Entrada v Drake II

[Robinasu]

I don't really understand the product positioning between the Entrada and Drake II, or the magnitude of the differences I just don't see.

What is the advantage of the Drake II over the Entrada?

Both tanks are similar. Flushing power is a little better with the Entrada, by a hair. I guess the Drake II bowl looks a little nicer and it has the Tornado flush.

Seems to me the Tornado flush takes some power from the siphon jet. Maybe this is why the Entrada flushes a little better.

So, is the Tornado flush and glazed trap of the Drake II really worth the price increase?

Is the point of the Tornado to aid flushing and reduce cleaning? If the Entrada is 1000 MAP and the Drake II is 800 MAP, I don't see the point of the Tornado flush unless it reduces cleaning.

Thanks!

 

[WJcandee]

Toilet design typically tries to address several issues, using a decreasing amount of water.

A good flush doesn't require a lot of water -- the most important thing is the design of the trapway, because that is what executes the siphon that empties the bowl. Flushing "power" is really a misnomer, because waste isn't pushed out in a gravity toilet, it is sucked out. I would say flushing capacity or ability or effectiveness, and how much water is used doesn't make the difference; good design does. Both Totos have excellent functional design. The GMax is the earlier design, but there is a reason they keep it around: it works.

A fixed amount of water is divided among the toilet water spot, bowl cleaning, and evacuating the waste. The Drake II version that uses only 1 gallon of water necessarily has a smaller water spot than the 1.28 version, because that's one place to reduce water consumption. It also has a little less bowl rinse.

Similarly, the difference between the GMax/EMax flush (Entrada, Original Drake) and the Vortex flush (any II series toilet) involves the allocation of water to different functions and how it is used. The Vortex manages to cover the whole bowl with perhaps a little more water than comes through the rim holes in the GMax. This might give it a little better cleaning. The other advantage of having only two holes in the porcelain rather than a bunch of little ones relates to how easy it is to clean under the rim long-term. But bottom line is that bowl wash isn't an extraordinary issue for us, as we use the toilets. Others may have different issues.

The nanotechnology glaze does make a bit of a difference in some cases, but not so significant for us.

We have both and I like both. But I can't say that I have a strong preference for one over the other. They are different, and they both work well for us. The MAP score difference doesn't reflect any real difference in flushing ability in normal use.

The Drake II in real life looks a lot different than the Entrada. To me, they both look nice.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

CeFiONtect , CEFIONTECT
Double Cyclone Flushing System (Tornado)

The Drake II adds the smoother bowl finish, and swirls the rinse.
The Entrada is TOTO's entry level toilet, which by the way works very well.

Either would be a good choice. As far as the MaP ratings go, anything over 500 grams is very good. Some of the old ratings were done with bean paste, and then later the wrapped the bean paste in plastic so that they could reuse the media. All the ratings went up with plastic wrapping.
When toilets were tested with bean paste, even a bowl that got 350 grams on the test was excellent.

Tornado Flush™ system, high-efficiency (1.28GPF/4.8LPF)
Optional CeFiONtect™ ceramic glaze - prevents debris and mold from sticking to ceramic surfaces, leading to fewer chemicals and less water in cleaning.

 

[Robinasu]

Toilet design typically tries to address several issues, using a decreasing amount of water.

A good flush doesn't require a lot of water -- the most important thing is the design of the trapway, because that is what executes the siphon that empties the bowl. Flushing "power" is really a misnomer, because waste isn't pushed out in a gravity toilet, it is sucked out. I would say flushing capacity or ability or effectiveness, and how much water is used doesn't make the difference; good design does. Both Totos have excellent functional design. The GMax is the earlier design, but there is a reason they keep it around: it works.

A fixed amount of water is divided among the toilet water spot, bowl cleaning, and evacuating the waste. The Drake II version that uses only 1 gallon of water necessarily has a smaller water spot than the 1.28 version, because that's one place to reduce water consumption. It also has a little less bowl rinse.

Similarly, the difference between the GMax/EMax flush (Entrada, Original Drake) and the Vortex flush (any II series toilet) involves the allocation of water to different functions and how it is used. The Vortex manages to cover the whole bowl with perhaps a little more water than comes through the rim holes in the GMax. This might give it a little better cleaning. The other advantage of having only two holes in the porcelain rather than a bunch of little ones relates to how easy it is to clean under the rim long-term. But bottom line is that bowl wash isn't an extraordinary issue for us, as we use the toilets. Others may have different issues.

The nanotechnology glaze does make a bit of a difference in some cases, but not so significant for us.

We have both and I like both. But I can't say that I have a strong preference for one over the other. They are different, and they both work well for us. The MAP score difference doesn't reflect any real difference in flushing ability in normal use.

The Drake II in real life looks a lot different than the Entrada. To me, they both look nice.

Ok, seems it's more of a style difference between the two models. I'll make sure to take a look in the showroom, first, and make a value judgement. Thanks!

 

[Robinasu]

CeFiONtect , CEFIONTECT
Double Cyclone Flushing System (Tornado)

The Drake II adds the smoother bowl finish, and swirls the rinse.
The Entrada is TOTO's entry level toilet, which by the way works very well.

Either would be a good choice. As far as the MaP ratings go, anything over 500 grams is very good. Some of the old ratings were done with bean paste, and then later the wrapped the bean paste in plastic so that they could reuse the media. All the ratings went up with plastic wrapping.
When toilets were tested with bean paste, even a bowl that got 350 grams on the test was excellent.

Tornado Flush™ system, high-efficiency (1.28GPF/4.8LPF)
Optional CeFiONtect™ ceramic glaze - prevents debris and mold from sticking to ceramic surfaces, leading to fewer chemicals and less water in cleaning.

Wow, they changed up the test conditions. Hopefully there is an * next to the MAP listings to denote the difference or there would be a lot of confusion?

Is a one piece really that big of a deal, or just "premium/luxury" & "easier to clean?"

Thanks for the info, Mr. T.

 

[Terry]

The one piece is just a nice add.
Less to go wrong, easier to clean, and some buy for looks.
The one-piece come with the seat.

 

[WJcandee]

I'll make sure to take a look in the showroom, first,

Just don't actually buy it in a showroom! Your local plumbing supply place likely has a much better price. As we have said before, open the old fashioned yellow pages, look up plumbing supply, and call 5 with the exact model number and color you want. (Be sure it doesn't have a U in the model number unless you want the 1 gallon per flush version; people screw this up all the time.) Some will be nice. Some will be nasty. Some will have stupid high prices. Some will have low prices. They are independent businesses and they are all over the place. But out of 5, I always find at least one where the people are nice and they offer a good price. Doesn't matter if they say in their ad that they sell Toto; almost all plumbing supply places can get Toto from their wholesaler. (And don't let the folks in the showroom tell you that some other brand is "just like Toto" or "better than Toto". They are salespeople who get kickbacks and spiffs to promote certain brands, and are entirely untrustworthy.)