# Faucets



## john433 (Mar 20, 2013)

Does anyone install wolverine brass faucets ? I put in a couple and they seem pretty good . The good thing is you can only buy from them so homeowner cannot get parts


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## Titletownplumbr (Feb 16, 2011)

john433 said:


> Does anyone install wolverine brass faucets ? I put in a couple and they seem pretty good . *The good thing is you can only buy from them so homeowner cannot get parts*


 
Big deal, lately most of my customers want to supply their own faucet and they're not choosing Wolverine Brass. I'm sure a homeowner could find a way to get WB if they really wanted to.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

The "plumber exclusive" is not a big deal to me any more. Too many items are available everywhere for me to compete against that.

Wolverine will never be a major player in the fixture market. Their "plumber exclusive" mindset is the reason. They have no style options that can compete with even the cheapest of retail brands. Like it or not, Mrs. Jones will often sacrifice quality in the name of style.

The retail giants and the retail consumers are in bed together and their is no separating them.


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

plbgbiz said:


> The "plumber exclusive" is not a big deal to me any more. Too many items are available everywhere for me to compete against that.
> 
> Wolverine will never be a major player in the fixture market. Their "plumber exclusive" mindset is the reason. They have no style options that can compete with even the cheapest of retail brands. Like it or not, Mrs. Jones will often sacrifice quality in the name of style.
> 
> The retail giants and the retail consumers are in bed together and their is no separating them.


Do you carry a specific brand on the trucks?


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

I agree that wolverine will never be a household name such as Grohe, Delta, or Moen. However they do have a place. If you have a website, download the wolverine Brass PD file. Let your customers shop on your web site. Customers call and we send them to our web site. You’re not competing with Home Depot or Lowes by sending them to your web site to pick a faucet.

A lot of everything and anything is how we decide to communicate with our customer. I tell the customer to go to my website to the products page and pick a faucet you like. When I am at a customer’s home we go to their computer and then go to our web site and pick one together.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

HSI said:


> Do you carry a specific brand on the trucks?


Delta.

In our service area I believe they have the best balance of quality, availability, style variety, rep support, ease of installation, consumer brand awareness, and price.

But for a fee, I will gladly install other brands as well (with zero warranty).


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

I carry WB on the truck and carry their brochure. 

Sold two WB wide spread faucets today and after demoing the PP found the center hole on the Kohler sink was to small for the shank on the spout. It is a cast sink so when her hubby gets back in town they will go to the show room to pick a new faucet. 
I need to come up with a better way to sell faucets. Have to look into Richards idea.


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## wyplumber (Feb 14, 2013)

We carry Moen faucets on our trucks and our shop stock is 90% Moen but we do carry Moen and delta catalogs for customers to look at


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2008)

I sell the heck out of WB faucets . I think they are great . 

Do the same thing Richard suggested . My website . I ONLY recommend WB ,, but will install whatever they want .

I will NEVER warranty a home crapo or blowes faucet ,,, NEVER ! 

my .02


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

plbgbiz said:


> The "plumber exclusive" is not a big deal to me any more. Too many items are available everywhere for me to compete against that.
> 
> Wolverine will never be a major player in the fixture market. Their "plumber exclusive" mindset is the reason. They have no style options that can compete with even the cheapest of retail brands. Like it or not, Mrs. Jones will often sacrifice quality in the name of style.
> 
> The retail giants and the retail consumers are in bed together and their is no separating them.


True statement... If you let the customer make an ilinformed decision.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Get stronger in your presentation skills and influence your customers decisions.


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

I will install whatever they want to pay me for. I prefer Moen or Grohe, but I have no problem with Kohler, Gerber, WB, American Standard, or Delta either, occasionally I will install a Rohl, Danze, or water works. Just depends on their check book. I only warranty faucets I supply. But i will gladly install whatever junk they want to buy with a smiling face as long as they understand that they're on their own when it breaks in a week or month down the road."Pay me now, or pay me later" I may be prejudiced against certain faucets but im not at all when it comes to money.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

We have never refused installing a particular faucet, but I have said we will never furnish and install an 1/3 h.p. g. disposal.

Tried WB for a while, style was limited. Though the reason we stopped is that we had issues with a few. Also, made the mistake of changing one out with a pitted finish, assuming it was under the lifetime finish warranty. It was an older faucet and they did not have that warranty at that time, so we ate the cost on that.

Switching back to Delta. My new catalogs were hand-delivered today.


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

Phat Cat said:


> We have never refused installing a particular faucet, but I have said we will never furnish and install an 1/3 h.p. g. disposal.
> 
> Tried WB for a while, style was limited. Though the reason we stopped is that we had issues with a few. Also, made the mistake of changing one out with a pitted finish, assuming it was under the lifetime finish warranty. It was an older faucet and they did not have that warranty at that time, so we ate the cost on that.
> 
> Switching back to Delta. My new catalogs were hand-delivered today.


I prefer kohler.. I feel their quality had held up better and the name carries more value with the customer.


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## Keefer w (Jan 26, 2012)

W.b. Have been a let down for me. In the same level a moen. There stops and hardware like that I love. My manager is all about moen. Have been impressed with hansgrohe kitchen faucets. Feel good.lots of heavy brass


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:


> I prefer kohler.. I feel their quality had held up better and the name carries more value with the customer.


