Waste King disposal - too many models available - need advice

11 years ago

I ordered all my major plumbing parts and am down to the miscellaneous "bits." We need a garbage disposal for our clean up sink. We had an ISE Badger (1/2 HP or 3/4 HP) from HD in the prior house, and that was okay, but the Waste King gets good comments here and has a better warranty and costs about the same on Amazon as the Badger costs at HD.

We rarely use a GD, as we scrape our plates into the trash before putting into DW, but we feel like we need a GD in case someone else rinses plates at the sink. I think a 1/2 HP or 3/4 HP unit will be plenty, although the larger models have longer warranties.

I also am confused about which mounting option to choose - the traditional three bolt method or EZ mount method. I don't care about ease of installation since the plumber will charge me the same price either way. A reviewer on Amazon noted that on the EZ mount option the rubber guard (the piece of rubber at the top of the opening that you push scraps through) is removable for cleaning, but it is not removable in the 3 bolt mounting option. However, all the parts in the 3 bolt option are stainless steel, whereas there are plastic parts in the EZ mount option. I'm not sure which option is better. Does anyone know if both options look the same from the top? I would rather see stainless steel than plastic when I look into the sink.

I would appreciate any recommendations for models. We are 4 weeks into the remodel and I am overwhelmed by all the decisions we still have to make, so it would be nice to knock one of the little items off the list.

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eve72

11 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Insikerator Evolution Compact - check terry love's site, Waste King is to be avoided.

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Comments (14)

Cavimum
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I have a 17 y/o ISE Badger and it won't even grind up the rind of a lemon wedge.

One of my sisters has the ISE Evolution Compact and LOVES, LOVES, loves it. It gets good reviews all over the Internet, so definitely worth the money. I'm going with it, too, when our new kitchen is put in.
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Anita, that's too bad that your disposal isn't working as well as you'd like. I guess on the bright side, it has a great warranty, and as a percentage of your total kitchen re-do (SO gorgeous BTW!), it's not so much $$ invested. In my home growing up, we had a batch feed disposal, and it was the only kind I knew until I moved out of the house. I had a rental apartment once with a continuous feed disposal. I never really got used to it, but it's hard to change habits that formed from childhood. In my home now, I have the Kitchenaid 1 hp batch feed, which is actually made by Insinkerator (in their factory in Wisconsin). I think though, that the type of disposal someone prefers is personal taste and how s/he likes to work in a kitchen; there is no right or wrong choice. I agree with Buehl that one of the continuous feed's advantages is that you just feed the disposal continually which is convenient (although my disposal's chamber is so large, I rarely have to run it more than once). A disadvantage of a batch feed is that it takes up A LOT of room under the sink. Having said that, I do feel that the "ick factor"--and this is just MHO--is greater with the continuous feed style cause of the clammy flange. You are either having to push food through the flange with your hand or a utensil (I guess Waste King has a tool just for that purpose), or slide your wrist past its clammy surface to fish something out. Regarding brand, I used to say that Waste King was really great, but I think they have changed recently. About 1-1/2 years ago Waste King moved their manufacturing from the U.S. to China. That likely enabled them to lower their costs significantly to be able to sell a disposal at Costco for $79 when that same model when made in the U.S. used to sell for $179. In that same vein, Waste King used to have an entire page on their website devoted to the fact that their disposals are septic-tank safe. That page is no longer on their website, perhaps because the China-made disposals can no longer do that. There are people on this forum who love their Waste Kings, but I bet they have the older ones that were made in the U.S. Anita, my advice to you is that if your Waste King disposal is REALLY bothering you, switch it out for the Insinkerator Evolution Essential which is also a continuous feed style. Donate your Waste King to Habitat for Humanity, or sell it on Craig's List. I am saying this because you are going to be using the disposal every day, likely several times a day, and if you hate it, why ruin the experience of your lovely new kitchen with an irksome disposal. You already have the switch hook-up, so it wouldn't make sense to change to a batch feed style, and the Insinkerator is a well-made model, and quiet too. Just my $.02. Here is a link that might be useful: Insinkerator Evolution Essential Disposal
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Rules... You're supposed to be able to put celery stalks and corn cobs down the Insinkerator Evolution (and, I believe, the Viking that inspired it). Celery is more generally a no-no because the strings would catch in the mechanism rather than grinding, and a cob would just be too hard and tough. They also allow pork and turkey bones. Operating rules: Always use plenty of water, and have that water going into the unit. (I know nothing about batch feed units, and if they have their own water or think they don't need it or whatever. I'm talking about open disposers here.) I always have things to rinse while it's on and am careful not to cup the rinse water or interrupt the flow, so that I'm not just using the water for the disposer. Be careful not to lose spoons, rings, etc., down it, and make sure they're not in there before you turn it on. Always unplug the disposer before putting your hand in to manually clear it if it gets stuck (a rare occurrence with a good unit, but accidents happen). There should be a reset button which you need to press to turn the unit back on after it quits from jamming, or whatever. Make the switch for the disposer hard to confuse with a light switch (air switch, location or whatever). Don't press things down into a running disposer (safety). Other than the current height of the art, here's a general list of what shouldn't go down a disposer: Nothing very stringy like celery, strings from peas and beans, whole asparagus, etc. No big, hard pits, like from stone fruits. Nothing very hard like mammal bones or turkey carcass. Bird bones, which are hollow and delicate, like chicken bones are all right. No big fibrous things like pineapple leaves or artichoke leaves or banana peels Not too much of a combination. One carrot top should be okay, bunches of carrot tops, not so much. Ten potatos' peels should be fine, especially if you grind as you go. A hundred lb. bag of potato peels, not so much. Don't stuff the disposer. Put some down, run with water, put some more and run again. No liquid fats--for the pipes. The disposer doesn't care. Some people here say you should not put eggshells in, but that one depends on the quality of the machine, how much water you use, and what kind of other cloggy crud you're putting down that you shouldn't. If you're pouring down grease (some of which can come from soaps), or flushing shells that aren't completely ground up through, they'll settle and clog the pipes. If they're thoroughly ground and you're using the disposer regularly for plenty of other stuff, it'll push the shells on through and they won't clog. Or something like that. Pipe clogs can happen with fibrous peels if they're not ground well, also. A poor quality disposer is a poor idea. What can go in: Table scraps other than bones, execpt for small birds' (chicken, squab, etc.) Peels Leaves meat "science projects" starches (with lots of water--you don't want them turning into glue in the...
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kimiko232
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We have a waste king 1hp. I got it on amazon. It was the "special edition" red one. It works great! It's not really loud. It came with this thing that lets food through without pulling out the stopper. That thing stops the silverware from going through. It's a big unit underneath. I think it works great! We've only had it for about three months. But, man, that thing blows through everything. It was making a noise one day and my husband was looking at it. It actually cut two good sized nails in half. I checked all the reviews, but couldn't come up with many bad ones. My mom has the insinkerator, but isn't as happy. I'm sure she paid twice what I did at maybe 200 or 220 with less horsepower.
Good luck!
Kim
friedajune
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I've had a Waste King batch feed disposal in two homes, with the most recent being in place for the last 6 years- I love it. You can't go wrong with Insinkerator either, and there are pros and cons of each brand which I will discuss below. Waste King has longer warranties, and they are in-home warranties, which means, according to the website, "replaced in your home free of charge" so you don't have to take it in somewhere. The company isn't going to offer those kind of warranties if their products were prone to repair.

