How does Harbor Freight's Hydrostar drain snake compare?

[qqzj]

My drainage needs a cleaning every 2 years or so. Previously I always rented a Home Depot 75 ft drain snake and it worked well for me. The only problem is that each rental cost me about $60, which is pretty unpleasant and there is a four hour time limit. I constantly feel under pressure.

So this time, I borrowed a neighbor's Brasscraft drain snake.

BrassCraft BC260 .31-Inch by 50-Feet Cable Drum Machine - Faucet Trim Kits - Amazon.com

BrassCraft BC260 .31-Inch by 50-Feet Cable Drum Machine - Faucet Trim Kits - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

It did not work very well. The neighbor is not good as maintaining the tool. There is a lot of rust in the drain snake and it won't go forward unless I pull on it. So it turned out to be a quite struggle. And it did not clean out the drainage like the HD rental did before.

So my choice now is either to rent again, or to buy the HF one.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

I am wondering how good is the drain snake relative to the HD rental? And how long can it last before it rusts away? There is also a guy selling this hydrostar on CL for $150. Is it too risky to buy this kind of stuff used? Thanks for the advice!

I am also interested in learning how drain snake works. If I want the snake to go forward, should I tighten or remove the thumb screw near the cable outlet?

 

[txvwnut]

Harbor Freight used to sell one like the yellow one. I have one and it has been a decent unit, a couple of weeks ago I had to snake the main line under the house and worked as it should. Even after sitting in the shed for several years untouched.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I would think buying used would be just fine and last several lifetimes at once every other year. I have not been trained on a snake bit as far as I know you would have the screw loose to bring the snake in or out and tighten it when you want it to stop like at a clog. Then it can power through the clog. I rented one once for $75 to snake a clog just after our septic got pumped and was still having issues. Im pretty sure a plumber charges about that to come out and do it for you. After turds flying off a slithering snake my cheap a$$ will be calling a plumber for an estimate. I rented mine from ace hardware and I believe it was a 4 or 8hr rental but they closed before my time was up so I could have returned it the next morning

 

[hefnerconstructionlc]

I think for an application like that it would be well worth the money. I had the Ridgid hand held drain cleaner and gave it away to an employee. That worked well so I purchased the Bauer handheld to replace it years later. And I actually found the Bauer to be better than the rigid one. So with a drain cleaner it's a pretty basic tool I think it would be just fine. Especially since you know you're going to be doing it every two years. Your dollars and hassle ahead of dealing with home Depot.

 

[Bert_]

The brasscraft is a cheap rebranded machine. Brasscraft doesn't make drain machines...

I don't think either of the ones pictured have power feed. You have to push in the cable, tighten the set screw, and then run the machine.

 

[qqzj]

The brasscraft is a cheap rebranded machine. Brasscraft doesn't make drain machines...

I don't think either of the ones pictured have power feed. You have to push in the cable, tighten the set screw, and then run the machine.

Thanks! That's probably what is going on. The HD rental can go forward itself. Much easier to use. It took me a while to figure out that the brasscraft doesn't have the feature. I thought the one my neighbor has is broken, now I know it didn't work that way by design.

Also there are four heads for the cable. A typical spiral one for explore and retrieve hair or socks. One like a heart to scrape grease and food residuals. A small claw for general cleaning. I tried all three for full 50 feet without being able to unclog the drain. When I tried the final head, the long and slender claw to scrape the side of the drain, the cable snapped.

This really gave me mixed feelings. First, I am out of $66, several hours of labor and back to the starting point. Terrible. However, if I didn't try the neighbor's tool, I would have to buy one from HF or CL and waste all that money because 50 feet is too short. The ones I rented from HD were 75 feet. I guess the final answer for me is to keep renting from HD because 75 feet machines are too expensive and not a home tool. $66 bought me a lesson. It could have been much more expensive. And hey, at least my neighbor got a shinny new cable!

PS: I corrected two errors above. I looked at HD website again. I believe the ones I rented were 75 feet long and each rental is 4 hours. I changed some previous posts to avoid confusion.

