Need Advice

My question is I need to replace a toilet in an apartment and am looking to go to the local Lowes to purchase one. What would be the best performing brand and not drain my bank account? Obviously it is not the AS Champion as to reading pages and pages of complaints,so any opinions will be appreciated. Also what do you think of the one piece toilets as opposed to the bowl and tank 2 piece? I am wondering if that might be a good choice for less maintenance? I value everyones opinion, thanks for the advice! Now I will go back to the AS Champion toilet bashing pages.

The AS Cadet 3 would be worth checking out. It has the direct-fed jet, the extra hump in the trapway, and the oversize flush valve, all pioneered by Toto. The flush valve is a normal flapper as opposed to the troublesome flush tower of the Champion. Lowe's has it in round, elongated, and ADA height. The only complaints I have seen are with the spotty quality of AS. If you find a friendly sales associate who will let you pick through several bowls and tanks you should be fine. Check that the bottom of the bowl is flat, doesn't rock, glazing is good everywhere, and all the rim holes are cleanly punched out. The one-piece models will be more expensive out-of-hand and they typically don't flush as well because the water is not as high in the tank. You can search here for other comments on the Cadet 3.

white tiger said:

I am wondering if that might be a good choice for less maintenance?

Click to expand...

I'm not a pro, just an interested homeowner trying to pick a reliable toilet for my home...

From what I've read on this forum over the years, there is a general feeling that fixtures sold at the big box stores may not be of the same quality as those sold at plumbing supply houses.

When it comes to toilets, another factor is "slump." This refers to the tendency of the clay used to make toilets to fall prey to the relentless force of gravity while it is setting up. If the clay slumps in the trapway, you will never see it on a visual inspection, but it will cause a narrowing of the trapway which will make that toilet more likely to clog.

Again, from what I've read here, Toto toilets are less likely to suffer from that manufacturing defect. If I wanted the best bet for a trouble-free toilet, that's the brand I'd pick (and will pick when I replace a unit in my home).