Replies

1. 
   JDRHI | Apr 10, 2007 04:00pm | #1

   I asked my brother (a plumber) this question a few years back when renovating the baths and kitchen in my own home.

   For the money Delta. Solid, dependable, durable. Replacement parts readily available. Good selection of styles and finishes.

   Only caveat.....stay away from the big boxes when purchasing. Use your local plumbing supplier. (That goes for all brands)

   Democrats.
   The other white meat.

    

    

   
   

1. 
   JonE | Apr 10, 2007 07:30pm | #2

   I bought Moen and Price Pfister for my new house, but not from a big box - I got them online.  Do you think that the parts issue with big boxes might extend to online vendors?  I do have a very good local plumbing place, but they are 99% wholesale and do not generally discount to the do-it-yourselfer. 

2. 
   jimz | Apr 11, 2007 04:29pm | #17

   Stay away from big box (store) when purchasing. Use your local plumbing supplier. (That goes for all brands)  - I’ve heard this before and wonder if this is another “urban legend”.  In the long run, if I’m XYZ, a manufacture of plumbing faucets, and my product goes bad in the field, you may be reluctant to purchase another of my faucets.  Moreover inserting plastic parts in big box faucets and brass parts in plumbing suppliers’ faucets means that I have more models and parts to manage in my facility.  Likewise discount savings from volume purchasing & production diminish.  Still I believe that if the model numbers are the same, then the guts are the same. Comments?

   jimz

1. 
   DanH | Apr 11, 2007 04:36pm | #18

   I believe you are right. More likely that the mfgr will have multiple model numbers for the same item than vice-versa.
   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

2. 
   JDRHI | Apr 11, 2007 04:48pm | #19

   The main reason I steer clear of the big box stores when it comes to fixtures is because of grazers. Too many times I've witnessed folks opening boxes to nab a small part....or even a not so small part. I don't believe these packages are much more than taped closed by the store employees when found stashed elsewhere in the store. Even if they do take a peek to inspect contents, my faith in their knowing all that is supposed to be in there is, aint strong.

   Second concern.....yes. I doubt manufacturers sell lesser products of the same model to the big box stores......but lesser quality in a different, yet similar model is likely.

   Democrats.The other white meat.

    

    

1. 
   Thaumaturge | Apr 11, 2007 05:18pm | #20

   "steer clear of the big box stores when it comes to fixtures is because of grazers"

   You are absolutely correct.

   Whenever I've bought a fixture at a big box, I spend extra time inspecting the packaging to see if it's been opened.  Once satisfied, I might still open it right then and there to check the parts.  If anything's missing, I leave it in an opened mess so that no one else will buy the thing.  (yeah I know, the store will just throw it back together anyway)

   Some manufacturers have changed their packaging to use plastic strapping so that an opened box is more obvious, but that's still no guarantee.

   Home Depot, in particular, seems to be stocking some items with part numbers unique to them (American Standard).  I'm hopeful the hardware industry does not end up like the mattress industry where you'll never see the same item in more than one store to avoid any price comparison

   I've liked Delta and Grohe and have even had decent luck with American Standard although that company has gone downhill in the past 10 years in terms of quality.

   Moen has not been a favorite of mine in the past.  I've had to replace several units.  I also have an Eljer faucet that is a big disappointment.

2. 
   grpphoto | Apr 10, 2007 07:41pm | #3

   I usually install Moen for my customers, usually bought at Lowes. I've had no callbacks, but I've only had my company up and running since 2003. I've found that parts for old Moen fixtures are readily available.

   In the house I owned years ago, I put in Price-Pfister in the kitchen, Delta in one bath, and Kohler in the main bath. I had to replace the Price-Pfister after a year or two, and I put in Moen. I had no problems after that. When I sold the house, the Delta stuff had been in service 11 years, the Moen about 9, and the Kohler about 8.

   My current house has American Standard from the '60s in both baths. I've had to replace washers, but they're readily available. I can even get original handles for these. I put a Moen faucet in the kitchen 7 years ago, and it still works well.

   George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service

3. 
   plumbbill | Apr 10, 2007 07:59pm | #4

   IMO Chicago is the best brand out there, but I mainly do commercial work.

   Chicago has a residential line, the internal parts are the same, but it is not a very common fixture & you usually have to order their residential stuff.

   After getting chewed out by every plumber out there Grohe USA has improved dramatically.

