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Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:05 am

I have bought my water closets for my house and my rental from "homers deport" (please, mark, it's getting old) and I have had no problems whatsoever. Although I do admit I did not buy the bottom line cheap units. Same with sinks and fittings.

Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:54 am

cdennisg wrote: Glenn wrote: Fooled you.

Did you buy it from a big box store or from a plumbing supplier? Stores like home Depot use their purchasing muscle to force manufacturers to meet a low price point which forces them to make cheaper versions of their products. A plumbing supplier will carry the real deal.

Toro lawn mowers at Home Depot have plastic cams.
Schlage locksets have plastic internals and can be snapped off with a hammer. Ones bought at a locksmith are all metal.

Very true. American Standard probably still makes decent stuff, but you can't buy it at a box store. Same goes for lawn mowers, etc. You will pay more at a supply house, but you will get better stuff, and a better warranty.

If it's the same UPC, then the same.

Sun Jun 19, 2016 12:09 pm

Cusser wrote: cdennisg wrote: Glenn wrote: Fooled you.

Did you buy it from a big box store or from a plumbing supplier? Stores like home Depot use their purchasing muscle to force manufacturers to meet a low price point which forces them to make cheaper versions of their products. A plumbing supplier will carry the real deal.

Toro lawn mowers at Home Depot have plastic cams.
Schlage locksets have plastic internals and can be snapped off with a hammer. Ones bought at a locksmith are all metal.

Very true. American Standard probably still makes decent stuff, but you can't buy it at a box store. Same goes for lawn mowers, etc. You will pay more at a supply house, but you will get better stuff, and a better warranty.

If it's the same UPC, then the same.

True. But if you do some research into the products, you will find what Glenn wrote is also true. The large chains force manufacturers to produce cheaper product lines that they can sell in their stores at a lower price point, even if it has the same name as the more expensive stuff. Consumers bite on it all the time.

I cannot exclude myself from this. I have a Glacier Bay sink faucet from HD in my bathroom. It has worked flawlessly for 16 years and counting. If I were to buy a new faucet today, I would buy from a supply house over HD.

On Friday, I installed a two piece pre-formed laminate countertop in a kitchen, then dropped in an old 66" farm sink. That countertop was a piece of garbage, and very difficult to make the seams disappear. It had heat activated glue pieces designed to be ironed into place to cover the ends. Looks like shit. It will probably fail in a few years, but the homeowner just wants it done so she can sell the house. Then it will be someone else's problem. If this were anyone but the daughter of a good friend, I probably would have talked them into letting me build a good solid top and doing my own laminate job.

I also hung seven interior doors from HD, and did all the base and case which was MDF paint grade junk. But it will look pretty once painted, no matter that it will likely fall apart in a decade. Oh well.

Sun Jun 19, 2016 12:50 pm

I guess I'll wait it out. I bought all this stuff several years ago FWIW.

Mon Jun 20, 2016 8:12 am

Got a response today from the "American Standard Company".

"Tina" their customer service rep. said; "Send a copy of your receipt and a photo of the damage. As a one courtesy we will send you a new lid. But, the china will only be damaged by impact."

"China" !!!! What freaking china !!!! The lid is all plastic !!!!

"Oh" well, its about what I expected.

"American Standard" .... :?

Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:08 am

oh yours was plastic? mine was pressed cardboard that cracked&pinched my ass, thats when i got another and added the extra feet .I dont recall seeing plastic seats. the china ones wood be good fer cutting a fart when they break :shock: and hope that they dont cut nutten else off.

Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:44 pm

Got another response this afternoon (2nd one).

Question: "Did you sit on it?"

"Folks" I'm not making this up, that was the last question asked!

Good Grief ... ](*,)

Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:25 pm

HAHAHA!

Mon Jun 20, 2016 4:22 pm

:lol: Better check the fine print on those instructions, there's likely something buried in there about it being a decorative item only and sitting on it voids all warrantys.

Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:33 pm

T Hollis wrote: Got another response this afternoon (2nd one).

Question: "Did you sit on it?"

"Folks" I'm not making this up, that was the last question asked!

Good Grief ... ](*,)

The plastic lid on my old toilet feels a little thin when sitting on it and I'm pretty light by American Standards (haha, get it?!?)

Maybe newer ones aren't made to be sat on?
Seems dumb though

Mon Jun 20, 2016 6:56 pm

That one "tank"ed.

Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:06 pm

I'm telling you- Toto is the one.

I can relax and complete the daily crossword puzzle as the sun gently passes over the house.

Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:25 pm

hitest wrote: I'm telling you- Toto is the one.

I can relax and complete the daily crossword puzzle as the sun gently passes over the house.

I have no idea what brand our toilet is. But when we move (hopefully soon) it is going with us. It is fantastically comfortable, and has only plugged a handful of times in our 18 years of ownership.

