I looked at the blog - it seems that the installation instructions are poor/incorrect - not the valve.

However I have an opinion as an engineer and long time DIY'er. I have direct experience with Moen and Price Fister faucets that have turned out to be junk. These products may have been good 50 years ago - but not today.

Over the years I've remodeled our entire home and I've used Grohe. We have a Grohe faucet that has worked flawlessly for 18 years - never replaced a single part!

I recently remodeled the down stairs bathroom - I used Grohe mixing valve / shut off. It was $600.

Now I know just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's better quality - but think about it - how can Moen offer a valve the performs a similar function for $159?

I think $159 is too cheap, and you get what you pay for.

I'm hoping to hear from someone who has installed this valve and trim. It seems fairly popular on the site, but the bad reviews make me hesitant.
Any plumbers here with info?

I appreciate that quality components come at a price, but surely their is something in between $150 and $600 that will be satisfactory. It is a shower, not a piece of surgical equipment.

The Moen valve was highly recommended to me by the largest plumbing supplier/plumbing service in my geographic area. They do not offer any Grohe products.

I'd love to hear some more thoughts on this.

@kirkhall and @mabel: The deal is that the 'run of the mill plumber' who doesn't read, who throws away the installation instructions, who doesn't think about the thickness of the cement board and tile, will quite possibly screw up this installion. That's what I've gleaned from the other blog posts.

Now a thoughtful plumber will install it correctly.

But I have to back up to my original statement that you get what you pay for. 40 years ago - these valves were $100. Now they're $150. Something got to give.

After a month, the porclain on the shower handles cracked. Both the bath sink and the shower handles come loose all the time. I added lock washers - still come loose, Price Fister has sent me multiple ceramic cartridges - normally these should never wear out.

The Monen single hanldle sink - after a year need a new cartridge, then the faucet was hard to turn - new O rings - then the side spray didn't work - needed new diverter - the POS never worked correctly after the first year.

The plumbing suppier doesn't give a rat's a** about your fauct, they want what's easy for them.

Just the fact that they don't offer any Grohe products shows that they aren't serious.

I'm not saying Grohe is the best, but IMO you are being steered to the low quality, crap product - cause that's what they want to sell.