Does anyone know if a moen faucet purchased from a plumbing supply is of better quality than the same one purchased from a home depot. I have a friend who claims the one from home depot is of lessor quality. Same question for a honda lawnmower purchased from a honda dealer vs home depot
big box quality vs authorized dealer
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I heard this on a home improvement program for what that's worth.
Also, the box store had once told me that he did not have a heavy brass unit from Moen I was looking for … but suggested a plumbing supply.
This was after a faucet on my outdoor kitchen froze and cracked about 4 years back. The brass wound up an American Standard (Mexico, LoL) unit has actually been through a colder spell and no issues.
Also, the box store had once told me that he did not have a heavy brass unit from Moen I was looking for … but suggested a plumbing supply.
This was after a faucet on my outdoor kitchen froze and cracked about 4 years back. The brass wound up an American Standard (Mexico, LoL) unit has actually been through a colder spell and no issues.
If the exact same model number then I say both are the same. But certainly they can manufacture a cheaper line of products for HomeDepot with special model numbers.
Originally Posted by Donald
If the exact same model number then I say both are the same. But certainly they can manufacture a cheaper line of products for HomeDepot with special model numbers.
+1. If the faucet model number is listed on Moen's own web site, it's not one made solely for Home Depot or Lowe's. The big box stores dictate their own specifications for products like these to be made for their stores.
If the exact same model number then I say both are the same. But certainly they can manufacture a cheaper line of products for HomeDepot with special model numbers.
+1. If the faucet model number is listed on Moen's own web site, it's not one made solely for Home Depot or Lowe's. The big box stores dictate their own specifications for products like these to be made for their stores.
Even the Home Depot quality Moen is better than any Pfister!
Originally Posted by raaizin
Does anyone know if a moen faucet purchased from a plumbing supply is of better quality than the same one purchased from a home depot. I have a friend who claims the one from home depot is of lessor quality. Same question for a honda lawnmower purchased from a honda dealer vs home depot
Don't know about faucets for sure, but manufacturers do run batch production for certain clients with high volume and with different specs even if the part nbr is the same. The part nbr is there to ensure fit not quality.
My own experience with a Toro lawnmower at Home Depot: Bought it, took it home, tried to start it and the the 3rd pull it locked, took it back and got my money.
Went to a dealer bought the very same mower paid $350 more and have had it for 10 yrs with no problems. The dealer told me that even though they look the same have the same model they are not built the same. With that $ difference it cannot be only volume there must be a built difference. Have heard that all big names sold through big chain stores get their products from batches. Very myopic attitude by the manufacturers who may not realize in full the damage they do to their name.
Does anyone know if a moen faucet purchased from a plumbing supply is of better quality than the same one purchased from a home depot. I have a friend who claims the one from home depot is of lessor quality. Same question for a honda lawnmower purchased from a honda dealer vs home depot
Don't know about faucets for sure, but manufacturers do run batch production for certain clients with high volume and with different specs even if the part nbr is the same. The part nbr is there to ensure fit not quality.
My own experience with a Toro lawnmower at Home Depot: Bought it, took it home, tried to start it and the the 3rd pull it locked, took it back and got my money.
Went to a dealer bought the very same mower paid $350 more and have had it for 10 yrs with no problems. The dealer told me that even though they look the same have the same model they are not built the same. With that $ difference it cannot be only volume there must be a built difference. Have heard that all big names sold through big chain stores get their products from batches. Very myopic attitude by the manufacturers who may not realize in full the damage they do to their name.
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My parents' house had Moens that were original from when the house was built in 1954 and all still worked perfectly!
Originally Posted by Pelican
With that $ difference it cannot be only volume there must be a built difference.
Or the equipment dealer has a significantly higher overhead compared to a big box store, requiring him to sell all his products at a higher mark-up. He counters this by reinforcing the often held belief that identical products bought from a dealer are far superior. Conveniently, there are enough buyers out there that believe it and this keeps his doors open.
