This Toto Drake toilet review was a long time coming. About a year ago, some friends had to tweak their existing ‘American Standard’ toilets to comply with the low-flush 1.6 gallons-per-flush mandate. Only to discover that the redone toilets were a disaster.
Would get clogged every other day. Not to mention that getting rid of the stains were a chore. After a lot of research and careful consideration, out went the old AS toilets and in came the Toto Drake. This one is the 2-piece, ADA compliant toilet that has an elongated bowl and ships without a seat.
Installation and Packing
After speaking to the plumber, there seemed to be some concerns about the toilets being packed poorly and arriving damaged. But after doing a quick price comparison, it was decided against buying from them. Why pay an extra hundred bucks when you can get it cheaper with free delivery and risk-free returns?
Good sense prevailed. The Toto Drake arrived neatly packed, way more secure than what was expected. Not a blemish anywhere on the sparkling white bowl.
Installation is a breeze even if you are upgrading from an old builder-installed stock toilet. It is recommended though, that you measure the available space since the Toto Drake is approximately 28-inches from the back of the tank (the wall) to the front of the toilet bowl.
It has a large footprint at the base and the last thing you’d need is a toilet that doesn’t fit and needs to be shipped back.
Comfortable Design
The Toto Drake two piece elongated toilet is an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant toilet with a comfortable, elongated front bowl. The rim of the bowl is approximately 17 inches from the floor and it is 19.5 inches wide. That’s just about the right height for elderly users as well as tall users who find smaller toilets extremely uncomfortable to sit on.
The caveat is that children and shorter users might find it a little too high for comfort as their feet might not touch the ground. The height of the flush tank is approximately 30.5-inches from the floor and you can easily reach the handle when seated.
Flushing Power
The Toto Drake comes with a fully glazed, 2.125” computer designed trap way and a G-Max flushing system. That’s a low water consumption flush that relies on pressure to suck in the waste. Somewhat like an airplane flush. And it is extremely efficient.Even if you use more toilet paper than normal, the chances of this getting clogged are close to zilch. The bowl is cleaned completely leaving no skid-marks. You’d rarely have to flush twice.
The trapway is not probably the widest. But hey, it doesn’t clog. That’s what matters in the end. Not fancy advertisements or gimmicks. More importantly, it is extremely quiet. There’s just the initial rumble as the water makes its way into the bowl at high pressure. It quickly dies down to a soft gurgle.
Pros
- Manufacturer with a great reputation for quality
- ADA compliant toilet bowl
- Extra wide elongated bowl
- 16.5-inches height
- Perfect for elderly users and taller users
- Glazed trap way
- Low consumption G-Max flushing system
- Quiet operation
- Very affordable as compared to some other brands
Cons
- Children might find the bowl too high
- Slightly large footprint at the base
- A seat is not included in the package
TOTO Drake vs. American Standard Champion 4
During the course of research for this Toto toilet, it was discovered that a lot of users tend to draw comparisons between the Toto Drake and the AS Champion 4. Both share identical designs. Only one (Champion 4) is cheaper than the other one.
The question is, does the price difference tip the scales in favor of the AS Champion 4? Well, to be honest, both are very good toilets.
However, the Toto Drake outscores the Champion 4 in at least three different parameters, whereas the AS has slightly better specifications on paper.
The AS Champion 4 Specs
The American Standard Champion 4 comes with a 4″ piston-action, flush valve that’s the best-in-class. The Drake, on the other hand, has a 3” valve. The Champion 4 also boasts of the widest 2-3/8″ trap way as compared to the 2.125” one on the Drake. But that does not necessarily translate into a flawless performance as AS toilets have a notorious reputation for getting clogged more often than the Totos. Last but not least, the AS Champion 4 comes with a soft seat in the package.
Why the Toto Drake Might Be Better
Despite the Champion 4 having better specs, the Toto Drake has much better user reviews. What good are specifications if they do not convert into actual performance?
Toto is considered to be the pioneer in research and development and has several patents to their credit. Even better than Kohler. Irrespective of what you read, the Drake is the clear winner here.
To Sum It Up
At this price point, you’d be hard pressed to find a better toilet than the Toto Drake. Great features, top-notch reviews, you cannot go wrong with it.
