We have replaced all of the toilets in our home in the recent past 3-4 years. We have 2 toto's (which are okay - but are LOUD flushers and my 10 and 7 year olds HAVE clogged them). I probably would not choose them again.

Most recently we replaced the master and the 1/2 bath and the plumber recommended Gerber's. So far we've had great luck with them and I'd use them again in a heartbeat. Not sure if they have a style that nods toward vintage but they are within your price range and have regular and right height sizes. I attached a link if you care to browse.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Gerber Viper

I bought one of those too - they flush well, but Gerber's one-piece toilets (Avalanche, etc) i think are all comfort height, and aren't skirted. I don't know who makes skirted toilets anymore beyond Toto and some high-end brands, but I'm no expert so there probably are some

I am looking a toilets too. DH and I are set on a Toto, one piece, skirted toilet with an elongated soft close seat. I think we are narrowing it down to the Carlyle 2. It is listed as universal height, not ADA/comfort height. I recall reading some installation issues regarding the Carlyle, but don't have specifics. Anyone who owns a Carlyle 2, please chime in.

Thanks

Thank you all. Seems like section is very limited in "standard" height toilets. I will have to think a bit about the trade offs and look around some more.

I think you and I are in similar places in our projects as you seems to be asking all the questions I'm working on, lol!

I posted last night over at the Terry Love site that has been mentioned here before. I think I'm going with the Toto Aquia standard height based on their recommendation. I'm not even going to pretend I know what styles go with which periods, so I'll let you judge!

Here is a link that might be useful: Advice link

Thank you for all the advice and links!

I'd rather not have a dual flush as my previous experience with one was that it always required the bigger flush--though maybe that was a problem with the model the landlord had installed rather than a fundamental design flaw.

What about the toto ultramax?

Here is a link that might be useful: Toto Eco ultramax

I also looked at the Toto Acquia. I actually prefer that over the Carlyle 2, but my husband doesn't like the push button on top. The look is more contemporary.

I have heard very good things on the Ultramax, but it is not skirted. My boys are not the neatest and cleaning is a pain for me.

crl_: Here is what I think I want:

--Works well
--Durable
--Standard parts, nothing odd or difficult when it comes to repair
--NOT ADA or comfort height
--Easy to clean
--Looks okay in a vintage vibe bathroom (no need for period perfect, but nothing super modern)
--Not too expensive, which I guess I will define as really preferring $500 or under, under being better"

Water conserving toilets are now the norm, and are required in some jurisdictions. When you are limited to 1.28 gallons per flush, flushing performance is the first priority. If you want a 1.28 gpf toilet that flushes well, you are pretty much limited to Totos and Inaxes. Both Toto and Inax use American sourced parts for the internals, but the Inax parts are a bit more off-the-shelf. Several "American" brands -- American Standard, Crane, etc. -- were part of the Bain Capital acquisitions, and now are made in the People's Republic of China: good luck finding parts for those.

Because of an aging population, ADA-height, comfort height, and universal height are also the norm these days. The good news about that is that you, the homeowner, can control the "height" with elevated flooring (or a low stool/footrest) at the front of the bowl. After all, it is not the absolute height, but the elevation difference between the seat height and the place where your feet rest, that counts. Have you considered building a shelf in the floor, inasmuch as you are remodeling the whole bathroom anyway? It would greatly expand the range of toilets available to you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Comments that you may find helpful

Thank you for all the comments and feedback. That link to the Terry Love forum goes to a discussion on made in America, btw.

I think building some sort of lower level for the toilet would just create all sorts of installation, repair and cleaning issues. That doesn't seem worthwhile.

We won't be starting this project for a few months so I have some time to research a bit more and decide on which trade offs to make.

Thanks!

I'd strongly suggest rethinking the comfort height issue. I can understand not wanting one in a hall bath that serves children, but most adults these days MUCH prefer the comfort height toilets. You should visit a showroom that has them installed and judge the height issue for yourself. If that feels too awkward for you, pick a low chair or lower toilet in your home and "shim" with phone books or coffee table books until you've reached the heights under consideration. Bear in mind that all makers will have different heights and that the seat will add additional height as well.

We have a tall toilet in the hall bath already--came with the house. I really dislike it. (Also very unfortunate as I am getting ready to potty train my two year old.). If I had money to burn, I would replace that one too.

That said, it maybe the preference I end up compromising on.

Definitely check all the height specs. I have noticed what is standard vs "chair" vs "comfort" vs "ADA" height varies by an inch or more.

Our Kohler upstairs is 17 in floor to bowl/18 with seat. A tad too high, can't keep my heels on the ground. But a 16.25/17.25 model should be fine based on my tests, which is I believe "comfort" height in one line. Our current "standard" toilet is less than what is now "standard" height, coming in at about 15 in or just under to the bowl.

DH though I was nuts running around with the tape measure and playing with the heights, with seat, without seat, with cover down, etc to see what they felt like, but I was completely amazed at how much of a difference less than an inch can make.

crl_: "That link to the Terry Love forum goes to a discussion on made in America, btw."

Do not get hung up on the topic line; look at the substance of the words posted. The URL that I linked was where Terry Love himself posted:

"It's a little hard to find product made in the US right now. I sell a lot of the TOTO that is manufactured in Georgia here in the US.
Typically the:
Drake II
Vespin II
Ultramax
Ultramax II and what seems to be the other product from TOTO with the "II" after the name.

I never cared for the Mansfield Alto. That was a builder grade version that I remove a lot.
Lately around the Seattle area, the new ones seemed to have vanished.
If you go Mansfield, the Maverick would be fine.
Stay away from their pressure assist dual flush though. The Chinese EcoFlush doesn't seem to hold up.

In 2007, Bain Capital bought out three major plumbing companies and consolidated manufacturing, shutting down some US locations. That was American Standard, Crane and Eljer.

Gerber, which had been a family owned business based out of Chicago was bought by a Chinese company, and that manufacturing went overseas.

Kohler makes some product in the US too, as well as some imports.

http://www.terrylove.com/forums/show...-United-States";

This post was edited by herring_maven on Wed, Feb 13, 13 at 23:03

Thanks, yes I did read a good bit of the thread, but that list is of Toto toilets made in the US, not a list of standard height or skirted or one-piece. . . . And the remainder of the discussion was about made in the US vs US owned companies and the like.

Go with Toto Sanigloss Ultramax 2 - its amazing. Looks great, works perfectly for ALL functions :-) Very happy with it - the Sanigloss LOOKS so clean that it adds to the bathrooms ambience. I know its just a toilet but the look and shine of it counts. It really does!

For people that are wheelchair bound and have to use a raised roll-in shower wheelchair over the toilet an ADA height toilet is not good...It makes it too high. We are trying to find one no higher than 15" at the rim, skirted, one piece.
A couple years ago there would have been no problem finding one. Toto had a couple of models, but now they are all ADA height with the exception of the UltraMax which is a one piece, but not skirted...They make an ADA height UltraMax and they still make the one that is slightly less than 15" at the rim. That's probably what we will have to get. We also need the lever handle flush... I did find a Porcher model that is skirted called the Veneto...but don't like it because the tank is curved instead of flat....but you may not mind that.