Toto Drake toilet product review

[Mikey]

One day, after a spectacular poop, I decided to weigh it just to see what an 800 MaP toilet ought to swallow. I remember being disappointed, but don't remember the exact weight -- around 350g, I think. An 800 MAP certainly works for me.

[goshenplumber]

Toto Drake: Comparison between reviews at this site & at "***************"

After reading the consumer reviews of the Toto Drake at this web site, I am convinced that the Drake is the toilet to replace our dinosaur 7GPF toilet.

Terry, I do have a question about consumer reviews of the Drake. There is another web site, "***************", that also has consumer reviews of the Toto Drake. And I noticed that about 10%-15% of consumers at that site had a strong negative review of the Drake, either due to leaks or to clogs.

Terry, do you have an opinion on why the difference in positive reviews between your web site and "***************"? Do you think the difference could be due to poor installation by either consumers with not enough experience or plumbers who make mistakes?

Thank you.

[jadnashua]

There's a small percentage of people who have extremely hard, large stools, and few toilets will pass them without clogging. The Caroma is often recommended for them. Terry recommends a 10-second precaution task when installing a tank on a two-piece toilet...quickly sanding the surface to smooth the raw porcelain where the bolt and gasket go. Often not needed, but a quick, easy precaution from a small bump preventing the washer from sealing. Then, many people are afraid to tighten the tank up, and this can lead to leaks. Last, during transport, the big nut that holds the flapper seat assembly to the tank might need a tightening to ensure it will seal. These are all little things a DIY'er may not know about or consider, but could lead to a leak. It just makes sense to make sure everything is tight before installing it. If this is done, there rarely is a leak. The last thing is if a toilet leaks from the base flange seal. No toilet will maintain a good seal if it rocks after installation. If it does not sit flat, it must be shimmed, or it WILL break the seal. You may not see a leak, but it could happen. So, properly installed, no toilet should leak, but especially on a two-piece one, you have some extra places where it could leak, and the little precautions should prevent them from occurring.

Few DIY'ers replace many toilets, so they don't know all the tricks of the trade. My feeling is, that the problems listed could and probably would have happened with any toilet they installed.

[Terry]

"My feeling is, that the problems listed could and probably would have happened with any toilet they installed."

I concur.
They would have those problems with any toilet.
Proper installation is a must.
And any toilet can clog. You have to have a little common sense.
People mention clogs here, and those posts are on the site and answered.
If you have medical issues, then Caroma is a better choice for the less then 1% of the population that suffers that way.
For the rest, you can't use it as a garbage can.

The customers buying from me, using my instructions are getting good results.

The other thing to consider, is it even a Toto "Drake" they are reviewing?
Many plumbers sell the CST703 or the CST723 Carosoe when someone asks for a Toto.
In fact many of those plumbers have never even seen a Drake CST743 or CST744.
Anytime a review mentions splash, it's not the Drake. Perhaps the Carosoe, which frankly I don't even sell.
Without seeing pictures of what they are really reviewing, it doesn't mean much.
Most of my TOTO sales are repeat purchases. But then, I sell the Drake and better, I don't sell the builder grade stuff that other plumbers install.

[tspriggs]

Installed the Drake ADA in the beige color just yesterday. My plumber was impressed with it and he had installed 150 toilets so he said. It is quiet and quick. A costly expense for me at this time but it was worth it. There is also a 1.28 GPF Drake for the same price but I was not sure if it would work as good. Maybe Terry can evaluate it.

[gib323]

I am so happy with how this toilet works compared to the old Mansfield piece of junk I had in my bathroom. I was wasting so much water and time playing out the plunge-flush-plunge-flush cycle for solid waste. I’ve had the Toto Drake now for about two months, and only in one circumstance did I have to flush it twice. Every other time it was one flush and whoosh it was gone, and I am certain the old toilet would still be plugged. There are great products out there, and this is one of them. It is worth every penny, and I know I am saving money by conserving water, so there is a long-term payback as well. Great design, great looks, great function.

I don’t know why I waited so long to check into this. I am so happy with it that I am considering taking it with me to my next house. But we’ll see about that. Buy this. You won’t be disappointed.

[Reader Review]

Hi Jamie and Terry.

My name is Suzie S and I purchased two Toto toilets from you in May of 2009.

Love them

Just learned that my father-in-law, Jack S, is looking to buy some Toto toilets as well. I gave him your card and told him to give you a call.

He is 80 and hard of hearing. So be patient with him. : )

But he is looking for something very similar to what we purchased (invoice #996899) but likely a taller seat height for ease/comfort with older age.

Just thought I’d give you a heads up. You may be hearing from him soon.

Thanks for your great product and services. We are very happy with our bathroom upgrades.

Thanks,
Suzie.

[Runs with bison]

It's been a year since I installed the first of 3 EcoDrakes elongated--(installed one in Sept. and two of them in October '09 IIRC). I can now officially declare them a resounding success. No operational problems whatsoever and we use Northern tissue which is a known clogger.

Previously we had strict rules about TP usage and flush frequency with the old 1994 vintage Gerbers...and they still routinely clogged on me and the kids much too frequently. I actually can't remember where my plunger is anymore. Our water usage is down as a result of the conversion, cutting both water and sewer charges.

I recommend the small adder cost of the Sanagloss finish as well...from what I've seen with ours the only stains that require periodic cleaning occur above the water line--it is well worth it.

Thanks, Terry, for the site and information.

[purple goat]

I am interested in the "normal height" Toto Drake but am wondering if the ADA height would give a better flush. I am interested in the 1.28 GPF. Also, is there any difference in the flushing system or bowl cleaning between the Drake and the Drake II ?

Thank you so much for all of you who have shared your experiences. I've been reading posts for over four hours. Originally was going to get an American Standard Cadet but have become a Toto Drake convert.

[Runs with bison]

When I purchased my Drakes (standard height, elongated) the ADA height had higher MaP scores. The lowest scores were for the round standard height variants of the same toilet. I've had no trouble at all with my non-ADA, elongated EcoDrakes.

[jadnashua]

The water has to fall further on the taller toilets, so all other things being equal, the taller ones have a little more flushing power.

[Terry]

In the Seattle area, I'm running a promo on the TOTO Drake toilets in Cotton White.

Drake round front for $199.99
Drake elongated for $219.99
and the Drake ADA elongated for $299.99

Seattle area promo on the Cotton White Toto Drake

[zuffy]

Had my Drake installed last Thursday. I don't know why it took me so long to replace my POS American Standard toilet. I probably have wated 4-5x more water during that timeframe if I had replaced it over a year ago. I will definitely get the Drake 10" rough-in version for my basement if I ever need to replace it.

Thank you Terry for answering my questions and this great forum.

[mcdonaldb]

I am about to install my closet flange and wanted to verify this would work with a toto drake toilet, the flange will be on top of the tile and is a Sioux Chief TKO, ABS. I guess my only concern is the height as the flange and the lip will be above tile?

thanks,

[Terry]

That is a pretty thick flange, I would go with the Sioux Chief TKO with the Stainless Steel ring.