I went to get a used Phil Wood Bottom Bracket from craigslist. I've never used a cartridge bottom bracket before so I don't know if this is normal. I passed on it and I said I'd get back to him.

It wasn't clunky or crunchy, there was just a lot of resistance. My old cup and spindle bottom bracket never felt like this unless it needed to be regreased. My question is the stiff feeling a sign of a problem or is it a non issue with the cranks on.

Put cranks on and try to see if they spin freely.

I have two Phil bb's and neither of them feel stiff to me. Same resistance as my cheaper Shimano's. Only the Phil bb's are over ten years old. As long as there is no binding they are probably okay. Sealed bottom brackets do have a little more resistance than the old cup and spindle ones.

I have two Phil bottom brackets, both of which felt stiff out of the box.

Seals and indestructible water-proof grease have that effect.

For lowest rotational resistance, nothing matches old fashioned cup and ball bottom brackets.

In exchange for ten years of bullet proof riding in all kinds of weather and dust, a little stiffness seem a fair trade.

My Miche BB spins quite nice, stock.

Agreed on the grease and 498 seals thing...

The bearing seals cause some drag. This is not significant when under load.