Review on KOHLER GENUINE 84999 TOILET ANCHOR by Adam Taylor

Quite rightly so, and as many here have pointed out, if this series of Kohler toilets (which I thought ran out last time) were 50 different, this replacement set wouldn't exist Types same uses stupid seat mount design) would have been better designed. Make two holes in the toilet to secure the seat and DO NOT PROVIDE DOWN ACCESS OR ANY WAY TO THE HOLE TO DRAIN INTO THESE LIQUIDS, THIS IS NOT A GOOD DESIGN, COOLER! If you have owned one of these types of toilets for more than 5 years. You may need or need to replace one of the seat anchors due to corrosion damage causing the toilet seat to come loose. But I'll keep the discussion of the toilet design itself on the toilet product page and focus on this kit instead. A word of caution first: if you're an advanced crafter and have a decent tool set, you probably shouldn't buy this kit for three or four times what it costs to craft, and instead only buy anchors that are for sale retails for about $8 each, still kind of a rip off, but better than paying twice as much. And you keep your Kohler product all Kohler. The average handyman with the right tools will be able to remove broken anchors and install new ones without this kit. I consider myself a decent jack of all trades but my toolbox is a disgrace so I went with an overpriced set. Second caveat: if you're a good or above average handyman with good tools and the time to do something, go to the hardware store and look for a set of dowels, you can fix a toilet seat for less than $5 including the extra time and little effort to remove old anchors and install new anchors, no need to buy this kit or Kohler brand anchors. With the right tools and the right skills, this should be a very easy task. A final word of caution: I was able to remove the rotten/broken original anchors using tools from my shameful toolbox, as well as prying and twisting a few times with a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench; I damaged the original screw but pulled out the anchor, didn't know there was this kit which includes a tool and instructions for removing the old anchor. So to the tool for setting new dowels: it works, but please read carefully: 1) use the instructions that come with it, but add a bit of common sense and 2) be very careful when tightening the new dowel or you will regret it. The instructions do not give a good measure of when to stop tightening the anchor when using the tool. It just says "tighten until it stays locked in the hole and moves" or something. This is a very subjective measurement, and since the anchor is aluminum it's very easy to over-tighten the anchor to the point of breaking it, especially if you're using a long-handled wrench that offers more hinge. So my advice is to hand tighten the set screw into the anchor until it is flush with the tool and then turn it a full turn with the wrench. Remove screw, remove tool and inspect. If the anchor is still loose in the hole, reinsert the tool, screw it in, and turn it a quarter or half turn, depending on how loose it was. Again remove the tool, unscrew and check. If still loose, reinstall tool, tighten and repeat, but only tighten 1/4 turn. Repeat the process of removing and reinstalling the tool until the anchor is securely fastened to the hole and toilet, rotating a quarter turn each time. It's a bit of a hassle, but I think this way you have a much better chance of not breaking the anchor like some of the reviewers here did. I also suggest coating the threads of a new installation with a waterproof or graphite-based lubricant. Lubricate before installing on new anchors to prevent or retard corrosion which over time will also afflict a new anchor. Even if the Kohler bolts are zinc plated or corrosion resistant, the aluminum of the anchor will corrode over time as liquid enters the hole (detergent, water, urine, etc.). An anchor pit becomes a cesspool; even a titanium anchor I used waterproof mountain bike lube in the process, which I hope works. Again, the whole process is very odd and unnecessary when Kohler would have done a better job designing the toilet body. But who knows, might have They purposely designed the toilet this way and included in the profit model is the sale of a replacement set of anchors after 5 years of toilet use. I hope it's just a bad design issue