I've also heard that Mobil 1 bought at Wal Mart is completely different and far inferior to Mobil 1 bought at a parts store
With that $ difference it cannot be only volume there must be a built difference.
Or the equipment dealer has a significantly higher overhead compared to a big box store, requiring him to sell all his products at a higher mark-up. He counters this by reinforcing the often held belief that identical products bought from a dealer are far superior. Conveniently, there are enough buyers out there that believe it and this keeps his doors open.
I've also heard that Mobil 1 bought at Wal Mart is completely different and far inferior to Mobil 1 bought at a parts store
Originally Posted by Pelican
Don't know about faucets for sure, but manufacturers do run batch production for certain clients with high volume and with different specs even if the part nbr is the same. The part nbr is there to ensure fit not quality.
That's a load of crap and laughable. Sadly, people keep perpetuating this myth and it continues to hang around.... As soon as I read this, I thought to myself, "I wonder who told him this" and you obliged....
Originally Posted by Pelican
Went to a dealer bought the very same mower paid $350 more and have had it for 10 yrs with no problems. The dealer told me that even though they look the same have the same model they are not built the same.
For what it's worth, the local John Deere/ Ferris / Stihl / Honda dealer told me the opposite. He said I can buy the exact same Honda lawn mower(s) at Home Depot or from him. I jokingly asked him about that internet myth that HD gets lower quality models and he laughed. His response was "why would Honda do that to their reputation ? It still says 'Honda' on the mower."
Don't know about faucets for sure, but manufacturers do run batch production for certain clients with high volume and with different specs even if the part nbr is the same. The part nbr is there to ensure fit not quality.
That's a load of crap and laughable. Sadly, people keep perpetuating this myth and it continues to hang around.... As soon as I read this, I thought to myself, "I wonder who told him this" and you obliged....
Originally Posted by Pelican
Went to a dealer bought the very same mower paid $350 more and have had it for 10 yrs with no problems. The dealer told me that even though they look the same have the same model they are not built the same.
For what it's worth, the local John Deere/ Ferris / Stihl / Honda dealer told me the opposite. He said I can buy the exact same Honda lawn mower(s) at Home Depot or from him. I jokingly asked him about that internet myth that HD gets lower quality models and he laughed. His response was "why would Honda do that to their reputation ? It still says 'Honda' on the mower."
Some items are identical and some are of lesser quality depending upon the product. For example some of the Moen faucets made just for Depot and Lowes have ABS chrome plated waste and overflow drains whereas the regular Moen product is metal. Also a couple of years ago a Toro riding mower in big box had some plastic parts whereas the one sold by deals were metal.
The Depot tells the manufacturer what price point they want to sell so the manufacturer has to come up with "innovative" ways to reach that price. Case in point, a friend of mine was manufacturing an electric window candle which was completely different from anything on the market at the time. A big box store approached him and said they wanted his product but it had to sell for $39.00 retail and they needed a certain markup. They told him to make it work whatever he had to do and they would give him a large order. My friend declined because he was concerned about potential product safety issues. So be careful especially with special purchases by the store. All is not always the same.
The Depot tells the manufacturer what price point they want to sell so the manufacturer has to come up with "innovative" ways to reach that price. Case in point, a friend of mine was manufacturing an electric window candle which was completely different from anything on the market at the time. A big box store approached him and said they wanted his product but it had to sell for $39.00 retail and they needed a certain markup. They told him to make it work whatever he had to do and they would give him a large order. My friend declined because he was concerned about potential product safety issues. So be careful especially with special purchases by the store. All is not always the same.
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I remember years back when I sold shoes at this certain dept store,we had big brand running shoes that were model specific to that store only,all the way down to the model and sku numbers. It even said " *insert dept store name* exclusive model only"
What you find in a big box is definitely lower quality, the question is, will you, the end user, notice the difference or care? If you care, then you don't shop at a big box for the things that matter most to you. For generic needs, a big box will be just fine.
