Toto Aquia dual flush toilet product review, comments and posts.

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PP

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Warning regarding e F a u c e t s

Hello All,

Having read through Terry's great forums ~all night, I choose a CST464MF and ordered at e F a u c e t s. I then began finding negative comments about the small water surface and the advantages of the CEFIONTECT finish on some models of TOTO toilets.

I immediately (~10 minutes) notified e F a u c e t s to stop the order, but they did not. It's now about 10 hours later and e F a u c e t s states they immediately sent the order to shipping and can not modify the order (even though they responded to my email question that I wanted CEFIONTECT finish and this model did not have that finish). I attempted to change the order to the CST424SFG with CEFIONTECT finish but was told it is too late to change the order.

Bottom line, e F a u c e t s has a policy that even before shipping, despite a quick response to an email to cancel, will not cancel orders -- so be cautious!!
 

Terry

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I prefer that people buy locally for many reasons.

In the Seattle and Los Angeles area, I make sure that the proper help is given.

You should be happy with the Aquia though.
It's a small water spot, but it does work fine.
I sell quite a few of them, many of those being repeat customers of the Aquia.
 

PP

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Aquila

It seems I'll be aiming at the small water target.. Do any of the tank additive solutions improve the exposed bowl surfaces to help? I'd think soap or other wetting agents slowly introduced into the tank would help.
 

RT

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awesome info

hello - just registered here - one of many stops after googling around looking for info on low flush units.

I found the timing is interesting (reading this thread) as I just stopped in at a local plumbing store where they have a skid of the AquiaII units selling for @ $390 (Canadian). Plus another $70 for the slow close seat (which I think is a great idea with my son's noise sensitivities, etc.) This is for new construction, with limited (cistern) water supply and septic - so we're definitely going to go with the most efficient low flush toilet we can find, provided it actually works.

Some of the other units I've looked at (e.g. American Standard FloWise) also seem to have a good MaP rating, and are about half the price at the local HD.

attachment.php

American Standard Flowise

Seems from all the comments that this toilet has been around for a while, and has a pretty good track record - but I'm wondering if it's a bit overpriced? In what ways is it better than the lower priced big box units with a fair MaP rating?

great forum - thanks in advance for any further feedback....

-randy
 
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Terry

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In what ways is it better than the lower priced big box units with a fair MaP rating?

In what ways is a Chevy Nova better then a Lexus?

The Chevy Nova has a 305 cubic inch V-8 engine.
It's not very stylish, and the bench seat hurts my back.
Drum brakes all around, so it doesn't really stop.
It looks like it was designed in 1968.

TOTO Aquia
Quality, less then 1% returns,
Softclose seat
Skirted bowl, easier to clean
Style

Now none of these things may matter to you, especially style.

But you will pay more for products with fewer defects.
Your home center toilet is for people that are shopping price, not quality.
A plumber will choose quality, because we value our time.

Your time isn't worth much.

At least, that's how the Big Box stores view you.

I won't buy lumber from a big box store either.

aquia_angle.jpg

Toto Aquia dual flush toilet

I installed two Grohe faucets for a customer that had been bought at Costco.
One of the two was defective.
That's a 50% return rate.
Costco buys seconds from some manufactures.
And Grohe, knowing that, wont warranty anything bought from Costco.
 
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RT

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Thanks for the feedback. I like the analogy.

Yeah a Lexus is sure worth more than a Nova, but is it worth what they charge for Lexus, I guess is what I'm asking. People will pay more for a Lexus just because it's a Lexus, regardless of where and what the real additional value is. And they should expect to pay more, but how much more? Sometimes the higher quality item is way overpriced.

Put another way, I'm a cheap SOB :D - so your sanity check is much appreciated. Style isn't a huge deal for me, but I do value my time - and yours as well - so on that note, thank you for taking a few moments here to ease my mind about this particular product.
 

