As a functional or performance tip I would recommend anyone that installs a primary linear drain (like shown above*) that looks like this that you trim the grate opening with something like a Butech or Schluter Tile Profile. This keeps most of the shower water from hydrating the thin-set at the drain edge. It keeps the shower drain looking better as well. I recently installed some Butech Edging to a Schluter drain for just this reason. It's hard to see in this photo but the edging is slightly tipped to the drain opening. I installed a thinner profile to the two sides of the tile insert grate as well. Those I kept flat. I clipped the corners of the Butech Profile for weepage reasons and used a re-inforcing mesh to speed up capillary migration under the edging. I do not like the Schluter Grates at all and tossed the one given to me for this shower. This install shows a custom version of a Kerdi Line Drain install - pretty sure they would not like the fact that I replaced all the Kerdi with Laticrete Hydro Ban Sheet Membrane! ;) * I'm guessing this since the tile is bonded directly to the floor with no 1 1/4"-2" mortar layer.

I have two of them and have never had problems...with anything. I have one that has the perforated holes, and another that is what's called a "tile-in" version: Complaints about the drain not draining fast enough may mean there is some problem with the drain pipe itself, not the drain, because the area of the drain holes or slots in a linear drain typically add up to a lot more than that of a standard drain. Someone who had rusting may have purchased a cheap, non-brandname item. When I was shopping for drains, I found a range of prices from about $100 to $600 for the same size drain. I settled on a mid-range price -- under $300 -- from a well-regarded company: Luxe drains The best prices I have found for this brand are, surprisingly, at HomeDepot.

The ONLY reason ever to do a linear drain is if you're using large format tile across the bathroom floor and continuing into a curbless shower. A linear drain is the only drain that will allow a slope across a single plane to achieve this kind of look (which is a fantastic floor look and makes any bathroom appear larger - when you have a unified floor of the same large tiles. Larger format tiles are unable to accomodate the curves required to slope into a single point drain the way small format tiles can. Linear drains from a functionality and maintenance standpoint are inferior in every way to a standard single point drain. After having designed and built a modern minimalist bathroom with the large format tiles and curbless scenario utilizing a linear drain - I will NEVER do it again. Thought I love the look of my bathroom, linear drain requires WEEKLY removal of the grate. It is disgusting to clean, does not drain well, water sits in the trough, hair collects all around the perimeter, gross slimy buildup occurs, etc... Trust me, you do not want a lifetime of dealing with this just to attain an aesthetic. Future bathrooms I design will simply transition to smaller mosiac tiles for the shower floor in order to accomodate a standard single point drain. It's a tradeoff I'm willing to make despite how much I love the look of continuous large format tiles across the floor. When I see people use a linear drain with small tiles I just laugh!

You're right...there is a wide range of prices for what often look to be the same thing. My choice is Luxe, which I have in two bathrooms and are still as good as new after 6 and 8 years of use. From what I can tell, their drains are of equivalent quality to some of the better known name brands that cost 2-3 times as much. Their smallest tile insert linear drain is 26", and I'm curious why you would want one as small as 24". Generally, you want the drain to span as much of the width of the shower as possible, and code typically requires a minimum of 30" in width. In any case, here is a link to their site: Luxe