New bathtub

[bsheffer]

I need to replace a 80 year old cast iron bathtub. I always buy quality but I don,t have the need to buy the best. Standard size bathtub. I have never purchased a tub but and advice would be welcome in terms of where to buy and what to look for and to look out for?? I am in an old classic stone house. From what I am seeing my practical options would be either to go with a cast iron tub or steel tub. The house deserves something very sturdy which in my mind cuts out any fiberglass product.

[MikeBob]

As a residual remodeler that owned his own business and was hands on, you have 2 choices if you dont want t with fiberglass. The steel or cast iron. Non of them will have a great porcelain like your old one. Your old one had lead in the finish which made it much more durable. Since lead was outlawed, porcelain is not the same.
We busted out a Kohler cast iron tub in about 2002 ish that the date casting on it said 1938, looked like new, and I swear the porcelean chips that came off of it were a about a 32nd+" thick .
By the way, dont buy Kohler, over priced.

[Bob10]

The Kohler Villager is a cast iron tub usually for less than $400.  Great tube and good warranty.  I picked one up at HD installed and found they had cracked it and wasn't noticeable until after the install and tiny rust line.  I called Kohler they issued a return slip I took to HD and picked up another without having to take the other back allowing me to break it up instead of carry it down a flight of stairs and back to the store.  If you buy from a big box tap it before loading listen to the sound

[MikeBob]

The Kohler Villager is a cast iron tub usually for less than $400.  Great tube and good warranty.  I picked one up at HD installed and found they had cracked it and wasn't noticeable until after the install and tiny rust line.  I called Kohler they issued a return slip I took to HD and picked up another without having to take the other back allowing me to break it up instead of carry it down a flight of stairs and back to the store.  If you buy from a big box tap it before loading listen to the sound

My plumber I used when I had the business said the Kohler products they sell at the BBS are blemished 2nds, not in a noticeable area, but cant sell to there Kohler front stores. FWEIW.
Most plumbers I talk to referred to Kohler as over priced Kohler sheet. I down ski hill raced with, an engineer that worked there, and he agreed.

[MKepke]

My plumber I used when I had the business said the Kohler products they sell at the BBS are blemished 2nds, not in a noticeable area, but cant sell to there Kohler front stores. FWEIW.
Most plumbers I talk to referred to Kohler as over priced Kohler sheet. I down ski hill raced with, an engineer that worked there, and he agreed.

I think its a myth that the big box stores get seconds - provided we're talking about the same model #.  "Never say never" but take this Kohler tub for example, Home Depot sells the same model (K-715) as a bunch of other stores.

When I ask Kohler.com where to buy this model, I get a list of 20 local locations..half of which are plumbing supply houses, the other half big boxes.  If the manufacturer can't tell them apart, how do they keep the supply streams separate?

Kind of reminds me of my recent water heater replacement: the pro installer told me I should buy from him because the models he supplied came with brass drains.  So did the same model from Home Depot...

Back to the OP - has he thought about getting the tub refinished in place?  Maybe that's not the problem tho.

-Mark

[Bob10]

My plumber I used when I had the business said the Kohler products they sell at the BBS are blemished 2nds, not in a noticeable area, but cant sell to there Kohler front stores. FWEIW.
Most plumbers I talk to referred to Kohler as over priced Kohler sheet. I down ski hill raced with, an engineer that worked there, and he agreed.

Seriously?  They screw up so often the can supply the largest building supply store in the country seconds along with Lowes and Menards?  The large numbers just make it seem counter productive to make a different quality product and try to keep them separate.

[MikeBob]

I think its a myth that the big box stores get seconds - provided we're talking about the same model #.  "Never say never" but take this Kohler tub for example, Home Depot sells the same model (K-715) as a bunch of other stores.

When I ask Kohler.com where to buy this model, I get a list of 20 local locations..half of which are plumbing supply houses, the other half big boxes.  If the manufacturer can't tell them apart, how do they keep the supply streams separate?

Kind of reminds me of my recent water heater replacement: the pro installer told me I should buy from him because the models he supplied came with brass drains.  So did the same model from Home Depot...

