DIY Drain Unclogging Using A Harbor Freight Electric Drain Cleaner
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 июн 2020
- Complete drain unclogging procedure using the 50 feet Pacific Hydrostar compact electric drain cleaner machine from Harbor Freight followed by a product review.
SKU 68285, 61856 
Хобби
I purchased one these about two year’s ago ,I used it to clear my drain pipe an it did a better job than a plumber did previously. It’s important to feed it slowly a few inches at a time like you did. When finished I pull the snake out all at one time a cross the yard ,then rinse it off with water hose an spray WD-40 along its length .
going to do this tmrw morning...did your snake ever get tangled inside the drain?
Nice Tip. 👍👍👍
Great idea. WD-40 is magic. Learned the hard way to spray it on my steel tools regularly
@@davidramey7186 WD is an oil.
@@eotoole67 Is there anything wd-40 can't fix?
Great video you covered everything I needed to know in a great manner. I had plumbers come out last week to clean out a main line which only has a 12' run to the tank with one 45 degree bend in it. After running the washing machine tonight my main line once again backed up. I will be buying one of these tomorrow and hopefully won't be calling a (different) plummer any time soon.
Thanks a ton for the video, particularly at 6:00 when you mention the proper way to use the REV function.
You're awesome dude! Out of all the videos on this machine that I could find yours is the only one that shows how is comes packaged and where the attachments are supposed to be when you unbox this thing. Mine was missing the bit heads and so I was looking for any video that showed where and how they were packaged. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the video! I am borrowing a neighbor's very similar drain cleaner and for the life of me couldn't figure out how to get the cable back in. Saw the section of video where you stated not to use the reverse switch to bring the cable back in, but to do it manually. Wasn't a lot of fun but it's all back together now.
Great review on my way to get one now. Thanks for the tips
Thanks so much for taking the time. I’m in the trenches with my drain monster right now and this video was helpful.
Glad I could help!
By far, the best video I've found on these. You did a great job!
Thank you! Appreciate the support!
@@DuctTapeMechanic: Is the hole at the side of the house a clean-out or a sewer vent?
How do you detect the twists and turns in the house's main sewer piping system leading to the outside?
Good video. Was lookig into a similar machine and was good to see how to use it.
Thank you!
Just getting started! ! Lots of people like your videos !
Awesome! Thank you!
I need this one! My underneath pipes always clogged up. Can't do laundry or even use the shower. Thank you for the good advices.
Its a good machine to have. Thank you for the support.
@@DuctTapeMechanic, Could I use a manual rotational hand crank?
Thank you for making the video. I hope it fixes my issue.
Your welcome!
Great review. HF is a lifesaver. The great thing about this is you've saved yourself some $ doing it yourself, and you can put it aside to use for a friend or future situation. I can't imagine needing it very often....hopefully lol.
Appreciate it! I hope I never need it again lol.
It pays for itself in a couple jobs.
Actually I use it every year - our sewer pipe has tree roots growing in it and it needs to be cleaned out as preventative maintenance every year - otherwise eventually roots will be so entrenched much more powerful snake machine will be needed.
great work buddy keep in up
Thanks for the demo. I need a decent snake and I think that’s the one!
Thank you!
Thanks for the review. I feel more confident doing it myself now.
Thanks for watching!
Good job!
I definately need one when I get the money together. I have 2 25ft handhelds, one is Ridgid and the other is that exact handheld with drill from harbor freight. I have a few clean outs and unfortunately the one backed up is my sewer one. Gona rent the toold from HD tomorrow and start saving for my own..
Hell maybe I can even make some $ with it.
That's the spirit! Mines paid itself off 3x already 🤣
Great review! Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I need this video last week lol
The model I bought has a reverse function meant for winding it back and it cost the same it was advertised for commercial use and you don't need to hand feed it either.