 

[Bert_]

How big of a drain line are you trying to clear? Those machines pictured are really only for small lines. If you're trying to clear a 3-4" pipe I would want a bigger machine.

 

[qqzj]

How big of a drain line are you trying to clear? Those machines pictured are really only for small lines. If you're trying to clear a 3-4" pipe I would want a bigger machine.

I don't even know how to measure the size of a pipe. OD or ID? I can measure now.

The thing is that I have used (1) the spiral head (2) the heart head (3) the short claw head to full 50 feet. Still cannot unclog. So I guess 50 ft simply is not enough. I cannot finish one full pass with the last long and slender claw, but I don't think that is the problem. That head is used to scrape the inside of the pipe. The passage should have been opened after my first three attempts.

 

[Bert_]

I don't even know how to measure the size of a pipe. OD or ID? I can measure now.

The thing is that I have used (1) the spiral head (2) the heart head (3) the short claw head to full 50 feet. Still cannot unclog. So I guess 50 ft simply is not enough. I cannot finish one full pass with the last long and slender claw, but I don't think that is the problem. That head is used to scrape the inside of the pipe. The passage should have been opened after my first three attempts.

It's ID.

If it's the main line leaving your house I would guess 3 or 4"

 

[qqzj]

I shall measure it tonight. I had enough of this BS now. Still would prefer to buy one myself. I went to HD just now and the rental of a 75 feet one is $62/ 4 hrs before tax and they want to push insurance as well. I'd rather buy one myself and do it once in 6 months when I am in the mood and not under pressure.

The cheapest one that can reach 75 ft at HD is this one from Ridgid at $559

RIDGID K-400 Drain Cleaning Snake Auger 120-Volt Drum Machine with C-32IW 3/8 in. x 75 ft. Cable + 4-Piece Tool Set & Gl 52363 - The Home Depot

Make the toughest drain cleaning jobs at easier and hassle-free with this durable RIDGID Drain Cleaning Drum Machine with Integral Wound Cable and Tool Set.

www.homedepot.com

It is pretty steep, but I am ready to bite. If anyone knows where to find a cheaper price, please let me know. That will help a lot. Thanks!

 

[qqzj]

OK, I did some research. For my budget it has to be the Ridgid K400 drum. It can house either 100 ft of 3/8 cable or 75 ft of 1/2 cable. It is $559 at HD, but it is a 75 ft 3/8 cable. Kind of a crummy deal. At zoro.com, the 100 ft 3/8 cable one is $596 and 75 ft of 1/2 cable is $639. I just need a 20% off coupon from zoro to jump. Kind of hard to get a better deal anywhere else.

On Amazon, there are some other choices. like this for $385. Not sure I want to take the risk though

Amazon.com

 

[Sgtboz]

My drainage needs a cleaning every 2 years or so. Previously I always rented a Home Depot 75 ft drain snake and it worked well for me. The only problem is that each rental cost me about $60, which is pretty unpleasant and there is a four hour time limit. I constantly feel under pressure.

So this time, I borrowed a neighbor's Brasscraft drain snake.

BrassCraft BC260 .31-Inch by 50-Feet Cable Drum Machine - Faucet Trim Kits - Amazon.com

BrassCraft BC260 .31-Inch by 50-Feet Cable Drum Machine - Faucet Trim Kits - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

It did not work very well. The neighbor is not good as maintaining the tool. There is a lot of rust in the drain snake and it won't go forward unless I pull on it. So it turned out to be a quite struggle. And it did not clean out the drainage like the HD rental did before.

So my choice now is either to rent again, or to buy the HF one.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

I am wondering how good is the drain snake relative to the HD rental? And how long can it last before it rusts away? There is also a guy selling this hydrostar on CL for $150. Is it too risky to buy this kind of stuff used? Thanks for the advice!

I am also interested in learning how drain snake works. If I want the snake to go forward, should I tighten or remove the thumb screw near the cable outlet?

