# Home Depot vs supply house



## gear junkie

Didn't want to get the "customer supplied material" thread off track so I started this one. What's the difference between a delta faucet from HD vs fergusons? The only thing I see is that HD is cheaper in cost. Used to be that a delta faucet from fergusons came with a brass pop up but this is no longer the case. Why buy a garbage disposal for 173 from ferguson when I can get the same one at hd for 164?


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## Plumberman

Down here its the same, but you sacrifice quality by buying from home despair and blowes. The same exact brand of faucet is cheaper but the internal pieces are plastic or not even there. Plus they don't carry repair parts for a lot of what they sell. Fergs will as do other supply houses. Its cheaper but you get what you pay for.


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## user4

For the guys that do service work, buying from the home centers is funding your competition, they are trying to undercut your pricing and steal your customer base. Our company has no fear of competition from the home centers and we still don't buy from them unless we have no choice.


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## Wiser

Lowes tub/shower faucets do not have integral stops. Plus you are funding the competition - our Lowes & Home Depot will do the install too at a price most plumbing companies won't accept as fair. They sell cheap products and offer cheap plumbing service.


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## thekctermite

Plumbcrazy said:


> Lowes tub/shower faucets do not have integral stops. Plus you are funding the competition - our Lowes & Home Depot will do the install too at a price most plumbing companies won't accept as fair. They sell cheap products and offer cheap plumbing service.


Their subcontracted installers are often the bottom of the barrel bottom-dollar outfits. I cringe every time I know I have to inspect their work, because it is often sub-par. A couple years back we had to call a meeting with a box store manager due to the level of their installers' workmanship...We had done several inspections with huge dents in the water heaters. Vents not connected. No shutoffs. On and on and on. The whole thing was shady.


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## 22rifle

Delta lav faucet from Blowes will have a cheap, stamped, 22 gauge brass pop up.

The one from Fergies will have a machined brass and 17 gauge pop up.


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## Bill

I was told by someone that the difference is that when a manufacturer makes several hundred thousand of a product there will be some minor defects in some of them. These defects do not really hurt the operation of the product, but the name stores do not want them because it will hurt their business. So the quality controll people take these not quite up to snuff products and put them on the back shelf. After they have a trailer l;oad or so they send out offers to bid on the lot from Lowes and home depot ans other such places. The highest bidder on the lot gets them. Take it for what its worth because I certainly dont have sound backing to prove it. I do know however that when I build a house and install say Schlage locksets purchased from Lowes they dont last a year. Now when I get the same lockset from the Lumber Yard here in town which costs about 3.00 more they last forever.


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## Redwood

Big box stores often specify options they want in what they sell. It's no secret and if they get it a few bucks cheaper they have the lower price...

Here is the word straight from the Moen website FAQ's
http://www.moen.com/consumersupport/FAQs/



> *Do all Moen products consist of one standard of quality regardless of whether the distributor is a retail or wholesale supplier?*
> Moen's production line does not differentiate between wholesale and retail models. There is only one grade of brass, only one grade of cartridge and only one grade of warranty coverage - the best. *While the numbering system for Moen's wholesale distributors and retail distributors may vary and subtle installation and trim differences may exist (these may include, but are not limited too, packaging, threaded or slip-fit style tub spouts and metallic or non-metallic drain assemblies). *The quality and limited lifetime warranty against leaks, drips, materials, and workmanship remain the same for all of our products.


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## GrumpyPlumber

Redwood said:


> *While the numbering system for Moen's wholesale distributors and retail distributors may vary and subtle installation and trim differences may exist (these may include, but are not limited too, packaging, threaded or slip-fit style tub spouts and metallic or non-metallic drain assemblies).*


 
*Just a little, eensey weensey detail there.*


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## Plumberman

Lets face it faucets and plumbing parts from the big box stores are junk.... bottom line.


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## uaplumber

Agreed, Box Stores bite us in the end when it's all said and done. I have pulled out my faucets to compare a few times, most customers take theirs back. The ones who don't get no warranty.


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## Plumberman

Same here, we just provide labor and I get to give my speech on their products, sometimes it helps but most of the time it does not.


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## Redwood

I would consider this pop up assy to be the ultimate in bix box junk...


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## Double-A

Redwood said:


> I would consider this pop up assy to be the ultimate in bix box junk...


Rectorseal #5 eats these things for breakfast. I just toss them when I come across them. I'd rather buy one and put in it than mess with these things.


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## LIVBMI

*Home Depot verses supply house*

i can tell you from my experience that the internal parts are differant.
not to mention you do not get any mark up on material. who warranties that item


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## Bill

Hard to mark up a piece of plastic junk though!


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## uaplumber

Yup gotta love the home despot! Drove 2 hours roundtrip to finish a basement bathroom for a customer. He was supplying all the fixtures etc.
Has a glass bowl lav to hook up, the drain was missing parts. Has a Bosch Tankless (previously instaslled by others) that needs .8gpm to fire. He has low flow faucets installed running at about .2gpm. He is on a well system that runs at 40/60pi, his water turns cold for a moment while he is showering.

So, The customer is getting rid of the low flow fixtures.
He is getting a new drain connection for the sink.
He has decided to keep the bosch heater. I suggested he could get a pressure reducing valve for it but he would rather have to cold blast every time the pump kicks on. 
Thanks Smock boy, your "expensive looking" faucets just turned into very expensive ones.:no:


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## plumbingpaul

Im with plumberman on this one when a faucet from Home Depot can weight 2 pounds and the one from ferguson is 4 you know they cut corners internally on those faucets with cheap plastic parts and if you warranty your work its worth the few extra bucks and no headaches.


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## Bill

I had a GC who loved to go to HD. He got a HD corner shower with walls so thin you could almost see through it! I broke the one wall just trying to get it out the box!

Also the "My project" post I made the shower you see is from Lowes. The HO purchased it. When I tried to install it the rollers fell apart! Not only that but the hardware to open the door and hang the towel was missing!


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## jps516

There are smaller supply houses, and they usually give a better price, or Discounts to Professional Plumber's. They make sure you have quality product, and Lowe's, Home Depot, give you very little if any Product knowledge, or support when you have problems.


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## Redwood

Just yesterday I had a job where the homeowners wife had decided that a new Pegasus Lav Faucet should replace the Delta Faucet rather than repair the Delta...

Oh Boy!

To late to talk him out of it because he had already busted the Delta trying to DIY it...

Whadda bunch of junk! She picked a different trim color so there I am Gluing in the super drain with RTV...


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## ILPlumber

I go to lowes some just to get the family out and about. It is soo entertaing to roam the plumbing section. You see some real conglomerations of fittings HO's are carrying around.

Or, I ask the dude in the vest a complicated plumbing question. They'll give ya an answer whether they know or not:laughing:


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## Marlin

That's just mean. Personally I'm a huge fan of the all rubber 3" fernco tee wyes they now stock.


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## ILPlumber

Marlin said:


> That's just mean. Personally I'm a huge fan of the all rubber 3" fernco tee wyes they now stock.


 
Those are great. Get your traveler piece the wrong length. Just bend the tee:laughing:


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## Redwood

PSSSST... Wanna buy some good ?


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