I have had Toto's and American Standard Cadets so I can't answer your first of your question.

I am renovating two bathrooms right now and am putting American Standards in.

I have a Toto in the house I am living in now but I find it hard to keep clean and am going back to the American Standards for that reason in the new house. Never had any flush or clogging problems with either. The Toto is quite a flusher.

I cannot think of a negative to a one piece...easier to keep clean, one less potential leak point.

Front to back layout of toilets is a measurement from the wall to the bolts that hold it down. Skirts or lack of should have nothing to do with it and you should have plenty of room to put either if you get the right "rough in" distance on your toilet.

Round vs elongated is a matter of preference and room. I am replacing two rounds in the house I am renovating. I prefer elongated bowls but one of the toilet fronts is fairly close to the tub so I am sticking with a round toilet in that one and changing to an elongated in the other bathroom because there is nothing in front of the toilet.

I love my ADA height Toto and am ordering that height in the American Standards. I will never put in another short toilet!

Can't answer the last one, I am no Toto expert!

I think a lot of people on here have Kohler so I bet you will get some good feedback on that.

* Are Toto or Kohler toilets "better" overall?

IMO Toto is the better and was my choice when we built 2 years ago.

* Are there any reasons to AVOID purchasing a one-piece toilet?

If the toilet has to go up or down a stairway and you can't find someone(s) strong enough to carry it. They weigh more than a two-piece, naturally.

* If the current toilet is not skirted, is it best to avoid replacing it with a skirted one due to potential space/layout considerations?

I would think the opposite might be true, replacing a skirted with a non-skirted. I love my skirted Toto Soiree.

* Is it typically preferable to replace a "round" toilet with an "elongated" one?

Elongated toilets are preferable, especially for men (according to my DH).

* Have you purchased an ADA-compliant height toilet and then regretted it?

No, we're very happy with our higher toilet.

* If purchasing a Toto toilet, does it matter if the toilet uses "double cyclone" versus "E-max" flushing technology? Is one considered superior to the other?

I don't know if one is considered better than the other, but I really like the double cyclone flush in the Toto Soiree. It's extremely quiet, but very very efficient and thorough. Zero clogs in 1.5 years of use.

Also, Toto has excellent customer service. We bought the Soiree from a local plumbing supply house, it was a floor model and discounted. When we installed it, we discovered some pieces missing. The vendor told us, "Too bad, we're not giving you any more parts." Toto customer service in Georgia mailed us the parts at no charge, now that's the way to make a customer for life.

UpgradeResearch:

Are Toto or Kohler toilets "better" overall?

The near consensus here and on Terry Love's forum (http://www.terrylove.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?3-Toilet-Forum-discussions), which is the Internet's premier toilet forum, is that Toto has more hits and fewer misses than Kohler. Kohler has released some serious duds into the market, and so far, while some Totos are better than other Totos, there have been no really bad Totos among the models sold in the United States.

In Japan, Inax, the second largest toilet maker there, has a reputation at least the equal of (many think superior to) Toto. If you are looking into dual-flush toilets (use less water to flush "no. 1"), the Inax Rio Grande and Magellan models might strike your fancy more than the Toto Aquia or one of the dual-flush Caroma models. Inax is just getting into the American market, but Inax toilets are fairly readily available here now.

Are there any reasons to AVOID purchasing a one-piece toilet?

Weight. Each if the pieces of a two-piece toilet weighs much less than the one-piece.

Dimensions. Some bathroom doors are narrow and it may be difficult to maneuver a one-piece toilet through the doorway.

Shipping damage. Anecdotally (I do not know if there are any public statistics), if you are buying mail order, there is reportedly a higher rate of breakage of one piece units. It takes a long time to unpack a boxed toilet, and the UPS driver will not wait while you inspect it for damage,

Gravity. In general (with exceptions), two-piece toilets are taller and narrower than one-piece toilets, which are shorter and squatter. If you are relying on gravity to aid the 1.28 gallons of the fliush, you get a bit better boost with a taller design.

If the current toilet is not skirted, is it best to avoid replacing it with a skirted one due to potential space/layout considerations?

The considerations about skirted designs usually do not revolve around space and layout, but rather ease of cleaning (skirted usually easier to clean) and covering the spot on the floor where the former toilet has left a cutout or a mark.

Is it typically preferable to replace a "round" toilet with an "elongated" one?

