[ag-before-rating]Review Summary:
Fairly inexpensive and easy to install and with a lifetime corrosion warranty, the Waste King L-2600 is among the best 0.5 HP garbage disposals on the market right now. It runs quietly and performs its intended task admirably.
Pros: Inexpensive, stainless steel blades, easy installation, good warranty, removable splash guard
Cons: Plastic shell, slow to get going [/ag-before-rating]
Waste King L-2600 Review Details
The Waste King L-2600 is a 1/2 HP continuous feed operation waste disposer. At first glance (and feel) you may have some doubts about the build quality of the unit. The outside shell is indeed just a piece of plastic, but don’t fear: inside you have a solid stainless steel construction that’s bound to last a good while.
Installation
The installation is fairly easy thanks to the EZ mount system with its rubber gasket. You will have to use plumber’s putty (not included) if you don’t have a stainless steel sink. The unit is ready out of the box for a one bowl sink install, but a two bowl sink install may require a trip to the hardware store for some extra piping and also makes the installation a little more complicated.
Also, the instructions could have been better and first time installers may have some trouble, depending on the layout of their sink and piping. The majority of buyer feedback suggests, however, that the Waste King L-2600 installation is easier than the average garbage disposal installation.
Worth noting is that the unit ships with a 36-inch electric cord and attached standard North American 3-prong plug, so if your previous unit was hard-wired into your electric supply you’ll need to install a plug box (or preferably get an electrician to do it) to get this working.
The Waste King L-2600 In Action
In operation the Waste King L-2600 is generally quiet, but I won’t go as far as using the phrase “whisper quiet” to describe it. Noise levels will vary depending on what you’re putting through it. The 0.5 HP motor offers a good deal of power and will chew through most everyday food stuffs without too much hassle.
While it does have a high RPM at 2,600 and runs like a champ once it’s going, it can be a little slow to pick up speed if there are already debris in the blades on startup.
Many people use this unit as a replacement for their Insinkerator Badger 5, and most are very pleased and consider it an upgrade and vast improvement over that model.
A nice touch is that the splash guard is removable for cleaning. There is a trade-off here though: the opening is a little smaller, making it slightly harder to shove food into the disposer. It’s not a big deal in the end.
The plastic housing and stainless steel should do a good job of keeping rust at bay as well, so I can see this lasting a good while if nothing goes wrong mechanically.
The unit is backed by a 5-year mechanical and a lifetime corrosion warranty. Provided that the company honors the guarantee, the L-2600 offers excellent value for money and a fair scoop of peace of mind. The slightly cheaper Waste King L-1001, for example, only offers a 2-year warranty, so the $20 or so you pay extra for the L-2600 is well worth it.
Bottom Line: The Waste King L-2600 is a solid, affordable 0.5 HP garbage disposer. On average 90% of buyers review the product favorably and/or would recommend it to a friend.