Big Box Stores - Plumbing Fixtures Inferior to a Plumbing Supply Store?

[Elton Noway]

From time to time I see questions from DIY'ers asking why or how their local plumbing supply store can charge twice the price for the same Delta or Moen etc. kitchen faucet that is sold at their local big box stores. The most common response is "the big box stores are selling a modified or or less expensive version of the same design. (i.e., more plastic, less brass, cheaper finish material etc)" Other responses claim "the big box stores can sell the fixtures cheaper because they get a volume discount due to the large quantities they sell."
FYI: I'm tired of the $130 kitchen faucets that are cosmetically beat and/or need overhauling or replacing every 10 years. I'll be happy to pay $500 or more for a faucet from a plumbing supply store "if" the price increase buys me a better quality fixture.
NET: Is there any truth to the statements that big box stores sell a cheaper product of less quality i.e., manufactured at a lower cost?

 

[PlumbNuts]

NET: Is there any truth to the statements that big box stores sell a cheaper product of less quality i.e., manufactured at a lower cost?

It is a fact and it does not pertain to just plumbing.
It has been a while now but I had the opportunity to hold two Moen "Brantford" lavatory faucets, one in each hand, one from my plumbing supplier and one from Lowes, both in their original packaging unopened,the weight difference was very noticeable. The one from my supplier was at least 10% heavier.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[wwhitney]

The one from my supplier was at least 10% heavier.

Did the packaging show different model numbers or other difference?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Many plumbing fixtures purchaseable at the box stores have model numbers unique to the box store or to retail only items. The first time I'd experienced it first hand way way back in the 90s when I found a Kohler faucet that I had installed many times but when I found this faucet the body was plastic and split apart.. the faucets that I had furnished and installed were brass bodies.

Look at the 1/4 turn angle stops you can get at HD.. they have plastic balls.. the version I buy have all brass construction. (for a time when they went Lead Free, I was getting the same plastic garbage tho)

I can't say that all of them are that way, but many are. But since I don't buy at the box stores (tho some of my contractors are specifying box store specific models now.. ugh) I don't really get a chance to see them first hand.

 

[Weekend Handyman]

I am not a Pro, but anyone can shop at the supply houses in my area. My impression is that some of the brands carried by the supply house are better (e.g Uponor PEX A vs. Coldex PEX A). However, I think a Moen Faucet X would be exactly the same at both places ... think of how much more expensive it would be for Moen to make multiple versions of the same faucet. I think where you might see a difference is when a they changes the faucet, there is some older stock at one location and some newer stock at another location.

 

[Terry]

Home Center Moen's will add an 8 in front of the model number.
They do ask for cheaper versions of products there. Typically a plastic drain instead of a brass drain. More plastic every chance they get.
And yes, you can often tell by the weight of the box, same faucet name at times, different number on the box.

STIHL chainsaws refused to deal with them and kept their own outlets for their products.

 

[Jeff H Young]

I think same part number same product. . but there is also more junk at big box store you gotta watch out .
some of the stuff at a regular plumbing supply is way over priced and much is of same quality

 

[PlumbNuts]

Did the packaging show different model numbers or other difference?

Cheers, Wayne

I said "two Moen "Brantford" lavatory faucets"!
A Brantford model is a Brantford model regardless of the number on the box!
The OP's question was "Is there any truth to the statements that big box stores sell a cheaper product of less quality i.e., manufactured at a lower cost?" not "are there different model numbers for the same faucet?"
If I go to Lowes and purchase a Moen Brantford and can go to Ferguson and purchase a Moen Brantford but they are manufactured differently then the answer to his question is YES. Two different Brantford Models, one inferior to be sold at box stores.

 

[hj]

My experience has been that the difference is in the quality inspections. It's as if there is NO "final" inspection. EVERYTHING is sent to the "big box"k and YOU are the final inspector. If it is "bad", but not so bad you have to remove it and exchange it, then they are ahead, because they do not have to "scrap:" it. I have had customers receive items that were so badly made that the manufacturers say, "impossible, they would NEVER leave the factory if they were that bad:.

 

[wwhitney]

A Brantford model is a Brantford model regardless of the number on the box!

Not sure why you seemed to find my question offensive. I'm asking about differences in model number or packaging simply to understand how to recognize the issue. If I'm dealing with an unopened product that I didn't personally go out and buy, can I tell by looking at it which version it is?

If it's an actual difference in manufacturing specs, hopefully the answer is yes; otherwise every product I specify would need to have "chain of custody" documentation to tell which channel it was procured through.

In some sense if the issue is that product sold through the big box stores skips the final inspection, but otherwise is identical, that's worse. In that you can only tell by opening it up and doing your own inspection.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Jeff H Young]

Its been 2003 since I did tract work and I think all the moen delta and pp had gone to a lot of plastic and we did 3 or 4 hundred homes a year everything from supply house . So cheap faucets equal to home depot are not available? agree that much of HD is crap though

 

[Gsmith22]

I said "two Moen "Brantford" lavatory faucets"!
A Brantford model is a Brantford model regardless of the number on the box!
The OP's question was "Is there any truth to the statements that big box stores sell a cheaper product of less quality i.e., manufactured at a lower cost?" not "are there different model numbers for the same faucet?"
If I go to Lowes and purchase a Moen Brantford and can go to Ferguson and purchase a Moen Brantford but they are manufactured differently then the answer to his question is YES. Two different Brantford Models, one inferior to be sold at box stores.

This isn't correct. Naming is usually where the "lie" occurs and is most likely going to be the same or very similar between big box or supply house. If you want to know if two products named the same thing are in fact different internally, look at the model number or UPC. They can't legally have the same model number/UPC for two different products. So if there is a difference, the model number typically identifies that. It is extremely common for brands to make model number specific products for a specific retailers. I would focus on model number exclusively if you want to identify differences across seemingly the same named product.

 

[Jeff H Young]

It seems to me that my former employer was able to buy inferior product from supply house as well.
I went and got 6 escutions the other day they were a buck and a half each 1.57 , I was kinda pissed but oh well already paid they were real nice but I think I usually pay under a quarter but you think I'm buying a hundred of those to put under some apartment heck no. I'll go online and order 30 or something soon or buy at home depot next time I'm not paying those prices . I think the contractor and the homeowner getting the shaft from both of them and Ferggies and big box. But I think quality is better at supply house even if they rip you on prices If money is no object always buy from the supply house , I buy where price, quality, and convenience meet , too much hassle to only pick one because they all have negative and positive

 

[PlumbNuts]

This isn't correct. Naming is usually where the "lie" occurs and is most likely going to be the same or very similar between big box or supply house. If you want to know if two products named the same thing are in fact different internally, look at the model number or UPC. They can't legally have the same model number/UPC for two different products. So if there is a difference, the model number typically identifies that. It is extremely common for brands to make model number specific products for a specific retailers. I would focus on model number exclusively if you want to identify differences across seemingly the same named product.

Wow, that is startling new facts. Had you not come along and set me straight I would have spent the rest of my life convinced that the one Brantford faucet was exactly the same model as the other Brantford model. I know I had them both in my hands at the exact same time, I can not for the life of me figure out how I got it so wrong.