Last Updated on April 4, 2023 by Dave Farquhar
Barracuda is a private-label brand of garbage disposal you can find at Menards home improvement stores. They are usually the least expensive disposal on Menards’ shelf. But who makes Barracuda garbage disposals?
Who makes Barracuda disposals?
The mount appears to be compatible with Emerson Electric’s common Insinkerator brand. Barracudas aren’t made by Emerson; they’re made overseas and imported by Moen. Yes, the maker of faucets.
Moen sells the units under a number of other brands as well, in particular, under its own name and the Waste King brand name. When Moen uses an Insinkerator-compatible mount, they call it a 3-bolt mount. Moen calls its own mount an EZ mount. If you’re replacing an Insinkerator, you want a 3-bolt mount to make the job easier.
Emerson and Moen or its predecessor, Anaheim, sue each other from time to time, as competitors often do. That’s not really a problem for consumers, though.
Advantages of Moen disposals
I’ve used a couple of Moen disposals and there’s nothing inherently wrong with them. They tend to be a good value for the money. They grind up food like a disposal is supposed to do, and they are no more prone to leak than any other type.
I wouldn’t expect you to be any happier or unhappier with a Moen disposal than you would be with a similarly rated disposal of another brand. The price is good, and if you get the 3-bolt mount, it will probably slot right in where your old one was.
Disadvantages of Moen disposals
There are two downsides to Moen disposals. Here they are, in no particular order.
Unlike competing units from Emerson, they don’t have a bolt in the bottom that you can turn with an Allen wrench to clear a jam in the unit. The only way to un-jam a Moen unit is to stick a broomstick into the unit and turn. It’s nice to have both options.
There’s one other disadvantage, if you’re concerned about loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States. Moen doesn’t make its units in the USA. Emerson does some overseas production as well, but sells those products overseas. Emerson makes its units for domestic sale in Wisconsin. Moen makes its units in China.
The difference in price is a few dollars. I stopped buying the Moen products when I realized Emerson makes its products in the USA. To me, it’s worth the few extra dollars to support domestic manufacturing.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.