Neptune vs Toto dual flush
We recently replaced two old toilets with dual flush models. Our bathrooms are turn-of-the-century style and the very streamlined Aquia just did not fit that style. The Neptune dual flush, while more traditional, was so new that we couldn't find much information at all on its performance. We ended up installing a Neptune dual flush Palerma in one bathroom where the style really mattered, and a Toto Aquia dual flush in the other. After three months I have the following observations:
We have a busy household of 6, and my kids were especially adept at plugging up toilets. With the old 3-gal flush cheap builder toilets we were plunging at least three times a month, sometimes more. Although both the Neptune and the Toto toilets have been stopped up twice so far, the frequency and magnitude of the problem have declined dramatically. The unconventional shape of the Aquia makes it a little more difficult to plunge, but its vigorous flush is very reassuring.
The Neptune, in general, has performed well. It is a very attractive, more traditional style. It has a larger surface area of water in the bowl, but this does not translate into a cleaner bowl. The flush is subdued (thus somewhat quieter than Aquia) and does not sweep the bowl as thoroughly as the Aquia. Several family members are annoyed by the Neptune soft-close seat, which is shorter than the bowl and flush with the rim, so that it is impossible to avoid contact with the toilet bowl when trying to raise the seat. The Neptune salesman said all of their seats are like that, but that we might try to see if a different manufacturer's seat would fit. I haven't had time to try that suggestion.
The Aquia has a very unconventional bowl shape. Like others, I was quite taken aback at the little pool of water in the narrow throat at the bottom of the bowl - I thought it would make for a dirtier bowl. Not so. The flush is vigorous and washes the whole bowl very effectively. The soft-close seat projects slightly over the edge of the bowl, and is contoured so that it does not sit flush on the rim of the bowl, thus it can be raised without touching the bowl itself. Everything about this toilet is perfect except its very modern appearance.
Everyone I have talked with says that Toto is reliable and that parts are easy to obtain when something goes wrong. Neptune is still fairly rare in this part of the country, and it is hard to say whether parts will be easily available when/if we need them.
Right now if all things were equal, I would probably choose the Toto Aquia over the Neptune Palerma because of their proven track record, availability of parts, and - specific to this model - its more effective sweep of the bowl when flushing. Perhaps Toto will come out with a traditionally styled true dual flush sometime soon. In the meantime, if traditional styling is a high priority, the Neptune Palerma seems to be a viable option.