need recommendation

Our old Kohler has given up the ghost and we need to replace. Problem: powder room is quite small. Current toilet is 27" long. In urgent need of a recommendation for a replacement. I know to avoid the Kohler Santa Rosa. Bathroom is in ice grey (small pedestal sink matches) though we can change if necessary. Any advice is welcome - the normal sources -e.g. consumer reports - don't review compact toilets ... Thanks in advance - Kim

Ice Gray is going to be tough.

Toto was making some gray toilets, some in round front, 26-1/2" long.
You may find something like a Drake or Ultramax in gray.

Consumer Reports like the Cimarron (four times) and the Gerber Ultraflush (five times) in their August 2009 report.

Anyone with any intelligence would have only rated the Cimarron once, and the Gerber Ultraflush once.

Consumer Reports made up nine reports from two bowls.
Makes for fluffy reading.

I don't care much for those toilets, selling them when I have to, except for CR's top choice in a dual flush, the Gerber DF-21-318 which has been a real dog. I won't sell that one.


Kohler Cimarron, poor bowl wash, clogs more then others in it's class.
A good percentage of returns for defects.
The class five flapper has been leaking, so now the class six canister flush stiffens up the rubber, but now the chain hangs up every so often.


Gerber Ultraflush, startling flush, very small footprint rarely covers a previous installation. Looks like it belongs in a gas station mens room.
The dual flush option fails very quickly, expect to replace the tank at least yearly.

I have the best luck with the Toto products.
But I don't think Toto is bothering to send any checks CR's way.
They're selling everything they can produce.


Toto Ultramax

How is the American Standard Cadet 3 Compact FLowise?

Seems to be about 28.5 inches which would prob be ok if we move a towel bar. There is a Gerber ultra flush 21-302 round that works as well. Haven't been able to find any Totos in grey or anything close. Two white, a beige and a black - none of which works ...

If it were me, I'd go with a white Toto over anything else even if it meant changing out the lav.

Here's what you have to decide. Is a toilet that matches the color scheme of the other fixtures but is expensive to maintain, difficult to find parts for, clogs frequently, and often does not flush everything with one flush is more important to you than a white toilet with parts available everywhere, rarely if ever clogs, always flushes completely? It's really that simple.

I went to Home Depot and went through 9 bowls and tanks until I found 2 that were suitable. The others had glaze problems, trapway wasn't smooth, marks embedded in the glazing, poor fit. I hate to think of the poor people who bought all those toilets that I rejected. What plumber would want to waste time doing that, when they can just go get a Toto and know the quality inspection has already been done for them.
Gary Gray

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I found unwashed pepper remained in the bowl around the 6 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions. I think I also see some yellow urine stains developing there. Although luckily, that location is actually pretty hard to see.

I am also still trying to figure out how to make it flush consistently. It seems the flapper closes so quickly after releasing the lever, that the flush quantity varies depending on how long the lever is held down. On one recent occasion, releasing the flush lever too quickly didn't syphon the trap and clear solids.
Jakeru

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The Gerber 21-302 is a poor toilet to have in a home.
I started selling Gerber way before I even knew about Toto.
The cost more then a Toto, and are harder to repair.
Nosier and uglier. Certainly not a toilet that should ever go in a master bathroom.
Even though I've been selling Gerber longer, and CR keeps touting them, I only sell about 50 a year, compared to 2,500 of the TOTO brand.
I also have a hard time finding repeat Gerber and American Standard buyers.

You can't make someone buy a second toilet, if they didn't like the first one.
Terry Love

I sell in Bellevue, but Jakeru buys on the low end. Surprising for a Bellevue person.
Most of my customers in Bellevue are buying Toto, just a few Gerber, like one or two a month, if you looking for A/S, then open the boxes before you bring them home. Quality control at the American Standard factory is not a bragging point for them.

Looking for a compact elongated - and having trouble finding it on the toto web site. I'm sure their toilets are nice, but their website is terrible.

I'm not hellbent on matching colors but spouse is adamantly opposed to white/black. This is the powder room right off our main foyer. Door is usually open so readily visible. Floor grey slate so the beiges don't work. Does toto really have as limited a color selection as it appears from their web site? Or am I just choosing the wrong toilets to check?

This is a white Toto Gwyneth (now called "Ultramax II, I believe) I installed this spring in our bathroom. I think it looks good against the dark tile.

You may be better off going with Kohler.
They have more colors.
Toto only has a few colors, and they are discontinuing gray.
I did sell a few gray Toto toilets in the last month though.

Gerber has colors, but not always what is on their chart.
The last time I special ordered a Gerber 21-302 from the factory in color, I was informed eight weeks later that it had been discontinued.

I would call your local Kohler dealer, and have them check with the factory about available colors. That will be you most efficient use of time.
Let them make the phone call, they will tell you what you can get.
Simple, right?

You may want to go with the Santa Rosa


Here's one I pulled out for someone.

thanks

The Santa Rosa has HORRIBLE reviews all around. I'll check with Toto, AS and Kohler dealers tomorrow. I think the Toto Drake fits in the space, but I'd have to work spouse resistance on color (and replace the sink of course - which is its own challenge due to space).

I think the white on slate would be ok; it's the white walls that are problematic (plus spouse believe that white equates to "I chose based on money." Beige on slate is the nono.

Beige on slate is the nono.

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I see a lot of designers looking at Bone for that reason.
The Beige has some pink in it.

toilet

The length of a toilet, 27", 28", 28 1/2" depends ENTIRELY on the distance from the bolt holes to the front of the bowl, PLUS the distance from the wall to the center of the pipe. These dimensions are not STANDARDS so the manufacturers can make the bowl anyway they wish to.