This is your 3rd thread about this... Just go with a Rheem 75 gal and be done with it. They are $900-1100 for that size depending on the warranty.

What is it that you think makes the best brand of water heater? How long it lasts? Low likelihood of trouble?

Note: 75-80 gal water heaters are not "common" meaning when this thing goes out, you aren't going to pick one up at Lowes. It will be a special order and you will wait for it.

They are also really heavy (ship weight is 320 lbs) which makes them a bear to get in and out of a basement.

Or you could go with a pair of 50 gal. They are readily available and when you get over the whole "125 gal tub for two thing" you can shut one off completely.

The 75 - 80 gal must be more common there. Here, not so much

I'm not saying buy the cheapest - I'm saying buy a reputable mid-range unit. There's not a lot of difference with the standard tank gas or electric water heater. There are really only three components - a tank, insulation, and a gas control valve. The control valve is going to be made by Honeywell or another 3rd party.

Beyond the first year I think that all warranties are questionable. Most are not going to warranty labor.

In doing more research I learned that Bradford White's warranty only covers parts and never labor.

On the other hand, Rheem offers three years of labor coverage on their heaters that carry a 12 year warranty and one year of labor coverage on their heaters that carry a six year warranty. That is enough to steer me towards Rheem over BW.

Rheem has SO MANY 75 gallon natural gas water heaters. It's a little overwhelming. They can be separated by vent type but there are still at least three different categories for each vent type. It's overwhelming when you are trying to pick one and you just don't know that much about technicalities of water heaters.

I think I have narrowed it down to these two Rheem models. The conundrum is that one has better specs with the six year warranty and the other with lower specs but carries their 12 year warranty. I want both the better specs and the better warranty but I have to choose one.

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I'm not sure what the difference in specs are besides the warranty

I believe Bradford-White is usually provided by plumbing companies, so its unusual to find it in stores. Most folks get that brand because that's what the plumbing company is installing. That may affect the reviews, and/or how the repairs have been handled after installation.

75-80 gallons seems like a huge residential water heater, even if they are commonly available. My current home has a 40 gallon, which works well, and in the past I don't think I've ever had more than a 50 gallon heater. If you routinely need that much hot water, I think I'd look very closely at a tankless unit.

With respect to warranties and reliability, my suggestion is to just identify the outliers. There are some brands and models that are known as really bad, so avoid them. There are others that are really good, so consider whether they are worth the price. Everything else falls in the happy middle ground of being "okay" for your needs, and from there the reliability is driven mostly by installation quality and luck.

Bruce

You could try calling Rheem's customer service department. They should be able to answer your questions. 1-800-995-0982 from the Rheem owner's manual on the Home Depot website.

AO Smith is quality.