Please keep in mind if you buy a used drain snake, it's been in other folks 'bodily fluids' and such. You should sanitize the cable and/or toss the rawhide gloves after using them. Hosing off the cable isn't enough.

 

[American Locomotive]

I know this is not what you want to hear, but the math just doesn't work out. At all.

So for $60 every 2 years, you get to use a machine that someone else stores, does the maintenance on, takes care of, and ultimately replaces when it goes worn out.

- OR -

For $600, you can buy a machine that's going sit there taking up space in your garage/basement untouched for 2 years at a time, that you need to clean, take care of, replace any broken parts, and so on. A machine that's going to take 20 years to pay for itself compared to renting. ...and realistically, a $600 machine is still not likely to work as well, considering the machine HD rents is US made and costs $3,200 retail if you wanted to buy it.

If you feel too pressured by the rental time period, just spend the extra $24 and rent the thing for a day. $84 every 2 years to use a top-of-the-line machine that someone else stores, cleans, takes care of and does all the maintenance on sounds like a no brainer to me.

 

[RedneckWelder]

I had to rent a 75 foot power snake from HD three weeks ago for a fun filled day of drain line clearing.

it was $100 total to rent it for 24 hrs. It worked well and if I had to drop a c note every two years to rent it I would still do it vs buying a ligh duty POS. I don’t take half measures when it comes to plumbing I want it done with minimal *******.

 

[ike]

i picked up one of these a few years ago. mine has worked great, and i don't miss renting.

 

[qqzj]

i picked up one of these a few years ago. mine has worked great, and i don't miss renting.

You are lucky. This is only 35 ft. No long enough for me. All these hand held ones cannot carry a long cable

 

[qqzj]

I had to rent a 75 foot power snake from HD three weeks ago for a fun filled day of drain line clearing.

it was $100 total to rent it for 24 hrs. It worked well and if I had to drop a c note every two years to rent it I would still do it vs buying a ligh duty POS. I don’t take half measures when it comes to plumbing I want it done with minimal *******.

You think the Ridgid costing $620+ is a light duty pos?

 

[American Locomotive]

You think the Ridgid costing $620+ is a light duty pos?

The machines that HD rents cost 5x that, have 1/2" vs. 3/8" cable and weigh literally twice as much.

Do you really think a 45 pound machine with a 3/8" cable and a plastic drum compares at all to an all steel 100 pound machine with a 1/2" cable?

You're going to be paying 15-20 years worth of rental fees for a machine that isn't as rugged or as capable.

 

[shoeless]

The Rigid K-400 is a manual feed machine.

Home Depot does sell their rental equipment.
https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/used-tools/index.html

I have looked at buying their auto feed 1/2" - 75' drain snake. Believe is an Electric Eel Z5-AF.

 

[qqzj]

Well, I acknowledge that buying a light weight POS from Ridgid does not make a lot of sense mathematically. But sometimes, a guy just has to do things his own way. I got the 20% code from Zoro and ordered the K400 with 1/2 cable and 75 feet for $560. There is a 5% Paypal cash back from Chase, the net will go down to $532. I figure that I have to do it about 8 times to recover the cost. That is 16 years. But then I am going to do it any time I want without any kind of pressure from nobody. That is quality of life in my book. Let's see how it works.

 

[mobiledynamics]

qqzj, IMO, price aside, it's a whole lot cleaner know where you're equipment has been when the cable is spinning and if it's -potentially- doing a micro fling of sorts if your application is inside.

What is the issue. Roots ? 1/2 or larger cable and a cheaper sewer cam on Amazon/Alibaba (about $500 on the cam) is priceless if one is DIY.

 

[qqzj]

No roots. Just clogged drain from food debris. Mostly grease and hairs etc. from past experience. I measured the drain line size. Initially, it is either 2.25 or 2.5 inch ID. So size-wise, the Ridgid machine I ordered should fit.

One interesting question. What is the torque I should use to tighten the screw on the head units? I often saw they are mangled. So want to be a bit careful this time. Thanks!!!

 

[Bert_]

I have a rigid pretty similar to that. It's a good machine for smaller lines. I don't use it for the main going out to the street. Better to use the bigger machine with the 1/2" cable.