The key to a good disposal, whether it's Waste King or Insinkerator, is to get the 3/4 hp size, not the 1/2 hp that you also mentioned. The 3/4 hp is better built, more powerful, more bang for the buck. If you are going to the trouble of installing a disposal, which you will live with for many years, you should spend the small amount extra for the 3/4 hp model instead of the 1/2 hp. Whenever you hear plumbers complaining about disposals, it's for models that are 1/2 hp or less. Also note that the 3/4 hp Waste Kings have a lifetime warranty against corrosion; the 1/2 hp does not.

I disagree with Eve72's statement to avoid Waste King, but I wonder if she had a negative experience with a 1/2 hp disposal, which is a poor choice in any brand.

In answer to your question about 3-bolt vs. EZ-Mount, the 3-bolt style will be more solid, less vibration, so I'd recommend it. However, it is more of a PITA to install. EZ mount is a cinch to install, which is why many opt for the EZ mount. My GC was insistent on the 3-bolt. Since your contractor will be installing, you don't need to have the EZ mount for the ease of its installation, you should get the 3-bolt style. As to the rubber flange across the top, I have the "batch feed" style disposal which doesn't come with a rubber flange, so I don't know if that is a problem or not. BTW, Insinkerator only makes the EZ mount style, not the 3-bolt.

Since others have mentioned Insinkerator, I will list the pros and cons of both brands: Waste Kings have more torque than the Insinkerators making them more powerful for the same hp. Waste King's chambers are larger than the Insinkerators for the same hp. A larger chamber can be both good and bad. It's good to have a large chamber to handle large pieces of rind or vegetables or whatever. But if you have space constraints under your sink, a smaller chamber is the better choice. There are a number of Gardenwebbers who have opted for the Insinkerator Evolution Compact model mentioned in this thread due to plumbing outlet location and small undersink space.

