Toto CST494CEMFG Connelly reviews?

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mchristo

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I'm getting ready to purchase 6 toilets. I really like the look of the new Connelly toilet from Toto, but there is very little info or reviews on them available. does anyone have experience with them?
CST494CEMFG, CST494
There is one short video on YouTube that shows a Connelly not clearing a small amount of paper, which has me concerned.

Thanks,
 
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WJcandee

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Unlike Kohler, I find it hard to believe that Toto would knowingly put a toilet out there that doesn't work well. (I had a hideous Kohler Ingenium Flush toilet that worked worse than the one in the video at 1.6gpf.)

But here are some thoughts. First, it's not clear whether that was the liquid or solid flush. The lower water volume isn't designed to clear the solids. However, it does look like it might be the higher water volume. Second, the swirling action of the water (cyclone) combined with the washdown nature of the toilet (dual-max) results in there being not much ejection at the end of the cycle as here; a regular washdown like the Aquia might have cleared that paper. Third, the paper was intentionally-placed so that the first burst of water wouldn't grab it. Anything that was more-soaked or solid would likely have cleared. Fourth, we don't know how well the toilet was installed.

All that said, we haven't seen much of the Connelly on here, so we really don't know. The other dual-max Cyclone, the Maris floor mount, seems to have been discontinued. Hmmm... So, we can't vouch for it. The Aquia, on the other hand, is amazingly-popular and is a straight-washdown flush rather than a swirl.
 

mchristo

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Thank you WJCandee. I agree that the video was probably rigged a little so it would fail. I really was hoping for some positive feedback because I wanted to like this toilet. With so little info on them, I don't feel confident enough to go with them.
Thanks again for the info.
 

WJcandee

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You are right to be interested in the Toto line, because the quality and performance are generally just exceptional. The Original Drake with the "new tank option", e.g. CST744EN, might be something to look at that appears a little similar and is a great value. We're always here to help.
 

Terry

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I've sold hundreds of the Aquia bowls, which are pretty similar to the Connelly.
They work with waste at 0.9 gallons very well.
You have the large flush option too, at 1.28 GPF
That video is not what to expect. I've never had a complaint about the flushing on these bowls.


cst494_k09.jpg


Connelly Bowl with CEFIONTECT, Dual-Max Cyclone Flushing System

cst494_k04.jpg
 
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WJcandee

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One question: the Aquia is a straight washdown. The Connelly is a non-siphon jet Cyclone flush, kind of a hybrid of washdown and cyclone, which is why I am curious.
 

Terry

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One question: the Aquia is a straight washdown. The Connelly is a non-siphon jet Cyclone flush, kind of a hybrid of washdown and cyclone, which is why I am curious.

The Aquia CST416M has a 500 gram MaP score, as does the Connelly CST494CEMFG

500 grams = 17.637 ounces. That's over a pound!

The rinse swirls around the bowl for both. A little different starting point, but they both swirl. With a 500 gram rating, it's flushing plenty of stuff. One piece of paper being an issue? That's someone's idea of a joke. Don't believe it.

The Connelly adds CEFIONTECT to the bowl, which I like.

The Connelly looks to be an easier installation. Pretty standard bolt down bowl. The parts inside the tank are similar to the Aquia, which have been very solid. It looks to be a good addtion. :)
 
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WJcandee

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Thanks, Terry! MChristo, you might just try one to see how you like it.

I actually tried to duplicate the video tonight on a Duravit wall-hung washdown dual-flush bowl at the neighborhood beach house. I could do so by dropping the paper in towards or at the end of the flush, or positioning it in the way that they did in the video, so that it isn't being grabbed until the end. The reality is that ANYTHING that is already in the mass to be expelled gets expelled, even on the light flush, which I think is what is used in that video, based on my experiment. However, what the videographer was doing was essentially dropping something in the toilet during what would be the refill part of the cycle in a non-washdown toilet, and then being surprised that it wasn't ejected. That little wisp of paper disappears immediately in the next flush. It reflects absolutely nothing about the toilet's flushing ability. I dropped a substantial blob of paper in the thing, and it all went down.

The video is a joke. MChristo, you can happily ignore it.
 

mchristo

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Thanks WJCandee and Terry,
this is a new house under construction so i have to order 6 toilets. I was thinking of getting one Connelly for the master and the rest the Drake II or Eco Drake (are they the same ?) Im feeling a little confused by all the options and model numbers available with the Drake II. I like the new tank that seems much smaller looking than the original Drake. the pictures of the model that you suggested CST744EN above look like they have a different tank again? are there 3 different tanks? I was looking at this model CST454CEFG#01 is that a good choice?
thanks again!
Mike.
 

mchristo

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Thanks WJCandee and Terry,
this is a new house under construction so i have to order 6 toilets. I was thinking of getting one Connelly for the master and the rest the Drake II or Eco Drake (are they the same ?) Im feeling a little confused by all the options and model numbers available with the Drake II. I like the new tank that seems much smaller looking than the original Drake. the pictures of the model that you suggested CST744EN above look like they have a different tank again? are there 3 different tanks? I was looking at this model CST454CEFG#01 is that a good choice?
thanks again!
Mike.