 

[qqzj]

The drain cleaner just arrived! Also got a Goldenrod oiler as a souvenir, almost half price of Amazon. Pretty cool.




There's actually an accessory to make this cleaner auto feed. But since my investment recovery time is already 16 years, I have to do it the dirty way. Just my fate.

Ridgid 26773 NA Autofeed Assembly for K400 Drum Machines 26773 - Drain Cleaning Equipment - Amazon.com

Ridgid 26773 NA Autofeed Assembly for K400 Drum Machines 26773 - Drain Cleaning Equipment - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[qqzj]

OK, the Ridgid K400 got the job done yesterday. I was too tired to write anything afterwards. Just recovered. Here is some random sh*t from actually using it. Let me know if anyone has any questions about it.

The Ridgid K400 can hold 3/8 cable up to 100 feet and 1/2 cable up to 75 feet. 1/2 cable is suggested for 3'' and 4'' ID pipes. Since my pipe is 2.5'' ID, in theory the cable is too thick. But it worked anyway. In the future, if 75 feet is not long enough, I can swap in a 3/8 cable.

To attach a cleaning heat attachment to the cable, there is no screw or screwdriver needed. There is a ball bearing at the end of the cable, we can simply use a sharp pin (supplied with the machine) to depress the ball and slide on the attachment. Very easy.

When operating the machine, I only need to pull the cable in/out while stepping on the balloon. So it is actually a lot easier to use than the Brasscraft drain. That one I also need to pull the trigger at the same time. A lot more stressful. I can imagine life will be much easier if I fork over the additional $155 to get the auto feed attachment. That would be a very nice perk. Since I plan only to use it once a year in the future, I can do without it.

I really really suggest that you read the manual first, then go to YouTube and watched the top 10 videos on how to use this. You will learn a lot about what to do and what not to do. Some YouTube videos are literally teaching you the things you should not do with it.

The key to use this machine is that try not to touch the 'Rev'erse button. That button controls the direction of drum spin, not whether the cable goes in or out. Very important! When the cable really gets stuck, the key is to put the drum in neutral while one hand on the cable so that the drum can spin freely and release the tension! Very important.

But for me, things never got that extreme. The cable went in and out no drama. Pulling the cable was not fun. But it was also not super gross. Remember to use a plumber's glove with a latex glove under it. It is actually not very bad at all.

 

[Davefr]

All I can say is that I'm glad to have my Hydrostar cleaner. I came home yesterday from running errands and wifey was standing at the garage door frowning and I saw major flooding on the garage floor. The laundry tub overflowed from the washing machine drain. I removed the P trap from the laundry tub and the entire drain line was full/backed up. I tried a little handheld drain snake and it didn't make a dent.

I went under the crawl space to map out the drain line routing and figured it must clogged at a 90 degree bend about 40' from the laundry tub.

I pulled out the Hydrostar from the barn and snaked out the ABS line past where the 90 degree bend was. I started with the coil spring attachment and it pulled out what looked like hair wads. Then I repeated with the heart shaped attachment and then the one shaped like an H. Success!! Drain works great.

This machine earned it's keep. A plumber would have been $$$$'s and renting is a major PIA. I really like the 1/2" wire core. It takes some force to push the snake thru bends and 1/2" won't kink like a smaller diameter core. I wouldn't go any smaller then 1/2". 75' X 1/2" might be better but then you have a much bigger/heavier machine. 1/2" X 50' is about the max. for being compact IMHO. Compact is important because you don't want a whole lot of line between the machine's drum and the drain's entry point. (I'd say 2' max.)

 

[qqzj]

All I can say is that I'm glad to have my Hydrostar cleaner. I came home yesterday from running errands and wifey was standing at the garage door frowning and I saw major flooding on the garage floor. The laundry tub overflowed from the washing machine drain. I removed the P trap from the laundry tub and the entire drain line was full/backed up. I tried a little handheld drain snake and it didn't make a dent.

