ISE 1 H.P. and a Viking

I've got a Franke 1 h.p. too.

ISE 3/4 HP Evolution: still grinds potato cuttings, celery and is quieter than 1 HP.

I've got a 3/4 HP KitchenAid. It was a warranty replacement for a 5/8 HP that died after 2 years, and Whirlpool was a pain to deal with. I've had the 3/4 HP unit for a few years without an issues, but if it goes out, I'd get a better brand like I.S.E. or Frankie.

My friend got a 1HP KitchenAid about 6 months ago, but over the weekend a metal spoon got jammed in the unit, and burnt-out the motor. He wants to replace it with a better brand as well, since it wasn't impressed with the KitchenAid.

1 HP Waste King.
It will grind a Buick.

Yep, heard Waste King packs a punch to those left overs, willtv. I think it comes with a needed flange (saves some $ too)?

Viking, or insinkerator excel. Both have undercutters.

I'm probably getting a WK 3/4 or 1 hp though, this is not our forever home and I need to save a little $ where I can. Especially since I decided I need a fancy Franke Orca sink (and I thought the Silgranite was expensive, lol!).

Either would be eons ahead of what we have now, so I'll be satisfied.

Note that there are basically only 2 brands, Waste King and Insinkerator (aka "ISE"). There is also Viking, but those are very expensive. But If you see other names like Kitchenaid, Kenmore, etc. they are re-badges of Insinkerator or Waste King. Fauguy mentioned Kitchenaid - those are Insinkerators.

I have the Waste King 9900TC. It's a 3/4 hp batch feed disposal (vs. a continuous feed disposal). A batch feed disposal does not need a separate switch to turn it on--it is turned on my pushing the cover down, and turned off by pulling the cover off. Safer with children, as it cannot be operated without its cover on, and there is no switch to accidentally turn on the disposal. I thought about getting the 1 hp batch feed, but it's really large, and would take up a lot of room under my sink. The 3/4 hp is plenty.

If you are shopping for a disposal, note that the Insinkerators are quieter than the Waste Kings. My Waste King is noisy, but it's on for 30 seconds, so I don't care. Waste Kings have more torque than Insinkerators, so I wanted that more than noise reduction. Other people want a quieter disposal. Personal choice.

Waste King disposals come either as an "EZ mount style" or "3-bolt" style. The 3-bolt style is supposed to reduce vibration, but is more of a PITA to install. I have the 3-bolt. It sure is solid, but my GC installed it. If I were doing it DIY, I'd get the EZ mount model. Insinkerator disposals come only in EZ mount style. I never hear about anyone complaining about disposal vibration, so it is likely a non-issue, but thought I'd mention it if you are shopping and seeing these.

Waste Kings have longer warranties than Insinkerator. My 3/4 model is 10-year in-home warranty, and the 1 hp Waste Kings have lifetime warranties.

Here is a link that might be useful: Waste King 9900TC Batch Feed Disposal

This post was edited by akchicago on Wed, Apr 10, 13 at 20:49

I have had Waste King disposers for about 10 years now. But ordered 1HP ISE evolutions for my current remodel. My MIL has one and it is far more quiet, and almost certainly as powerful. If you go to amazon, you can find deals on these, and read a great number of rave reviews on this particular model. I also prefer the thinner rubber baffle on the ISE models than the thicker rubber ones on Waste King.
Either way, go big, treat them nicely, and get an air switch if your sink is in an island....

I have the ISE Evolution Pro Compact, 3/4 HP continuous feed with a Waste King Fiber Optic controller switch. It has never clogged or jammed, unlike the unsatisfactory ISE Badger 1/2 HP that a plumber provided me (before I knew about GW), which routinely jammed. The fiber optic switch, like an air switch, is convenient to use and would be difficult to turn on by accident, unlike a switch under the counter (inconvenient) or on the wall (looks like a light switch, can be turned on by accident). Also, I think it's easier to clean around a small air switch on the counter than around a switch plate on the wall.

Have you seen the threads on batch feed vs continuous feed? Here's one. There are many if you google something like "gardenweb batch feed vs. continuous feed"

Here is a link that might be useful: Best GD thread

Wow - a lot to read :) thank you all for the great tips! I will check all the models - don't want to spend a lot of money but get a decent quality. I am usually a person who doesn't like to put a lot of stuff in the disposal, so I won't be a heavy user. I almost always throw away everything in the garbage.

"don't want to spend a lot of money but get a decent quality"

Why is that people always seem unwilling to pay for a quality product ???

Would you take less $$$ to do your job at work ? If not, why would a business want to make a quality item and charge less for it ?

xedos, it's not unreasonable to want a more affordable but still decently functioning product. I have an Elux oven, which I love. I couldn't afford the more expensive American Range oven that I would have liked. It doesn't mean that my Elux is a bad product, or that I was too cheap to pay for a good product. Further, I'm certain that my modest little 1940 home, which is not expensive, is better constructed than most of the big expensive new build in this area. Expensive is not always a reflection of quality.

