Hi, MCD3 . . . I had looked at HD (but for the reasons described above had all but ruled out both them and Lowes ) . . . until I came across a great website devoted almost exclusively to kitchen faucets. It appears to be sponsored by an independent homebuilding company (starcraftcustombuilders.com)— but the website itself barely mentions that. What it does include is an easy-to-read description of what I think they refer to generally as the "sanitary home housewares industry" . . . but which specifically discusses almost every aspect of faucet manufacturing, including the various kinds of participants (e.g., the companies that actually make the parts, assemblers, retailers, rebranders, etc ) (countries where part or all of each brand is made) . . . warranty variations . . . post sale support . . . typical price ranges . . . and most important of all relative grading of each manufacturer based on scores ranging from about 3 or 4 to 8 or 8. It also states that it is not paid for its reviews, which are based on its experience.

Since the following paragraphs are longer than I intended to write, there's no need to read them unless the topic of faucets interests you. But since I'm about to embark on that journey myself, I just kept making notes of info I thought I might want to refer to.

For example . . . Although wholesalers usually rely on their retail outlets to provide customer support,, retail rebranders usually don't know who made a particular store brand faucet . . . if replacement parts are available . . . or if they exist, where to get them.

On the other hand, according to the web sponsor, ". . . faucet manufacturers and assemblers are more likely to have comprehensive support operations, making it easier to get parts and warranty service. But . . . in the complaints we receive about these companies' products, the issue is seldom with customer support, which is often praised to the sky, but with the product itself." . . . However, the site also names "Kohler, Moen and Delta as the stand outs in this area, and the models that other faucet companies would be wise to follow.

Suprisisngly, one big box retailer the site mentions in particular for good customer support is LOWES "which sells sells a variety of in-house brands, and supports them very well with a backup warranty and parts organization that, most of the time, is very competent. Its store-brand, AQUASOURCE faucets, come with a lifetime warranty, which is unusual for a retail rebrander." . . . Although they don't make any of the faucets they sell . . . they are packaged especially for the store, but also are sold at other stores, including H.D.

Also who knew that getting warranty help and replacement parts at Lowes also is "just a matter of having the model number of your faucet, the date of purchase, the name of the part and calling the customer support number" (listed in the story). But in addition to meeting all federal requirements, the most important statement in the description of Aquasource was the following:

"For the price, we judge the faucets to be a good value, Post sale support is good, and we have received very few complaints about the faucets — just two in 24 months."

As for prices, the article states that "most faucets priced between $100.00 and $300.00 are going to give good service for many years. The key is good materials — brass and stainless steel — and a known brand name. The faucets at the lower end of this range tend to be the traditional, established styles, while those at the upper end are often somewhat more au courant. Generally, the innards are about the same, so quality at this level is rarely an issue."


The sponsor also adds that they don't sell faucets . . . accept payment of any kind from faucet companies . . .or recommend faucets to customers unless specifically asked to do so. Their only connection to the faucet industry is that do a lot of kitchen and bath remodeling, so their opinions are based on their experience as faucet buyers.