Best Value, Modern Style, Skirted, Elongated, Comfort Height Toilet??

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robinb

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Hi, everyone. I'm not a professional, and I've tried to read through the forums to come up with an answer to this question but I'm still confused:

What is the best value, modern style, skirted, elongated, comfort height toilet out there?

I had Toto toilets installed in my last house, and we are doing a remodel where I will need 4 toilets. I'd like to buy toilets that are modern styled (I loved the look of Duravit toilets, but heard they don't compare to the Toto in terms of function). More importantly, I have twin boys, so I love the skirted style toilets for ease of cleanup.

I am price conscious, so I'd like to find good bang for my buck. Here's my current list of toilets (in no particular order):

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American Standard Cadet 3 Elongated 2989.101.020



Toto Aquia (I'm concerned about the flush capability on this since it is dual flush)



Toto Vespin II (This is a bit out of my price range but seems to be a favorite)

Let me know your thoughts - I'm open to any brand and any model, as long as it fits my requirements up there :)

I appreciate the help.
Robin
 
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Terry

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I like the Vespin II for function. The bowl has CEFIONTECT, and double cyclone rinse.

The Aquia works fine with dual flush. You have the "option" of large flush or small. You use the large flush for large items.
 

WJcandee

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I'm not sure where you're getting prices, but the Vespin II is, you can figure, about $45 more per toilet than the Aquia. That may be meaningful when you're ordering 4, but I wouldn't worry for a second about the Aquia, of which Terry sells zillions, with an infinitesimal return rate. The "Number 2" flush uses actually more water than the current 1.28 toilets, so the flush isn't an issue. The Vespin II is a skirted version of the Drake II, so if you would like to save money and would rather have the CEFIONTECT than the skirt, the Drake II is a very good option as well, and a real value. Check Terry's shopping link to see what fair prices are on these toilets. When you go to buy, call around to a number of plumbing supply places, listed in the yellow pages, regardless of whether they advertise Toto, because almost all can get it from their distributor. Give them the exact model number and color you have decided upon, and tell them that you are ready to buy four of that model today if you can get a good price, then see what they quote. Call at least 5 places. At least one will be mean, one will be high, and one will offer an excellent price and be nice. Buy from that one.

Let us know how it works out. Come back to us if you want to check that you have the exact right model number for what you want.
 

robinb

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I'm not sure where you're getting prices, but the Vespin II is, you can figure, about $45 more per toilet than the Aquia. That may be meaningful when you're ordering 4, but I wouldn't worry for a second about the Aquia, of which Terry sells zillions, with an infinitesimal return rate. The "Number 2" flush uses actually more water than the current 1.28 toilets, so the flush isn't an issue. The Vespin II is a skirted version of the Drake II, so if you would like to save money and would rather have the CEFIONTECT than the skirt, the Drake II is a very good option as well, and a real value. Check Terry's shopping link to see what fair prices are on these toilets. When you go to buy, call around to a number of plumbing supply places, listed in the yellow pages, regardless of whether they advertise Toto, because almost all can get it from their distributor. Give them the exact model number and color you have decided upon, and tell them that you are ready to buy four of that model today if you can get a good price, then see what they quote. Call at least 5 places. At least one will be mean, one will be high, and one will offer an excellent price and be nice. Buy from that one.

Let us know how it works out. Come back to us if you want to check that you have the exact right model number for what you want.
Thank you both for the replies! I just looked up the Drake toilet - my toilets that I put in my last house were all the Drake toilets. Not sure of the difference between the Drake and the Drake II, but I think I had the first version given that I had them installed 8 years ago. I was just saying to my husband that we never had a problem with those toilets (8 years of use!).

This is good to hear about the Aquia, because $45x4 is definitely significant for my budget. I really wanted the skirt on the toilet, and the CEFIONTECT was so nice - I really did not have to dedicate a lot of time to cleaning those toilets and that is a plus!

I will definitely check around for pricing. Thanks for the suggestions.

Does anyone have any opinions on some other brands like the American Standard Cadet 3 Elongated?

I also JUST today saw this one at Home Depot, and the style looked appealing and the price was very reasonable. It was a DELTA 798-662 C43906-WH. I didn't even know Delta made toilets. Any opinions on either of these 2 toilets in comparison to the Aquia?
 

WJcandee

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I am actually shocked at the price of the Riosa. For another 50 bucks, you can have a Drake II.

Delta made this line of toilets for HD, and they did a lot of little innovative things to make it easy for DIY-ers to install. They include everything in the box, and they make it very easy to attach the tank. They also minimized the number of tank penetrations in the bottom of the tank by running the water hose up the back and attaching the fill valve to the top of the overflow riser in the tank. Very innovative. They also went with a 3-3/4" flapper, on the theory that Size Is Better for marketing.

Here's the problem. It's Delta, so I am sure they will stock the parts for the next 20 years. However, the reality is that their parts are non-standard. Want a new fill valve for your Toto? You can go to HD and buy any number of aftermarket valves that will work. We like the Korky 528MP the best, but several others will drop right in and work in a pinch. That Korky valve is about $11. The super-specialized Delta fill valve is over $50 at HD, and you can only get it online. Ruh-Roh!!!

Similarly, because of the popularity of the original Toto Drake, and because others copied it, there are a million 3" flappers out there. Our favorite, the Korky Red "Fits Toto" Flapper, works in many Totos, and it is available at HD and a million other places for about $10. The Totos that don't take the "Fits Toto" flapper will take the Korky Large Adjustable 3" flapper for about a buck more. As Terry says, when he installs a Toto, any Toto, he knows that when it comes time to fix it in a few years, all he has to carry on the truck is the 528PRO (the plumber version of the 528MP) fill valve and that Korky adjustable flapper, and he can get the customer right back in business. The Delta flapper is an HD (and Delta customer-service) -only item, and it's only available online. And it costs $15 plus shipping.

Also, the Delta seat is garbage. Most people toss it and buy a real seat.

So...I'm sure it works okay, and I'm sure it's decently-made, if not the quality of a Toto. But if you are used to your Toto Drakes, I would seriously think about sticking with Toto, because you're already spoiled.

I stil like the review by a guy who asked his wife to buy him a Toto Drake for his birthday, because he hated the toilet that came with their house so much. Every time he flushes it, he is so happy he yells out "TOTO"!!! I personally think that's the best review ever.
 
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