One of the reps said that they received the most complaints from customers about Toto and Kohler.
Very odd. Look at the reviews on that big retail web site as well as the ones here. Democracy in action. The Toto Drake II is the number-one selling toilet on that web site. More than Kohler. More than AS. More than anyone.
And what blows me away is that in review after review, people say that based on how happy they are with their Drake II, they are buying (or did buy) one or two or three or even FOUR more of this exact model for their home. That says everything that anyone could want to know. And folks who used it to replace an old unsatisfactory toilet say over and over that they were trepidatious but then thrilled after using it for the first time. One guy had actually asked for a new toilet for his
birthday, he was so unhappy with the old one after several years of use, and seemed to have tears in his eyes as he wrote his glowing review of the Drake II that his wife had bought him.
A plumber posting on here will tell you what his experience is out in the field, and (s)he has no reason to tell you anything but the truth. And being out in the field is where the rubber meets the road.
A salesperson in a store may (a) not really have the slightest idea what they are talking about and/or (b) be trying to move some other product.
Just as a point of comparison, a personal experience: Back when Panasonic made window air conditioners, they were the best ones available anywhere. By "best", I mean way-quieter than anyone, energy-efficient, and built like tanks, with features like a slide-out chassis that cost a lot more in most other lines. I sent a relative to PC Richard once to pick up a specific model of Panasonic air conditioner for a specific window. Back she came with a Fedders. Much noisier, just horrible in comparison, for the same price. "The salesman told me that they had a lot of complaints about Panasonic, and that the Fedders was a much better unit." She thought she was doing me a favor by picking up the "better" one. Sigh. These days, I would still rather have a used Panasonic from Craigslist than a brand-spankin-new window unit from any other brand. And all the ones we put in over a decade ago are still purring along like champs.