RIDGID 26998 Model K-400 Drain Cleaning 120-Volt Drum Machine Kit with C-45IW 1/2" x 75' Cable, White, Black, Red

I received my Ridgid K-400 yesterday evening with overnight shipping (Prime + $3.99 for overnight). That in itself is pretty amazing for a 70 lb. machine. I read the instructions and watched the DVD last night, and used the machine this morning. These are my findings: 1. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS: You might think you know how to use it, but I have no doubt I would have used the "reverse" wrong if I had not read first. 2. This machine is expensive....or not. When you consider that the next size machine is about $2800 (something like your plumber would bring out, and that the going rate for that professional service in my town is $300) then it seems like a bargain to me. 3. Figure out in advance that this machine comes with one of two cables: 100 ft. of 3/8" diameter OR 75 ft. of 1/2" diameter. I did not know the limitations of the 3/8" cable, all I knew was that I wanted the largest cable it came in, and so I paid the extra $50 for the shorter but bigger cable. 4. After you read the instructions you will learn that the 3/8" cable is used for up to 3" pipe. My main line is 4", so I got lucky with buying the 1/2" cable, which is good up to 4" pipe. But I did not know this in advance. From my cleanout to the end of the line is 60 ft. If yours exceeds 75 ft., then I suppose you would have to go with the 3/8" cable...but I am certain you will lose some capability. 5. One of the reason that cable size matters is breakage, but I don't think that is the primary reason. There is a relationship between pipe size and cable size that needs to be adhered to. The natural tendency of this spiral wound cable going round and round is to wrap itself up and get tangled and tied (you do not want this to happen in your pipe). The larger the pipe and the smaller the cable, the more likely this can happen. Also the 1/2" is stiffer, which also resists the tangles. As a matter of reference, the machine your plumber brings out has a 3/4" cable, so the closer you get to that the better. 6. Because of this tendency to wind up when in a too-large pipe, the instructions pretty much say don't go into the larger line (in my case the "city line") that the line on your property finally dumps into. Problem is, that very juncture is where a lot of clogs happen. In my case I believe there is probably not a tight connection between my line and the city line, and that is where roots enter the system. So the first thing I did was pull the cable out of the machine and lay it on the ground from my clean-out to where I think the city line runs (is in an easement at rear property line). I wrapped some duct tape around the cable at that distance so that I would have a good idea of when I was about to hit the city line while I was feeding it out. Turns out this was a smart thing to do and I recommend it. When I got to that tape, I slowed way down on the feed-out, maybe a couple inches at a time, so I would not have a couple of feet of cable swinging around unsupported in the larger city line (you can pretty much tell from the cable action in your hands when you have entered the larger pipe). 7. The instructions say "not designed for root blockages". Something else a person would not know in advance unless he read Amazon reviews. I could see no reason a strong 1/2" cable would not work on root blockages if you used a cutter type tool on the end, instead of the typical spiral bulb tool that would probably just push through the roots and do no clearing. The cutting tool that comes with the machine is really too small, so I did 3 things: 1. First I ordered 2 larger end tools...but don't have them yet (there are many to choose from). 2. Second I opened up the small cutting tool (instructions say it is for "grease clogs") so that it was a little wider. 3. Third, with my 2 hands I put a slight bend in the end of the cable so that it would cut a wider swath as it went through the 4" pipe. It worked, as I suspected it would. When the new cutter tools come in, I expect them to work even better (if I can get past the first bend at the cleanout with them). 8. I did not buy the model with the auto-feed, so I cannot comment on how the machine would work with it. With the manual feed (which is what ever plumber that has come to my house has on his machine), it is very easy to feed out, and is very easy to feel in the cable what is likely going on inside the pipe. As I am feeding out the cable manually, I am wondering why anyone would pay extra for the auto-feed. Then it was time to feed the cable back in. If going out is "X" effort, then coming back in is "3X". But still very doable, just plan on working up a bit of a sweat. Also if the cable should bind or get caught, you have to turn auto-feed off anyway. Auto-feed might be a good thing, but I am completely satisfied without it, and no moving part to break (except maybe my wrist). 9. I have been plagued by roots and blockages this past year, when never before in the past 30 years that I have been in the house. I have been told by more than one person that because of the drought we went through last year, that the roots are going out to hunt water wherever they can find it. Could be. I only know that if your expensive plumber shows up to route out your line, and all he has on the end of his cable is the typical spiral bulb, you are going to be calling him again soon (don't ask me how I know)...and then you learn that they don't guarantee their work for clearing roots. After paying for a couple of those trips, I now do not expect to be calling them again for drain stoppages. 10. Last piece of advice: As someone already mentioned, do not brag to friends or family that you have this machine. UPDATE: The larger cutting tool came in and I tried it out. There are several types made by Ridgid, but mine is sort of a spiral cutter. It went through the first pipe bend just fine. However this pipe bend is within sight and with the slight bend I made in the cable, I can angle the cutting head toward the opening of the pipe bend before I turn on the machine. Went right in and started chewing.

