Toto Drake toilet product review

[Old_Guy]

....and so do I because I haven't heard "WHERE IS THE PLUNGER!!?! since we installed the Drake over a month ago. This cry for help used to echo though the hallways at least once every 4 or 5 days. In fact, I found out that things were so bad that visiting family members would take bets on how many times the old toilet would clog up during their visits!! I'm very happy to report that no money exchanged hands over the Thanksgiving holidays .
Now, my wife says things like "I love the way that toilet flushes!"
Are we happy? You bet! Would we recommend it? In a heart beat!

Terry, we have found the reviews and the comments on your site to be invaluable in helping us to make our decision.
Thank you for the time and effort-you have made this an invaluable and trustworthy resource to guide the naive consumer such as myself, through the mysterious and unfamiliar land of toilet selection.

[wakewatcher]

After Googling for best toilets I was pleased to find that Terry was just a few miles away. I ended up with 2 drakes in the course of a couple of days. So far so good and Terry (and Jamie) offer great service after the sale. I found that using a "paintstick" (one of those suction painting tools) works great for pulling the remaining water out of the bowl and tank of your old toilet before removing.

[Redwood]

After the install I have 2 questions:
- Bought and used the 'composite shims' that Terry likes to get the Drake leveled. Question for the pros - do you shim a lot of points on the base of the toilet, or just a spot or two to level and get it to not rock (wondering if I need to 'fill in' a few gaps with shims).

- I saw a post stating that to convert an Eco Drake to a Drake, one just needs to remove the float. Doesn't the flapper have to change too? The way I see it the flapper wants to close immediately all the time and only because of the float does it stay open until the water level in the tank drops to a certain level. Remove the float and now you have a < 1.28 gpf toilet, no?

Dave

Dave you just use a couple of shims so the toilet doesnt rock then calk around the base with phenoseal or, polyseamseal.

The flapper would require changing to convert it.

[Probedude]

Dave you just use a couple of shims so the toilet doesnt rock then calk around the base with phenoseal or, polyseamseal.

The flapper would require changing to convert it.

Thanks - it's been rock steady since the install - will likely polyseamseal it this weekend.

My poor daughter though - dad (me) keeps using her toilet now!

[gbh]

I've been looking on-line trying to figure out what options I want. And there seem to be a multitude of options! I can't seem to find a round bowl drake with Sanagloss finish. Am I missing something? What would the exact part numbers be for:

1. Basic 2-piece Drake. Round Bowl. G-Max. Sanagloss. Sedona Beige.

2. Basic 2-piece Drake. Elongated Bowl. G-Max. Sanagloss. Sedona Beige

A general part number interpretive summary would be great.

Thanks,
Gary

The Sanagloss Drake only comes in the elongated Cotton White bowl. CST744SG-01
A standard glaze, elongated Drake in Sedona Beige would be CST744S-12

Cotton White

[Smit-Dog]

I've been looking on-line trying to figure out what options I want. And there seem to be a multitude of options! I can't seem to find a round bowl drake with Sanagloss finish. Am I missing something? What would the exact part numbers be for:

1. Basic 2-piece Drake. Round Bowl. G-Max. Sanagloss. Sedona Beige.

2. Basic 2-piece Drake. Elongated Bowl. G-Max. Sanagloss. Sedona Beige

A general part number interpretive summary would be great.

Thanks,
Gary

The Sanagloss Drake only comes in the elongated Cotton White bowl. CST744SG-01
A standard glaze, elongated Drake in Sedona Beige would be CST744S-12

Bummer that the Drake Sedona Beige does not come in an elongated model with Sanagloss. May have to consider changing the colors in our bathroom!

[Terry]

The Two piece Gwyneth comes in Sedona Beige, Sanagloss, Doubly Cyclone, Comfort height.
The Vespin also comes in Sedonia Beige, Sanagloss, G-Max

[tgtech]

I recently replaced several old toilets with TOTO Drake 743 toilets. The installation went very smoothly. This site is a great resource in picking toilet brands as well as getting tips on the installation. So far, I’m a very happy camper (sitter?)

First, I really wanted to get some good ‘flushers’ – not the standard brand lower performing toilets the big box stores sell. I read everything I could find, decided on the TOTO brand, found a local TOTO distributor (sorry I didn’t buy them from you Terry, but I’m on the far side of the US from you!) and ordered the toilets.

After arrival, I took some pointers from here detailed at http://www.terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=743 for the installation. I have installed toilets before, and had never sanded the tank interior where the bolt washers seal to the tank. The sanding tip is great, as it removes some of the rough glazing remaining from the factory and helps to prevent leaks.

