Toto round front Drake 11 vs Entrada

[WBI]

I am replacing a 24" 1987 toilet in my powder room. With the new toilets being longer, I have to get a round front for the space. It looks like Toto has 2 comfort height 1.28 gal round fronts: Entrada with the emax and Drake 11 with the tornado flush for $226.00 more. This is the only toilet on the first floor so needs to perform well. Is the tornado flush a lot louder? Is the tornado flush and CEFIONTECT finish worth the price difference? Any opinions between the two or other 1.28 gal comfort height toilets with <27" length suggestions?

 

[Terry]

Both the Entrada (Entry level) and the Drake II are gravity bowls using a 3" flush valve and a 2-1/8" trapway.
The Entrada rinse is straight down the bowl, and the Drake II has two outlets at the top of the bowl that swirl the rinse.
The Drake II adds the smoother finish which is easier to keep clean. Both of them flush very well. I have the Cefiontect finish in my home and have used both. It's just a little nicer. Whether it's worth that much more, that's kind of a judgement matter. I saw an ad for OneTouch Coffee Center that sells for $1,399.99. I'm sure some will think that's a pretty cool item. The coffee maker on my counter doesn't cost that much. But then I ski, and I've heard all my life that skiing is way too much money to spend. I love skiing, so yes, it's worth it, worth it, worth it.

I would say that either toilet is fairly quiet.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WJcandee]

That's a big difference for the Drake II in the round. I guess it's a specialty buy, because most people have the elongated Drake II at about a $70 smaller difference than that (i.e. $70 less than you're talking about).

You won't be disappointed with the Entrada. We have a couple of Totos with that same GMAX/EMAX flush and love them. We also have one with the Tornado flush and CeFIonTect, and they are, in my view, nice but not essential.

And, in my view, you can't go wrong with the Totos. There's a reason that so many of their owners have a cultish devotion to them, usually after swapping them for mediocre toilets, like we did. We swapped one, and promptly bought two more.

 

[Jadnashua]

It is easier to keep those with the neat glazing clean, but either one works. WIth it, most things just wash off and if not brush off readily. Without it, you might need to scrub a bit more. Those with it are more comparable to a car that you just finished waxing...it's easier to clean the next time.

 

[WBI]

Now I am really confused. I learned yesterday that the Drake 11's will start using a tower type drain this month instead of the old flapper. Is that more like the Kohler and is it an improvement worth waiting for? I do not know how long it will take to get to suppliers. My local supplier has 60 old ones. Have they done map scores on the new system?

 

[WJcandee]

The tower will do nothing to improve the quality of the flush, and don't let anyone tell you that it will. It won't. And they are flat-out lying if they say that it will in any material way.

The effectiveness of the flush is determined primarily by the design of the trapway. That is in the bowl. That will not change. There is no reason to redo the MAP scores. They should be identical.

What it will do is possibly provide more longevity to the seal on the valve at the bottom of the tank, and a bit more accuracy as to the water quantity dispensed in a flush (and less opportunity for the homeowner to increase the amount of water used if the homeowner wants to). It also moves from a Toto where all parts that will wear out are readily-available from multiple sources to a Toto where that is less-so. The good news is that you can rip that tower out and put in a regular old flush valve with a flapper someday if you need to.

This is a change designed to reduce the homeowner's ability to use more water. That's not necessarily a postiive, but... It is of course being promoted as a positive. For those of us who have no trouble changing a flapper in 2 minutes, it's nothing more than an unnecessary complication.

Flush Tower in an Ultramax II