Yes you bought the upgraded version! I think it was $100 more still not bad
Is that still the harbor frieght one cuz ive got a bad neck n its gotten to were im sore af for several days after using it
You dont run the drum when u feed it back? I've done it and feed it back with out it running but thought that would help keep cleaning as u back out. It seems like i always have an issue with it binding up in the drum to where i cant go further in or get it back in the drum. Then i have to pull it out n work on unbinding it. Do u have any suggestions on what i could be doing wrong or is it just something that happens with them
How do you remove metal mushroom style cap from outdoor vent/ clean out access in yard. Screw is frozen. I sprayef rust loosener. Turn clockwise or counter clockwise?
I've rented the auto-feed ones. I wonder how much more difficult this manual-feeding one is.
Good Job
I can't over emphasize...DO NOT WEAR RUBBER GLOVES! They can catch on the cable and twist your fingers very fast! It happened to me...very painful and very difficult to extract fingers from glove. I was lucky. Could have been much worse.
You are absolutely right. That's why I wore cloth based gloves.
I wear rubber gloves all the time and have no problem at all. When you push in the cable, stop the machine. Push in and then restart. No issues at all.
All gloves need to be wet with oil based or dish liquid on the enter-side of gloves ✌️
@@springer-qb4dvyou mean when you push in the cable, have the machine stopped beforehand, right?
😂 right well everything isn't so obvious to for many people, 😂 I had to one's come get someone out of a bad mess , the machine literally had someone completely tied down, the line , the machine plus all of the power cord😂 HE WAS IN A TOTAL MESS . 😂😂😂 it literally beat him down an hogtie him straight all up 😂
Beautiful 👍
Thank you!
Great review I’ve got a 20 percent off coupon making it 200 I’m getting it today
👍
Thank you!. Harbor Freight is awesome
Hopefully helpful... gonna get mine bro...thanks
Thank you! Best of luck
And I got it! Got the job done! Thank God...! Oh but it was missing the spiral attachment...came with two spades and two other kinds of attachments...but not complaining
Thanks!
Your welcome!
Can you make good money just being a plumber that does drain clogs? I had to help clear a drain recently and actually enjoyed the work. Thinking about ditching my boring desk job.
I think you have to have a license for it but can't be that hard I imagine. Don't know much about the pay though.
I like the Batman shirt dude
That job needed a super hero!
Nice video and well done. Very helpful. What is the cable size? 1/2 inch?.....I am thinking of buying one of these.
Thank you. Yes it's a 1/2 inch cable.
@@DuctTapeMechanic Thanks for the info. The only thing that worries me about this model is that foot switch. I saw another video where that stopped working normally. How has yours held up? Thanks again and really helpful video as i mentioned.
Thank u
Thanks for watching!
Mine only gave me about 30 feet then got tangled in the drum. Any idea if that's fixable?
Yeah sometimes that happens just got to work it back and forth to get it untangled
Did you try high pressure jetter system? It seems that will be more efficient with less effort.
I loved your video, very informative. I recently received the same exact "rodding" machine from a friend because he was fed up and chalked it up to the fact that "harbor freight" was junk. He must have done something wrong with the machine because it only feeds out about 2.5 feet and then stops. You can visibly see that the cable is bound up or "tangled" (for lack of a better word) inside of the drum. Can anybody help me to get this untangled? Do I need to take it apart. I wanted to help my brother out recently with his laundry machine drain but I cannot due to the fact that the previous owner did something to tangle it up inside the drum. Please help. 🙂 I'm not apposed to using HF stuff, so long as it works! Any info on helping me fix this would be very much appreciated.
I recommend turning of the machine and working the cable back and forth (may require some elbow grease) until you get it untangled
Yes i can tell you how, i just did it. Spray a bunch of lubricant inside I'll over the cable make sure it saturated really well. Then take the machine to some place you a lot of room and pull all the cable out. 1st make sure you take the belt off of the drum. Once you have all the cable out it's very easy to push it back and as long as well lubricated. The drum will actually spin in reverse as you push it back in. By reverse I mean counter clockwise. Once you have all the cable out and start to feed it back in ,it goes in really easy. These Harbor freight machines spend clockwise while most regular machine spin counterclockwise . I must admit I wish I would have bought a one with a power feed option. Once the cable is back in just put the belt back around the drum.
