Purchasing drain cleaners

Hey folks,

My inlaws have numerous rental properties (4 plex up to 8), and since I'm starting to manage them, have decided to purchase a couple of machines. I have a Milwaukee cleaner, and I'm going to purchase both Spartan 100 (13/32) & 300 (5/8) machines. My question is, what accessories (cutters, etc.) are vital. I am thinking of the optional 300 drum and coupling options.
I've done quite a bit of cleaning with rental equipment, so I do have a fairly good feel for the job.
I appreciate your input. Thanks!

K50 rigid

the very best out fit you can buy is a Rigid K50 sewer machine

its basically an all around machine for small and medium drains....

I have literally done thousands of kitchen and sink drains with one..
its the very best....


it will even do a main drain clean out if necessary but it is
not for the heavy duty root cutting...

occasionallly you will see one on E-bay for sale...



the bigger sewer machine by Rigid is great too because
the machine and cables are far --far lighter than

big 300 lb spool type cables and machines....

the Rigid cable breaks down to small sections and is
much much lighter as parts and can
be easily hauled up and down staris....


I am just not man enough to do MAIN sewer work--never have been----
with those big 300 lb machines

Righd equipment is
much easier on my body...


if you are going to do a lot of it you will see what I mean

Save yourself some money and don't buy the 100 machine, I've heard it is really heavy compared to the older models.

Get a spear blade to first run down the drain safely to find out what you are dealing with in the piping. Get numerous sized wide blades for the smaller cable to be able to bend them in or out to get the most bang for the buck in the drain your cleaning. I love cutter blades, they seem to snag clogs quicker than most attachments. A grease blade is mandatory if you have lines that are consistently clogging due to misuse dealing with grease. Root cutters are necessary, I use the corkscrew type. You have to be careful with this blade though; the torque is tremendous on the 300 and even though the motor has a built-in clutch, it will power through the best of clogs.

I own a 300 Spartan with pneumatic tires with basically all the air out of them so when I go up and down steps I don't take the brunt of the weight I'm pulling.

I went with buying the 100 drum with a 75' 13/32" cable for floor drains and 2" lines. I bought the adapters for the 300 machine so that the 100 drum connects to it in less than 5 minutes. Works great and saves space in the truck. I couldn't justify the cost of two machines even though the savings was $500 less with just the drum. But I've got the power of the motor of the 300 which is more than enough.

For kitchen sink drains/bathtubs and laundry tubs, I own a 180. I run 35' and 50' 1/4" open hook cables and on the 300 drum I run inner-core cables. Very expensive but delivers a ton of torque force on any clog when the cable starts to tighten up.

I got most of my training on the Spartan equipment; running service plumbing in urban areas you have to be serious about what equipment you want to use for reliability.

drain cleaners

I would take Marks advice. He and I are in perfect agreement on this as I have used the Rigid K50 for 38 years and I haven't seen a small drain cleaner as good. You will clean a sink drain and leave the work area so much cleaner than with a drum type machine.

Too much caustics will crystallize the cables so keep a good eye on the way they wear.

It's cables are 7 1/2 ft long and come in a six cable carrier. for most inside drains you won't use more than 4 or 5 lengths. You should always carry 5 or 6 back up lengths......

Years ago I cleaned sewers and did service work and I used the Rigid sewer machine just as Mark does and that too has advantages. I used a Spartan sewer machine when I worked at G. M.. I prefer the Rigid because you roll the machine down to the basement and go back up for the cables. The cables are I believe 10 ft long. it's much lighter than the Spartan and easier to handle. It's drum could have 60 ft. of cable and the whole thing comes in together.

My experience says start with a straight auger and go all the way out. If there are many roots, your not likely to get caught in the roots. I reccomend you having a funnel auger and then a round cutter. Please don't get the idea that a big cutter head is the best thing to use though it has a use. You don't cut roots, you just tie into them and tear them out and go back in untill you dont get any more on the auger.

A spade would be used for other kinds of obstructions

I hate this work

I got to admit that I despise this kind of
work these days....
.just reading these posts ---the memories make me wince.

