I just noticed something I found interesting.

The Kohler Cimarron Complete Solution 2-piece 1.28 GPF Single Flush Round Toilet in White

appears to be available at The Home Depot and Lowes.

However, the model number at The Home Depot is K-15409, see the link says this is exclusively available at HD.

[www.us.kohler.com];

There is also a Kohler Cimarron 2-piece 1.28 GPF Round Toilet in White, with the model number K-22907, exclusively available at Lowes.

[www.us.kohler.com];

To me it is the same specs same toilet. Why does Kohler make two model numbers one for HD one for Lowes?

1 800 4KOHLER..
ask them..

because they can

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

So you cannot "price match" since they are not identical items. The same thing happens with appliances and TVs.

....and computers and lots of other stuff.

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Not a plumber by trade but a fierce DIYer

I believe most faucet Manufacturers make lower quality products for the big box stores. If you want their better quality stuff you need to go to a real hardware store, i.e. Ace HARDWARE or Plumbing wholesale supply houses. FWIW and just my opinion.

The major difference is in the pop-up drain. DIY faucets have a plastic, or metal-plastic hybrid, while wholesalers sell faucets with an all brass pop-up. The biggest difference with DIY and big box units is that they do NOT seem to go through a "final inspection", which is why I have had customers receive units that would never have made it through a final inspection.

exactly

Kohler is now just like AS

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

I had a neighbor who bought a Kohler toilet, and called me because he had installed it six times and it still leaked. As soon as I took the tank off, it told him it would ALWAYS leak because there was big red line inside the flush opening, and I told him that was the indication of a failed inspection. But Kohler insisted that a toilet like that would NEVER leave the plant. In another case a friend had to have his drain snaked, and I had to do it through the toilet opening. A couple of days later he said it was leaking. So I reset it and it still leaked. I turned the bowl over, then asked his wife if she had a broom straw. I took the straw and pushed it through a sand hole just outside where the wax ring would seal it. The original installers either squeezed enough wax out so it covered the opening or spread wax over it to seal it. I took it back to Hughes, with the straw through the hole and even though it was out of warranty, Kohler replaced it.

I could understand if they have a different model for supply houses (better quality or better quality control) and a different one for the big box stores with different model numbers. But to have one for HD, one for Lowes seems strange to me. Does it mean the same toilet is a different number for Menards, another one for Ace Hardware? That would be a LOT of model numbers for the same thing.

All it takes is a "printing press" to change the numbers.

@ Sum: thanks for introducing new subject matter and projects. One of the best things about plumbing is that you can always be learning and growing if you choose to do the research and work.

hj is correct. Try comparing mattresses at the different chains: they all carry the same cheap, medium and expensive lines from Simmons, Sealey, Serta etc, but the fabric and model numbers are different so you cannot ever claim a "low price guarantee" payout.

No the big box stores insist on their own model #'s, and if you wanna sell your stuff there you play ball. Most of the time the store tells the mfr to build a product to meet a price point, which is why you see faucets with plastic parts. The quality merchandise engineered by companies like Delta, Moen ,etc, wind up at supply houses, because they buy it at whatever the wholesale price and mark it up, and the price is what it is. Big box store stores tell Delta, Make me a faucet that I can sell at $59.99 with 20% markup.

Sears licensed the Craftsman brand to Stanley Tools. So the Craftsman tools you buy in Ace Hardware, Lowe's, and other stores are made here in the US by Stanley, and meanwhile the Craftsman tools you buy in Sears are now cheap stuff made in China. Brands are not what they used to be.

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Not a plumber by trade but a fierce DIYer

Knowing that a Plumbers labor per hour is say $90 per hour or more depending on what's normal for your area, ask yourself how often you want him to return. Then spend what you can afford or need to. Take time to learn which products have the highest customer satisfaction rating...then pray that you make the right decision. Having an ongoing relationship with a qualified and reliable plumber that stans behind his work is important. The time to locate such a species is before you need him. A Plumbing supply house is a good place to get references but contractors are another, but there are others.

If the big box stores do carry a slightly different product then the supply house, then it is and should be a different model number. I remember some time ago I was examining a toilet at a big box store and I reached in the bottom with my hand and I can feel the inside of the tramway wasn't fully glazed even the specs said it was. I assumed this was the reason for the "big box discount". But why would that product have different model numbers at Lowe's and HD? The only reason I can think of is as hj suggested so consumers can't price match between the two stores.

As for Craftsman, Stanley is not licensing the name, Stanley outright bought out Craftsman from Sears. Sears retain the rights to keep producing their tools under that name for 15 years as long as they use the same suppliers, although I doubt Sears will survive more than 2 years. It's sad. For a long time Sesrs has been making their tools from China anyways. Their power tools were made by TTI out of Hong Kong, who also make Ryobi, Ridgid and Milwaukee power tools. The only tool from Craftsman that is still USA made is their "industrial" line hand tools, certainly not what people associate with the quality and robust tools they inherited from their grandfathers.

Stanley seems to be doing a lot of consolidation with the tools under their respective brands. Keeping the brand name recognition and introducing the same products across different brands. For example if you look at their mobile tool storage solutions, you can see the Dewalt TSTAK stackable tool cases being sold under Dewalt, in black and yellow. The same cases are also sold under the Stanley FATMAX name, but different colors a lighter yellow. They recently introduced the same cases under the Craftsman brand, called it VersaStack, and it's red and black. I kind of like the cross brand thing, as I can buy Dewalt cases and fatmax cases and craftsman cases and they are all the same except for colors. Wish they would standardize cordless batteries and chargers (haha no chance).

I wonder why Lowe's is advertising itself as the new home of Craftsman tools?

Because Stanley Black & Decker made a deal with Lowe's to have the Craftsman tools available exclusively at Lowe's.

Sears can still sell Sears Craftsman tools until they close their doors.

The SBD Craftsman and Sears Craftsman tools are totally different, batteries, chargers all different. Very confusing.

What is even more confusing is the long standing lifetime warranty old Craftsman hand tools, SBD has been dancing around how that would be carried forward, if at all.

I stand behind MY work, but NOT when it comes to defective material the customer provides.

Sears.....whats that?

Sears, and Montgomery Wards who you also may not recognize, were the two largest catalog companies a few years ago.

You forgot about Spiegel home catalogs.

Sears used to sell "Home kits" and you can mail order an entire custom home and they send that to you by train.

They were Amazon back in the days.

Think about that...…...Just shift the catalog to the internet. You already have the fulfillment portion in place. Instead you let Amazon push you out of business. That's not poor management, it's complete lack of management.

spiegels was always a lower tier catalog, without the variety of the big two.

with tongue in cheek HJ.

hj has a sense of humor akin to a brick

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

You've never seen a happy brick?

My pet rock(s) also appear happy





(my home in SC)

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638



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