Would you say after having this model for a while would you say it is still a good
investment? I need to clean out my main 4" drain pipe. I was considering
this model with the auto-feed and casters. Your advice would be helpful as looking to buy right away. Also, is there a neutral position on the auto-feed? Thanks.
This is the manual feed machine. I personally think it is good especially if you are in a pinch. The autofeed machine is more expensive...
Autofeeder is not very useful. The reason is that auto feeder just pushes cable fixed length per turn. But how much you need to push the cable into sewer is not fixed. Initially you can feed the cable in quickly even without spinning the drum. Later, when snake runs into obstruction, you need to spin the drum but move extremely slowly if at all. That needs to be done manually whether you have auto feeder or not. So I prefer entirely manual machine instead of auto feeder.
Other than getting the hose connector turned around (watch out for that one), the machine is simple to put together and use ruclips.net/user/postUgkxfQauTxLT0JLSvqkq10rD79TU4k0Vz8zP . And very nice, too. I'm surprised at the power-it's more than we'll ever need, and we've not even used the most powerful setting yet.I've cleaned off a dirty concrete porch to get it ready for sealing, started to clean siding, and I know this pressure washer will be terrific for cleaning tools this fall.The only issue we had is we had turned around the hose connector, and it leaked. Once it was on correctly, though, we had no problems with the connection. Just remember that the end with the green knob goes towards the hose. It's obvious now what we did wrong, but not necessarily obvious at the time.
Indeed!
Might wanna change those gloves player
What is the black knob on top of the motor ?
Belt guard
Do you happen to know the part number of the attachment? I could not locate on the HF site.
May have to order it from the catalog that comes in the box.
The video cuts short putting feeding the cable back in. Obviously, that’s a tough job
Bro which store you buy this ?
Harbor Freight
Would that work for a 100 feet pipes?
The cable is only 50 feet long. You will have to buy the 50 foot attachment cable.
@@DuctTapeMechanic Thank you! Wel i will the owners keep renting there machine. I just wanted to save time don't like them comming in and out they never fix this issue since 4 years ago. I haven't move because money issues. But i will find a way. Here in nebraska is hard to find a place with garage and space. I like this house but that issue with the pipes is a headache they don't listen when i say those trees are causing damage to the pipes besides the owners broke part of the pipe 2 years ago. I dont flash toilet paper into my toilet i always clean my grease before i wash my pots. But is they tell me to move this issue will continue who ever rents here no matter what!!
You are on your way to become a professional hole-poker, hopefully your sewer is not a 80 footer !
Can this cut through tree roots?
It has a cutter attachment but I have never used it so can't verify if it works well
@@DuctTapeMechanic Ok. I have roots in my line. I hope this can remove them
✅
Keep in mind the "snake" is not the same width as what a plumber uses. Also, it is not very flexible. I have one of these and it took me over an hour to clear a drain (using the clean out drain) because of a 90 degree turn. It would just get to the curve and stop but I eventually got it unclogged. I am not even sure this device worked because I was about to give up and put a plunger over the drain hole and plunged like a mad man and it eventually cleared. I know it did help some because there was some paper on the coil attachment but just keep in mind that it does not like those 90 degree turns.
I'm having the same problem, it's the shower drain, I hadn't have bring the snake thru the curb of the elbow. I'll keep trying. Thank you
Hydrostar snake macine has 1/2 inch cable - not designed for small drain pipe with tight turns. For a bathroom, I would remove the toilet and snake down the toilet drain.
can i use extension cable with this? any idea?
Yes you can.
Can we use this for roots?
Yes there is a attachment for roots.
