Eco Drake questions

[Runs with bison]

Hi-

I'm planning to change out some terrible 1994 vintage 1.6 gpf toilets with tiny water spots and miserable flush performance. (I've modified one to 2.7 gpf to get it to work reliably in the lowest level.) I wanted to try the Toto Eco Drake. I've used the Ultra Max and liked it although I don't care for the Toto seat contour--the seat is akin to wedging myself into a shallow cone, and I'm not a hefty person.

What I think I want is the standard non-ADA height, elongated bowl. ADA height is a little too high for us, and especially the kids. I realize the flush driving force is a bit less with the standard height, and that the Eco version uses slightly less water so my plan was to experiment with it at the highest level in the house. If it has any trouble I plan to convert the flapper upstairs to standard 1.6 gpf, and go with standard Drakes for the other lower level toilets.

Is it correct that the flapper can be changed/modified to restore this to standard 1.6 gpf Drake performance? Or are there other differences with this model that I should be aware of?

What about the Sanigloss feature? Is this a must have or an unnecessary cost adder? Will I be able to tell the difference?

What type of seat works best for these elongated toilets?

What is a good price on this toilet?

The objectives are to: 1. Retire the plunger...especially for guests who have not been trained to flush often and ration paper like it was WWII. 2. Get rid of unsightly marks above the water line...and resultant odors. 3. Save a bit of water in the process--although this will never pay for the toilets.

[Gary Swart]

I'll give your questions a shot. I can't answer #1 about changing the flapper, but from what I've read about the Toto Eco models, you won't need to. #2, Sanigloss is probably a nice feature, but I have no personal experience with it. My Toto Dartmouth did not have it as an option, but I have had not problems keeping it clean. #3. I have the softclose seat and have no problems with it. This may be a personal opinion matter. Seats are standard, so you can get what you like. #4, Toto's are not a bargain basement product. You will pay more for a toilet that does not clog and is easy and inexpensive to maintain. My best advice is to check Terry's Report on Low Flow Toilets and see what he is selling them for and use that as a guide. I wouldn't expect to find prices much, if any, lower. I suspect Toto dealers would all price their toilets in the same ballpark. One thing is for sure, you will save on the cost of a plunger!