We wen with Moen Castleby and Handheld and have been very pleased with both.

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http://www.faucetdepot.com/prod/Moen-3867BN-Four-Function-Massaging-Handshower-with-Slide-Bar-Brushed-Nickel-24743.asp

http://www.faucetdepot.com/prod/Moen-3838-Castleby-Four-Function-Showerhead-Chrome-17558.asp

I can't find a link for the diverter but it's Moen as well.

OP, u have NO PREFERENCE whatsoever? This is such open ended. And what look good on sum1 else's wall may not look good on yours.

Picture is not enough. I picked a Moen out from Home Depot website but when I had them on my hands they felt flimsy and cheap.

I have been told (by plumbers and DIY plumbers) that the name brand faucets sold at big box stores (Home Depot, Lowes, etc) are of lower quality than what you will find at a plumbing specialty store. I was also told it would be more difficult to find replacement parts for them.

I chose the brushed nickel Moen Kingsley shower head, valve, and trim. I chose this because I wanted something in brushed nickel and wanted to be able to control the pressure as well as the temperature. This was my favorite of the styles that Moen offered with the "Moentrol" valve (which allows control over temperature and pressure). I never really was able to look at Kohler because I couldn't get any assistance at the one local plumbing shop that carries Kohler. Possibly they have something I would have liked as well. I have not yet installed the trim, so I cannot yet speak to how I like the performance. The plumbers I spoke with recommended Moen, Kohler, Delta, and Grohe.

"Moen Kingsley "

FIVE HUNDRED BUX for a single fixture! Not sure if am envious or offended. :)

Hansgrohe - Axor Carlton thermostatic valves plus diverters also purchased 12" rainshower head and regular head from them.

...why would you be OFFENDED by anyone's choice of showerhead!!?????

I don't mean to hijack this thread but does anyone know if different trims will fit the various valves? I had chosen a Hansgrohe thermostatic set but if I can do it cheaper than $272 I would consider it. What has to fit what? Faucet would have to fit valve. What about the shower head? Does the stem come with the valve or the trim or is that strictly a plumbing part that your shower head screws on?
Could I buy the valve of one brand, the handles from another brand and the shower head from a third brand/style?

No expert here - but I am pretty sure your valve needs to match your trim. The shower head is a totally different situation. You use regular copper plumbing in the wall between the valve and the shower head - so you can choose any shower head you'd like as all the connections are standard.

Bobb 2010 - In a nutshell, you get what you pay for. We have Moen products through out our house and none of them have been flimsy or lightweight and yes, we paid over 600.00 total for our shower head, hand held and other needed parts. The Moen in our kitchen actually replaced a CHEAP Price Pfitzer faucet that was only two years old (and bought from Home Depot) Anyone who has done their research knows that the fixtures offered by the big box stores are lower end and poor quality. Manufacturers mimic their most popular styles but use plastic parts so Home Depot & Lowes can sell them for less then their competitors. If you want cheap, shop the big box stores, you'll pay less and you'll get faucets that are light weight and cheaply made.

We bought our kitchen faucet from Faucet Direct and our bathroom fixtures from Faucet Depot. All Moen, they're not flimsy or light weight at all, they all have brass inner parts, a lifetime warranty and from what I understand, a great customer service team to back it up.

Most of that $272 cost is the trim, not the valve, even though the valve is the working part that does the actual work. As I broke down in your other thread, the valve in that set costs $50. I'm not sure how much you're trying to cut that $50, but to me, it doesn't make sense to buy a $200+ trim/handle and then try to save a few bucks by buying a really cheap valve instead of the $50 valve designed to go with that trim (even if you could find one which fits and works correctly).

The shower head is completely separate. The valve is inside the wall directly behind the trim. Coming out of the valve is a pipe which runs a couple feet up the wall and out -- and the shower head is mounted on the end of that pipe. You can use any type of shower head you want, although many people choose to stay with the same brand to insure a complete match of finish and style. (Depending on brand, you may find some retailers package a trim set, valve and shower head in a set to make it easy for consumers.)

-- Eric

This is slightly off topic but we purchased a top brand bathroom fan from Home Depot to replace an older one because we wanted one that was more quiet. Are they made differently too? Since it has been installed I have noticed that there is mildew forming on the ceiling over the shower and, though not noisy, it is not as whisper quiet as I thought it would be

Eric, the valve price is fine. It's the trim I would cut costs on. As you pointed out on my thread while I was reading here, Find the valve. Trim will be available to match/fit it. I didn't know how it worked when I first started my thread. Maybe I will use the "old" shower trim I already have and buy a valve to fit it. Or, I'll turn the whole mess over to my carpenter. I know he knows what I need. He has one already. I want to BUY SOMETHING so I can touch it and move it around while I wait for the remodel to commence. Guess I'll buy the sink.

