Tango costs 90 gold. It has 3 charges, making each charge cost 30 gold. Iron Branch costs 50 gold.
If a tango charge is used with a planted tree, it gives double the healing (from 112 to 224). We effectively lose 20 gold at that instant for the convenience of not micro managing the buff duration (eating another tango charge would've costed only 30 gold)
Furthermore, we lose 20 hp, 12 mana, 1 attack speed and 1 attack damage when we "lose" the iron branch. These losses may seem negligible but losing 20 max hp(almost 1/3 of an average attack) also subtracks from the value of using Iron Branch to heal more.
This may seem like nitpicking, it probably is. But Dota is about optimization and gold gain in the first 10 minutes is somewhat limited. I thought I would open it up for discussion.
Btw, I really think it is a cool mechanic. I somewhat feel better when I use Iron Branch to heal, like I'm doing a strategically sound move lol. But the truth seems to direct us to the opposite direction.
It may still be important in mid. Because time and attention management are more rewarded in mid I suppose.
What do you guys think?
edit: grammar
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/DotA2/comments/11e4u3r/eating_planted_trees_from_iron_branch_is_actually/