Insinkerators are definitely quieter than Waste Kings. This is often the deciding factor for people. Others say the disposal is only on for 30 seconds or so, so they'd don't care about the noise and prefer the Waste King's torque. If your kitchen is open to the living room, the quieter Insinkerators would be better. Waste Kings have longer warranties, but both brands offer very good warranties.

You asked about model numbers: if you want a 3/4 hp Waste King continuous feed disposal with 3-bolt mount, it would be the 9950, which has a 10-year in-home warranty on material or mechanical defect, and a lifetime warranty against corrosion.

Here is a link that might be useful: Waste King 9950 at Amazon
pghgolfgirl
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I purchased the Waste King L-8000 Legend Series 1.0 HP Continuous Waste Disposal earlier this summer and like it very much. (Plus it's an awesome deal on Amazon.com). The guy that installed it for me said it was well built and easy to install. One of the things that sold me on this model was the many positive reviews it received on Amazon and other websites. I agree with another poster who said that you need to get at least 3/4 HP - those that are less do not seem to wear as long. Good luck with your decision.
friedajune
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Aack - I revisited this thread, and saw that I linked the wrong model number disposal in my post above. I am sorry Kaysd! I meant to link the Waste King 9900TC.

Here is a link that might be useful: Waste King 9900TC
dakota01
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I got my Waste King on Ebay and I'm very happy with it. I could not live w/o a disposal!
I had an insinkerator at my last house and it was fine, but I wanted to try another brand and Waste King was less expensive.
I got the Legend 3300 plumber said it was super easy to install. Got an airswitch and love that feature too! No more opening the cabinet door to turn on the disposal!
lee676
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Worth noting that the GE disposers are all made by the same company that makes Waste King and are of similar design.

I prefer the ISE Evolution Compact (or whatever their least expensive Evolution series is - they have some new ones at some stores). Larger drain opening than the Waste Kings and plenty quiet, and works well.
westsider40
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The garbage disp mistake I made was to buy a 1 hp Kitchen Aid. The bad part of it is that it took up a huge amount of room under the sink and I had spent a year planning a trash system. The new gd took up so much room, or at least lots more than I planned for, so I needed to move to plans b and c. All is ok, but my trash system is modest and underwhelming and ok, pretty much ok, but just ok.

You're ok with a reasonably small disposal. Big is not necessary.
SaraKat
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We have a Kitchen Aide 3/4 hp and it has worked extremely well for the past 15 years. This year it is finally having a little trouble but my husband worked on it and said that a tiny bit of rust had caused one of the blades to stick. He unstuck it somehow and it is working fine again. It does seem large under the sink but have never had anything else so I don't really know the difference. I know that it can handle large amounts of waste when I'm making vegetable soup or something like that with a lot of peelings. I can't think of anything I don't like about it. Mine is pretty old though and so I am not sure how they are now. I've been told not to get anything less than 3/4 hp. I would definitely get another KA if ever in the market again. Everything in my kitchen is KA and so that is the only reason I got it to start with, I was ordering appliances when we built the house and just stayed with all one brand. At the time 15 years ago, KA was considered a very good brand. Now there are all sorts of choices out there that I think only makes it more confusing!!!
annecao68
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I purchased the Waste King L-8000 to replace an ISE that had started leaking and according to ISE was not repairable. When the unit arrived, I was amazed at the difference in weight between it and the ISE it was replacing. I guess that is due to the plastic used for much of the construction. Luckily, while I waited the three days for the unit to be delivered, I re-read the reviews that discuss how to install the unit. Proper positioning of the Cushion Mount is very important which I found out after trying to improperly position the unit a few times. My installation was direct wire and the unit came pre-wired. I had to cut the power cord out. The total time to install the unit was about one hour and the only tool I needed was a screwdriver and wire cutters.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://wastekinggarbagedisposalreviews.com/why-waste-king-garbage-disposal/
DIY2Much2Do
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Like several others, we also have the Waste King L-8000 Legend Series 1.0-Horsepower Continuous Feed Garbage Disposal. It was purchased from Amazon about 18 months ago, and has worked great. It's better in every way than our old Insinkerator Badger... more powerful and quieter with less vibration. Very satisfied. It is big and takes up more under sink space, so check your dimensions.
dakota01
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I have a Waste King Legend 3000 and I'm very happy with it. I researched before I purchased and I found many good reviews on this brand.
grmaryp
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Well, Waste King 9920 garbage disposal works fine for me as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Waste King 9920

Waste King disposal - too many models available - need advice

eve72

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Cavimum

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