Kitchen Sink Strainer

California Bob replaced the strainer in his kitchen sink.

I'm frequently impressed at the ingenuity of everyday devices -- things I wouldn't conceive of in a hundred years, yet sell for a couple dollars on the shelf.

The kitchen sink started leaking where the strainer joins with the sink bowl. It looked like the huge zinc locknut that screws onto the strainer was destroyed so I planned on getting a new nut.  And because my makeshift strainer-wrench is subpar, thought I'd buy a legit strainer wrench.

Kitchen Sink Strainer

At Home Depot, found this alternative strainer that was less than cost of the locknut+wrench.  Instead of a threaded strainer with locknut, this uses a yoke-and-thumbscrew approach. Crawling under the sink to tighten that big zinc locknut is a pain, this looked much easier to install.

It was easier to install. However, the yoke goes on the strainer above the tailpiece, so you have to wait to attach the tailpiece to the strainer until after you put the strainer in the sink and get the yoke on -- so that's an additional step required, but still easier than the locknut.

Thumbscrew with screwdriver slot

They even put slots in the thumbscrews so you can tighten with a screwdriver.

Now there's the question about whether the 3 tightening screws will provide even sealing pressure. The standard locknut applies even pressure around the whole strainer; this thing applies pressure through 3 screws. But the yoke is pretty sturdy and the putty squeeze-out looked even so I think it's fine.