BigHornRam

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I did a lot of searching online, reading till I thought my eyes were going to pop out! Thanks to Terry for providing such a great place to learn. After great constipation....errrr I mean concentration I went with an Aquia II. I am very happy with my purchase, the styling is quite nice. I did the install myself, I had replaced 1 toilet before this and it wasn't difficult for me. I am remodeling my second bathroom now, though started with the construction of a shower and will terminate with the installation of another Toto. This toilet is in the master bath so gets far less usage than the one I just replaced. I may go with the Drake II 1.28 in this one. :D
 
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RT

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After great constipation....errrr I mean concentration I went with an Aquia II. I am very happy with my purchase

I know what you mean - so much info out there it's hard to "digest" :D

If I can get to the store where I saw this I'm going to grab one today while they're on sale - thanks to Terry and all who provided their feedback here. I feel much better about shelling out some extra $ now. Can't wait to christen it....
 

DIYlite

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Great website -thanks, Terry!

Looking for feedback on a toilet choice. Although I do some DIY myself, I have pros doing a new master suite addition, so hopefully installer expertise will not be an issue, and there are no existing footprint/rough-in/tile issues to deal with.

Issues I'm concerned with (roughly in order of importance):
- Quality: nothing is worse than stuff breaking.
- Not clogging: BM's seem to be on the large size, and clogging has been an issue in the past.
- Water efficiency: the eco-nazi in me wants either a dual-flush or low-flush model, but I'm not tied to one over the other.
- Skid marks: seems like CEFIONTECT is a big plus for this, but unavailable on Aquia.
- Style: must be modern to match the rest of the bathroom.

I'm considering the Toto Aquia, Soiree, Ultramax, and the Caroma. I wasn't really looking at the Caroma until I read the user comments about the larger trap helping with large BM's. However, there were quite a few negatives about the Caroma that have me worried about it. Cost is not a big concern, but I don't want to buy a McLaren if what I need is an Acura.
 

RT

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made in China?

I went to get the Toto - the box on the skid says "made in China". I don't want to start a debate on outsourcing here but - but curious - is this a recent development or have they been made off shore for a while now? reason I ask is that I have had some problems with other (e.g. electrical) components - older units that were once made in Canada / USA never an issue, then outsourced to China - high failure rate.

To be fair maybe they're really good at assembling toilets - just not sure if this is going to be a problem with quality down the road...? once bitten...

thanks again for all the great info
 

Jadnashua

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One thing that differentiates Toto from many companies is that they exert a lot of oversight and quality control over their manufacturers. Various bits match up, colors match, and you shouldn't have a problem. It's somewhat the luck of the draw where it actually comes from. Some are made in Georgia, and varous other places around the world.

A second thing is that they use a low moisture casting process that means there's much less variation in casting.
 

RT

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Thanks Jadnashua - that's good to know. I'll give it a try and see how it holds up - based on all the great reviews here. My preference is to buy as close to home as possible - whenever I can, for various reasons. But as you say if it's luck of the draw, then in this case it is what it is. Sorry to dwell on this - thanks again for the feedback...
 

Peanut9199

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It's funny i remember when Honda was starting to manufactuer cars in North America and everyone thought the quality would go down and now you wouldn't think anything about it.
 
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RT

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I haven't had any problems with the units made in China from Toto.

Toto seems to be very strict as to what they expect.

Thanks Terry - good to know.

peanut9199 - I hear what you're saying - not trying to kick up an outsourcing discussion here. Just get nervous when I see the Made in China label - melamine in food, lead in toys, etc. - all pretty scary stuff happening there - not much regulatory pressure or oversight I guess and when the companies aren't paying attention or don't care then it's basically a crap shoot. The comments from Jadnashua and Terry do a lot to reassure me about Toto keeping an eye on the QA stuff.
 

NYC_

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There is a 10" coming soon CST416MF.10 Universal Height as well as 10".
The price book says "Available 3Q09" 3rd quarter of 2009, but with Toto i would say to be safe 1st quarter of 2010.

Any update on the availability of a 10" Aquia? I noticed you are in Canada...is this supposed to be available in the US also?
 

NYC_

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Thanks...I saw that on the site, but was hoping for a sleeker look with a narrower profile and skirted design.

I know if I give up Dual Flush or Eco 1.28Gpf, I can go with the Carlyle or Carolina, but those are more expensive since they are 1-piece.
 
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It's funny i remember when Honda was starting to manufactuer cars in North America and everyone thought the quality would go down and now you wouldn't think anything about it.

Yep, the problem wasn't/isn't in those doing the work, it was in the mindset of the engineering/design, project, and production management. Those producers that accept shoddy work, get shoddy work.
 
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