Man, do I feel like a big dummy! Why haven't I been enjoying using a Waste Maid garbage disposer instead of the crap made by ISE all these years? I installed this Waste Maid today and I couldn't be happier. Like going from a beat up, rusted Cavalier to a brand new Cadillac. It is that much better! For the last 25 or more years I have been fooled into thinking I needed a garbage disposal from ISE. I guess because they spend so much money on advertising and they are the ones you see in the display at Lowes. It is the brand my parents used. However, in 25 years, it seems like their quality has done nothing but go downhill and all I have done is replace them over and over and over. As I write this, I just replaced my last ISE Badger 5 with this Waste Maid. It seems silly that I could be this excited about a garbage disposal but listen... After 25 years of using ISE brand disposals every single day, this really is like moving from a rusted, beat up Cavalier to a brand new Cadillac. It really is that different. Like, it's hard to explain how different these two models are. For starters, the size will shock you. My old ISE Badger 5 was big under the sink. It was wide, it hung low and it was HEAVY. Now, it had some metal, but only where the heavy induction motor was located. The grinding chamber was plastic. This Waste Maid uses a polymer body everywhere. And, because it uses a permanent magnet motor, it is small and lightweight. You might think it would be less powerful, but the opposite is true. The induction motor used by ISE is big, heavy noisy and SLOW. The permanent magnet motor used in this is a modern motor. It is small, lightweight, quiet and FAST. So quiet in fact, I had to peek in to make sure it was running. And this is for the base model disposer without the sound insulation. I cannot believe how much quieter it is than my old ISE. If you think you need that big old heavy induction motor like ISE uses, you don't. Permanent magnet motors are used in things like Tesla car motors and small, powerful motors like the starter motor in your car. This motor runs so fast too (about twice the speed of the ISE) that food is pulverized almost instantly. Also, notice in the picture I posted a few things I circled. In my former ISE Badger 5, the turntable was flat, aside from the two impellers. So, as it turned more slowly compared to this high-speed Waste Maid, you really had to rely on centrifugal force to throw the food against the grinding ring and the impellers. More often than not, if I put in half a potato, half an orange or something like that, it would just run around in circles. I'd have to shut it off then back on or add something else to get it to grind. Now, when you look at what Waste Maid did, they have added a couple "knives" on their turntable, as well as some distinct bumps. Today I tested this new model. I threw in a half a potato and it was pulverized instantly. Again, I had to check to make sure it was running and not jammed because I could not hear it. The "knife" helps to make rough cuts of the food you are dropping in and the bumps make the food unstable on the turntable so it is tossed around and against the impellers and grinding ring. The knife below ensures that anything that could slip by like onion skin or other items below the turntable continue to get cut up and flushed down the drain. Waste Maid really did think of everything too. The rubber splash guard on ISE disposers is permanently attached to the disposer. That means trapped food can stink and smell and it is almost impossible to clean. Accidently cut it with a knife or damage it and you are out of luck. Waste Maid, on the other hand, uses a REMOVABLE splash guard. If it gets dirty you can wash it or throw it in the dishwasher. Such a small thing that makes a HUGE difference in quality of life and satisfaction. Like, why didn't everyone think of that? Because of it's shape too, more of the disposal opening is closed so it makes the running unit even quieter and nothing splashes back, like it can on the ISE with their wide opening. Lastly, and saving the best for last, I told you I did not previously own a Waste Maid. I owned an ISE Badger 5. It used their 3-bolt mounting system with the "twist-to-lock" feature that makes replacing ISE with more ISE units easy. However, this Waste Maid USES THE SAME "twist-to-lock" ring and feature. Even better, the output tube is in the same position and distance as my Badger 5. What does this mean? It means I removed my old ISE Badger 5 and replaced it with this new Waste Maid, IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES UNDER THE SINK! No lie! Less than 10 minutes! Everything lined up perfectly. I literally twisted the collar on this new one to my old ISE mount, hooked up my dishwasher hose, tighten the plumbing connection on the waste tube, plugged it in, and I was done. The fact that Waste Maid has enabled direct replacement of an ISE unit without having to mess with the sink flange, change your plumbing, etc. is worth the cost. I know this review was long but listen... I have become so frustrated with the crap put out by ISE anymore that I was willing to take a chance on another brand. When I discovered the features that Waste Maid had and found out it was a direct replacement for an ISE unit AT LESS THAN HALF THE COST, I was sold. I'm really glad I made this choice. I can't believe how quick and fast it is getting rid of food compared to my old ISE units. I'll never go back to them. I am a Waste Maid customer from now on.