Big box yard equipment, all of it is made by MTD, so those once trusted brands, such as Toro, Cub Cadet, Murray, etc., are literally all the same with slightly different body work and paint. Look up MTD for yourself, you will see they own just about all of the consumer grade brands, and they do not support anything that was built previous to their acquisition of that particular brand.
Lumber, H.D. lumber is a much lesser quality than what you will find in an actual lumberyard. Boards have more knots and more sap running out of them. I find that the lumber is often deformed, a lot of wane or other damage is present as well. A #2 pine board is actually a #3 or #4 (lower grades), again, more knots, sap, and defects than what you will find in a dedicated lumberyard or quality material supplier. Wood fencing is definitely a lower grade than what you will find elsewhere, and now they're stocking a lot of fence material that is basically pulp wood that has been stained to look like a higher grade/quality of material.
The business practices and ethics of H.D. are questionable at best as well, if that sort of thing shapes where you spend your dollars.
Big box yard equipment, all of it is made by MTD, so those once trusted brands, such as Toro, Cub Cadet, Murray, etc., are literally all the same with slightly different body work and paint. Look up MTD for yourself, you will see they own just about all of the consumer grade brands, and they do not support anything that was built previous to their acquisition of that particular brand.
Lumber, H.D. lumber is a much lesser quality than what you will find in an actual lumberyard. Boards have more knots and more sap running out of them. I find that the lumber is often deformed, a lot of wane or other damage is present as well. A #2 pine board is actually a #3 or #4 (lower grades), again, more knots, sap, and defects than what you will find in a dedicated lumberyard or quality material supplier. Wood fencing is definitely a lower grade than what you will find elsewhere, and now they're stocking a lot of fence material that is basically pulp wood that has been stained to look like a higher grade/quality of material.
The business practices and ethics of H.D. are questionable at best as well, if that sort of thing shapes where you spend your dollars.
I have no idea about the faucet, but the Honda mower is exactly the same. Honda says so on their website and will tell you the same if you call them...
I had 2 different plumbers tell me the same thing when I was getting estimates for a re-pipe.
I was going to purchase my own faucets to save a little, and both said (without me asking) that I should buy them at a plumbing supply store (several around me) and not Lowes or Home Depot for the exact reason, that the big box stores had lower quality products.
I was going to purchase my own faucets to save a little, and both said (without me asking) that I should buy them at a plumbing supply store (several around me) and not Lowes or Home Depot for the exact reason, that the big box stores had lower quality products.
Yeah, it's usually false. It's a made up justification to account for the higher overhead and lower volume. What about a large volume retailer being able to sell for less because they make more on volume?
Also in manufacturing, it costs more to run a separate line. So making to separate products just costs the manufacturer more money. There are usually certain minor things they might, like on their hot water tanks, they might have a plastic drain valve instead of a brass one, but it's usually a minor difference. I've bought lots of stuff from the big box stores and they've lasted for quite a while. But if you buy enough stuff, eventually you're going to run into a defective item here and there.
Also in manufacturing, it costs more to run a separate line. So making to separate products just costs the manufacturer more money. There are usually certain minor things they might, like on their hot water tanks, they might have a plastic drain valve instead of a brass one, but it's usually a minor difference. I've bought lots of stuff from the big box stores and they've lasted for quite a while. But if you buy enough stuff, eventually you're going to run into a defective item here and there.
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This subject is wide and long … faucets can run $200 to $2000 so at some price point both the OP's brand and the box store vanished … Like I posted … the box could not even sell me a solid brass faucet with metal parts …
(they can special order)
There are numerous contractors and plumber websites … in addition to sites selling high end stuff.
Getting where the whole unit at Home Depot is throw away …
(they can special order)
There are numerous contractors and plumber websites … in addition to sites selling high end stuff.
Getting where the whole unit at Home Depot is throw away …
Actually there can be SIMILAR products but the part numbers WILL be slightly different for a big box store vs a specific dealer on SOME items from SOME manufacturers. Indeed those items sold at the discounters will be very similar to the higher priced item not found there, and some of the differences can be significant, or not, it all depends.
