Waste King L3200 3/4 HP Garbage Disposal In-depth Review

The L3200 is one of the most basic medium-built garbage disposals (or food waste disposers) you could find. Its design utilizes a 3/4-hp permanent magnet motor and stainless steel grinder components to pulverize food scraps—a combination that has been proven effective over the years.

The unit we received was sturdy enough. The casing felt thick but not as close-fitted as we had hoped. Also, we could see plastic burr on some of the edges of the casing.

Key Specs

Where to Buy Price at publication $108.32

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Compared to Other Garbage Disposals

5.0 Performance

The Waste King L3200 is below average among the twenty models of kitchen waste disposers that we’ve tested. The disposal did adequately with a large mishmash of assorted scraps. However, a major part of its scoring was affected by how unqualified the disposal had been at processing raw fish scraps. 

The data we collected regarding the L3200’s performance was particularly interesting considering how we’ve tested another unit with identical specifications but staggeringly different results.

7.1 Scrap Mix

Scoring Components ↓

The L3200 did shake up a little during the course of the test, but it finished up nicely in the end. In roughly two and a half minutes, the disposal had chewed 90 ounces of 11 types of food and left behind only 0.29 ounces of materials, translating to more than 99% of the input processed. 

The L3200 also released output with decent quality. Peels and whatnot were heavily broken down into dietary fiber. Save for a few tricky slim fish bones, all boney ingredients in the mishmash were rendered unrecognizable.

Failed Raw Fish Scraps

Scoring Components ↓

With more than 11% of the input materials remaining in the chamber, the L3200 failed at processing raw fish scraps. At the 3-minute mark, the biggest thing the disposal managed to do was shred off the slim bones and the meat from the backbones. Those bones weren’t even properly chopped up, either.

5.7 Raw Chicken Scraps

Scoring Components ↓

The hollow and brittle structure of chicken bones was more forgiving, considering how the disposal fared in the Raw Scrap Fish test. Yet, the results from this test weren’t any more reassuring as less than 90% of the input was processed judging from the amount of leftover material.

Then again, the L3200 completely processed the boney parts from the input. Most of the leftovers were broken bits of cartilage clustered up with slippery soft tissues—no doubt from the skin and fat.

9.0 Design

The Waste King Legend Series model L3200 was one of the few back in the day that dominated the scene. Its high-speed permanent magnet motor and chamber layout delivered efficient and near-jamless operation compared to induction motors. 

If what we know is true, then the L3200 and the Legend Series were one of the first that removed the bottom unjam slot. The design direction somewhat revolutionized the market and a lot more similar food waste disposers have come into existence since then.

In the Box

• Waste King L3200 3/4 HP Garbage Disposal
• EZ Mount assembly
• Removable splash guard
• Stopper
• Discharge tube
• Rubber gasket
• Flange and bolts
• Pre-installed power cord
• Documentation

The L3200 Garbage Disposal is a pre-corded unit (most models in the Waste King Legend series are). Inside the box, you’ll find pieces for the outlet setup and a user guide. Available languages include English, French, and Spanish.

Dimensions

The disposal is neither big nor small. Save for the tightest cabinets and the smallest sinks, the Waste King L3200 should fit in the sink cabinets of most home kitchens. It’s not heavy, either. Compared to something like the InSinkErator Badger 5, which is in a weaker tier, the L3200 is roughly 3 pounds lighter.

Mount Assembly

• Support ring
• Mounting ring
• Cushion mount
• Fiber gasket
• Rubber gasket
• Sink flange
• Stopper 
• Removable splash guard

Most Waste King garbage disposals are compatible with the EZ mounting system, which has an intuitive design. Also, most of the pieces are lightweight because they’re made of plastic, so they’re very easy to work with. One of the strengths of the EZ system is that it requires zero tools to install, unlike the more conventional 3-bolt system which is more complicated and does require tools.

Power Cord

The standard version of the Waste King L3200 3/4 HP has a pre-installed power cord with a type B plug.

Accessories: Discharge Set

Waste King disposals each come with an industry-standard outlet set consisting of an elbow tube, a rubber gasket, a flange, and two bolts. You can use either a flat-head screwdriver or a wrench for these bolts. The tube is 1.5 inches in diameter and the bolts have 3/8-inch hex heads.

8.5 Grind Chamber

The disposal has a stainless steel grinder assembly and a chamber that has the same layout, from the impellers to the precutter/grater ring, as the Waste King L8000. Weaker garbage disposals in the Legend Series, i.e. 1/3 and 1/2-horsepower models, have a single-level grater ring; models with 3/4 horsepower or higher use a two-level ring. The change in design allows for more surface area, which means more cutters.

9.5 Motor

The L3200 runs on a permanent magnet motor. These motors deliver high speeds, which helps avoid jamming in the chamber, and they don’t run hot, which means a lower risk of overheating. Induction motors, on the other hand, are more prone to overheating. 

Through our speed test, we found that at zero torque, the disposal out-spinned the InSinkErator Evolution Compact by a factor of 3440 revolutions per minute (RPM). Simply put, the L3200 is really, really fast. It’s even faster than the L8000, its stronger cousin, which averaged roughly 4200 RPM.

9.0 Build Quality

The Waste King L3200 is not as well-built as we’ve hoped seeing how its body casing has become somewhat loosened after the testing process. Although the casing has little to do with a garbage disposal’s grinding capability, loose details cause more noise and disturbance. Out of the six permanent magnet units that went through testing, only the AmazonCommercial 3/4 HP and the GE Disposall 1 HP were sturdy afterward.

Luckily, that’s about the only weakness of the L3200. Its body casing provides decent protection as it’s quite thick and the material hides scratches well. Underneath, there’s also a layer of acoustic foam to treat sudden loud noises.

7.9 Usability

The Waste King L3200 3/4 HP was once a force to be reckoned with. Today, competition in the market is fierce and the disposal is not the best at what it does anymore. However, based on our data from performance evaluation, it’s still very much qualified to deal with common daily food scraps.

8.0 Ease of Use

Unless you’re flushing raw meat scraps down the drain, which you should not, the disposal should suffice. The 30-ounce holding chamber combined with a high-speed, near jam-less motor can effectively deal with the daily food scraps from a family of three. The chamber’s generous depth is useful, too, when there are long pieces to grind. 

When you need to speed up the process, the drain splash guard can be removed to make room for more intake. On a side note, the drain opening of the EZ mounting assembly is narrower than that of the 3-bolt mounting assembly, so that’s something to look out for if you’re switching.

9.0 Installation

Getting the disposal up and grinding is rather straightforward. It’s partially because of the EZ assembly’s design, but also because the disposal isn’t bulky. If you use a power socket, you should be all set; if you’re planning on hardwiring, the power cord needs to be removed. There’s no version of the L3200 without a power cord.

8.0 Smooth Operation

In close retrospect, the disposal didn’t do too bad if it wasn’t for the challenge of the uncooked meat scraps. In fact, it performed as it should as an affordable option. That could be the reason for the long warranty period coming from Waste King. Another thing to note is that the L3200 can be really loud, especially when there are crunchy materials. The acoustic treatment may help cap down sudden loud noises but it does little to the noise profile of the product.

0.0 Unjam Mechanics

The L3200 hardly ever jams—it hasn’t since we first hooked it up to the sink in our lab. Permanent-magnet food disposers generally don’t jam. But if they do, you could try rotating the flywheel in the chamber with a stick—after you’ve cut the power supply to it, of course.