I just got charged $280 by the plumbing company to run the snake through the roof, since I don't have a clean-out. Adding a clean-out estimated at about $2,500. I am getting this thing but the price in the website today is $380, nowhere close to the price mentioned in the video even with the 20% coupon
You are looking at the auto feed version. This one goes from $200 to $250 if not on sale.
@@DuctTapeMechanic , thanks for the clarification man. Now I see the correct one at $250. 👍
I just got this AND the 50ft replacement cable for $60.. I can attach the replacement cable instead of a cutter and now have 100ft. Im gona be into the shit tmrw with this on its maiden voyage literally..
I meant the cable for $60.. Whole thing was $300 with coupon and 1 year warranty.. If this fucks up you cannot return it due to haz mat but with a warranty they give a new one and since my mom and i went 1/2 she elected to get the warranty.
She said as payment for 1/2 to unclog her line with my labor should the problem come up. Hell i should offer main line services for $100 a pop for this bad boy.
A word of caution as other commenters have said do not let any friends and other people know that you have it because then they will be asking you to borrow it all the time
I got ripped off by Roto-Rooter for $750.00 just to remove my bathroom toilet and run a 50 ft. plumbing snake though my toilet pipes. It took them less than 45 minutes to temporary unplug my drain and walk away with my hard earned money. I will never do business with that company again. I even call the company to complain after I realize how naive I was. They just tried to refer me to another department. Never heard from them again. Today, I when to Home Depot and rented a 50 ft. automatic plumbing snake for $71.00. I learned an expensive lesson. Sometimes it is better to do it yourself.
@@winfredboles3550 Yes same story here. Single visit by profession plumber was $300 for snaking sewer line and removing some roots. Now it costs me nothing to snake my sewer (except for some of my time). Piece of cake with some experience.
Bro TBH any 25ft handheld is too small for the job. I have a ridgid hand crank and this handcrank 25ft wit drill attachment.
When my shower and sink upstairs backs up with my gfs hair it works well. I need to consider a drain catch for her hair..
Everyone should own a 25ft auger at the least but i have plenty of friends askin to borrow it.. if you are a homeowner you should at least have a 25 foot hand crank drain auger if not then you're just doing the wrong
don't drink out of the water hose
Lol
Anyone in these comme to that has no experience, do not use a half blade
Damn this is $360 now
Don't worry Harbor Freight has sales weekly
DuctTape Mechanic yea I was looking at the wrong one it was the one with the auto feed but the auto feed feature has mixed reviews
J
That little HF snake is terrible.
Good review but as a sewer and drained technician I can tell you this thing is a complete joke
It's not a joke. it can clear sewer obstruction and save an expensive visit from an expensive plumber, paying for itself with single use! I rented expensive machines from Home Depot as well as use cheap Harbor Freight snake machine, and for most uses, HF snake machine does fine.
No explanation given as to why this machine is a "joke" I see... Business must be slow for you....
Not a joke at all….pays for itself typically in one use.
You didn't show the results lol
Yes I do. When I stick the hose in the cleanout the water does not come back up, meaning the blocked drain is unclogged.
Any drain machine you buy from harbor freight has to be trash. Trust me. Been in the trade for years. Go gorlitz or go home. You get what you pay for in mainline machines. Good ones start at around 800 dollars
It's only for residential use. Like once a year....
Except for the fact we aren't plumbers and it literally pays for itself in a couple jobs considering what plumbers charge. You're welcome to your rates, but some of us do like fixing problems and this might be a good starting piece of kit for an apprentice.
These are fine for homeowners that know what they're doing, not a professional plumber. It's not much different than the one I used to rent from the local hardware store to chop up the tree roots in the downspout drains. Pays for itself in a few uses. I just picked up a clone of this exact unit for $169.
HF snake machine is fine for home owners who can take time to do sewer cleanout. Of course for professional plumber, time is money, so they need huge powerful snake machine to do the job fast, but most people don't need such machine for clearing occasional sewer clog and routine preventitive maintenance to remove tree roots.