American Standard Cadet 3 Three Toilet consumer product review

**jkj** · 07-21-2008, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by nashkato

For anyone needing a 10" rough-in, the Cadet 3 is a good choice. I'm happy with the flush performance and you can't best the 1000 on the MaP tests. Mine does not splash. It was a little tricky to find what I needed. I wanted round front and regular height since this would be used by my young children. I went with 2384.010 (3011 bowl, 4019 tank). To get this I had to buy a white bowl from Lowes (HD had only elongated or bone for RF) and the tank from HD. Neither store had both! Total cost was only about $130. Note that HD is selling the tank as for a 12" "compact elongated" but it works in several applications. (Thank goodness for the AS website to know the exact model numbers.) I put a Champion round "EverClean" seat on it (5285) because I wanted to stick with AS and it was the only choice in stores. Seems OK not special.

I needed a 10" rough-in unit and this was about the only thing I could get without special ordering and/or spending a bundle. For instance, I had a new Kohler Wellworth in my last house (which was fair not great). Since they make a 10" Wellworth I thought I might try that--too much money and special order for mediocre performance. I prefer to buy at my indy plumbing supply house vs HD/Lowes but they don't stock AS. I had already purchased a Toto Drake from them before measuring the rough (doh!) so that will go in another bathroom now (the others do have 12" rough!). Also, I had to add 1" of flange spacers and do some mortar repair around the flange due to the hack job by the original builders, so I was nervous about using the Toto adapters to make something else fit the 10" space.

Derek

Can someone tell me what the item number is for the home depot 4019.016 bowl he is reffering to? Im guessing its around 70 bucks from his total cost here. I just want to be able to go pick it up or get lowes to price match it.

From what I found out the tank is 112.50 from both lowes and home depot. The bowl is 61 from lowes. That is 173.50+tax so kinda far from the $130 Derek quoted above me.

**Macawmom** · 07-22-2008, 05:11 PM

Hi, I've been reading this forum for more than two months now. I have an 11-1/8" rough-in in my powder room that we're redoing. I did go to a Toto showroom, a "Toto gold" showroom, and I told the sales lady I really wanted a Toto Drake. When she asked what my rough in is, she told me that it will not fit in that space. I am not an experienced plumber if it would need to be squeezed in to fit, I would not know how to cheat space. I saw that many others with a small rough in have been going with the AS Cadet 3, which is what she recommended. I did end up going to my local plumbing supply house, not a big box store, taking the advice of many here. I got a Cadet 3 elongated, right height toilet. I opened it today and looked it over well and here is what I found. In the bottom of the bowl was a blue dye mark. This rubs off and should be okay. I checked and the bowl is level from side to side. From front to back it is a little off level. But when I took a mirror to under the rim, I found that the holes are all different sizes. Is this what others found? I have a few holes that are about 1/2" wide, and most of the others, including directly across from the large ones, are more like 1/16" wide. I don't know which is correct as I never looked under the rims of my old toilets, all pre-1975. Are these holes big enough or will I have flushing problems? I would think that if there are some big holes and some small holes for the flushing design, there would be the same number of each on each side of the toilet. Advice, please. Thanks.

Macawmom in NJ

**Terry** · 07-22-2008, 05:14 PM

You know, I've never looked with a mirror at the flush rim holes in the Cadet.

It's funny that the showroom didn't know specs on the Toto.
The Drake will install at 10-7/8"

**Macawmom** · 07-22-2008, 05:36 PM

Thanks for answering, Terry. I didn't realize that the Drake could fit at under 11". I thought you previously said you needed 11-1/4 or 11-1/2. I can not recall which correctly now. Do you think the holes be uniform? I'm curious what others who have the Cadet 3 and have checked the rim holes have seen.

