What toilet do I get?

WE are replacing our toilet and I would like to know which toilet would be the best. I don't need anything fancy. Just a standard white toilet that really flushes. No wimpy flusher. My wife would like a built in water squirter, but that is not a must have.
Thanks

Toto or Kohler in that order. American Standard was at one time on my list but there have been problems with there recent designs hopefully they will get there problems solved.

John

Agreed, toto makes some great toilets. If you want something simple and fairly cheap get a toto carusoe or a step up is the toto drake.

i third that been putting toto toilets in for years and never had to go back on one in my opinion they are the best on the market. they are not cheap but you will be happy with the results

Get a Minuet, that's the one with the built in water sprayer, it's by, either foremost or A.S can't remember.

Sorry not a minuet it's a Bidet

cnl390 said:

WE are replacing our toilet and I would like to know which toilet would be the best. I don't need anything fancy. Just a standard white toilet that really flushes. No wimpy flusher. My wife would like a built in water squirter, but that is not a must have.
Thanks

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You want powerful flush what our gonna habits look for is flapper size, all new toilets will only flush 1.6 gallons some even less but the bigger the flapper the faster the water goes from tank to bowl. I am a firm believer in the cimmaron by Koehler and its class 5 flapper u wanna talk about dumping water that toilet will do it.

As much as i dislike most Kohler products, i do recommend that cimmaron (i call it the cinnamon toilet). Toto is a little more pricey but if given the choice id definatly go with Toto

I have installed, I think, two Cimarrons, and when you hit the flush lever while looking in the tank, it seems as though the bottom is falling out of the tank. That is one powerful flush.

What is anyone's opinion on Briggs toilets?

I had a Briggs in my old apartment and it probably had one of the better flushes I saw. I've never put one in, I've serviced a handful. They seem like decent toilets

I had a Briggs put in my bathroom several years ago. It was pricey but I wanted something 'nice'. I mean, really, how often do you switch out your toilet. I felt for the money I'd like a fairly nice toilet since it'll get a lot of years use.

If your not one of those "preserve the water" fruits then get the cimmarmon

Windy said:

I had a Briggs put in my bathroom several years ago. It was pricey but I wanted something 'nice'. I mean, really, how often do you switch out your toilet. I felt for the money I'd like a fairly nice toilet since it'll get a lot of years use.

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True, unless you're a plumber then you can switch toilets out whenever you want haha. But I agree, if you spend money on a good one you're usually set for 10 years until you need repairs

reedplumber said:

You want powerful flush what our gonna habits look for is flapper size, all new toilets will only flush 1.6 gallons some even less but the bigger the flapper the faster the water goes from tank to bowl. I am a firm believer in the cimmaron by Koehler and its class 5 flapper u wanna talk about dumping water that toilet will do it.

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The issue is, the class 5 DOES NOT have a good bowl wash. I mean you can even get the class 6 cimarron.

And the toto drake II with the double cyclone technology is the best in the market. And the Toto Washlet Squirter/Bidet would fit perfectly. Tip: Make sure you get one with SanaGloss!

In my experience most toilets with a 3" flush valve work great. Even the 1.28 gallon ones.

There are ratings and reviews of toilets available on the internet. Moderator note: Please, no links to other plumbing type forums.

I went with a Toto Drake back in 2007 or 2008 (before the Drake II was listed). The previous toilet was constantly being clogged and having to be plunged. The Toto flushes very well. It has a dual flush thing where the shorter duration does a quick flush using less water (ideal for no toilet paper in the bowl) and holding the lever down for a bit longer does a full flush. The only clogging issues I had were related to plumbing beyond the toilet.

The only cheaply made part was the toilet lever. The lever itself was ok, but there was a plastic piece inside that breaks somewhat easily. After being the sole toilet in use for a few years, the thing finally broke. Fortunately I have another Drake sitting in a box waiting for the completion of a bathroom remodel so I took the lever off of it. That boxed one got a Gatco adjustable lever that I got at a clearance sale.

The Drake I does not have a bowl wash though. I've heard the Drake II is better. It comes with Sanagloss coating and a type of bowl washing action so it is supposedly easier to clean. My Drake had Sanagloss, but unfortunately I have very hard water that comes out reddish brown tinted and it stained the inside of the tank and the bowl.

According to Terry, the best bang for your buck is the Toto Drake II. It comes in elongated ADA height with Sanagloss. ADA height is so much nicer than regular height.

The original Drake is still nice as well. According to MaP testing, it can flush 900 grams.
The Drake II flushes 800 grams if it is a two piece. The one-piece flushes 500 grams.
(Anything 500grams and up is good).

The Kohler Cimarron mentioned above flushes 800grams but does not have a bowl wash. It only had a three star rating (or in this case, hearts).

The only Briggs toilet listed was the Vacuity and it was not recommended. It had all sorts of problems. Clogging, constant running, and other issues. Many people were saying the Briggs toilets in general were just lousy.

The Drake II is more expensive, but from all accounts its a good investment.

Of course, finding a place that sells Toto is not always easy. They generally don't sell them at HomeDepot or Lowes, but Coburns usually carries them.

Terry's site had a printable guide that explains exactly how to install the Toto Drake. I imagine the Drake II is installed the same way. We were able to put the Drake in ourselves with the guide.

Oops, not trying to advertise that site, I just like it and this one.