Back to the OP - has he thought about getting the tub refinished in place?  Maybe that's not the problem tho.

-Mark

Not a true comparison but Home Depot sells John Deere products, BUT not the exact same model or quality as a John Deere dealer. To protect there dealerships from not being to have to match apples to apples on pricing.
As far as Kohler selling the same thing, well the model # maybe the but as I was told the BBS has them with a blemish usually not to the area the visible eye will see when installed, just not to Kohlers dealership standards

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The reason I know this about HD and John Deere is a friend owns a Marketing Research business, and worked with HD and John Deere, also some of the large appliances HD sells, HD specs out the features they want on a stove/frig ect from a major name thats to do business with them but cant cut there independents throats. So it is the same name brand, but without comparable features. Usually if not always HD takes out a few whistles and bells that they think there consumer/price point does not want so then they can sell it cheaper, but NOT the exact product as independent appliance store.

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An example, I would do about 1 house addition a year. I got all my stuff from a local lumber yard for the rough in. Top notch  on materials. The BBS has a contractors area and always bugging me to use them. I had an addition to to do so I bid them and my lumber yard, well a 15% difference, I went with the BBS, I figured I try them once. Never again. Went to put down the OSB sub floor, no lines on it for 12"/16"/24" on center. WTF, same on the roof  and wall sheathing. I stopped by and asked WTF. Talked to the manager, welll "we can sell it for .25$ a sheet less then are competitor".  I told him never to me again!!!

[MikeBob]

Seriously?  They screw up so often the can supply the largest building supply store in the country seconds along with Lowes and Menards?  The large numbers just make it seem counter productive to make a different quality product and try to keep them separate.

Just passing on what I was told in about 200 ish.
Why would they under cut there Kohler independents to sell at the BBS too? It is not just good marketing/business. If I was an independent and knew I could not sell there same product competitively why have them other then a "sucker is born everyday".
Or a different product line for each??

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An other example a friend bought a fish locator when they first came out in the 80s, a Flasher style, I cant think of the manufactures name. He had it a year, sat out in boat over a WI winter next year worked great. so I bought the same model but a bought 25$ ish cheaper from Bass Pro Shop, worked great, sat out in the boat covered over the winter, next year for shoot. I took it into a service center, when I picked it up I asked what was wrong, "corroded contacts", I said I have a buddy that has the same one, sits out and no problem. She said get his model #. So I did it was the same but lets say mine had a dash 5, his a dash 9 after it. Just for giggles.
She said he has the more expensive model with gold contacts, yours was the cheaper model and not gold contacts, same model style/# different price range.

[Cooler]

For $300.00 to $500.00 the best tub refinishers can apply a new finish that will look good for 15 years or so, at which time you would have to refinish again.

According to Nicole Curtis (the home improvement guru on TV) the best professional job will vastly outlast the do it yourself job.  She claims her do it herself refinishes last about 5 years; the professional ones last 15 to 20 years.  

If you refinish a cast iron tub, you end up with a cast iron tub.  A better choice in my opinion than a steel or fiberglass one.

I have a blue colored 1950's era cast iron tub.  I am remodeling the bath now with white sinks and toilets and I will call someone in to shoot the tub white to match.

[Snipe Hunter]

I just put in an American Standard Cambridge 16x32x17-3/4 tub in the guest bath. We like a deep tub so it narrows the field a little. The price was reasonable for a steel/porcelain tub.

It looks nice and went in as any tub would. It does have a very slight bow in the front and I was using 12" x 24" tiles so cutting was a little tricky but all in all it looks fine.

My only caution is that the top, of the front of the tub is a little narrow. Maybe because it's such a tall tub but the shower door I ordered is a little wide so I couldn't caulk the inside edge to the tub. Does that make sense? I This particular door has three fins that touch the tub so I was still able to seal two but if it were a cheaper door with only two fins touching the tub, I wouldn't get a good seat or seal on it. So read the specs and shop for doors accordingly.

Cambridge
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[url=http://www.homedepot.com/p/American-Standard-Cambridge-5-ft-x-32-in-Left-Drain-Soaking-Tub-in-White-2460-002-020/100086755]Sorry about the lousy cell phone pic