This machine is solid you get what you pay for! I was glad with my decision not to use a rented one or to call plumber. I now have this machine day or night. This machine is scary to use. If you feed this into your walls/drains and it gets stuck you better have backup plan or funds. Something to think about as that is why professionals exist. I recommend buying WD-40. Once I was finished I kept this machine well lubricated as I have read rust significantly reduces the strength of the steel snake coil. Do not forget eye-protection, latex gloves and mouth guard. Chances are if you don't have garden hose you will need one to wash up. I recommend buying a nice pair of Vice Grips if you order this machine. See my Story Below. I read every review that existed and still I managed to let my machine go to far.. The sinking feeling of having this machine stuck in your drain is not for the faint-hearted.. You only have couple options. Yank hard as you can, Call the professional, Keep running machine forward and backwards hoping not to break the snake coil. For me I found myself after 1 hour of trying to go forward or backward making no progress. Here is what I did. I recently purchased 3 ton car jack to jack my car up to do repairs(OTC 1504A Stinger 3-Ton Service Jack). I placed that above the toilet drain and used pair of Vice-Grip( Vise-Grip Original Locking Pliers) to clamp the coil and jacked the jack all the way up. I successfully pulled with several 100's of pounds of pressure without breaking the coil and pulled the roots out. I was lucky that it was the entire mass of roots that came out all in one chunk and it fully fixed my problem 100%. I would caution others that doing this is stupid and last resort and is very likely to break the coil pulling on it this way potentially slingshotting you in the face. Just be careful in first place to not push it too far and every 1-3 feet make sure to give it a large pull backwards to make sure you are not stuck! You wont find yourself in my stupid position with it stuck. Now you may pass on my advise of getting pair of vice-grips but wait until it is late at night and you have $600 machine stuck down your drain and all stores are closed and as hard as you might pull this sucker is stuck. Also consider finding a jack.. Glad I bought the larger 1/2-inch instead of the 3/8 as I was pulling on this and stronger/thicker was better in my case. I bought a "Ridgid 63025 Spiral Cutter, 2", NA" but was too scared to use it but looking at the tool I would highly recommend it if you are going to cut past roots. Scary stuff glad it worked for me. I bought bag of "Copper Sulfate Pentahydrarte 99% Crystals 10 lb bag" to keep the roots at bay.

Sturdy tool. Used it several times already. Bought different attachments for it with the money I saved from not calling a plumber. Never used one before but saw some videos that helped me. It's easy-to-use once you get the hang of it. Different attachments do different things don't expect to buy this with the equipment it comes with and think your good. Sometimes you have to add to the tool to get the job done. It's not too heavy and it rolls to where you need it. I keep all the different blades it came with and that I bought separately in a heavy duty pouch that I clip on to the handle. It cuts easily through roots with the right blade. It takes a little patience and time but it works great.

Every single bolt and screw was loose , from the screw for the belt tension adjustment to the main bolt on the drum . Two nuts fell off the motor mount during initial inspection other two were finger tight. Frustrating to pay so much for such sloppy and lazy quality control !! Good thing I didn't need to use it out of the box. I may update review after use .

