Toilet advice needed

[SailorMan]

Hello everyone!
I'm a new member to the forum here looking for toilet advice. I need to replace the (very low quality) toilet in our master bath. When we bought the house a year ago it was splashing very badly when flushed (I adjusted it but it's still bad - the home is about 20yrs old).

At the same time we bought an AS Champion 4 toilet for our guest bath and I am very favorably impressed ...mainly by the flushing action which is mostly horizontal and very vigorous - with the result that it seems that it's probably impossible for this toilet to ever splash but at the same time the flushing action is so vigorous that it will reliably flush practically whatever is in it.

So I'm leaning heavily toward buying another one for our master bathroom but I'm seeing comments on this forum saying that other toilets are better than the Champion 4. I can't imagine being able to return a toilet bowl if I'm not satisfied so I'm very hesitant to buy anything other than another Champion 4 but I thought I'd ask here in case someone can provide me with some explanation that would help me identify a better toilet in the same approximate price range (I bought it at Lowes). Better in the sense that it absolutely has the above-mentioned feature of the Champion 4. (We live in an area that has plenty of water so I'm thinking that a 1.6gpf unit would be good enough and there's no need for a dual flush.)

 

[WorthFlorida]

That 20 year old unit was at the end of the first generation of USA made toilets. To meet the 1994 energy guide of 1.6 gal flush, most companies went with doing tricks with the tank and used the same bowl. This allowed millions of toilets with a poor flush and essentially why a lot of people are wary 1.6 gallon units. The next generation the bowl and trap way were redesigned. Most went with porcelain lined traps and some widen them and made a huge difference. The next big change is the flush mechanism. Kohler and some others redesigned the flapper, some with a larger flapper and most went with a what looks like a pipe with a rubber seal at the base of the tank. It also uses three bolts to attach to the bowl. When you move the lever, the entire unit lifts up and the water just seem to drop down. The toilet where you need to hold the lever to complete the flush is this type. It all takes about a 2 seconds but it not where to flip the lever and walk away. Some areas like CA are requiring 1.28 gallon flush units and some complain about not enough water in the bowl. If you are happy with your other unit, stay with it. FYI, I did return a toilet at HD because I got the first model by Kohler with a new flush design and I did not like the wait having to hold the lever. I was hard but I did find regular flapper unit on line. I personally like the Kohler units, however, in my current home two of the three toilets are Toto after bathroom remodels.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

The original TOTO Drake models work very well.
CST744 versions.

Any of the II series from TOTO are even better.
CST454 for the Drake II

Many of the Kohler products are pretty similar the the Champion 4 in performance, though if you buying American Standard I prefer the Cadet series.

I sometimes remove Champion toilets and replace them with TOTO for customers that have had TOTO in the past and bought the hype about the Champion because of CR reports. Those reports don't include in-home use or testing. If you like your Champion now, you will like something from TOTO better.

 

[SailorMan]

I just realized that the existing toilet bowl does have a name on it so I attached a photo of the label together with a photo of the toilet bowl itself (and it's a 1.6gpf). Must have been some really cheap junk product because the splash out of the bowl was really bad. Actually the house was built in 1997.

 

[Reach4]

Almost anything will be an improvement on that Vitromex.

 

[ToiletEnthusiast]

I just realized that the existing toilet bowl does have a name on it so I attached a photo of the label together with a photo of the toilet bowl itself (and it's a 1.6gpf). Must have been some really cheap junk product because the splash out of the bowl was really bad. Actually the house was built in 1997.

Eek, a Vitromex. Utter garbage, to put it bluntly. I’d absolutely recommend a Toto Drake or Drake II. The Kohler Highline is a great choice as well.

 

[SailorMan]

Okay so in consideration of the reasons I gave above for why I really like the Champion 4 that we already have ...and in consideration of the fact that it sells for $219 including a slow-close seat (and from my perspective there's not a thing wrong with it as-is), can anyone comment on why I ought to consider a Drake or a Kohler Highline or an AS Cadet instead in comparison?

 

[ToiletEnthusiast]

Okay so in consideration of the reasons I gave above for why I really like the Champion 4 that we already have ...and in consideration of the fact that it sells for $219 including a slow-close seat (and from my perspective there's not a thing wrong with it as-is), can anyone comment on why I ought to consider a Drake or a Kohler Highline or an AS Cadet instead in comparison?

I personally have a Champion 4 and it’s been fine for me. However, there have been numerous complaints about the flush valve gasket leaking and the toilet itself being defective.

 

[Terry]

I sell the elongated TOTO Entrada in Puyallup for $179.99 without a seat.
I prefer it over the Champion.