Ridgid K-50

[lamont]

hi everyone, first of all i'm a new bee for this site. I bought a used ridgid K50 w/o a cable. Today i got a size 5,8' cable for this K-50 model. Does this model feed the cable itself? when i pressed down the clutch the cable is turned but it does not feed itself. Do i have to push the cable? please help

[SewerRatz]

You have to pull out enough cable then press the lever to spin the cable and feed in the slack. Then release the lever pull more of the cable out to get a little slack press the lever again and feed in while its spinning. These cables come in 7½ feet sections and there should be a guide hose that attach's to the back, you only feed in the 7½ feet at a time. Be sure when the cables click together that you see the pin pop back up.

[Redwood]

They still sell those?
I thought they only sold those at pawn shops and junk shops...
You'd have to be some kinda masochist to want one of them...

[master plumber mark]

They still sell those?
I thought they only sold those at pawn shops and junk shops...
You'd have to be some kinda masochist to want one of them...

Oh, please sir Redwood, I must protest ...


the Rigid K50 is probably the most versatile small sewer machine you can buy..... I have used them for years and years, I dont think you can break one either....they keep running and running...


I wince when I think of carrying some god awful heavy spartan or some other
crappy looking heavy drum type machine into someones home.....

they are simply the best for the average kitchen sink, or other medium sized drain lines.....under 3 inch ..

I have 4 of them sitting in my office, two still in excellent condition and the other two ready to be thrown away....

as far as getting through nasty drains , and being able to reverse them back and forth, you simply cant beat them....


mine have certainly paid for themselves since the early 90s...

I just dont care to wallow around in shit anymore and
am too busy with other cleaner plumbing passtimes....




Ratz, and Redwood
what is considered the best one out there these days anyway???

Redwood, I am talking about a nice machine that you dont need
a wench to get in and out of your truck.

or a truss for your hernia the next day

[Redwood]

I use a Ridgid K-3800 on the small drains and a Ridgid K-7500 for mains...

One arm carries the K-3800...
And the K-7500 rolls just fine stair climbers too...

It's funny...

I hear more plumbers swear that the sectional machines are the next best thing that happened since God invented oxygen for us to breath...

Then in their next sentence they say that they don't do drains anymore cause it was too much of a bother...

I'm not complaining...
Today I did a major rebuild on a toilet, Repiped a kitchen sink drain, Rebuilt a kitchen sink faucet, and ran 4 drain lines... About $2K...

I run the hell out of my machines...

[SewerRatz]

The sectional machines the only one that has it right is Ridgid or Rothenberger. I do like that Rothenberger large machine the R750 can turn the 1¼ cable and the ⅞ cable with out any changes to the machine. Then you can insert a clamp clip to spin the ⅝ cable and they do make clamp clip for smaller cables as well, so one machine to rod drains from ¾" to 8" lines is impressive to me.

Now drum machines the only way to go is with a Spartan tool machine they by far are the best compared to General Ridged, Electric Ell, DuraCable, Marco, and all the other drum types out there. I carry a K-50 with 75' of ⅝ and two drums one with ¼" cable and the other with ⅜" cable on my truck along with a Spartan 100 and a 1065. Also have a pistol rod a Ro-Pump, a small electric Viking Jetter, and a kinetic water ram, along with my assortment of toilet augers. Oh almost forgot my two canvas sludge bags a 4" and a 6", oh and a 125' hand rod with three ball sizes.

Now I have other machines like the Electric Ell Model C its great for crawl spaces. A Ridged K-1000 for rodding 8" to 24" sewers from manhole to manhole. A few Ridged main line machines K-500, K-1500 K-1500 lowboy. Which all I have used I find each machine has its place.

Now for picking a drum machine over a sectional machine. I can not really do that. There are times where I am in the mood to use a sectional machine for a month or two, then I switch back to my Spartans. I found that the sectionals do great with soft blockages and grease. Where a drum machine works wonders with heavy tree roots. Yes a sectional machine can clear tree roots if you take the time to work the cable a whole lot more. Where as a drum machine you can get a "bite" into the roots and build up torque to tear them up.

[SewerRatz]

I use a Ridgid K-3800 on the small drains and a Ridgid K-7500 for mains...

One arm carries the K-3800...
And the K-7500 rolls just fine stair climbers too...