Actually, pinch_me, I'd say you've got it backwards here. It should be: "Find the trim; buy the valve available to match it." You never see the valve, only the trim. That being said, you need to take into account that if you buy a cheap set, you may not only be getting a lesser-quality trim (thinner metal, lower-quality finish) but a lesser-quality valve. Will you know the difference if you can't see it? Who knows. If it's poor construction, it might not regulate temperature or pressure quite as well as a better-built one, or it might be more prone to developing a drip years down the road -- or not. It's clearly difficult for regular consumers to evaluate the quality of a shower valve.

I figure that for all the many thousands of dollars I'm pouring into our bathroom remodel, I'm okay with investing a few extra dollars in trim and a valve from one of the companies which is known for making generally high-quality products (like Hansgrohe or Grohe, for instance). That doesn't guarantee that the one I pick will be perfect, but I figure I have better odds.

If you're looking to cut costs, a pressure-balanced control costs less than the thermostatically-balanced controls you've mentioned; the latter is nicer to have, but if you're looking to shave dollars off the project, that's a place you can do so.

-- Eric

eric...another question because you do seem like quite the well-read bathroom expert! do "they" have combined thermostatic/pressure-balanced controls? or are thermostatic controls also pressure-balancing? thank you!

pinch-me - as it was explained to me when I was shopping for parts, you don't want to cut costs on anything behind the wall because if it breaks, it's a nightmare to fix it. I'm with Eric, we spent what was necessary to make sure everything fit and worked the way it should behind those wall. Some one once told me here too, "Rule of thumb, you can cut costs in other areas but when it comes to plumbing and anything behind the walls, spend the money needed to ensure you have the best quality possible".

Gwentm - I've read mixed reviews about the fans from the big box stores. I bought ours from Lowes but we tend to leave doors and windows open so we don't use ours much if at all. I'm not a pro, but if it were me and that was our only source of ventilation, I'd be replacing it and I wouldn't buy the new one at Lowe's or Home Depot.

lukkiirish-good advice I'm afraid.

Busybee, I've been learning all this as I go along, just like you and everyone else here; some stuff I've just been a little more obsessed with digging into! ;) Much of the credit goes to other current and past forum posters (as you'll see below).

To answer your question, yes, thermostatic valves are essentially temperature and pressure balancing valves.

I recommend you read this post, "FAQ/Answers Bathroom Plumbing for dummies" and scroll down a few screens to the two posts by frequent forum contributor (and real bathroom pro!) Mongo. He wrote a great and easy-to-follow explanation of the different types of valves.

-- Eric

Here is a link that might be useful: 'FAQ/Answers Bathroom Plumbing for dummies' thread

thank you for pointing out the thread info! sometimes i have a hard time and become overwhelmed with too much information!!

As do we all, busybee3. As do we all.
Yes, I understand about things buried in walls. And as far as the trim; no one will see it. The walk in shower will open from the side. Shower will be inside facing wall. You would have to go completely inside the shower to see it. So I don't care what it looks like as long as water comes out when I turn the handle. And the thermostatic is for the freezing cold/too damn hot issue. I'm printing 'FAQ/Answers Bathroom Plumbing for dummies' thread. Already printed Bill's tile thread. I can learn this. It just takes time. And I don't have to know it. My carpenter does already. I just like to be able to have a discussion with him about stuff and know what he's talking about.

Grohe Relexa shower system with Grohe 3000 thermostatic and volume valves and trim.

I am a homeowner/DIY'er who recently purchased a Moen Eva polished chrome shower faucet trim kit at a greatly discounted price from eFaucet.com along with a CC shower valve and received a pro-grade product un-available to me locally except at a more expensive plumbing supply house that would of charged me a lot closer to list price.

Moen sells shower/bath valves with either IPS-Iron Pipe Size, CC-Copper Connection and CC with stops which have built in water shut-off valves that allow servicing of the mixing valve with out shutting off the water throughout the whole house.

When shopping at any of the big box stores you will most likely only find shower and bath faucets that are all IPS connections. IPS connections are threaded pipe where as the CC connection valves are soldered copper. In my experience threaded IPS connections are prone to leakage over time and are inferior to soldered copper. Other than the valve connection method the products are identical. The big box stores sell these threaded connection products to their customers primarily because they require little skill to install and that is their market base.

Although I could of certainly paid more for a faucet than what I did, I believe there is a diminishing return on investment. Furthermore, if I ever required a part to repair my new faucet in the future, Moen has the parts available to me with lifetime warranty replacement by mail or for more immediate need at the local big box or hardware stores. That option is often limited, unavailable or even unknown regarding many expensive import faucets.