I also just noticed the Promenade toilets, they look good too. CST424SFG
thanks again.
 

WJcandee

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MChristo -- sorry I missed your last post.

Drake II is a different design from the Original Drake; indeed it was originally called something else, but marketing saw how popular it was and gave it the II moniker to tie it to their most popular toilet, the Original Drake. It has Double-Cyclone flush for better rim wash, CEFIONTECT, and is in Universal Height (ADA height). It has a modern-looking tank. CST454CEFG

Eco Drake is the Original Drake toilet, but with a bowl that works well on a 1.28gpf flush (the old Original Drake was 1.6gpf, and is still available, but the 1.28 works basically as well). It is a good value, with a great flush, but its standard version is at regular height and doesn't have CEFIONTECT. Either Universal Height or CEFIONTECT (but not both together) are available if you want it, but for extra money. CST744E for the basic one, CST744EL for the Universal (ADA) height, CST744EG for the CEFIONTECT.

On the Original Drake, there is a "new tank option" that is only available in 1.28gpf. It looks more traditional than the regular Original Drake tank. CST744EN for the basic, CST744EGN for the CEFIONTECT, and CST744ELN for the Universal (ADA) height. "N" for "new tank".

The CST454CEFG, the Drake II, is one of the most popular toilets in the Toto line. It gets great reviews on the online sites, and is often the most-sold toilet of any brand on one of them. It's a great value because it has CEFIONTECT, Universal Height and the double-cyclone flush all standard. It flushes well, rinses well, and is made well.

That Drake II also comes in a 1.0gpf version, CST454CUFG. If that's not what you want, be careful that you get the number right (E for 1.28gpf, U for 1.0). That CUFG has a different-looking tank than the others. It also has a more-complex flush mechanism. No flapper, instead a unit that sits over the flush hole that looks a bit like the unit on the dual-flushes. I assume this is to more-precisely-meter the water. Haven't heard any complaints about it. One benefit of Totos, however, is that most use simple, readily-available replacement parts, and this unit is a bit more complicated than just a flapper. So if you like the look of the tank on the standard 1.28gpf Drake II, then I would go with that.

PS That Maris two-piece toilet in the video Terry posted seems to have been discontinued, or is at least only-spottily-available and has disappeared from the Toto web site. The Connelly has the same flush system and does appear to be more-widely-available these days, so we will see how it goes.
 
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WJcandee

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Interesting. Does it seem to flush well?

I notice there is no refill hose. How does it effectuate a refill? Does it hold the flush valve open a bit during the refill? Or does it just start with whatever is left over at the end of the flush?

Glad to see a Korky fill valve in there.
 

Terry

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cst494_k09.jpg


Like the Aquia, there is not a lot of water left in the bowl.
The handle for the dual flush is: pull for 1.28 and push for 0.8
It seems to flush very well. And no, there is no refill tube.
There is an outlet for a water jet low in the bowl that spins the water.
 

MIM

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cst494_k09.jpg


Like the Aquia, there is not a lot of water left in the bowl.
The handle for the dual flush is: pull for 1.28 and push for 0.8
It seems to flush very well. And no, there is no refill tube.
There is an outlet for a water jet low in the bowl that spins the water.
 

mchristo

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I ultimately decided against the Connelly for this reason. I was worried that even with Sanigloss finish the bowl would not clean with such a small area filled with water. Pitty, because I really wanted to like it, just didnt have any confidence it would work.
 

Kim Standish

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Hello Terry and Everyone-
New to this forum so I'm not sure that this is posting correctly. Started having an issue the last few days with our Connelly, which was installed in November. When it's flushed, the water level retreats to the point of breaking the siphon. There seems to be no issue with eliminating any solids, but I'm sure this is not the way it is suppose to behave. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
 

Reach4

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Hello Terry and Everyone-
New to this forum so I'm not sure that this is posting correctly. Started having an issue the last few days with our Connelly, which was installed in November. When it's flushed, the water level retreats to the point of breaking the siphon. There seems to be no issue with eliminating any solids, but I'm sure this is not the way it is suppose to behave. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
Are you saying that the bowl does not refill after a flush? Having the bowl level go way down during a flush, and then get refilled as the tank refills, is normal.
 

Kim Standish

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Are you saying that the bowl does not refill after a flush? Having the bowl level go way down during a flush, and then get refilled as the tank refills, is normal.
Appreciate the input. The tank has actually finished refilling when the water retreats to the point of breaking the siphon. And the level never recovers. Before this behavior, the water level in the bowl always ended higher; exactly like the video at the beginning of this thread. It continues to flush likes this. And though it flushed solids successfully, I am suspicious there may be some solids caught in the path. I have not plunged as of yet; I have to find a plunger that fits the small lower bowl.
 
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