Ever go to Kohler Wisconsin to tour the factory? Ferguson took me a few years ago. I wont ever complain about waiting for a Kohler part after watching them make them in person. Its a class operation. One of the last in America. If u ever get the opportunity to go do it.


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

theplumbinator said:


> Ever go to Kohler Wisconsin to tour the factory? Ferguson took me a few years ago. I wont ever complain about waiting for a Kohler part after watching them make them in person. Its a class operation. One of the last in America. If u ever get the opportunity to go do it.




I would love to go there and see that.


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## NewisCool (Apr 6, 2013)

These days it seems we are often at the mercy of underpaid assembly line workers. Get the part made on monday! Not bad  

Starts leaking..  [email protected]#$ing [email protected]#t was made on a Friday.


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## damnplumber (Jan 22, 2012)

I keep at least 2 kitchen faucetts in stock in my truck usually Moen or Delta...one with spray and one without. I like the idea of putting them on my website...


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## Titletownplumbr (Feb 16, 2011)

UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:


> I prefer kohler.. I feel their quality had held up better and the* name carries more value with the customer.[/*QUOTE]
> 
> Kohler faucets are garbage. Moen thought the same thing when they cheapened their faucets 10 - 12 yrs. ago, Delta trumps them both.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2008)

Titletownplumbr said:


> UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:
> 
> 
> > I prefer kohler.. I feel their quality had held up better and the* name carries more value with the customer.[/*QUOTE]
> ...


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

Titletownplumbr said:


> UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:
> 
> 
> > I prefer kohler.. I feel their quality had held up better and the* name carries more value with the customer.[/*QUOTE]
> ...


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## Titletownplumbr (Feb 16, 2011)

UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:


> Titletownplumbr said:
> 
> 
> > Kohler from the supply house is quality..*the pop ups are the best quality..* Kohler from box store.. Junk.
> ...


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

Titletownplumbr said:


> UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:
> 
> 
> > No they're not, Delta's full brass pop-ups are way better. I see Kohler's metal rods that hook the pop-up rust away all the time, never seen it happen once with Delta. Kohler makes decent stuff, just not their faucets.
> ...


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2008)

Honestly ,, WB pop ups are really the best ! Check one out ,,,


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Cal said:


> Honestly ,, WB pop ups are really the best ! Check one out ,,,


 
agree I just replaced Kohler pop-ups with Wb. They open up higher and are solid brass without the wagon wheel to collect debris.


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

One thing I really love about Kohler and grohe pop-ups is the fact that the stopper sits straight in the drain. Not cocked crooked looking like crap. The ones from the box stores suck cheap plastic junk. Supply house quality full brass with metal tailpiece for me all the way!


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

Cal said:


> Honestly ,, WB pop ups are really the best ! Check one out ,,,


Your actually correct on that.. I have not had a wb pop up in prob 10 years.. Kohler is the best thats available to me.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

You avoid all the nonsense above by allowing the customer to supply the product. 

One callback on the product YOU supply eats the margins of the next 3-5 callse. You're margins were slim on that faucet, remember that, and you're usually basing your time around 3 figures an hour. 


I despise the fact I'm supplying a sump pump today, would rather just have the customer supply it. Cause I know what happens if it goes dead in the next 3 years... I own that quality of product and sometimes quality takes a dump in the back seat of the car, like my dog.


You buy it, I install it, just like a delta faucet a guy got from lowe's for half price; it was missing parts. I still got the faucet in, still got paid and still getting an excellete' yelp review. 


Given that was an after hours, brushed nickel faucet install.... and out of my territorial work area, if I supplied that faucet and found that out upon opening the box? 3 hours down time and upset customer, return which would of hurt (18 miles each way to job, 50 minutes across to cincinnati) the back pocket whereby the job would of been a loss, customer satisfied but obviously the margin over the faucet wasn't going to be much. 


This customer gave me a $40 tip as well. Why? Because I made the work follow the pictures that sold him on my expertise before arrival that's on my website. 

Funny how plumbers, the majority have issues not putting their work online for all to see. I'm non-stop. Got pictures all over the internet, youtube. Even throw some out there for the critics. 

:thumbup:


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> You avoid all the nonsense above by allowing the customer to supply the product.
> 
> One callback on the product YOU supply eats the margins of the next 3-5 callse. You're margins were slim on that faucet, remember that, and you're usually basing your time around 3 figures an hour.
> 
> ...


You know the old saying. If you're getting tips you aren't charging enough.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

RW Plumbing said:


> You know the old saying. If you're getting tips you aren't charging enough.


 
$440 to do a 3 handle to single handle faucet in the wall, not supplying the faucet. 3 hours and you're complaining and I'm not.


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## Plumb Bob (Mar 9, 2011)

Titletownplumbr said:


> UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:
> 
> 
> > No they're not, Delta's full brass pop-ups are way better. I see Kohler's metal rods that hook the pop-up rust away all the time, never seen it happen once with Delta. Kohler makes decent stuff, just not their faucets.
> ...


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## Keefer w (Jan 26, 2012)

Please know the difference; grohe and hansgrohe are two separate companies. I feel grohe is crap and I very much like the quality of hansgrohe.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2008)

UN1TED-WE-PLUMB said:


> Your actually correct on that.. I have not had a wb pop up in prob 10 years.. Kohler is the best thats available to me.


 I'm actually correct ?? golly , thx . :laughing:

PM me ,I'll give you the rep for our area phone number for WB


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