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Over 100,000 Threads 500,000 Plumbing Posts
Plbg.com also known as the PlumbingForum.com. The popular plumbing tips, remodel and advice forum and blog. Ask any toilet, sink, faucet, pump, water quality and plumbing related questions.
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Author:
cl newman (WI)
I was looking at bathroom and kitchen faucets at lowes and home depot and liked a few. My plumber told me that the quality of those fixtures were not the same as at the supply houses. This does not make sense to me. I found a moen for example that looked like the same exact style as in the supply houses catalog. When I asked him how they could be different he said the gauge of metal or steel was inferior at the do it yourself stores like lowes and home depot. Can this be true?
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Author:
Wheelchair
I am sure that you will also notice the sku's will differ from one big box store to another. This makes comparison shopping more difficult, as well as price matching. If purchasing from a big box store, don't purchase an open or tape-again box.
You can also call each manufacturer and them for a better referenced answer.
Best Wishes
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Author:
dlh (TX)
take a bathroom sink faucet that comes with the pop up drain piece for instance, you will find the faucet at the big box will have a plastic piece where the supply house is going to have a brass one just as an example. you can buy a brass one at the big box for $20-$40 more but it will most likely be 22 guage verses the supply houses 17 guage
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Author:
hj
It is my opinion, borne out by long experience, that the difference is in the inspection process. The big box stores seem to get a large quantity of "defective" merchandise that you do not detect until after it is installed. Then you either keep it, so the company made money on it, or waste your time removing it, then exchanging it, and finally reinstalling the new one. If this happens it does not cost the company anything because they would have scrapped it anyway during a good inspection.
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Author:
jimmy-o (CA)
Here's the bottom line: Would you expect the faucet that is $75 to be equal or better than the one that is $150? There is no free lunch. Yes, the big boys have buying power, but they are also fronting very high margins! The board of directors DEMANDS that. You simply cannot expect those two items to always be identical.
Are there cases where the big guys and the local supplier have exactly the same item...be it a faucet, a stick of pipe, a wrench...etc.... YES. But overall, you have to expect the big guys are buying a "different" product to sell it at their price point.
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Author:
waukeshaplumbing (WI)
if you take any faucet from HD right off the shelf its pretty much a 100% guarantee it will be different than the supply house version....most HD stuff is now a completely different line...they sell a line just for HD that a plumber cant get from his supply house
if your talking about ordering it from HD from a catalog there's pretty good odds it WILL be the same as the supply house version....from what ive found the cost is very similar or MORE than the plumber charges.....ive also had a lot of issues with damaged items and faucets that take 2 months to get....HD will say they will get it in 2 weeks, but what if it takes them 6 weeks and your project is delayed
get the fixtures from your plumber...he will keep the job on schedule and get you the highest quality products
Home Depot products often have no QA....the Consumer is the QA...thats why you find a high amount of defective products there...thats why they can sell a Kohler Cimerron toilet for less than i can even get one for...they have blemishes and defects....you save a few bucks and get junk and problems in return.....but HD has the lowest price
home depot sells B-grade products...some of their items even say B-grade right on the box (look at the schlag door hardware)
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Author:
LemonPlumber (FL)
If you will repair this life time warrantied product your self worry not.If your plumber is going to make the future repairs???Follow his advise.For fifty bucks you get upgraded free replacements?LOL!!!
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Author:
Wheelchair
As you can tell this issue is a "hot potato" with many opinions. I would call Moen's corporate 800 number and ask them the same question and see how they answer. Moen may have created this issue and should be allowed to justify any answer they provide. If it differs from any answer here, please let us all know.
Thanks,
Best Wishes
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Author:
hj
I doubt that there is any way they are going to admit that they send "inferior" grade items to the big box stores. When a customer had seriously defective Kohler toilet, and it waa marked as a "defective" reject, I called Kohler and they said that a toilet like that would NEVER have left the factory.
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Author:
LemonPlumber (FL)
HJ?call them.not lessor/just different by omitted/defined plumbers use.Not just a plastic pop up.but the surface ring thicker, "does hold water at edge".Long story short answer.
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