Originally Posted by A_Spruce
Big box yard equipment, all of it is made by MTD, so those once trusted brands, such as Toro, Cub Cadet, Murray, etc., are literally all the same with slightly different body work and paint. Look up MTD for yourself, you will see they own just about all of the consumer grade brands, and they do not support anything that was built previous to their acquisition of that particular brand.
Umm, no. Toro is not made by MTD. (They did have a line of lawn tractors under the Toro name sold at Home Depot that were at one time, but that's it.)
If it has the same model number, its the same product sold at HD as it is elsewhere. You can buy the same low end push mowers at HD or an authorized retailer, but you can't find the premium stuff at HD.
Big box yard equipment, all of it is made by MTD, so those once trusted brands, such as Toro, Cub Cadet, Murray, etc., are literally all the same with slightly different body work and paint. Look up MTD for yourself, you will see they own just about all of the consumer grade brands, and they do not support anything that was built previous to their acquisition of that particular brand.
Umm, no. Toro is not made by MTD. (They did have a line of lawn tractors under the Toro name sold at Home Depot that were at one time, but that's it.)
If it has the same model number, its the same product sold at HD as it is elsewhere. You can buy the same low end push mowers at HD or an authorized retailer, but you can't find the premium stuff at HD.
Originally Posted by 4WD
This subject is wide and long … faucets can run $200 to $2000 so at some price point both the OP's brand and the box store vanished … Like I posted … the box could not even sell me a solid brass faucet with metal parts …
(they can special order)
There are numerous contractors and plumber websites … in addition to sites selling high end stuff.
Getting where the whole unit at Home Depot is throw away …
I'm not really sure what your point is. Home Depot sells stuff that sells in volume and their lower overhead and higher volume leads to lower prices. If you're looking for a low volume item and want someone to take your order like they do at the plumbing supply house, then it's going to cost more money. That's basically why the plumbers like the plumbing supply houses, you walk in, tell them what you want and they get everything for you. Very fast, but expensive to have that kind of staff on hand and they carry a lot more stuff than Home Depot. On the other hand, the last time I had a plumber spend about 2k at the plumbing supply house, several standard items like 3/4 copper pipe was much cheaper at Home Depot, but they only carried about 3/4 of the stuff we bought. Plumber probably saved time not having to look all over the place for all the parts plus he would have had to make a second trip to get the stuff that Home Depot doesn't carry. And yeah, stuff like 3/4 copper pipe or electrical cable is the same stuff no matter where you buy it. That's obvious of course. But somehow more complex stuff people think is different.
This subject is wide and long … faucets can run $200 to $2000 so at some price point both the OP's brand and the box store vanished … Like I posted … the box could not even sell me a solid brass faucet with metal parts …
(they can special order)
There are numerous contractors and plumber websites … in addition to sites selling high end stuff.
Getting where the whole unit at Home Depot is throw away …
I'm not really sure what your point is. Home Depot sells stuff that sells in volume and their lower overhead and higher volume leads to lower prices. If you're looking for a low volume item and want someone to take your order like they do at the plumbing supply house, then it's going to cost more money. That's basically why the plumbers like the plumbing supply houses, you walk in, tell them what you want and they get everything for you. Very fast, but expensive to have that kind of staff on hand and they carry a lot more stuff than Home Depot. On the other hand, the last time I had a plumber spend about 2k at the plumbing supply house, several standard items like 3/4 copper pipe was much cheaper at Home Depot, but they only carried about 3/4 of the stuff we bought. Plumber probably saved time not having to look all over the place for all the parts plus he would have had to make a second trip to get the stuff that Home Depot doesn't carry. And yeah, stuff like 3/4 copper pipe or electrical cable is the same stuff no matter where you buy it. That's obvious of course. But somehow more complex stuff people think is different.
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