   Delta spec grade has always been reliable for a less expensive faucet.

   “When politicians and journalists declare that the science of global warming is settled, they show a regrettable ignorance about how science works.” Nigel Calder,  editor of New Scientist

4. 
   CAGIV | Apr 10, 2007 08:04pm | #5

   Our plumber stongly recommends Delta, In the last five years I can personally recall one problem with several hundred faucets we've installed.

   Kohler has never given us a problem that I recall in the last 5 years.

   One brand I will never install again is Legacy Brass.  We put one in on a bathroom not to long ago and had several issues, all resolved, however it was an un-necessary pain.  Our plumber had two other recent issues with the same company.

    

   

5. 
   wivell | Apr 10, 2007 09:00pm | #6

   Another vote for Moen.

6. 
   junkhound | Apr 10, 2007 10:44pm | #7

   Humm....

   Only time will tell..........

   I have some sears faucets (actually 7 sets) with the ceramic disk quarter turn mechanisms that were garanteed for 10 years back in 1973. Have replace the mechanism on 4 of them, 3 have never yet leaked.

   Dont even know if that type is made, have not been able to find the brass/ceramic inserts for about 10 years, cheap plastic china immitations now.

   Those would be a good deal if you have a time machine <G>

1. 
   Talisker2 | Apr 10, 2007 11:25pm | #8

   I am in the process of my kitchen remodel and installed a Delta 474NN what a beautiful faucet.  Pricey, but my first really nice unit, very well made and heavy. The spout will swing like it is on teflon bearings, very easy and smooth. BTW I bought it online for around $100+ less than the local plumb shop and about $50. cheaper than Lowes special order. 

7. 
   cynwyd | Apr 11, 2007 12:07am | #9

   A plumber I used told me, and he wasn't selling anything, just talking, that in his own house where there was an installation of a Jacuzzi type tub and he  had to bury the faucets in an inaccessible wall he choose Grohe.  

1. 
   DanT | Apr 11, 2007 12:15am | #10

   We spec Moen.  Probably have installed 200ish over the last 7 years.  2 leaked right away.  Installed a new cartridge and no more issue.  We too buy ours from our plumbing wholesaler.  We recently rebuild one that had been installed 23 years ago.  Same cartridge as today.  Same owner and had never been worked on before.  DanT

1. 
   MtnBoy | Apr 11, 2007 12:37am | #11

   Lots of good experience out there! At my count so far it looks like the most-used and favorably voted on are Moen and secondly, Delta.A custom builder I talked with recently said his standard good-better-best specs are for: Kohler(good); Moen(better); and Grohe(best). Grohe isn't in the budget.Can anyone comment on the diff. in performance for Moen over Kohler?

1. 
   RobWes | Apr 11, 2007 03:42am | #12

   Kohler is good but the parts suck in my limited experiance. The Grohe stuff installed 17 years ago has never hic-uped. I spec'd it on 2 prior higher end builds and then followed it for my own house last year.

   I was so trusting every fixture is Grohe. I hope I didn't screw up. :-)

2. 
   grpphoto | Apr 11, 2007 05:23am | #13

   > Can anyone comment on the diff. in performance for Moen over Kohler?Kohler is better, but it's higher and parts are harder to find (unless there's a Kohler distributor handy).Just my opinion.George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service

8. 
   caseyr | Apr 11, 2007 06:47am | #14

   My mom's kitchen had the lower priced Delta faucets in her house, the single handle type with the ball and rubber washers on springs. I put in three such faucets over about a ten year period. They would start to drip after about two years and replacing the ball and washers did not help, so would replace the entire faucet and get another couple of years. I finally put in oe of the single handle pull out faucets with the ceramic disk (don't remember the brand) and it hasn't dripped in five years. The hose for the pull out does cut down the velocity of the water stream considerably, however.

   My rental unit had the sister unit to the Delta, the cheap Peerless, with the same ball and washer arrangement and it has worked fine for 15 years with no problems.

1. 
   DanH | Apr 11, 2007 12:54pm | #15

   I'm impressed with the American Standard ceramic seat units they installed at the gym where I go. These units get 10x normal wear and have held up well for several years now. The "feel" is very nice as well.
   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

2. 
   DanH | Apr 11, 2007 12:56pm | #16

   Likely the lifetime of the faucet depends a lot on hard vs soft water, abrasives in the water, etc.
   So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin