motherof3inct (I am a motherof3inca :-) , but also an Interior Designer. I've specified many Kohler products for clients/projects and never had anyone complain about water pressure coming from the shower-heads. Well, unless you are a Californian and we have VERY strict codes regarding gpm (gallons per minute) or flow rate, but we are past complaining and just used to it! Maybe shangaimom ended up with a CA approved fixture by mistake? This easy to do inadvertently when buying plumbing fixtures online, as opposed to purchasing at a local supplier. Also, whether or not showerheads have the option to change type of flow is really more of a model thing, not a Kohler across-the-board thing - many of the kohler shower-heads do allow you to change type of flow. Anyway - just didn't want you to be scared of KOHLER as a brnad. They make beautiful products in a range of qualities levels and options. I've really like their products - sounds like the Memoirs was just too basic for the case mentioned above.

Masco is a huge, multi-national holding company. Just because they own Delta and Hansgrohe does not mean they are in any way the same company or producing similar products. Because Hansgrohe was acquired by a larger company like Masco also doesn't mean they just cut costs and now make a cheap, commodity product. You didn't exactly say that, but it seemed to be implied. So here's some of my research... ;) Hansgrohe remains a German company; three of the grandsons of company founder Klaus Grohe are executives with the company, with one the deputy chairman of Hansgrohe's Board of Directors. The company is still about one-third owned by the Grohe family, and the Board is nearly all Germans. The company is still headquartered in Germany, and has six of ten manufacturing plants in Germany. There is no sharing of employees, management, or production plants between Hansgrohe and Delta. I think calling it "just another brand" owned by "guys in green eyeshades" is truly a misrepresentation. Masco owns other plumbing companies like Newport Brass, cabinet companies like Kraftmaid, Behr paints, Ginger bath accessories -- probably close to 40 different companies in total. It's similar to Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway owning Benjamin Moore paints, Johns Mansville insulation, and Shaw floors (not to mention GEICO insurance, Fruit of the Loom underwear, Helzberg Diamonds, and a few dozen more companies). By the way, I have no connection to any of these companies beyond buying some of their products; I just wanted to respond to the comment above so readers don't come away thinking Hansgrohe is an old, high-quality name slapped on a now-mediocre product. -- Eric

Newport Brass makes several models of wall mount tub fillers. This one is 8GPM, which is plenty, as far as I am concerned: Tub Filler I have a similar Newport Brass wall mount that puts out less volume, but is still adequate. Just be aware that, if the spout does not extend far enough into the tub that the water stream hits the bottom, you may get splashback onto the nearby bathroom wall with a spout that is only far enough over the tub edge that the stream hits the upper area of the inner wall of the tub. This is especially true for a high volume valve.

Sorry I'm late to the party, but I may be able to chime in for anyone who has similar questions regarding Grohe & Hansgrohe. I am in the process of a renovation and wanted to go practical high-end (Im not sure what that means either). To make a long story short, I obtained a series of faucets: Dornbracht Tara in chrome, Hansgrohe Focus 31730 (chrome), Grohe Atrio in Satin Nickel, Hansgrohe Metro in steel & and a KWC Systema in steel. I also purchased a Everpure drinking water faucet in nickel. My mother had purchased the Dornbracht for me (yes nice gift) and ultimately this is the faucet I chose to put in the bathroom. But I had purchased a Hansgrohe Focus that I was planning on having installed. As well as a Everpure faucet for my Everpure water filtering system (quality of the Everpure was on par with the Hansgrohe Focus you will read about). When I received it (Hansgrohe Focus chrome) and put it in my hand it just felt so light and insubstantial. I am not saying that it felt "cheap", hardly, it is a nicely made unit, however I was not impressed with it. However it was certainly nicer than anything I saw in my local Home Depot. I ultimately decided I will put it in one of my girlfriends rental units. Next, I purchased a Grohe Atrio which is similar in style to the Dornbracht Tara. Now let me remark on the differences between the Hansgrohe and the Grohe: First of all, the Grohe feels considerably heavier and more rigid. The routing is cleaner in the rear and the tolerances are tighter between the parts. The handles also feel much smoother to the point you actually can distinguish this. The plates are also heavier and more "substantial" than the Hansgrohe ones. The brass diverters are also heavier on the Grohe though the Hansgrohe ones are visually more appealing. For the kitchen I purchased the Hansgrohe Metro because I liked the way it looked and it had pretty good reviews. The faucet itself is definitely of higher quality than the Hansgrohe Focus I had originally purchased to put in my bathroom. Though I think the pull-out spray spout feels "plasticky". I decided I wan't happy with the quality for the price and plan on returning it. I ended up going with a Swiss made KWC Systema, the quality is sick, so is the price. Throughout this process I have looked at quite a few Grohe and Hansgrohe pieces. I think there is no question that Grohe is the superior product.