Toto Gmax or AS Champion 4 or Gerber Avalanche toilet? archived

You're the first I've heard say that their Toto "doesn't work very well". Most people rave about how they work. I'll bet you have a water level problem inside the tank.
Of the other two you've mentioned, I find American Standard a more reliable manufacturer than Gerber.

Gateway Plumbing & Heating

The concept of an "Avalanche" in the toilet scares me.

I have the Gerber and it's incredible. Granted, it's in a second bathroom, but I couldn't be more pleased - flushes remarkably well, uses very little water, and is pretty quiet. All around, worth the price.

Posted By: jonselThe concept of an "Avalanche" in the toilet scares me.

Isn't it time for Defcon to chime in here?

BTW, we loved our Toto so much that we got a second one.

Deffie? Chime in on toilet humor? Impossible.

BTW, I love my Toto so much I'm getting TWO MORE. Top that, meta-pants!

For our new bathrooms we got the AS Champion 4 Townsend for the girls and the Toto Soiree for ours. The Toto is several hundred more than the AS. I don't remember exactly, but I think the AS was about $400 and the Toto was bet. $6-700 and this was from Economy in Harrison. (I went there on the rec. from a friend who in the end canceled her entire order because she hated the kitchen guy there...I don't think I'd order from them again.)

The only problem with the AS is the porcelain at the bottom of the bowl is not 100% smooth. I don't know if all of them are like that or if it was just one manufacturing run. You can't tell unless the bowl is dirty, but if it gets dirty it looks worse than it is. The Townsend has a very classic look. It has a HUGE flushing capacity, like 1000 grams. It clogged once since we had it and I think it was actually due to frozen pipes, not a real clog.

The Soiree is a little more streamlined looking than the Guinevere, which was my other choice. At what, $700 or so, it's $$$. The base is one piece, so it looks more finished on the bottom. The way the bowl is designed, sometimes waste remains where water doesn't really hit, even though it has the double cyclone. (Coincidentally, it clogged the same day as the AS and that's why I think it was due to a frozen drain pipe.)

I like both, but I think the AS is a much better value.

We have a special Gerber slim-tank toilet and it frankly sucks- it can't flush properly because the narrow tank either simply does not hold enough water to manipulate the stopper correctly or the entire design does not flow the water properly. You have to hold the handle down for like 4 seconds to get it to work.

I ended up getting the Toto. Now I have 4 of them. I figured out that the pipe needs to be snaked on the one that "wasn't working properly."

We have three American Standard Champion 4 (two oval, one round) and we all regret my wife not allowing me to keep the fourth.
Excellent product. I recommended it in another thread awhile back.

Never had a single problem, the only clog ever was when my 3yo put an entire extra-length roll in...

Oh, correction, a single problem: The flapper seal went on one of them, due to me using one of the extra-strength blue tank cleaning drop-ins (which they warn you not to use). AS not only replaced with no questions (despite the no-blue warning), but also sent me extras for the other units in the house "just in case", they paid shipping and charged me $0 for everything. The replacement took all of 90 seconds. The only "clog" was it took ~1week to arrive in the mail.
So, excellent product, excellent warranty, excellent service!

Posted By: evilbunnieBTW, I love my Toto so much I'm getting TWO MORE. Top that, meta-pants!

Hey, I could go out and buy THREE more, but then the neighbors might complain about the unusual lawn sculptures.

So, Ms. Evilbunnie-person, don't you think that it's about time you made another public appearance? You're in grave danger of become a legendary figure. We could toss back a few and discuss the relative merits of various leading-edge plumbing designs, you'd get to brag about new achievements in kitchen floor design, and I'd get to be seen with one of the hottest women in town--which will thoroughly confuse people. Plus the eminently comedic Letters can entertain us with his explanations to Mrs. Letters about his hosting vast dinner parties for 15 women + a gay guy, while Bikefixed, who now has some spare time on his hands, can enlighten us on current speculation regarding the rapidly shrinking squirrel population.

Meta,

I'd love to! (Plus the flattery will get me every time!) We just broke in the new kitchen for Easter, and I cribbed recipes from smittenkitchen and cooked my little heart out, so hopefully I'm coming out of remodel-funk. I'd love to lift some 12-oz weights with you, Letters and Bikey! When's good? I'm open this weekend . . . !

Hey, if you're free this evening (and can stand a little politics), the Pure Progress team is hosting a 'do at the Eden Gourmet Cafe (2nd floor) at 7pm. I'm not sure if it'll be booze-free, but there will be food and a bunch of MOLers. It's a SO political event, but there definitely will be out-of-towners in attendance, mostly to laugh at us. I really don't know why; don't all NJ towns blow millions on sculpture while lacking a pot to piss in?

meta-

at least the sculpture was delivered and is tangible.

my favorites are healthcare benefits to unionized school crossing guards, and, of course, royalty: a somehow-tenured city administrator.