The only advantage that a round bowl has over an elongated bowl is space conservation, and there are some toilets with elongated bowls that extend no further from the back to front than some other toilets that have round bowls. Always check the actual dimensions rather than assuming that a toilet will fit "because."

Have you purchased an ADA-compliant height toilet and then regretted it?

Yes (Toto Vespin II); no regrets.

If purchasing a Toto toilet, does it matter if the toilet uses "double cyclone" versus "E-max" flushing technology? Is one considered superior to the other?

Toto's "Double Cyclone" design is effectively a clone of Inax's "Double Vortex" design. Either of those two designs is superior to other gravity flush designs when all aspects of flushing (including bowl rinse and noise) are considered. However, there are some special needs where a pressure-assisted flush may be indicated. If you get a lowboy one-piece design with scant gravity assist, you may well appreciate the extra power of a pressure assist flush.

Here is a link that might be useful: Explanation and videos of gravity flushing systems

hags00 -

Thank you for responding to my post.

You indicated that your Toto toilet is difficult to keep clean. Do you have any idea how old the toilet is and whether or not it has a SanaGloss finish? Was it difficult to keep clean from the moment it was installed?

dianne47 -

Thanks for answering my questions.

Initially, I had not considered purchasing a skirted toilet, but it looks like they are probably a lot easier to keep clean.

herring_maven -

Thanks for the detailed response to my post.

As far as I know, Inax is not well-known in my area. Their web site does look interesting, however. How easy is it to find a competent plumber to install/repair an Inax toilet? In the past, I have been surprised at how difficult it can be to find a competent plumber who installs/repairs less popular brands.

hags00, dianne47, and herring_maven -

It's interesting that all of you are happy with your ADA-compliant height toilet. Does anyone in your household have short legs?

I can't answer a lot of your questions -- I've never had a Toto. We have replaced all of our toilets now with Kohler comfort height in two different styles. We had one done when we had an under slab repair and the plumber suggested a deal on replacing the 20 year old toilet while we were at it. We later did the others ourselves.

I like a 2 piece for ease of installation, ability to replace only the tank (we had one crack before) and the ability to remove the tank for painting or wallpapering without having to uninstall and re-install the whole thing.

I think round vs elongated is a personal preference thing but my preference is an elongated bowl unless room is very tight. To me, a round bowl is a child size toilet and even my boys noticed the difference and complained before they were full grown.

My understanding is that comfort height is middle of the road height -- more like regular seating. No regrets at all.

My Toto is one year old and it has been difficult to keep clean from the beginning. I do not believe it has Sani-gloss finish.

I believe it is hard to keep clean because if flushes so efficiently and rapidly and does not keep much water in the bowl. It also does not move a lot of water around the bowl.

Without being crude, at times deposits are left after flushing a BM and you need to let is sit for a second and then second flush. Also because if the low amount of water it moves through the bowl, it tends to get a mold faster than any toilet I have ever had. I know the solution to that is to scrub it out more often but I always seem to have better things to do than scrub the toilets!! I would imagine Sani Gloss would be better for both issues.

There are no children in my household so no short legs. The comfort height is only and inch or two higher than regular and I don't think any adult would have difficulty with it. I have one toilet of each height now and I feel like I am sitting in a hole when I use the short one now!

Q: "Initially, I had not considered purchasing a skirted toilet, but it looks like they are probably a lot easier to keep clean."

A: Yes, and they look much nicer. I hate the curvy shape of the outflow pipe (I don't know the correct term) and it's hard to bend down and clean all the recesses and turns. I'm extremely happy with the skirted Soiree.

Q: "Does anyone in your household have short legs?"

A: Haha, that would be ME. I'm five feet tall with short legs. I have no problem with the Toto Soiree ADA height. My husband insisted on a taller seat, it's not a problem for me. The best way to decide is go to a good plumbing showroom and actually SIT on the toilets. The heck with what anyone thinks, it's necessary to know if what you choose fits you and your family.

Lascatx above made a good point, a 2-piece is easier to dissasemble for painting and it's easier to move into the house, too. Take a look at Terry Love's forum about toilets, it's the go-to spot for research into specific brands and models. You'll find lots and lots of information there.

The double cyclone flush on the Toto Soiree is very very efficient and sometimes a toilet needs to be brushed after one uses it. That's just a fact of life. I've never had the problems described by hags00, the Soiree has SanaGloss.

