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Waste King L-8000 vs InSinkErator Badger 1HP Garbage Disposal Side-by-Side Comparison

By , , and ·Published

Waste King L-8000 1 HP

$97.75 from Amazon

InSinkErator Badger 1HP Garbage Disposal

$252.82 from Amazon
Waste King L-8000 vs InSinkErator Badger 1HP Garbage Disposal

Overall Verdict

There are some key fundamental differences between these two 1 HP garbage disposals. The biggest is price, with the InSinkErator Badger 1 HP costing almost double. However, the induction motor of the InSinkErator failed to impress and the narrow design of the grind chamber seemed at fault too. 

The InSinkErator only excelled with raw chicken scraps—something the Waste King L-8000 fails to handle well. The Waste King is, however, an excellent disposal for dealing with large amounts of mixed scraps, and deals acceptably well with fish scraps. The InSinkErator was below average for mixed scraps and dismal at raw fish leftovers. Considering its high price tag, it's not really a disposal worth considering.

Ranking by
Showing: 2/2 Items

Pros & Cons

  • Noise reduction
  • High torque 
  • High speed 
  • Stainless steel grinding components
  • Affordable
  • High capacity
  • Stainless steel grinding components
  • External unjam mechanics
  • Heavy build
  • Takes up a lot of space 
  • Can be loud
  • Mediocre performance
  • Heavy build
  • Non-removable splash guard
  • Loud operation

Key Specs

Type of feed
Continuous
Continuous
Horsepower
1
1
Motor type
Permanent magnet
Induction
Averaged RPM
4149
1480
Family size
3-4 people
3-4 people
Dimensions
L5.5 x W8.4 x H16.2 inches
L4.8 x W7.3 x H12.6 inches

Where to Buy

Price at publication
$111.07
$218.12
$97.75 at Amazon
$252.82 at Amazon

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Analysis and Test Results

Performance

Overall Performance Scoring
6.9
4.2

Scrap Mix

8.1
5.0
8.11 ounces of visible fish pin bones in mess of ground assorted scraps, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
Layer 1
8.11 ounces of visible fish pin bones in mess of ground assorted scraps, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
12.56 ounces of ground assorted scraps, including dietary fibers, bones, etc., on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
0.15 ounces of shredded pieces of fish backbone and celery stalk, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
InSinkErator Badger 1HP Garbage Disposal Scrap Mix Test
18.34 ounces of fish pin bones in mess of assorted scraps from garbage disposal on digital scale on granite-looking top.
13.56 ounces of ground products from garbage disposal on digital scale on granite-looking table.
0.4 ounces of shredded pieces and one large piece of lemon peel from garbage disposal on digital scale on granite-looking table
Input Load
90.0 oz (2551 g)
90.0 oz (2551 g)
Time
2 min
3 min 16 sec
Layer 1
8.1 oz (230 g)
18.4 oz (522 g)
Layer 2
12.6 oz (356 g)
13.6 oz (384 g)
Leftovers
0.1 oz (4 g)
0.4 oz (11 g)

Raw Fish Scraps

6.7
0.0
5.71 ounces of visible pin bones among mess of raw fibrous tissue from fish scraps, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
Layer 1
5.71 ounces of visible pin bones among mess of raw fibrous tissue from fish scraps, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
2.47 ounces of shredded bones and fibrous tissue from fish scraps, on digital scale, placed on granite-looking top.
2.8 ounces of fish vertebrae among mess of shredded fish skin, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
InSinkErator Badger 1HP Garbage Disposal Raw Fish Scraps Test
7.89 ounces of visible pin bones in a mass of raw meat and skin from fish scraps on digital scale on granite-looking top.
3.15 ounces of visible pin bones in a mass of raw meat and skin from fish scraps on digital scale on granite-looking top.
5.63 ounces of broken fish vertebrae and shredded fish skin on digital scale on granite-looking top.
Input Load
49.4 oz (1400 g)
49.4 oz (1400 g)
Time
3 min
3 min
Layer 1
5.7 oz (162 g)
7.9 oz (224 g)
Layer 2
2.5 oz (70 g)
3.1 oz (89 g)
Leftovers
2.8 oz (79 g)
5.6 oz (160 g)

Raw Chicken Scraps

4.6
6.8
1.44 ounces of fibrous soft tissue and few pieces of shredded chicken bones, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
Layer 1
1.44 ounces of fibrous soft tissue and few pieces of shredded chicken bones, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
1.79 ounces of shredded soft tissue and pieces of shredded chicken bones, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
0.91 ounces of shredded soft stringy tissue and cartilage from chicken scraps, on digital scale, on granite-looking top.
InSinkErator Badger 1HP Garbage Disposal Raw Chicken Scraps Test
0.86 ounces of crushed chicken bone, shredded cartilage, and fatty tissues on digital scale on granite-looking top.
1.45 ounces of crushed chicken bone and cartilage, and shredded tendon and meat on digital scale on granite-looking top.
0.58 ounces of shredded fatty tissue and broken cartilage from chicken scraps on digital scale on granite-looking top.
Input Load
7.4 oz (210 g)
7.4 oz (210 g)
Time
3 min
3 min
Layer 1
1.4 oz (41 g)
0.9 oz (24 g)
Layer 2
1.8 oz (51 g)
1.4 oz (41 g)
Leftovers
0.9 oz (26 g)
0.6 oz (16 g)

Design

Overall Design Scoring
9.2
8.1

In the Box

L-8000, EZ Mount on top, its box, user manual, stopper, adapter kit, elbow tube, rubber gasket, flange, bolts, wire nuts.
Badger 1HP with 3-Bolt Mount, box, register slip, user manual, stopper, elbow tube, rubber gasket, flange, bolts, and wrench.

