Can't comment on the stainless sinks but undersink plumbing is not hard if you are flexible enought to get under your sink. The physically hardest part is attaching the faucet to the granite/sink because you are on your back reaching upward behind your new sink.

Water lines are easy to attach, you want to buy some teflon tape (in any hardware dept) before you attach the water lines to the shutoffs.

Drain lines are often the hardest for a novice. Your new sink is likely to be deeper so your old drain lines won't be in the same location. Also if you have a disposal that needs to be installed.

None of it is impossible, lots of photos and diagrams can be found online. I am a small 52 year old woman and I just hooked up my new kitchen sink a couple of weeks ago but I have been doing it for years.

You really don't need a plumber so you might be able to hire a local handyman for a lot cheaper if you decide not to do it yourself.

The sink in this link http://www.homedepot.com/buy/kitchen/stainless/elkay-pergola-universal-mount-stainless-steel-33x22x8-4-hole-double-bowl-kitchen-sink-hd553602.html#.UFI1MY1lQms. is said to be dual mount and I believe it can be under mounted too. However, my contractor says that the sink has holes for faucets and hence is top mounted. Would this be correct? Also this sink is 20 guage should I go for a 18 guage sink?

I, too, am in the process of replacing my sink. I am only considering a 16 gauge - and I would suggest you also look at 16 or 18 as opposed to 20 and especially if you have a disposal - from what I understand this will cut down on the noise level - from the disposal to the mere water dropping in the sink!

16 gauge is certainly better, 18 is OK 20 and 22 gauge sinks are really think and your going to hear everything, especially the garbage disposer. Thin unsound deadened sinks act like a drum and amplify every little noise. whatever brand you select look for sound deadening materials on the underside and look for at least 18 gauge stainless steel.

salilsurendran - I would not recommend that Elkay sink you linked to at Home Depot for two reasons. First, it is a 50-50 configuration, which means neither bowl will be big enough to set a pan down or wash anything without banging into the divider. If you are choosing a double-bowl sink instead of a single-bowl, the 80/20 sink you linked to at Amazon is a better configuration because one side has good dimensions for practicality in the kitchen. You could also look for a 60-40 configuration.

Just to be clear, you have a 36" cabinet base for these sinks, right?

In any case, I wouldn't get either of those sinks you linked, because you can do better. You can find 16 gauge sinks which are a thicker gauge for the same amount of money or only slightly more. 20 gauge is too thin as Harry5656 pointed out. It will sound tinny and dent easily. 18 is slightly better, but 16 would be best. Go to either overstock or galaxytoolsupply, and you will find sinks by Kraus, Ticor or Vigo that are 16 gauge (i.e. thicker stainless) and come with sink grid and strainer free, which are valuable additions. I've added links below. There are many people on this forum who have these brands of stainless sinks and are very happy; you can do a search in the search box the bottom of the Kitchens Forum page for "ticor" or "kraus" sink to come up with other threads. Also, the overstock website has user reviews too. Free shipping too.

Ticor double-bowl undermount sinks at galaxytoolsupply

stainless sinks at overstock

Just to add to my previous post - you mentioned you didn't want the sink to "lose its shine". Note that all stainless sinks will scratch and not be as shiny over time, even if you spend $1000 on a stainless sink. That is just what stainless does. If you don't want that, then get another material like enameled cast iron or Silgranit. You can prevent scratches on a stainless sink by using a sink grid, which the Ticor sinks I linked above offer.

A question what does 36" cabinet base mean? Is it the measurement of the cabinet from the floor to the top or the width of the cabinet? The width of my cabinet is 24" and my current sink is 18" across? The only option I have is to buy local in San Jose, CA. My contractor is going to come in on Tuesday and shipping from any of these sites will be exhorbitant.

Salilsurendran - you likely overlooked that I said in my post that the websites I linked offer free shipping.

The two sinks you linked in your first post both require a 36" cabinet base. That 36" is the width of the cabinet from side to side. If you are now saying your cabinet width is 24" you will need to buy smaller sinks than the ones you linked above.

Furthermore with a 24" width cabinet you should buy a single bowl sink. How will you fit a two-bowl sink in a 24" width? Alternatively, you could explore having the sink base be larger than 24"; perhaps a 30" width sink cabinet would be possible in your layout. Discuss with your cabinet supplier or contractor.

Why must you have the sink by Tuesday? Are your cabinets being installed Tuesday along with your counters?

The current sink I have is 33" * 18" * 9". Those stores have free shipping but they will only get to my San Jose home after Tuesday.

Hello, just wanted to chime in on your topic. When we remodeled our kitchen, we had to give up our top mount MoenStone sink which I LOVED. But, I wanted an undermount sink and decided to give stainless a try. I searched garden web, and suggest you do the same. There's tons of info on here already from others giving their thoughts on brands and gauge. If you just google "stainless sinks garden web" you will get a lot of info. I beg you to do this before you make your purchase because switching out your sink two years from now will be a pain in the rear.

While I like the depth of my sink, I do have a few regrets personally with my purchase. I bought a Ticor off of galaxy tool supply website. I think its a great sink, even the granite installer commented on the heft of the sink. I just don't like the configuration I chose. I think its an 80/20 but feels like a 90/10 to me...I don't like the small side being that small. I went from a 50/50 and maybe its just been a hard adjustment for me.....