Macawmom in NJ

**rontarbert** · 07-22-2008, 05:54 PM

I experienced the problem with blisters on the flapper casket last year and AS sent new flappers (I have two Cadet 3's). The replacements developed the same problem after several months. I have been bursting the blisters as an interim repair. I was happy to learn that Korky finally has a replacement flapper and went today to Home Depot to buy one. I noticed that the only three on display had been opened & repackeged. I asked the clerk if he knew why the flappers were returned. He stated that people open packages all the time and that if I had a problem I could just return it. Now I know why -- they don't work. You can't just push the lever to flush -- you must hold it down. The flapper closes imediately after you release the lever. The package clearly states that it is a replacement for Cadet 3 and includes the toilet model number that I have.

Blisters develop on the black rubber seal.

**Terry** · 07-22-2008, 06:01 PM

Many 3" flappers close quickly. The original Cadet 3 flapper closes quickly too. Since you are only using 1.5 gallons or so, they must be quick, or the whole tank will drain.

**rontarbert** · 07-22-2008, 06:30 PM

Thanks Terry. I should have been more specific -- the toilet will not clear waste unless you hold the lever down. I have adjusted the chain with the minimum of slack.

**Terry** · 07-22-2008, 06:56 PM

the toilet will not clear waste unless you hold the lever down. I have adjusted the chain with the minimum of slack.

Well, that sucks.
Guess you have to keep having A/S send you new parts.
Thanks for the update on the Cadet.
What? Just got a call to play softball with my daughter, Later.

**Ian Gills** · 07-23-2008, 08:04 AM

I have said this time and time again. Adjust the chain. It sounds like you need to slacken it off a little. Cadet 3s are very sensitive to chain adjustment. Get it right and it will be trouble free for years.

My Korky flapper also came with the box opened. But it works just great. There are numerous design improvements over the OEM version. The rubber, the chain, the way the chain attaches to both the flapper and the flush mechanism, and the way the flapper attaches to the overflow tube. All better than the original.

So great, I then pulled my perfectly functioning Fluidmaster 400a and replaced it with a Korky Quietfill, just for the heck of it.

I love plumbing that much.

I like the Quietfill though. It is quieter and I like the float design.

I'm running Toto parts without the price.

But ultimately, I want a toilet that is good enough for an American... what we British call "American Standard".

**Redwood** · 07-23-2008, 08:51 AM

But ultimately, I want a toilet that is good enough for an American... what we British call "American Standard".

So then why are you settling for a Central American Standard?

Toilets made in a country where many of the people still use buckets for hygiene!

**Terry** · 07-23-2008, 08:58 AM

I just installed the TOTO Gwyneth, made in Georgia near Atlanta. It is American.
Almost all to the Toto one-piece toilets are made in the USA.

**Ian Gills** · 07-23-2008, 09:08 AM

It's the quality I am interested in, not where it is made.

Heck, I'd want an American-built toilet as much as I'd want an American-built car.

And for the record, I drive a 1999 Toyota (and so built in Japan).

Needless to say I'd like a Toto built in Japan too.

It's just such a shame that many Toto models for the US market post-1990 (when they built their US plant) are not built in Japan any more. Although I guess the very high end models still are.

**Terry** · 07-23-2008, 09:19 AM

It's the quality I am interested in, not where it is made.

I don't think you are interested in quality.
Any of the Toto products, no matter where they are made, are better quality than the Mexican Standard Cadet 3 toilet.
But then, since I sell and install thousands of toilets every year, I don't have the same perspective of a homeowner that installed his first toilet from a home center. Yeeha!

**Redwood** · 07-23-2008, 09:23 AM

I've been installing Toto toilets for 5 years with a 0% callback rate on them!

That's Quality!

**Ian Gills** · 07-23-2008, 09:32 AM

No, you're right. I am not interested purely in quality.

I am interested in price and quality. What we might call "bang for the buck".

That's why I do not drive a Mercedes, do not own a Rolex watch and passed over the chance of a Toto.

I'll just make do with a Toyota, Seiko and a Cadet 3 instead.

But I ain't complaining. Retire a couple of days early or buy a Toto. The choice, for a DIY homeowner, is yours.