InSinkErator Evolution Excel
vs
Waste King Legend L-8000
We pit two of the most powerful garbage disposals against each other in this head-to-head review. Who will emerge as the winner in the premium 1-horsepower category between the InSinkErator Evolution Excel and the Waste King Legend L-8000?
Motor Size | Noise | Operation & Grinding Stages | Internal Components | Unboxing & Parts | Installation | Warranty | Overall Winner | Price
Motor Size
The motor is the heart of any garbage disposal unit. The power determines how much garbage the disposal can deal with in a single load, as well as what kind of waste is suitable for processing in the unit. If you live in a household connected to a septic tank system then motor size is also an important consideration to stop food waste creating expensive problems in the future.
Waste King L-8000: This disposal features a 1–horsepower motor spinning at 2,800-rpm – the Waste King L-8000 can handle anything you throw at the machine. This rough and tough unit comes with enough power to crush the most robust household and kitchen waste. The L-8000 utilizes a permanent magnet motor drive that reaches maximum speed in less than a second. The high-torque motor reduces jamming while making short work of kitchen scraps.
InSinkErator Evolution Excel: This model features a 1-horsepower motor as well, spinning at 1,725-rpm. Our tests found that the Evolution Excel dealt with all the kitchen scraps we fed it, with no operating hassles. While the Evolution Excel operates at speeds 30% slower than the L-8000, the dura-drive motor has enough power to ensure there are no jams or blockages in the unit.
Verdict: We like the high operating speeds of the L-8000, but the maintenance-free operation of the Evolution Excel makes it more appealing.
Overall, we would have to give the InSinkErator the edge in this department.
Noise
Nobody wants to hear noisy waste disposers grinding away in their kitchen – So how do they stack up against this regard?
Waste King L-8000: This unit comes insulated against noise, with “SoundSHIELD” deadening that dampens sound, providing smooth and quiet operation. Waste King did a great job of muffling the motor, and there’s less “whine” when inserting more cumbersome waste into the disposal. The L-8000 also features anti-vibration connections to reduce noise further.
InSinkErator Evolution Excel: The Evolution Excel from InSinkErator uses “SoundSeal” technology with insulation on the drive components in the motor, as well as dampened connections to reduce vibration during operation. The “Quiet Collar Sink Baffle,” helps to stop noise emanating from the open sink during use. We liked the way the smart-function of the motor increases torque by 500% to break through jams.
Verdict: While the Evolution Excel claims to have more sound-dampening technology than the Waste King L-8000, we found next to no difference during operation.
We give it a tie for this category.
Operation & Grinding Stages
A manufacturer can make all the claims it wants to about performance and specs. However, when it comes time to turn on the unit, we hope that both models live up to the manufacturer claims, let’s take a look at how they stack up.
Waste King L-8000: The L-8000 offers high-speed grinding operation with speeds up to 2,800-rpm. The powerful motor grinds up anything we throw at it, and the continuous action keeps going until we switch the unit off at the wall socket. Waste King are really going for the brute force approach with the L-8000!
InSinkErator Evolution Excel: The Evolution Excel offers three stages of grinding, along with auto-reverse and anti-jam technology. If you experience a blockage, then the sensors automatically pick up the jam, increasing torque by 500% to clear the waste. The three-stage grinding is a nice feature to have and makes up for the Excel’s lower RPM compared to the L-8000.
Verdict: Despite the big difference in RPM between the two disposers, both units perform similarly.
Another tie for this category.
Internal Components
Both units look rugged and powerful from the outside, but its what’s on the inside that counts. Let’s look at the quality of components in these disposals.
Waste King L-8000: The L-8000 features a corrosion-proof, glass-filled nylon grind chamber that can handle the most robust kitchen waste. The precision stainless-steel blades make short work of kitchen scraps, and you won’t have to worry about rust build-up.
InSinkErator Evolution Excel: The Evolution Excel also features stainless steel blades to resist corrosion and rust. The robust grind chamber is made of corrosion-resistant materials providing a long service life for the disposal.
Verdict: As neither the L-8000 or the Evolution Excel use low quality galvanized steel in their major components they should last for many years.
We think that both units match up evenly in this department.
Unboxing & Included Parts
You spent your money, and your disposal arrives at your door with free shipping – how convenient! Now it’s time to take a look at the unboxing process and what comes with your purchase.
Waste King L-8000: With the L-8000, you don’t have to concern yourself with any electrical wiring. The unit comes with a 32-inch power cord attached, ready for plug and play operation. Plug the disposal into the wall outlet, and you are good to go.
Inside the box, you’ll also find the “EZ-Mount system,” which includes the sink flange, flange gasket, fiber gasket, support ring, mount ring, tightening ears, and the cushion mount. The L-8000 also comes with a removable splash guard, reinforced polymer sink flange, and a drain stopper, along with the drain elbow.
InSinkErator Evolution Excel: When unboxing the Evolution Excel, you’ll find the disposal unit, along with the “quick-lock sink mount,” the stainless-steel stopper, sink baffle, discharge tubes and clamps. The product also comes with hardware and a jam-buster wrench to help you with a DIY installation and maintenance.
Frustratingly there is no power cord! This unfortunately is where the Evolution Excel falls flat on its face. We have no idea why they failed to include a power cord with the unit, but it does InSinkErator a disservice – and it’s a severe concern for us. No power cord means that you’ll either have to call one of the approved agents for fitment of your disposal, resulting in additional callout fees and fitment costs, or pay a premium for an InSinkErator power cord and brush up on your electrical skills.
Verdict: Without a power cable, the Evolution Excel doesn’t have a leg to stand on in this category although the stainless-steel stopper is a classy touch.
Overall however the power cable and plug-and-play operation of the Waste King L-8000 makes it the standout winner in this category.
Ease of Installation
It’s no good trying to save money on a garbage disposal unit if you have to pay a professional just to install it – Let’s look at the fitment options for both products.
Waste King L-8000: The L-8000 offers plug-and-play operation for easy installation. There’s no need for an external power cord or electrical wiring during installation, all you need to do is plug the unit into an outlet, and you are ready to go.
The Waste King fits the sink using a three-bolt system that’s easy to navigate. It also features a sink-mounted air switch or wall-switch, running with a continuous operation until you turn off the disposal. Included in the package is also a splashguard that’s easy to remove, clean, and replace.
InSinkErator Evolution Excel: The Evolution Excel is a bit trickier for fitment, and you might need to rely on one of the 1,5000-contractors in their network that do home installations. If you are replacing a previous InSinkErator model then check whether it uses the same quick-lock sink mount as this makes it easy to unclip the old one and slot in the Excel.
Verdict: We think that the “EZ-mount” system on the Waste King is the superior fitting system as it’s easy to install this unit by yourself, whereas the Evolution Excel might be challenging to fit for some DIYers.
The “EZ-mount” system means the Waste King wins in the ease of installation category.
Warranty Information
We all love our kitchen appliances until something goes wrong with them. Warranties are an essential part of your purchase decision. Which manufacturer backs their product with a stronger warranty?
Waste King L-8000: Waste King is willing to bet their business on their disposal, offering a 20-year limited warranty on the unit against all manufacturer defects:
InSinkErator Evolution Excel: We were disappointed to discover that the Evolution Excel only comes with a 7-year warranty from the manufacturer against manufacturing defects.
Verdict: Waste King clearly back the L-8000 to last a long time with an unusally long warranty period.
Waste King easily wins this category with its 20-year limited warranty on the L-8000