Box arrived somewhat damaged. When I open the box the item seemed ok. When I tried to install the wheels I noticed the axel was very difficult to slide through the openings. I thought if that's the worst of it I'm happy. I put it in the garage for future use when needed. I have a house that was built in 1944 so every 8 months or so I've had to call a plumber to open the drains in the main line. I figured the next time it clogs it not the time to order this machine. At 200 a pop for a plumber I thought I'd be proactive and have it available. After reading another guys review about buying it for the future, when he did end up needing it, it was broken. My lines were not clogged so I decided to take it for a test ride and spooled it out on my front yard. Didn't want the warranty to run out without knowing if it worked before a clog happened. After about 50 feet of cable was pulled out with the motor going I noticed the bracket that the motor sits on was cutting into the barrel that houses the cable. The frame must have been bent from shipping. I figured for almost $600 I would like to start with something that works perfectly. When I tried to push the cable back in, it was extremely difficult to the point of pushing the machine back. I had to lay it on it's back and forcefully help it in. I tried using a ver small amount of water as a lube but didn't help. Not sure if it was the frame issue. I gave it 4 stars because I believe the tool is a pretty solid piece of machinery but the delivery from FedEx possibly damaged the product. There is a sticker that says fragile on it but at 80 lbs they didn't listen. I just sent it back today so I'll update how the refund went. I believe after I get the refund I'll try one more time and order the exact same one. They don't do exchanges, just refunds.

Heavy duty and well made! It’s worth the money!

We generally have to call the plumber to clean out our drain 1-2 times per year at around $200 each time. I've only used it once, but the Ridgid K-400 worked really well. It was easy to set up and use, and it cleared out my clog. At less than $600 before taxes, it will quickly pay for itself. The K-400 is easy to set up. The unit is sort of heavy, so the wheels are a good idea. Setting up the machine for the first use took just a few minutes to attach the wheels, unscrew the retaining screw on the collar, extend the handle, and insert the desired tool on the end of the cable. Everything needed for immediate use is included, including gloves. Feeding the cable into the drain wasn't too hard. The 1/2" cable is a bit rigid, so some effort was needed to get past a few bends in the pipe. I found that I got tired after a few minutes, but shifting to the other side of the machine and switching my hands on the cable allowed me to keep on going. I also realized that while pulling out the cable wasn't too hard, I had to be careful to keep the cable away from the inside threads on the the pipe clean-out to make sure the threads for the clean-out cap didn't get damaged. The machine's footprint isn't too big, so finding space in the backyard shed wasn't hard. Again, the wheels are a must since the unit is sort of heavy.

I have the older clay-tile main-line, and tree roots get in at the seams. I used to have to either pay a company to come clean the main-line or rent a machine and do it myself 1-2 times a year (spring and fall). I decided to spend the money on this so I could just do it myself, and eventually save some $$$. So far, so good. Pros: Good size (smaller than the pro ones). Works well Plenty of cable length Cons: The cable being 1/2" is a little more flimsy than a 3/4" cable is more common on the pro ones. I had it kink up on me once and was barely able to get it stopped before I destroyed the cable. In the end, I learned how to be more careful with it and it hasn't been a problem since. The wheels aren't great - They only touch the ground when tipped way back. I am considering replacing them with some larger wheels. The drum is a little too close to the ground - On uneven ground or in deep grass, it can get bind up and the drum won't turn. Readjusting the placement of the device has always resolved this, but a little more thought into the fact that you aren't usually using this on a tile floor would have been nice. UPDATE: I've had this for awhile now, and used it several times. Here are a few things I've run into over that time period. 1 - Air leaks from the hose from the connection at the machine. The foot pedal is a pneumatic switch, and I was having trouble with the air leaking out of the pedal and then the machine wouldn't work. What I found was the hose clamp that connects the pedal to the machine wasn't working right anymore. It is a crimped connector, but no amount of re-crimping fixed it. I bought a standard screw-type hose clamp and it's been fine since. A whole lot of irritation, but in the end, it was a 10-cent fix. 2 - Loose belt - This might be because I use it outside, and the drum would sometimes run on the ground. But, the belt needs to either be replaced, or I need to figure out how to adjust the tensioner pulley. The drum is currently slipping a bunch, which means it isn't cleaning out the roots like it should be. What I've found is if I put more pressure on the tensioner pulley, the whole system works much better. I haven't had a chance to look into if I can adjust that or not, but once I get it figured out, I'll post another update.

Pretty simple straight forward unit. Had enough power to chew through roots in the sewer line. Simple to attach cutters and have plenty of attachments now (bought the 2" and 3" cutters)

Sent a machine with a 3/8 cable

Came in broken and returned