Maybe I will stop by Home Depot on moving day to pick up an American Standard for the new owner to enjoy.

Tue Jun 21, 2016 11:18 am

Update:

Receive a 3rd e-mail today.

E-mail:

"The lid is not designed to be sat on and could break"
"It is more of an ornamental item"
"Included in the kit for those who can't afford a higher end product"
"Most likely would need to purchase a stronger lid"

This just keeps getting better and better! :shock:
I'm beginning to think that I'm talking with someone who has never used a toilet before, maybe from a third world country. :lol:

Anyway, sent a copy of the receipt and a picture of the damage.
Will be interesting to see what happens.

Tue Jun 21, 2016 11:54 am

T Hollis wrote: So it came time to do the dirty deed.
Went to a local major home improvement center to purchase a new toilet.
Settled on an "American Standard" mid-range priced toilet at $200.00.
Finished the installation.
First time usage, the seat cracked and broke!!!

Got the paper work out and low-n-behold the seat was made in "China"!

"American Standard" .... :wink:

Is this toilet for your personal usage ?
If so, mid-range toilets don't start at $200. that's a low-end POS and they flush terrible too.
I'm a Plumber by Trade and when you purchase something for your personal use, buy nothing but the best. $350. is the mid-range starting price with a quiet closure and easy clean toilet seat are $50.- $80. more.
Those $200. toilets with that garbage seat included are for rentals or resale homes ... cheap, cheap junk.
Don't buy one of those cushion or wood toilet seats as they are nothing but bacteria breeding grounds.
As the saying goes "you get what you paid for".
Nothing is to good for your tush.

Tue Jun 21, 2016 4:36 pm

Typ3nut wrote: T Hollis wrote: So it came time to do the dirty deed.
Went to a local major home improvement center to purchase a new toilet.
Settled on an "American Standard" mid-range priced toilet at $200.00.
Finished the installation.
First time usage, the seat cracked and broke!!!

Got the paper work out and low-n-behold the seat was made in "China"!

"American Standard" .... :wink:

Is this toilet for your personal usage ?
If so, mid-range toilets don't start at $200. that's a low-end POS and they flush terrible too.
I'm a Plumber by Trade and when you purchase something for your personal use, buy nothing but the best. $350. is the mid-range starting price with a quiet closure and easy clean toilet seat are $50.- $80. more.
Those $200. toilets with that garbage seat included are for rentals or resale homes ... cheap, cheap junk.
Don't buy one of those cushion or wood toilet seats as they are nothing but bacteria breeding grounds.
As the saying goes "you get what you paid for".
Nothing is to good for your tush.

It was on sale, marked down from $275.00.
It actually has all the features you've described, its just that the seat /cover is a POS.
We clean our toilets (2) all the time and don't have any worries about bacteria.
They had them all the up to close to a $1000.00 but, that is a bit eccentric I think.

Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:31 pm

OK, just so I'm clear. Your problem was with the lid and not the ring? When I use my toilet the lid is always up. The ring of course is dependent on the need. So did you break the lid or the ring? If you broke the lid, why were you sitting on it in the first place? If you broke the ring, then, yeah, that is a "shitty" toilet. Just wondering...

Tue Jun 21, 2016 6:16 pm

hitest wrote: I'm telling you- Toto is the one.

I can relax and complete the daily crossword puzzle as the sun gently passes over the house.

Don't your legs fall asleep? Able to stand up and walk after that length of time? :D :D :D

Tue Jun 21, 2016 7:18 pm

oh mine was the seat not the lid, I lift my lid :shock: :wink: :roll: ...but I do have to addmit :? .....the one I changed a few weeks ago from the broken hinges was the top lid hinges....as it's in my shop and the bathroom is a 4x5 room with toilet, water heater above it on a shelf(30 gal type) and some bare unmachined head castings on the shelf above the loovered doors, 6 or 7 sets of pistons on the shelf above the shiter next to the water heater, various other parts&new tinware, and my valve spring shim assortment cabnet(VSI) is on the wall under the shelf and above the toilet, so... I dont have a clue as to how it got broke :wink: 8) :idea: it could of been my fat ass...or rather the feet holding up my fat ass.
and NO you do not have to buy a $350 toilet to get a good one. thats just another ripoff. and the plumer selling you that one... well he's ...... I do like the big flush valves in some of the newer toilets they work better.(mine have them) that 350 toilet cost withen 20 of the cheep one to make. have you ever seen how they make them??? many are made in the dirt/sand out in the yard, by hand by a real craftsman making probably $3 an hour in Mexico. there seems to be a lot of profit in crap.

Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:26 pm

mark tucker wrote: there seems to be a lot of profit in crap.

Mark, this is the clearest, most profound statement I have ever read from your posts. And I generally have a very hard time reading them.