Dimensions

Waste King 1 HP with mount assembly, elbow tube. Showing 8.4-inch width, 14.6-inch height, 4.3-inch depth to dishwasher outlet, 7.4-inch depth to outlet, 5.4-inch distance to elbow tube.
Badger 1HP with mount assembly and elbow tube. Showing 7.3-inch width, 12.6-inch height, 3.5-inch depth to dishwasher outlet, 6.7-inch depth to outlet, 4.8-inch distance to elbow tube.
Length
5.5" (14.0 cm)
4.8" (12.2 cm)
Width
8.4" (21.3 cm)
7.3" (18.5 cm)
Height
16.2" (41.1 cm)
12.6" (32.0 cm)
Weight
12.7 lbs (5.8 kg)
15.2 lbs (6.9 kg)

Mount Assembly

EZ Mount assembly for garbage disposals placed on white platform with stopper in position.
EZ Mount assembly for garbage disposals placed on white platform with stopper in position.
Support ring, mounting ring, cushion mount, fiber gasket, rubber gasket, sink flange, stopper, removable sink splash guard.
3-Bolt mounting assembly for garbage disposals with “insinkerator” engravings placed on white platform with stopper in position.
3-Bolt mounting assembly for garbage disposals with “insinkerator” engravings placed on white platform with stopper in position.
Backup flange, mounting ring, snap ring, fiber gasket, cushion mount, sink flange, stopper, lower mounting ring.

Grind Chamber

8.5
7.0
Top view into chamber of Waste King L-8000 garbage disposal after testing, looking at layout of grinding components.
Top view into chamber of Waste King L-8000 garbage disposal after testing, looking at layout of grinding components.
Inside view of Waste King L-8000 garbage disposal, showing design of two-level grater/grinder ring and details on flywheel.
Inside view of Waste King L-8000 food disposer, showing design of impellers and details of flywheel and grater/grinder ring.
Top view of grinding components in InSinkErator Badger 1HP looking at layout of flywheel and impellers.
Top view of grinding components in InSinkErator Badger 1HP looking at layout of flywheel and impellers.
Precutter/grater ring in InSinkErator Badger 1HP showing layout of cutters and grinding teeth.
Grinding components in InSinkErator Badger 1HP showing design of flywheel and impeller(s).
Capacity
30.0 fl oz (887.2 ml)
32 fl.oz.
Verticality
6.8" (17.3 cm)
4.5" (11.4 cm)
Flywheel
4.4" (11.1 cm)
5.3" (13.3 cm)
Assembly Material
Intermediate
Stainless steel
Layout
Stainless steel
Basic

Motor

10
8.5
Horsepower
1
1
Speed
2800 RPM
1725 RPM
Real Speed
4149 RPM
1480 RPM
Voltage
115 V (60 Hz)
120 V (60 Hz)
Current
7 A
10.2 A
Wattage
805 W
1200 W
Heat
n/a
N/a
Reverse
No
No

Power Cord

Bottom view of Waste King L-8000 1 HP corded garbage disposal with type-B power cord.
Bottom view of InSinkErator Badger 1HP garbage disposal without power cord.
Length
2.8 ft (0.9 m)
NaN" (NaN cm)
Type
3-prong (Type B)
N/a

Accessories

Standard outlet/discharge set for garbage disposals on granite-looking top, showing elbow pipe, rubber gasket, flange, bolts
Standard outlet/discharge set for garbage disposals on white top, showing elbow pipe, rubber gasket, flange, and bolts.
Width
3.3" (8.3 cm)
3.3" (8.3 cm)
Length
5.3" (13.3 cm)
5.3" (13.3 cm)
Material
PVC
PVC

Build Quality

9.0
8.5
Waste King Legend Series L-8000 1 HP Garbage Disposal, with EZ Mount assembly on top and outlet/discharge set installed.
InSinkErator Badger 1HP Garbage Disposal, with 3-Bolt Mount assembly on top and outlet/discharge set in place.
Noise Reduction
Yes
Yes
Vibration Reduction
No
No

Usability

Overall Usability Scoring
7.3
7.4

Ease of Use

8.0
8.0

Installation

7.0
6.5

Smooth Operation

8.0
8.0

Unjam Mechanics

0.0
5.0
Inside view of permanent-magnet garbage disposal showing manual unjam mechanics with wooden stick in flywheel’s opening/gap.
Bottom view of InSinkErator Badger garbage disposal showing jam-buster wrench in manual unjam slot.
External
No
Yes
Auto Unjam
No
No