I was given a Ridgid K-750 for testing by Ridge, Its an OK machine my father really likes it. Then they gave us a K-7500 the total "redesign" of the 750 I hated it with every fiber of my being. It would not feed the cable out nice or pull it in, tried to manual pull the cable out and push it in and it was a bear. Give me a 1065 any day. Hell I rather run a Marco LT -90 than that Ridge k-7500 If you never ran a Marco LT-90 DON'T it almost killed me) I think of they gave the K-750 an inner drum kept the feed and widen the stance by two inches it would of been a great drum machine.

[Redwood]

I found that the sectionals do great with soft blockages and grease. Where a drum machine works wonders with heavy tree roots. Yes a sectional machine can clear tree roots if you take the time to work the cable a whole lot more. Where as a drum machine you can get a "bite" into the roots and build up torque to tear them up.

I have no problems with any clog...
But I'll tell you I love torquing up that cable on roots then snapping it back and plunging it into the roots again as it unwinds...

Thats Choppin Wood!

I don't have any problems with the feed.
I've been using the same machine about 7 or 8 years now...
I put some bearings in a few times but thats to be expected...

[SewerRatz]

I have no problems with any clog...
But I'll tell you I love torquing up that cable on roots then snapping it back and plunging it into the roots again as it unwinds...

Thats Choppin Wood!

Yes it is. I have had some guys that tried to rod a sewer with a spartan and a Ridgid sectional machine and could not get the line open. The customer calls me to come rod the line I pull up as he is loading his equipment and I pull of my 1065 and the guy runs to the home owner telling her "Thats the same machine I used he will not get the line open." I had to give her a little reassurance, I told her IF i can not open her sewer she wont have to pay me. Half hour later I got the line open in the next half hour I was running my 4x6" cutter through the line. Now I new he rodded the line on forward and could not get a bite into the roots. So I did what the instructions tell you never ever do unless you need to unhang up your cable is run the machine in on reverse. Got a fresh bite on the roots and tore them a new one.

[jnaas2]

Ive been using the k-7500 for around 10 years now and no trouble at all, the bearings are starting to make a little noise but never any problem with the feed

[Redwood]

The only line I don't open is a broken line...
Even some of them I'll open just so we can see...

Outside drains and chinese rest mains I'll sell a jet...

[nhmaster]

Ah, sectional V Drum. The never ending battle. Me, I use a K60 sectional If I have to at all. The shop has a few of everything.

[Cass]

While I rarely snake drains any more I will add my $.02 worth...I think the reason many plumbers have problems snaking roots is they don't keep their cutter heads sharp...I can't tell you how many blades I have seen that were not much more than butter knives and and the plumber complained that they just couldn't get through the roots...when I was actively doing drains I would check my blades constantly and run a file over them when ever it was needed...if you do this all the time just 1 or 2 swipes will keep them sharp....

[master plumber mark]

It looks like Sewer Ratz and Redwood are the true professioinals when it comes to cleaning out sewers...

I have never cared for tangeling with anything bigger than a 2 inch line, think me a sissey if you must ....

It always seemed that the "plumbers " working for us found that side of the business too nasty and we never did enough of it to get good at it. They would come back from a job defeated and covered in shit.. and a few of our longest employees just about threatend to quit over doing that kind of work.

in our town their seem to be sewer cleaning companies and their are plumbers.... the sewer cleaners dont need to be liscensed and can do it much cheaper than the plumbers do it for...

so when I get calls for stopped up sewers, I send them on to a freind who gives me $25 bucks for the referral and all is well..


I honestly feel grateful that my phone rings with lots of much easier projects and I dont have to play in roots anymore. .....or hand dig ditches for that matter.

[SewerRatz]

We have lots of local plumbers that subcontract their rod jobs to us. We put out their invoice and charge our rates. Then we split it 50/50. Yes I am taking a cut in pay, but some work is better than no work. Illinois does not require you to have a license to do any power rodding. But Cook County/Chicago does require you to have a sewer and drain layers license. They also require you to call the permit office and pull a $10.00 permit every time you rod a main line. They do not inspect your rodding, but they like to keep records of the main line roddings. This way if their is any trouble out in the city's property they will see if it is chronic and need to send a crew out there, or if it just an inexperienced drain cleaner.

On a personal note, I really enjoy drain cleaning, people are more grateful of you when you get their sewers and drains flowing again. When you do plumbing they expect it to look pretty and not leak.