron that they'd like to recommend? Looking into buying one but don't know what's the difference in a $80 one vs a $30 one. +k for any help
Apr 14 2012 8:24PM
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oil.
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,254
more precise temp control.
Apr 14 2012 8:33PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,232
i use a regular iron, for park skis/pow skis, no need to use something expensive.
Apr 14 2012 8:36PM
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Shark.
Posts: 3158 - Karma: 270
anything from the thrift store that still works
Apr 14 2012 8:38PM
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FatWhore
Posts: 2213 - Karma: 1,098
All right thanks!
Apr 14 2012 8:48PM
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benyannelli
Posts: 773 - Karma: 562
i got the dakine tuning kit with one. its not bad. it gets the job done.
Apr 14 2012 8:51PM
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Jibbin_Ur_Face
Posts: 2536 - Karma: 763
This. Any kind of iron will work. I also use an old regular iron I found in my garage and it works great. No real need for a temp gauge. Just make sure the wax isn't smoking when it is touched to the iron. I've done this for the past 3 years and its worked great!
Apr 14 2012 8:53PM
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Parks.
Posts: 5612 - Karma: 1,093
7 dollar one at walmart works fine
Apr 14 2012 8:55PM
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CalebT
Posts: 1186 - Karma: 765
what everyone has been saying pretty much. it doesnt matter as long as the wax doesn't start to smoke. although it works best when waxing to have the wax melted at the highest temperature before it starts to smoke. :)
Apr 15 2012 12:06AM
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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
Cheaper is better.. try to look for one with a temp control tho
Apr 16 2012 9:17PM
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japanada
Posts: 13784 - Karma: 1,957
Just be sure to use the lowest temp that still melts and spreads the wax. Too much heat will burn the wax, and heat up the epoxies that hold the skis together leading to delams.
Apr 16 2012 9:19PM
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hot.pocket
Posts: 4225 - Karma: 10,625
The only real reason people buy ones specifically for waxing is your typical clothes iron doesnt maintain a constant heat, it heats up to a certain point, shuts off for a while, then starts to reheat. Whereas a waxing iron stays at a constant temp.

That being said, it doesn't make enough of a difference to notice so just go pick one up from a thrift store or your mom's old one.
Apr 16 2012 9:21PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
toko makes the best irons around IMO

the reason you don't want to use a shitty iron is because they don't always have proper temp settings or even heating, this is more of a problem for racing though, not to mention they are built far worse then quality waxing specific irons
Apr 16 2012 9:22PM
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84west
Posts: 646 - Karma: 1,254
I always used a shitty travel iron i got from goodwill until i spent a winter working as a wax bitch in a shop. A nice iron isn't necessary, but if you wax a lot, then a nicer iron is worth it in my opinion.
Apr 16 2012 10:29PM
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SKI.ING
Posts: 2695 - Karma: 2,535
Get the basic Swix wax iron, and it's also rebranded by a lot of companies. I think it's 30 or 40 bucks but well worth it.
Apr 16 2012 10:50PM
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FatWhore
Posts: 2213 - Karma: 1,098
link?
Apr 16 2012 10:51PM
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dmski
Posts: 328 - Karma: 360
A buddy of mine has the one ^he's talking about. They have it on amazon, but you can buy a whole wax kit on backcountry i think?

http://www.amazon.com/Swix-Waxing-Iron-T75-Tune/dp/B000NQ7G1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334668399&sr=8-1


Apr 17 2012 9:15AM
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Jo_n
Posts: 77 - Karma: 50
I got a used one at the D.I and it works fine for me
Apr 17 2012 9:40AM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Find the oldest iron you can. Something with a really thick sole will hold constant heat better than a thin sole. Otherwise just a cheap iron preferably with no steam holes. My old boss used to work for Swix with the Canadian world cup team and the two irons we used in the shop were just old clothes irons which lasted longer than wax irons.

If you do want to spend a little cash, Holmenkohl's SmartWaxer is pretty good for the money, I've had one for 3 years and still going strong.
Apr 17 2012 10:40AM
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Sklar
Posts: 8864 - Karma: 31,612
i got a cheap swix iron, and it really sucks
i like my old clothes iron A LOT better, the cheap swix(which i think might be the same as the dakine?)is terrible
Apr 17 2012 11:09AM
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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
Whats the matter with it?
Apr 17 2012 3:24PM
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Sklar
Posts: 8864 - Karma: 31,612
sorry, i replied in class

the temperature is nowhere near constant across the iron, and the temperature of the iron as a whole fluctuates, too.
Any wax I put on, at nearly any temp high enough to actually melt the wax, will start smoking sooner or later.
Apr 17 2012 3:28PM
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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
No worries man but thanks you just saved me 30 bucks haha
Apr 17 2012 5:07PM
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dmski
Posts: 328 - Karma: 360
asked the guy that owns the cheap swix one and he said just go with a cheap clothing iron. I use that and it works fine. Just make sure it has a smooth enough metal base.
Apr 17 2012 5:47PM
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Rossberger
Posts: 768 - Karma: 168
Sorry to threadjack but I was looking for irons as well, does it matter if I got one with holes? I heard something about how the holes cause wax to remain, making the air it's being used in hazardous to breathe?
Apr 17 2012 5:56PM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
Click for larger image

I've used an iron like this for the work I do at ON3P, we only had to replace it this year after thousands of hours of operation and thousands of pairs of skis. Scratches and burrs in the metal base can be easily avoided with a good scrub with a scotch-brite pad, and I usually just duct tape the temp control knob once I've found the perfect setting.
Apr 17 2012 6:06PM
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SKI.ING
Posts: 2695 - Karma: 2,535
My swix iron has worked fine, especially for the money.
Apr 17 2012 8:05PM
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eyyomang
Posts: 36 - Karma: 15
Just an old iron that you dont use for clothes any more works great.
Thats what I've always used and you'll save alot of money too
Apr 17 2012 9:31PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
I need an iron, which means I also need a trip to goodwill
Apr 17 2012 10:58PM
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jahplaze
Posts: 53 - Karma: 67
Swix iron has good settings for different temps
Apr 18 2012 8:43PM
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BrewskiJr
Posts: 5738 - Karma: 1,478
Love my swix iron. It was decenty cheap too
Apr 18 2012 11:14PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6657 - Karma: 10,893
Maybe this is the gear snob in me coupled with working in a shop for a long time, but I would never use a clothing iron on my skis. I like my skis, and I want to keep them happy. I've seen too many customers burn their bases because they used a clothing iron. Burning wax is one thing, but I would not want to burn my bases.

Like Rowen said earlier, a good iron does a super good job and lasts a long time. You don't need to go out and spend $300 on a digital iron, but spending $75ish on an iron will be a good investment especially if you wax your skis every week.
Apr 20 2012 9:17AM
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