Of course you can't get something for nothing, or a "top of the line" product at a bargain price, but no one said that was the goal. Just a "decent" product within a budget. That's not asking too much.

I was not aware that KitchenAid units were re-branded I.S.E. units. Does this mean that the issues that I've had, and now my neighbor has, with our K.A. models, is actually because they are I.S.E.? Makes me wonder if ISE makes "lower quality" models for K.A., but then makes higher quality units for them self?

I am sorry - what I wanted to say is I don't need top of the line - thank you for your comments!
BTW not everything that is more expensive is better quality :)

I have a Kitchenaid 1 hp batch feed disposal. It is a re-badged Insinkerator. It is 6 or 7 years old and I've never had a problem with it. Love it and would buy another one if we ever moved. Its chamber under the sink is really large, so for anyone thinking to get this one, check that it will fit well under your sink and with your plumbing.

Fauguy - I don't know if the quality has changed on newer models. But there's something in your friend's story that sounds odd. If a spoon goes down the disposal it makes such a racket that most people rush to pull it out immediately. A 1 hp disposal is powerful; it can grind beef bones. If a spoon was left in the disposal for so long to burn out the motor, that would have happened I think no matter which disposal your friend had.

One more thing that might be of interest to the OP: Insinkerators are made in good ol' Wisconsin. Waste Kings used to be made in U.S. and the company is, like, more than 100 years old. But a couple of years ago Waste King moved manufacturing to China. They are priced less than they used to be as a result. Tho they still offer those long warranties so I guess they feel the quality has not suffered.

This post was edited by shannonplus2 on Thu, Apr 11, 13 at 18:03

My Kitchen Aid 3/4 HP worked like a champ for 15 years and just recently bit the dust. It was the "Superba" model but I replaced it with a KA 3/4 HP "Imperial" model only because it had free shipping on Amazon and was also a little cheaper. It works great. I believe it is a step down one level from what I had before. Seems to work the same. I don't have a way to compare what I've had to what else is out there but I can say that I have been very happy with all of my Kitchen Aid appliances. I hope they do not go down in quality like everything else these days.

On my second ISE in 35 years, what more can I say...

Our family is an ISE family - going back over 40 years. My DMs was over 30 years and still going strong when she sold the house.
My 18 year old KA(ISE in disguise) and still going strong when I redid my kitchen.
My new one - the 1 HP ISE Evolution Pro. Works just fine - although I don't toss that much down the tube but it is nice to know that it is available.

Shannonplus2 thanks for the info on where these are made. That made my decision right there.

If you have time to kill, I'm linking a 7-minute video from This Old House in which they tour the Insinkerator plant in Wisconsin. Lots of unusual factoids for the disposal nerd in all of us LOL! It is particularly fun on the video around minute 5:30 where they start putting beef bones and wood blocks down the disposals.

Clearly though, you need to steer away from the low-hp "Badger" lines, whether it's Waste King or Insinkerator. On the video, it looks like they are testing with large 1 hp disposals.

Here is a link that might be useful: This Old House Video of Insinkerator Plant Tour

Nice video.
With my K.A. 3/4HP, I'd be afraid to put bones down in there, since banana skins often get stuck on the spinning blade and I have to reach in to remove it.

I talked with my friend, and even though I recommended for him to ho with the ISE Evolution Excel 1HP, he decided to go with the ISE Badger 3/4HP from HomeDepot for $80. His reasoning was that since his KA 1HP was $300 and that he only had it for 7 months before one of his kids through a meta spoon in there and broke the unit, that he didn't want to spend another $300 on a unit and have the same thing happen to it. So he went with the $80, that was if something happens to it, he's not out as much $.

Perhaps he should have spent $150 on the disposal and $150 on education.

Teaching his family how to use stuff properly is just a valuable skill throughout life.

If he needs a metal crusher - there are much better products out there than a disposal. No disposal is going to survive that on a consistent basis.

Fauguy - although Xedos' tone was extremely blunt, I have to agree in principle. Your friend wasted $80. Also, the model you cited does not jibe. There is no 3/4 hp Insinkerator for $80 as far as I can see. There are $80 Badger Insinkerators that are 1/3 hp or 1/2 hp. I foresee plumbing problems down the road - see the above-linked video and you can see in the first couple minutes how they show how chunky the grind is of the badger vs. the grind of the higher-grade model.

