toilets, again.

[sugardumpling]

I fell in love with the Toto Dartmouth toilet but our budget is super tight right now. I bought a Sterling by Kohler toilet over the weekend since I liked the lines and it fit the bill in size. A$$ backwards move, I looked it up on HD sight and it is only 3 stars. This toilet will be in our main floor bathroom. Ugh. I have 2 more weeks before the toilet will be installed and am back to the drawing board. The hubs suggested rebuilding guts with rebuild kit.
WWH&G suggest? I would like to keep the toilet cost around the $200 mark.

[auntie]

I just installed an American Standard Champion 4. It's not pretty but it's seriously functional. Neither DH nor DS have clogged it.

[sugardumpling]

thank auntie. Unfortunately the depth is too big for the space. i need something under 29" and elongated. Perhaps I am worrying more than necessary.

[FoxInFiji]

Can you still take it back or are you passed the return date?

Just keep it if you can't return it. The majority of the performance in a toilet is the design of bowl and trap way. The guts don't do a lot just break over time and are replaceable as long as the model is not changed or discontinued. Since there is no way you can change the porcelain you're best to just live with it. Replacing the guts usually means you don't get the exact same parts and it hurts the performance. You can't buy the exact same replacement parts at HD like you can the toilet itself. Plus the federal restrictions on water flow will be going down soon so your current 1.6 gal toilet won't work correctly with the new 1.2 gal replacement parts they will have for sale.

For example we had to get our old Kohler toilet in the basement working again so we could tear out and remodel our other two bathrooms so we swapped out the guts for the highest gallon parts we could find. It worked but barely. You have to stand there and hold the lever down for 7-10 seconds for the whole bowl to empty. It totally sucked but we just needed a bandaid fix since we know we'll be replacing it in a year or so.

If it is an issue replace it or swap it out for a lesser used toilet in your house. They are just internet reviews they could be wrong. It's not worth losing $200 over. Sorry to say but this is why we were willing to save and pay for one toilet we could depend on instead of two lesser toilets. As far as replacement parts go Toto is the largest toilet manufacturer in the world and has to meet stricter water requirements in other countries so they have a lot of interchangeable parts between the models. You will be able to find replacement parts for years because they are so common and Toto itself keeps a big backlog of parts.

[sugardumpling]

Thanks FIF - we just bought it this past weekend. still in box in living room. We just got rid of the the toilet that used to be in that bathroom, which worked but did get clogs and it is too long in depth. I believe it was an American Standard.

We paid 160 for the Sterling one. I am going to have to keep it and hope for the best. And plan for a Toto in my future.

[FoxInFiji]

Who knows you may love it! Either way a new toilet is always exciting at least for dorks like me. We just got our master bathroom toilet delivered yesterday along with a bunch of the other fixtures and it's like Christmas opening all the packages.

[sugardumpling]

Well then call me dork2. I am elated with home purchases. We are not done with main part of house and I am playing with colors and ideas for kitchen...lol. (which was added to the home in the 40's).

If this house is ever done (with construction) I am going to need a new hobby.

[stumpy]

Do yourself a favor, get the Toto!! Yes, I know your budget is tight, but a Toto is worth it. I will NEVER buy anything else from now on. Seriously.
You will kick yourself for not getting a Toto. Just add a tad more to the budget and/or save or borrow from something else. It is worth it.

[emisi]

Just remember, most people review a product when they have an issue with it, not necessarily because it's widespread. Kohlers are pretty good toilets, you should be okay. For the future though, I'd save up for a Toto - they're amazing.

[jamesonontherocks]

hey sugar!

[auntie]

Jul 7, 2012 9:04:06 GMT -5 emisi said:

Just remember, most people review a product when they have an issue with it, not necessarily because it's widespread. Kohlers are pretty good toilets, you should be okay. For the future though, I'd save up for a Toto - they're amazing.

Are they? What do you like about them? I'm looking to replace my powder room and guest bath soon.

My mother has Totos in her beach house. DS managed to stop one up on two occasions. That's never happened with his American Standard Champion 4.

To the OP, have you seen this one?
www.americanstandard-us.com/toilets/spacesaver-cadet-3-elongated-complete-toilet/

[Deleted]

What do you people put in your toilets? I've never had a "problem" toilet, and I've lived with all sorts. I can't imagine that a toilet could blow me away like that. What does it do?? We looked at Totos based on reviews, but they were all hideous IMO. After DH nixed my $900 pillbox replica (grumble grumble), we ended up going with a 1.2-gal Premier toilet for around $120 and have been as pleased as punch, though it's only been a year so it may blow up on us eventually, at which point I think I'll be able to make a pretty good case for my pillbox I tricked it out with a porcelain lever and a wood toilet seat (porcelain bolt covers are coming just as soon as I can make it up to Sacto), and it even passes muster with me in the aesthetics department now.

Our basic HD Kohler that came with the house gave us zero problems in 4 years, if that makes you feel any better. It had probably been in the house for 9 years when we took it out to remodel the bathroom (I wanted something lower water, prettier, and higher sitting). Some guy bought it at our yard sale for his rental house and it's probably still going.