Skirted toilets require the water supply to be placed further away to allow for the skirt. If you are replacing a non-skirted toilet with a skirted one, you might want to check the installation manual to see that your water supply is in the correct location for installation.

UpgradeResearch: "As far as I know, Inax is not well-known in my area. Their web site does look interesting, however. How easy is it to find a competent plumber to install/repair an Inax toilet? In the past, I have been surprised at how difficult it can be to find a competent plumber who installs/repairs less popular brands."

Inax opened their United States office only late (November or December) 2010, so other brands have a head start with the large plumbing supply houses. OTOH, Inax, a giant company that is a division of an even more giant conglomerate (Lixil), is probably a lot bigger, and able to throw more resources into marketing and distribution, than the makers of most of the other brands with which you are familiar; so Inax in the spring of 2012 probably is positioned now relative to the United States plumbing fixture market roughly where Honda was positioned relative to the United States automobile market in the mid-1970s. And you know how that went.

Following the lead of Toto who went before it in entering this market, Inax apparently has decided to keep its products out of the hands of big-box stores and Internet discounters, so you will not see an Inax (or a Toto) at Home Depot or Lowe's. However, Terry Love has at least two models of Inax toilets in stock (Dover & St. Clair); and when I ordered an Inax advanced toilet seat from Terry Love earlier this year, he said that Inax had opened a big warehouse in Lynnwood (a Seattle suburb), that the item would ship immediately; and -- sure enough -- the ordered Inax Clessence was on my front doorstep within 48 hours.

As for installation, whether because of intense competition in Japan, or just sensible standardization, Toto toilets and Inax toilets have identical installation requirements (and Toto Washlets fit Inax toilets and Inax advanced toilet seats fit Toto toilets); both companies make adapter plates that make their toilets suitable for rough-ins of any dimension between 10" and 14".

Toto toilets sold in the United States use standard American parts in their internals (flapper valves, etc.); I expect Inax to have followed Toto's lead in respect of that aspect of Inax's entry into this market, also.

In short, I think you need not worry whether an Inax toilet would be difficult to install; and repair -- including getting parts -- would probably be neither easier nor more difficult for an Inax toilet than for any other name brand toilet.

"Does anyone in your household have short legs?"

We have a 20-month-old grandson; does that count? Also, we are a predominantly born-in-Japan Japanese household, and our Japanese-born family members have industry-standard-length Japanese legs.

We had such bad luck with the Totos in our rental house that we went with Kohlers in our rebuilding project.

One of the Totos in our rental always clogged, even when given very little reason to do so, and another one ran when it shouldn't, even after the plumber was out twice.

I don't know if they make builder-grade Totos, but this wasn't a builder-grade sort of rental. It was a high-end house that wasn't selling, and that the owner was happy to have our insurance company rent for us for a year while we rebuilt our home.

FWIW, there are some good prices on Kohlers if you shop around-- I could find better prices than the plumbing supply house my contractor
uses.

This past Thursday, I posted in this thread:

Toto toilets sold in the United States use standard American parts in their internals (flapper valves, etc.); I expect Inax to have followed Toto's lead in respect of that aspect of Inax's entry into this market, also.

More (and more authoritative) information: "In regards to Toto tank parts, they switched their tank parts from Lavelle/Korky to WDI around 2006. WDI parts are not readily available, although some Toto dealers may stock the tank parts."

As to Inax toilets sold in the United States, "the tank parts come from R&T Plumbing. They are UPC listed fittings. However, you can use an aftermarket fill valve (such as Fluidmaster or Korky) in place of the OEM fill valve. The dual flush drain valve is not an off-the-shelf part, but it is very easy to service. About the only part from the drain valve that would ever need to be replaced is the gasket. The drain valve that Inax uses is very similar to the one used in the Toto Aquia and the Kohler Persuade. Inax stocks the parts in their Southern California warehouse."

The information that I bracketed with quotation marks above was posted by a representative of Inax in one of the threads on Terry Love's site.

NaRo: We had such bad luck with the Totos in our rental house that we went with Kohlers in our rebuilding project. One of the Totos in our rental always clogged, even when given very little reason to do so, and another one ran when it shouldn't, even after the plumber was out twice.

Depending on the age of the rental house, the issues that you encountered could have been caused by the Lavelle/Korky internal parts that Toto no longer installs in its toilets made in the Toto factory outside of Atlanta.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to the thread referred to above.