The toilet, as mentioned in other posts, does not come with the nuts, bolts and washers to secure it to the floor flange. It does come with the decorative bolt cover caps and plastic washers onto which the caps snap. I simply reused the nuts and bolts that held the old toilets down since they were in great condition. I have come across installations where the bolts were very corroded, so it is probably wise to spend the $3 or so to have a spare toilet flange bolt kit on hand if needed. It is also cheap insurance to have an extra wax ring on hand to ‘double up’ the rings to get a good seal if the flange is below floor level. A few drops of polyurethane glue (or caulk) on one side of the composite shim(s) just before sliding them in will help keep them in place.

During the toilet assembly, I put a very light coat of plumbers grade silicone grease on the angled portion of the gasket sealing the tank to the bowl. You shouldn’t use any other type of grease since it may degrade the gasket material. The grease allows some flexibility/sliding in the gasket when tightening the tank to the toilet and helps to prevent any kinks or distortions.

I did notice the supply tube clipped to the overflow tube in the tank came loose after a few uses, and I simply ‘rebent’ the metal clip to grab the overflow tube a little tighter. Problem solved.

The toilets operate exceptionally well, and flush thoroughly and quickly. This is not a ‘dual flush’ toilet … I read somewhere else that people were only partially (or gently) pressing the flush valve for ‘liquid only’ disposal on this model … this is NOT the way this specific toilet is designed to operate! A quick, firm (but not overly hard) push of the flush handle until it ‘bottoms out’ is necessary to flush properly.

Thanks to Terry Love and the people who have posted here for the great information!

[Probedude]

I ordered my 2nd Eco Drake today after I found out that starting in 2009 in SoCal there is a $100 rebate no matter what the efficiency of the previous toilet was. The first one I bought replaced a 3.5GPF toilet. This 2nd one will replace an older 1.6GPF Toto which is a splasher.

The previous rebate, though much larger ($185), was only good if you replaced a toilet with greater than 1.6GPF.

[Terry]

I've been selling a lot of Toto Drakes in Los Angeles and the Seattle area because of the $100 rebates.
Seattle doesn't have the rebate, but most of Snohomish County and parts of the Eastside like Sammamish and Bellevue.

I've been selling of lot of these in Los Angeles, Claremont CA

[Robert H]

Since I made my decision based in information from this site and forums I though it only proper to post. I replaced 20+ year old toilet with a basic round seat Eco Drake. I cannot believe that I can be so enamored with a toilet. This thing is great you flush, everything goes away and the bowl is clean. The first flush I though something was wrong because of the low water flow. One thing I really like is that there is none of the noise or potential parts failure of a pressure assist system. A good gravity design is the way to go!

Thanks
Robert

Toto Drake Installation instructions

[slk230]

I purchased the Kohler Cimarron at Home Depot. Before the installer came I read about the Toto Drake on this board.

I happily returned the Cimarron and purchased a Toto Drake (ADA) model.

I had it professionally installed.

I was underwhelmed by the flush but read that most of the action was below the water surface.

The very first time out (under real conditions) it clogged and I had to plunge.

I am at a total loss as I read most if not all of the very positive posts here and I don't recall a one clog or negative comment about this product.

[Peanut9199]

Perhaps you should check to make sure nothing is clogging it.
I have seen with new installations people dropping things in the bowl while installing it like a roll of teflon tape and i have also seen wax gasket almost completley covering the flange.

[TSund]

I too have had a clog, tho there was a lot of TP going down and whoever built this house put in a angled drain says my friend who replaced old toilet which makes it prone to stoppage?. I figured I'd test the newish Eco-Drake, and plunge if it was too much.

PROBLEM: neither plunger seems to seal very well with the shape of the bowl drain. It is not unclogging and I am totally frustrated.

PLEASE HELP! Is there a particular plunger I should buy?



Thank-you

Most plungers have a small end that pulls out.
A little water in the bowl helps to seal.
TL

[oneilljf]

I have been using this forum as a reference for some time and really appreciate the useful info I have received. My first question concerns mounting the tank to the bowl. A relative offered to install my Drake for me and in the process left off the washer and nut that go between the tank and bowl. He thought they were extra's. It is not leaking but I worry that this could become a problem. Should I take it apart and redo it or leave well enough alone since it is not leaking. This Eco Drake replaced an old 80's toilet and seems to work better. Great product.

You can use the single nut and washer on the Drake,
Using both washers and nuts is better.

Less chance of leaking with the extra nut and washer and it hold the tank to the bowl with less movement.
Terry