Stuck valves

Is any head really ready to run out of the box? Even if the box has been opened?

I have a pair of heads I bought from Hughes that they setup. They weren't been cleaned after the valves seats were cut by them, they had casting flash in two intake ports that easily snapped off with one finger and the bronze guide inserts they installed that felt like they had gravel in them. The exhaust valves all sit .020-.035" lower then the intake valves do too. Needless to say I was less then impressed and glad I didn't just run them.

The Eddy heads I returned had so much core shift that some exhaust ports that the gasket and header overhang the rear edge of the ports. I never bothered pulling those apart but I probably would have found sticky valves too. The valve height was within .010" though.

I probably would have had better luck with Speedmaster heads.... I'm still not sure which heads I'm going to run.