I refer most of this work out to an other company
becasue if you are busy, you just cant do it all,
and I cant seem to find anyone agreeable to do it for me anymore --
for less than $24 per hour
plus a truck and benefits....yea right....

So if you got to
give something up .....

wrestling a cable all day covered in shit is my first choice.

I agree, it can be painful at times in dealing with these jobs. The worst is having to pull a toilet to remove the clog. Whether it is in the basement or on the second floor.

I have a cut in my right finger from Friday morning, Friday evening I was rodding a drain for $205 for 40 minutes which included a 2lb jar of RootX. That finger has been scaring me ever since because it got infected even with rubber gloves on under my metal mitts. I guess transfer is to blame from something. I do turn down some calls but some are so easy that I can't say anything other than you plumbers know what it feels like to hit a clog without much effort. Feels good and hope the next one doesn't beat you down just to earn a buck.

I guess I have a question for plumber1 and MPM in regards to the Ridgid K50. Before I bought my equipment years ago I used to rent numerous machines. I started with the Ridgid K50 and literally hated the fact that I had to touch the cable so much to operate it along with watching where it goes behind me. I agree it packs a punch but you are constantly adding/taking cables off unless your in a garage/basement where you can pull the entire length out. And the mess was horrific if you hit a sludge line where it's all black. You know the clogs I'm talking about. You spend more time back at the shop cleaning the rolls of cable more than the time at the job.

I used an electric eel about two times, couldn't stand it. No forward force with the machine rolling on the ground; the cable reels out of drain if it hits anything hard.

The only other ones I've used is general drum machines. I hated them because they are reverse rolled cables and no powerfeed. (rentals only)

I have a lift hitch, gets my machine up and down out of the back of my truck



That gets me to the front door but I only run 75 feet of cable with a 2ft leader on the 300. Very rarely do I have to add another 25ft.

I guess my statement is just this; I've ran my 300 many times where all I have to do is pull that lever into forward or reverse and one hand the cable most times when it turns a direction in the drain or approaches the clog. I sit on a stool the whole time I'm operating it and I never go back to the truck until the drain is clear and I'm bringing the machine back. I'm trying to figure out how handling the cable so much with the Ridgid is better? How do you use that machine in a $300,000 home on the second floor with back to back toilets using a drop head, dragging up the steps with white carpet and a narrow bathroom? Most times they used a 3" double cross tee which SUCKS. I reeled in a tv, curtains, and pulled a ruff of carpet up with the Ridgid once all because I wasn't paying attention to what the cable was doing behind me. I'm not speaking from lack of experience; back in the day the
Ridgid K50 was the only thing I could rent. I had to buy a couple cables too due to losing a cable down the drain. I blame that on being green 20 years ago.

drain cleaners

I guess I am the renegade around here. I have been cleaning drains for over 55 years, and have never been impressed by the automatic feed machines. The device adds weight to the machiine, and makes it much more difficult to break the machine down into manageable pieces or add drums, (I always use drum machines for the very reasons stated by others). My machine's design, (which General and RIdgid have finally copied), uses interchangeable drums not adapters for the smaller drum. It is light enough to roll into a house when necessary, and can be taken up onto a roof top, (we have many situations like that in this area), in two pieces.

catching a rug

yes that is just great when you catch a

carpet or rug with one of those things......


has a fellow once go through a cross breaking the trap on the
other side and ended up banging up
the adjavcent apartments kitchen and living room.

got all cauguh up in the ladies carpet.......LOL



actually you are right about the Rigid....it can be a little more

trouble keeping an eye on both ends of the cable...


But to me It seems easier to keep clean than the drum type

especially if you are doing a few on the same day.....

you can at least hose the black gook off of it between jobs

failrey easily....


when you get one of those dirty cables twist or
shimmey or get caught up on you

then you get a great experience something close to
having an egg beater spatter all over you...

that just makes my day.
----------------------------------------------



that is just my opinion...on how to clean out a drain line that is....

who really cares ....as long as you win and it loses

and you make money.