# Are moen fixtures different between a big box store and a supply house



## svronthmve

Price Phister has some nice designs out there, but their quality control is cr*p! I steer my customers in a 180 direction from them. In the past, (read yrs ago), I did install them. I believe it was like a 3 out 4 chance that the fixture would be defective or missing parts. And that was in sealed boxes from the factory.


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## skyhook

svronthmve said:


> Price Phister has some nice designs out there, but their quality control is cr*p! I steer my customers in a 180 direction from them. In the past, (read yrs ago), I did install them. I believe it was like a 3 out 4 chance that the fixture would be defective or missing parts. And that was in sealed boxes from the factory.


Still better than moen imo.


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## madmax718

I like moen, but yes, its about the same. Called with the part number, they sent out the replacement part. They didn't ask where I got it from.


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## underwoodhi

MarkJames said:


> Translation: "I would concur, based on the premise described here in, that big box stores sell more crap."


HaHa:clap:


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## Chriskywst7

overanalyze said:


> It may be the same trim but not the same guts. Box store = plastic. The big difference is really the warranty or rather who honors the warranty. If sold at the box, the box is responsible to replace or repair the product. If sold at a licensed supply house, the manufacturer's warranty is valid and the manufacturer replaces or repairs the product. Thats from a Moen rep via my supply house.


Negative ghost rider all moen wants is proof that your the original purchaser and they will replace it under warrenty. I’ve had shower heads replaced cartridges replaced by moen some bought at Home Depot some bought at way fair and some bought from Ferguson’s supply. Same process no matter where you bought it


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## KAP

Chriskywst7 said:


> Negative ghost rider all moen wants is proof that your the original purchaser and they will replace it under warrenty. I’ve had shower heads replaced cartridges replaced by moen some bought at Home Depot some bought at way fair and some bought from Ferguson’s supply. Same process no matter where you bought it


Well, his post was like 8 1/2 years so things might have changed since then...


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## Kowboy

I will donate $1,000.00 to the charity of choice to the person who provides proof positive that name brand faucets purchased at big box stores are substantially different than those from your local plumbing supply house. 

I am determined to drive a stake through the heart of this myth.

And by proof, I'm talking about maybe a copy of an internal memo from Delta where the VP instructs the production people to not forget to put the cheap plastic parts in the bins for the big box manufacturing days.

Call up Delta and tell them you'll buy several hundred rail cars worth of faucets each year and see what kind of prices you can offer your customers after you do. You may like your local mom-'n-pop supplier, but they don't have that kind of purchasing power. And that's why the big box prices are untouchable, not cheaper parts.


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## Kingcarpenter1

Another 1 rises from the dead, all I know if you need parts for brand fixtures the box don’t have em. Don’t buy lumber there, ain’t gonna buy fixtures there. I’ll take Ferguson’s service instead of watching some clerk scratching his arse trying to figure out on his company phone if he’s got a cartridge even close


Mike


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## rrk

Kowboy said:


> I will donate $1,000.00 to the charity of choice to the person who provides proof positive that name brand faucets purchased at big box stores are substantially different than those from your local plumbing supply house.
> 
> I am determined to drive a stake through the heart of this myth.
> 
> And by proof, I'm talking about maybe a copy of an internal memo from Delta where the VP instructs the production people to not forget to put the cheap plastic parts in the bins for the big box manufacturing days.
> 
> Call up Delta and tell them you'll buy several hundred rail cars worth of faucets each year and see what kind of prices you can offer your customers after you do. You may like your local mom-'n-pop supplier, but they don't have that kind of purchasing power. And that's why the big box prices are untouchable, not cheaper parts.


I will gladly take your $1000, just on Moen products
Moen wholesale from supply houses - faucets are sold by model number not name, you cannot buy a moentrol faucet at home depot, just positemp. The pop ups are metal. Faucet is sold by valve body and trim 2 items

Box stores- Moen is sold by names and sometimes model numbers that are different than moen catalog wholesale numbers, appearance is very close but not exact, cartridges are different 1234 vs 1224 but the faucet body is much lighter. Popup assemblies are plastic, Faucet is sold as a package

Best way to see for yourself is to weigh the items

A customer of mine owns several manufacturing companies and has sold to the big box stores, those stores tell the mfg how much they will pay for the item and since they buy so much they will modify the item to reduce costs. The down side is the number of items that are returned which can be as high as 20% as compares to 1% at a wholesaler. The box stores also charge the mfg a fee to hold the product until they pick it up or they will just dispose of it


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## rrk

Let me know if you need my address

Bostich nail guns that were sold at HD were gold and black, any other place were all gold.


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## rrk

Moen shower valves use either positemp or moentrol carts, HD sells the moen carts and the Danco carts which dont last as long. But if a contractor calls in Moen will give you the carts for free

The moen lav faucets have different valve bodies then the wholesale 9000 valve, look at them side by side. A typical 2 handled Brushed nickel lav faucet is $300 or so at Ferguson/Build and $150 at box store


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## Kowboy

rrk:

Please read and comprehend the posts to which you are responding. You apparently missed the qualifier "substantially" in my previous post. And proof positive is more than a jumble of model numbers.


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## KAP

Kowboy said:


> rrk:
> 
> Please read and comprehend the posts to which you are responding. You apparently missed the qualifier "substantially" in my previous post. And proof positive is more than a jumble of model numbers.


Doesn't "substantially" negate your point? The point was being different from one to the next... if the models are the same, same would imply actually being the same...


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## rrk

Valves are different, waste assembly is different how much more substantially do you want ?


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## Kowboy

rrk:
"Different" doesn't mean "less quality". 

Come up with a video of a Delta employee using a secret camera to record the manufacture of lesser-quality faucets on the days they build for the big boxes please.


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## 480sparky




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## rrk

There you go, what more evidence is needed. The box stores tell the mfg how much they will pay, and when the box stores decide to have a sale the mfg eats the sale amount


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## Robie

This subject was brought up with DeWalt tools here years ago.
Big Box tells them what they'll pay and the tool manufacturer gives them their money's worth...with inferior parts.


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## rrk

Walmart, started that trend and Sears continued it. Friend said he went to main office in Bentonville Ark and walked into a waiting room filled with other vendors. When he left they said they would give him 40% less they he was hoping. They went home and changed material to save money, thought all was great until WM called fo them to pickup returns within 7 days. Over 25% were returned. Took a few more tries to get returns lower but profits plummeted.

Now he gets offers from China to reproduce any item he makes for much much less cost. They can copy anything and very hard to tell difference unless you take it apart.


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## Robie

When Dewalt was being discussed here, there was a member who worked for them at one time and said weights were glued into the cavities of the drills to make them heavier.
Heavier is good....must be rugged....right?


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