I put banana peels down my Waste King 3/4 hp 9900TC disposal every day, and have done so for several years, with no problem. I also put chicken bones down there, with no problem. Not sure about the $300 quote you mentioned is necessary also. MIne cost about $175 online--it's a batch feed. The Waste King continuous feed 3/4 hp #9950 disposal costs slightly less, about $155 online. In the scheme of a kitchen renovation, this does not seem like a lot, especially compared to the cost of potential plumbing problems with a Badger-style disposal.

This post was edited by akchicago on Sun, Apr 14, 13 at 12:36

No one should get a Badger! My whole sink and counter area used to shake when I ran it, and it would clog up every few weeks. I had to be very careful what I put down it and how much at a time. It was not fun to unclog it.

Get 3/4HP or 1HP, Waste King or Insinkerator, batch or continuous. Those are matters of taste and preference. But no Badgers! Sorry, ISE, but the Badger I had was awful.

I talked to my friend again today, and it was the 1/2 HP Badger that he got for $85, since the 3/4 HP was $140. He also says....once the kids are grown and we remodel the kitchen, then I'll go with all good appliances. Over the past 2 years he's got a new fridge, range and dishwasher, but all mid-to-bottom Whirlpool models...again saying why spend all this money on high-end appliances, when he'll wait when he remodels the kitchen. But then when I ask, he said it would probably be 10-15 years before he does the remodel. To me, this is funny, as the stuff he has bought will probably need replaced one or twice before then anyway!

"and it was the 1/2 HP Badger that he got for $85, since the 3/4 HP was $140"

This explains EVERYTHING !

Sorry, but your friend is not very reasonable.

He buys one of the flimsiest and most inexpensive disposals on the market , his kids mis- uses it, and then wants to blame the company he bought it from ?

If he spent a decent amount of coin and instructed his family on proper use, it really wouldn't matter what brand he chose. Ask him if he'd tow a large boat behind a compact Kia? It can be done, but it isn't the tool for the job and will leave you stranded somewhere.

Buying the cheapie disposal and replacing several times over the years also get you a plumbing bill each time that adds up , or you get to spend a hour or two of your time which might be better spent earning more $$$ to put towards a better product.

InSinkErator Evolution Pro Essential 3/4 HP or InSinkErator Evolution Pro Compact 3/4 HP? Those are my two top choices. Thank you!

I just installed a Hydromaid last week, it is fantastic and
it is silent, all you hear is water draining.
You can put almost anything in it, I checked the drain water and the particles are so fine, you can't see them.
I t is a tad slower than an electric with soft items, but it seems to be faster with hard waste because they don't bounce around before being ground up.

Super easy to install, hopefully it will be reliable.

Hydromaid - I thought they went outa business a few years back.

I thought the same as Xedos. Hydromaid a victim of the recession, and also the backlash against the enormous amount of water it needs to grind in comparison to an electric disposal.

WasteKing L8000 1hp. As stated above, it will grind up an old Buick LeSabre if you ask it to. ;-D
In my case, however, the toughest things I ask it to devour are chicken bones and corn cobs, both of which it handles with aplomb.

I just replaced the Badger 5 that was installed in the 10-year-old home that I just bought. It was leaking out the bottom of the motor. The replacement I chose was the Waste King 9940, which has a lifetime in-home warranty. Works fine. I was surprised that it is louder than the Badger was, unless there is water covering the drain. Not a big deal, though.

The one thing I wanted to point out for DIYers is that I was surprised to find that the particular 9940 I bought plugs in rather than being direct wired like my Badger was. I elected to keep the unit and convert my wiring to an outlet to make it easier to service in the future. Based upon the instruction manual, I'm guessing that it is available in a direct wired format, too. I would think there would be a model number difference, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

As for the EZ-mount vs 3-prong, it seems much ado about nothing to me. The 3-prong is very simple to install. The most difficult part of the process was disassembling the mount from the motor before installation. The directions failed to mention loosening the ring clamp around the rubber mount before attempting to pull it off the motor. It only mentioned lining up the 3 tabs.

why do people say Waste King disposal have a lifetime warranty and when you go to but one, there is not olnly a charge for the warranty but for only 3 or 5 yrs.?

Homeimprovementmom - No one says that all Waste King disposals have lifetime warranties, if that is what you meant. As noted earlier in this thread, the 1 hp Waste King disposal has a lifetime in-home warranty. It is model number 9980. The several 3/4 hp Waste Kings have either 8-year or 10-year warranties.

Please read this thread. Much of it is discussing the fact that the 1/3 hp and 1/2 hp disposals of both Waste King and Insinkerator are not as well made as the 3/4 hp and 1 hp disposals. Therefore the 1/3 hp and 1/2 hp disposals do not have long warranties. If you want a disposal with a long warranty, go to a 3/4 hp or 1 hp model. If you want a disposal with a lifetime warranty, get the Waste King 1 hp 9980 - just make sure you check the dimensions and that you have room for it under your sink.