I went under the crawl space to map out the drain line routing and figured it must clogged at a 90 degree bend about 40' from the laundry tub.

I pulled out the Hydrostar from the barn and snaked out the ABS line past where the 90 degree bend was. I started with the coil spring attachment and it pulled out what looked like hair wads. Then I repeated with the heart shaped attachment and then the one shaped like an H. Success!! Drain works great.

This machine earned it's keep. A plumber would have been $$$$'s and renting is a major PIA. I really like the 1/2" wire core. It takes some force to push the snake thru bends and 1/2" won't kink like a smaller diameter core. I wouldn't go any smaller then 1/2". 75' X 1/2" might be better but then you have a much bigger/heavier machine. 1/2" X 50' is about the max. for being compact IMHO. Compact is important because you don't want a whole lot of line between the machine's drum and the drain's entry point. (I'd say 2' max.)

I am sure Hydrastar would be adequate for most. It all depends on each house's plumbing design and where the clog-prone location is. The Ridgid K400 looks just like a Hydrastar and the drum center is very close to the drain's entry point for me.

I finished up pretty late and it was dark. Darkness is not an issue when using the machine. But it is not a good idea when trying to clean it afterwards. That makes renting particularly inconvenient during winter times. So if anyone plans to do a good job cleaning, better start early.

 

[handyman223]

Nice thread. Just wanted to comment as I have both rigid k400 and HF Hydrostar. Agreed that K400 is the better machine, but more expensive too. Either machine is fine for handling routine clogs in sewer line. Advantage of HF Hydrostar is that it's not just 50 foot machine. You can buy another 50 foot extension relatively cheaply and add it making it 100 foot machine or even go out to 150 foot. It seems like trouble with HF Hydrostar is that the cable is easier to kink. Have to be very careful not to kink the cable when pushing it back in the drum. I bought my machine used and it was all kinked inside the drum. No wonder previous owner sold it, as he couldn't figure out how to get the cable back out of the drum.

 

[qqzj]

I actually have a question about using K400. I am thinking about drilling a hole on the bottom of the drum so that water can get out of there. Much easier for cleaning and keep the cable from rust.

To prevent dirty water from slinging everywhere, I think we should use something to plug up the hole during operation. Has anyone tried this yet? Thanks. Seems like a design concern that Ridgid should address.

 

[handyman223]

Yes that could be useful feature. But having filthy drum has not been an issue for me. When I am done with k400, I just take all the cable out of the drum, wash it throughly with garden hose and leave it to completely dry out in the sun. Also easy to clean inside of the drum with cable out. Then I just put the cable back in. No issues with dirty cables or drum in several years I had K400.

 

[Desertskyy]

Yes that could be useful feature. But having filthy drum has not been an issue for me. When I am done with k400, I just take all the cable out of the drum, wash it throughly with garden hose and leave it to completely dry out in the sun. Also easy to clean inside of the drum with cable out. Then I just put the cable back in. No issues with dirty cables or drum in several years I had K400.

I also have a K400. I will need to give your method a try next time. I have used a towel to wipe down the snake as it is retracting in but have not done a full cleaning like you do

 

[robert6715]

If you have a pressure washer & an outside clean-out, a sewer jetter that hooks up to your pressure washer is an excellent option. A 100' unit can be had for less than $100. The nozzle has three jets facing backward that draw the line into the pipe & one facing forward that once at the clog eats away at it.

The reason I mention an outside clean-out is that you are injecting water into a clogged drain. So it is nice to just let it run out on the ground. If you have to do it from inside the house, it becomes a bucket brigade of nasty water that has to be hauled outside & the pressure washer, if gas-powered obviously has to be outside with the jetter coming threw a nearby window.

The really nice thing about a jetter is that you know instantly when you have blasted threw the clog, the water you are injecting immediately quits flowing out the pipe & flows down the drain.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Fortunate to have purchased a heavy duty Ridgid hand held drum machine in 2005, one of many useful purchases from Home Depot. Have used it every 2 to 3 years, not sure if quality is the same for current ones.