Kohler vs Toto

I have used both products and I am a huge Kohler fan. First, they are an American Company and that is important to me.

Second, I have noticed that Kohler is out performing Toto on independent tests. This is not to say Toto is a horrible product, but it shows that Kohler is definately upping their game.

Finally, Toto's finish work on their products is not the best. I notice molding lines on their products and found out they do not glaze all of their trapways. My plumbers swears by Kohler and was the one who showed me this.

As for 1 piece vs 2 piece, that comes down to what you are looking for. 1 piece is a more high end look, they can be easier to clean, but they are usually more expensive.

When chosing the toilet height, this again is a matter of preferance. The market is moving toward the ADA height, but if you are shorter, you may want to go with a regular hieght. I am well over 6 feet tall, so I like the taller version.

On Dual Cyclone flushing, if you do buy a Toto, make sure you purchase the upgraded flush and Sanigloss. I have not liked the base model toilets. I have moved to the Cimarron 2 piece toilets in my projects due to the overall performance. They do a great job of cleaning and flushing, without having to upgrade to different flush cycles or a magical gloss treatment.

Hawk21: "I am a huge Kohler fan. First, they are an American Company and that is important to me. "

Our primary people mover is a Mazda6; it was made in Michigan with UAW labor. The Ford Fusion (and the late Mercury Milan) and the Lincoln MKZ are based on the identical platform to the Mazda6, but they are assembled in Mexico and imported to the United States. So which, the Michigan-made Mazda, or the Mexico-made Ford, Lincoln, and (formerly) Mercury, is an "American Company"?

Our Toto Vespin II toilet was made in a suburb of Atlanta; most Toto toilets sold in the United States were made in the same factory. Do you know where your Kohler Cimmaron was made? How many American jobs does your toilet support?

"I have noticed that Kohler is out performing Toto on independent tests."

Please tell us what you mean by the undefined term, "out performing."

This post was edited by herring_maven on Fri, Apr 5, 13 at 21:10

I recently bought a kohler toilet and it leaked from one of the bolts attaching the 2 pieces together . No matter how much the plumber tightened it , until he told me that he cannot go any further or the tank can crack . He had to remove the whole toilet , empty it , and seal the three bolts with silicone fron inside the tank . That cost me a extra 50 dollars charge . Huh .. I thought I had a good deal on my kohler versus the toto. Now I am remodeling my MB and I am going with one piece ToTo.

If I were replacing my toilets I would get the taller ADA height and elongated.

Kohler makes great quality products. Buy American, lol.

frenchmadeline,

The Kohler Persuade looks a lot like the Inax Magellan Dual-Flush. According to houzz.com, a company in New York City is selling the Inax Magellan Dual-Flush for $375. See my comments posted above, in the early days of this same thread, about the international giant Inax, which in 2013 purchased one of the major "American" toilet companies, but still sells its top-of-the-line toilets under the Inax brand.

I've replaced 6 toilets all with Kohler. The flushing power especially
of the canister style is impressive. They last and repair parts are
readily available and inexpensive. A nice bonus is they are made in the
USA, and I'm supporting jobs in my country.

If you're planning to add a washlet (one of those bidet toilet seats) either now or in the future, pay attention to the shape and dimensions of the toilet. I wasn't even aware of washlets when I bought my toilet, but I'd have been very disappointed if my toilet had been the wrong shape once I decided to purchase.

This website might help. https://www.bidet.org/pages/will-it-fit-my-toilet

The Toto washlet might be the best bathroom decision we have ever made. do consider. I imagine one needs a Toto toilet to install the Washlet seat. If you have not tried one, you might be amazed. Requires addition of new outlet, near the toilet.

I just love the Toto washlet we bought as part of our recent reno, and I did put it on a Toto toilet, but my understanding is that there is a fair amount of wiggle room in putting one brand of washlet on a different brand of toilet. You just have to do a little research.

I have both a Toto and several Kohler low flow toilets and both perform equally well. The downside to the particular Toto model I have is that the bowl has curves that make it difficult to clean.

Still, I am not sure which one I should buy. Different people, different opinion and it confused me which is better! I have found here two different brand toilet difference https://bestflushingtoilet.org/toto-vs-kohler-toilets-which-is-better-to-buy/. And it looks Toto brand win the race.