Are Kohler Acrylic Tubs worth the price?

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Bill Berner

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We are remodeling and considering a free standing tub. I notice the Kohler tubs, even with out the extras like super jets, seem to cost significantly more than other brands.

I would appreciate any opinions on whether the cost difference reflects better materials, manufacturing, or design. Or is it just extra money for the Kohler name? Thanks in advance for any advice.
 

Cacher_Chick

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The price is higher than many, but I would expect that of a U.S. company. There is also a lot of junk out there, so I think it worth something to buy from a reputable name.

If you shop around, you will also find a huge difference between the list pricing and what might be offered by the retailers.
 

FullySprinklered

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I almost never know what fixtures cost, so I'm not able to make a comparison of the relative cost/ quality of the Kohler line. The fixtures arrive on the job with no input from me and I install them.
The word "Moxie" comes to mind when I think about Kohler. Because most people nowadays seem to think the world began the day they were born, words may tend to take on a meaning different from the original intent. The original Moxie was a soft drink that wasn't as good as it's reputation. People would occasionally buy one after enough time passed for them to forget that it wasn't all that smoking good after all.
I installed a Kohler Archer 2594-0 last month. It was a nice-looking tub and I think it would hold up until the next bathroom remodel. It was a peculiar two part tub with a "shroud". The tub you see drops down into a tub that forms the sides of the tub. The shroud has three French loaf pans in the bottom filled with some kind of plastic into which the finish tub imbeds itself at the factory. You place the shroud and make a hole for the plumbing, then drop the finish tub into the base. The tub has a very specific waste and overflow requirement as the overflow is a horizontal slot. The overflow has a head that resembles a vacuum cleaner attachment, and is attached to the vertical part of the w/o via a large nut/ball joint which allows you to connect to the tee at something like a 90 degree angle. You must choose your faucet set very carefully since the overflow takes up so much space in the center of the tub. Not centering the valve would create limited eye appeal, but it can be done. I dropped flex lines for the supplies through the floor and put my stops in the basement ceiling.
 

Bill Berner

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Thanks so much for the information on the Kohler installation. Now I'm wondering if we'll revert back to the Toto that is Cast Iron. Do you have any experience with that unit?

Thanks again.
 

Cacher_Chick

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You cannot really compare a Kohler cast iron tub to anything else on the market, as there hundreds of thousands of them in service at this very moment. I have never seen Toto cast iron tubs, as I would guess that they are few and far between, at least here in the Midwest.

There is only one benefit to a tub which is not cast iron, and that is the reduced weight for moving and installing it. Once it is installed, that benefit is gone.
 
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