I still remember how my husband and I struggled to find an ideal toilet for our home a few years ago.
The old one in our main bathroom had suffered a lot of wear and tear over the years, so much so that it needed immediate replacement. As such, we visited several stores selling bathroom fixtures and checked out many models online too.
And after a lot of discussions, the choice came down to two models, the Toto Drake and Drake 2. These seemed quite popular and were reviewed highly by many customers. But we were still left with the final decision, and my husband gave in, saying he was too tired!
Naturally, I had to take the call, so I started researching which one would be an ideal pick. This made me understand in-depth how the two models were different from each other. Within a couple of weeks, I had a Toto Drake installed in the bathroom. And I also got the Drake 2 for the smaller bathroom later on.
Hi! I’m Stacy, and today I’ve brought you this guide on Toto Drake vs. Drake 2 to help you make the right choice. So, let’s begin...
Let’s have a brief look at each of the two models before moving over to a discussion on their differences.
The Toto Drake is a two-piece elongated toilet that comes with a single flush mechanism. However, keep in mind that the Toto Drake is actually available in different models. And among these, I found the Toto Drake CST744SL to be the most efficient and popular model. That’s why I will deal with this model and the Toto Drake 2 in my guide.
A big advantage of the Toto Drake is that it's available at a budget-friendly rate. Also, it offers unique features such as an E-Max flushing system which promotes a powerful performance.
It’s basically an improved version of the first few Toto Drake models but has several similarities with the latter. However, it incorporates a cyclone flushing system, unlike the Toto Drake, and even has two outlets that let the water spin faster after the toilet is flushed. I’ll discuss these differences between the two models in greater detail in the next section.
Having used both these Toto toilets, I can assure you that they are among the best-performing models on the market. But the flushing technologies utilized by them are different, as I mentioned earlier. While the Drake 2 uses dual cyclone technology, the Drake works through an E-Max flush technology.
I observed that the dual cyclone flushing system works like a Tornado in the toilet. First of all, water enters the toilet through two different nozzles and creates a rinse which seems like a tornado with a water flow of just 1.28 GPF. This implies that it uses just 1.28 gallons of water in each flush.
Although you get a less powerful flush, this mechanism makes the Drake 2 certified according to the WaterSense standard, increasing its efficiency considerably. Thus, it is a more eco-friendly alternative than other models.
Naturally, I found that this toilet conserved more water in the long run, and the flush tank required less frequent refills.
Coming to the Toto Drake, it uses the more common gravity style flushing system, which creates a very powerful flush with a MaP score of 1000. This signifies that the toilet can flush away at most 1000 gms of waste in a single flush, which is quite commendable.
However, in terms of efficiency, this model lags behind the Drake 2 as it has a water flow rate of 1.6 GPF and hence, is not certified by WaterSense.
The choice of the design is, of course, dependent on the user’s personal preferences and varies from person to person. However, I found the Toto Drake to be more appealing in its looks and design than the Toto Drake 2.
While the former came with more curvy features that added a stylish touch to my bathroom, the latter had a square design that gave it a rather plain look. Furthermore, the Drake 2 is narrower than the Drake and comes with a smaller flush tank due to its lower GPF rating.
But if you have a smaller bathroom and want a space-maximizing option, it will be better to go for the Drake 2.
Another point worth noting is that the Drake 2 comes with an ADA compliant tag, which implies the toilet has a height prescribed as ideal in the American Disabilities Act. However, the Drake isn’t ADA compliant and is a bit shorter than the Drake 2, making it slightly inconvenient for disabled people or the elderly.
This is why my husband, who’s quite tall, found the Drake much easier to use.
The Drake 2 is a step ahead of the Drake even in terms of maintenance, owing to the presence of a CeFIONTect finish found in several Toto models. This finish gives the toilet a smooth glaze and prevents waste particles from clinging to the surface of its bowl.
Thus, maintaining the Drake 2 was always easier for me, as I only had to rinse it bi-weekly or sometimes use a light cleaning solution. But as for the Drake, the surface of the bowl had to be cleaned with harsh chemicals at least once a week since it turned much dirtier than the Drake 2 within a couple of days.
So, which model did you find more suitable among the two? Let me know the one you picked and share your experience after purchase in the comments section below.
Notably, none of these two models can be labeled as being superior to the other, as both have their pros and cons. While the Drake 2 will be more suitable if you want an efficient model for a smaller bathroom, the Drake comes with a very powerful flushing system.
That’ll be all for today. See you soon with more interesting content.
Till then, happy shopping!
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