Value question: Eco Drake versus Drake II (Is ordering online a "risk")

I need 4 toilets. Is the Drake II worth the money(I think I know the answer)? Also, I need to order online to get this offer. I am a little nervous about ordering online versus a local plumbing supply (but they do not have them).

Eco Drake with Toto seat:

Drake II:
# C454CEFG-01 Elongated Front Toilet Bowl
# ST454E-01 Toilet Tank & Cover
# SS114-01 SoftClose Elongated Toilet Seat

Many plumbing supply houses can order Toto, but they may not be listed as dealers.

Since porcelain is quite brittle and heavy, it can be a challenge to ship. SOme people have had lots of trouble getting one intact. I have ordered 4, and had one that broke enroute that I never saw. The shipping company never tried to deliver it and returned it to the shipper for replacement and I was left wondering why it was taking awhile longer than expected, but a new one did show up. Buying four might mean they come on a pallet, which would provide a lot more protection, but a pain to get off the truck at a home - shipped to a terminal may be cheaper and means one less truck it has to be moved to. A dealer often buys multiples, and when packed on a pallet, tend to survive...one, often is loose. The vendor that sold mine, repacked the things with expandable foam both inside and outside of the things in the box. So, it's a crap shoot. You're better off buying local, as shipping costs on heavy items, especially when delivered to a home verses commercial, tend to be more, so the dealer, also because he normally buys in volume, can give you a better price, and it is much easier to talk to someone local if you have a (rare) problem.

But, between the Drake II and the Drake, I'd probably take the drake II. I'd probably also opt for the CEFIONTECT.

I had a customer here in the Seattle area that bought from me, got tired of receiving broken toilets from his online merchant.
He got three broken toilets, and then ordered from me. Three shipments, three broken toilets.

The one I sold him wasn't broken.



The Drake II is a very good toilet.
CEFIONTECT
Cyclone rinse
Tall bowl

I've been selling a bunch of these in Seattle.
At the moment I have 15 in stock.

Make sure you open the boxes and inspect "before" the semi pulls away.

With a lot of the shipments, once it has been at your home a few days, they consider that "you" may have broken it.

Terry said:

Make sure you open the boxes and inspect "before" the semi pulls away.

With a lot of the shipments, once it has been at your home a few days, they consider that "you" may have broken it.

Click to expand...

Good advice, I will be out there with a magnifying glass!

Just a quick update. The 4 toilets were delivered in less than a week. They arrived with no physical damaged. To be honest, I was surprised when I saw how things were packed on the truck. There was a HDTV he had on its edge on top of another item. Not sure if they will work, I will update once they are installed. I did not see any bolts and/or wax rings, should they be included (could they be in the tank)?

Toto does not include flange bolts, wax, or supply line with their toilets, except for maybe some of the specialty ones with built-in bidets from what I've seen. Depending on the model, there may be some special seat bolts that don't use a nut (it's an expanding plug).

Hardware items like wax, bolts and supply tubes?
Toilets don't normally come with these, unless they are marketed that way. Maybe less then 1% come packaged that way.
Also, two piece toilets don't come with seats, some one-piece toilets do.

When my customers pick up, I offer a hardware or "install" kit for $9.99 to save them a trip to the hardware store. It also saves them a few bucks.


Install kit for toilets
Notice that the bag of bolts includes four nuts and four washers.

JLM said:

Just a quick update. The 4 toilets were delivered in less than a week. They arrived with no physical damaged. To be honest, I was surprised when I saw how things were packed on the truck. There was a HDTV he had on its edge on top of another item. Not sure if they will work, I will update once they are installed. I did not see any bolts and/or wax rings, should they be included (could they be in the tank)?

Click to expand...

Just a FYI/Addendum to my online experience (*******s). As stated above, the toilets did arrive as promised with no damage. I bought a package deal/price that included seats. They did not arrive with the initial shipment. The promise date was a week later, then it was another week later, then it was "whenever we get them". After over a month, I proposed they just credit me their retail cost of the seats and I would just buy them locally. They said yes and even quoted the amount. When I did get the credit, it was reduced 10%. The reduction was not my issue, my issue is they told me one thing and did another. Don't folks understand that there are 16 million people out of work and these little things matter.

Oh the fun of e-tailors. It seems every week I get a call for pricing. Lets say they want the Carusoe elongated :

Me:$157
Them:But the internet has it for $135
Me:That price doesnt include the freight shipping.
Them:It says Free Shipping all over their website
Me: Yes for small things like faucets. If you add it to your cart you will see the price goes up to where my price is cheaper with tax.
*adds it to their cart to see $75 added to the order*
Them: oh. Can you pricematch their pre shipping price?
Me: *sigh* no

Even my local rep for Toto says customers who order online doest get her help. They must order through one of her distributors.

Terry: From recently install my Vespin II, you might want to consider throwing in some shims in your installation kit. A few would do.

As far as ordering on-line, that's how I got my big screen tv. My logic was, the thing had to go by truck somewhere, either me or the store. But, in looking back, it less hasle if it is damaged when you get it from the store.