Hi there! Welcome to the board. I'm new here too. It's nice to be able to offer someone else advice!
My Hercules is 1 yr old. The breeders had him going on a piddle pad. That was one of the reasons I bought him--he piddled in front of me as if he knew how impressed I'd be that he was half-way trained!
We use the litter box with a piddle pad in it and I LOVE it. I keep one on my main floor and one in the upstairs. When we first brought him home, I brought him to the box every two hours. Then I would whoop it up and give him treats everytime he went. It took about 6 weeks for him to get it down completely. I continue to reward him to this day. Now he is just like having another person in the house. When he needs to go, he goes to his "bathroom" and does his thing. It is liberating for me. I couldn't imagine taking him out several times a day.
As far as the pads go, I let him tinkle on them 5 or 6 times until I throw them. When he poops, I flush it. I really couldn't be simpler. Good Luck!