[ag-before-rating]Review Summary:
The InSinkErator Badger 5 garbage disposer has become notorious for all the wrong reasons, most notably an inevitable leak at the bottom of the unit. While it works it does a decent job, but its dubious long term record forces you to consider alternatives like the Waste King L-2600.
Pros: Good grinding performance, fairly easy installation, good motor
Cons: Plastic housing prone to cracking, 2 year warranty only
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InSinkErator Evolution Compact Review
The InSinkErator Badger 5 is one of the best selling garbage disposals currently available. It’s not hard to see why: it’s an attractive unit at a good price from a USA manufacturer with a good reputation.
Unfortunately, the recent long term track record of this model asks a number of questions about its reliability and build quality. Let’s take a closer look.
Installation
As with most InSinkErator garbage disposals, the Badger 5 uses the Quick Lock sink mount system for attaching to your sink. This is a well designed and proven 3-bolt installation method, and makes it fairly easy to get the disposer up and running (not accounting for various other factors that could complicate installation, like sink layout and piping configuration).
The InSinkErator disposers are made for hard-wiring into your electrical system, so you won’t get a cord and plug with this unit. As I mentioned in other reviews of InSinkErator products, offering a cord and plug connection as well would be a nice touch and won’t cost them an arm and a leg to add.
The Badger 5 is a fairly compact unit, so installation should be possible under most sinks.
InSinkErator Badger 5 In Action
Ok, what you have here is basically a plastic shell, with galvanized steel on the inside. We know galvanized steel is not as rust resistant as stainless steel over the long term, so this will perhaps cut down on the longevity of the product.
I am also not completely convinced by the plastic outer shell, and this has turned out to be one of the weak spots of the Badger 5 over the years.
Unlike the more expensive Evolution series, the Badger 5 only employs a single stage grinding process, meaning that the end result will be slightly rougher garbage being sent down the drain.
The 1/2 horsepower motor performs admirably and seems to be of good quality, as very few long term issues with the product involve the motor. I still won’t recommend this for large households that produce a lot of tricky waste to process. It is best suited to a household of 2 to 4 people maximum. The unit is also a little noisy.
Problems
The single biggest problem with this unit is eventual leakage caused by cracks in the plastic housing. It’s a shame, because in most other respects this is a good little garbage disposal unit. By my estimate almost 20% of owners report the leaking problem, which puts it far beyond the “benefit of the doubt to the product” range.
Some people have successfully fixed the housing using various sealants, but this is really a recurring problem you’d have expected the company to fix at manufacturing level by now.
Bottom Line: The InSinkErator Badger 5 is a decent mid-range garbage disposer, but it is hard to recommend with only a 2-year warranty and well documented longevity issues. Only about 66% of online reviews are favorable, where I’d expect at least 75% before making a strong recommendation for the product.
I’d recommend that you consider the Waste King Legend 2600 as an alternative.
See today’s Badger 5 Deal On Amazon*paid link