# Nice jetter clams today



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

For those who don't know, I have a relatively small jetter (J-2900). I don't normally use it for anything except resi ks/wm lines. I am charging $488 for the jetter and have often thought that it wasn't enough. Now if the jetter was with me all the time it would probably be fine but it's not, it just takes up too much space on the truck. I have an Isuzu with a Hackney P2000 box. It carries a LOT of stuff including all my other drain equipment which rides all the time. It will even carry the jetter w/extra reel but it's hard to get to anything when all that is on there. So normally I do not carry the jetter which means that if I go on a call that turns out needing it, I have to go all the way back to the shop, load it, and drive all the way back, then do my thing. This is why I have often thought that $488 is kinda lite.

Well today I only had one call scheduled at the beginning of the day. It was for a medium sized church for whom we have performed jetter services before. They had requested more jetter services so it was loaded up in the Hackney this morning. We went and did our thing and about an hour before we were done I get a call from the office saying we have another drain call. Great!!! We have every piece of drain equipment we own on the truck so we are ready for anything! Get over there and sure enough it's a ks drain. I offer the cable or jetter options and they decide on the jetter. Very good we will fix you right up! Haul the jetter off get it set up, we might have been there an hour and a half. $488.00 plus $59 service charge, this is the way it supposed to work!!! On the other hand, because we never even arrived until about 3:30, had we had to leave to go get the jetter and then come back it would not have been nearly so good.

The thing makes good money when you have it with you. Not as good when you have to go get it. Today we made 976 jetter clams. I think my next truck will be a non Hackney box. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my Hackney but for a complete, ready to go drain truck, I need just a little bit more room.

Love my jetter but it needs to be on the truck all the time and it is just too disruptive to productivity (for any other plumbing task) the way it is now.


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

I hear you loud and clear! Being a service guy and a drain specialist I can never carry everything I need. I could drive a 18-wheeler and then MAYBE I'd feel I have enough parts and tools with me to tackle everything without going back to the shop.
As it is now, I have to carry whatever takes priority that day, just can't carry everything.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Amen brother. We have a small jetter that more often than not collects dust. I being a plumber that does drain cleaning often wishes that I had a big truck with everything I need on it. A helper would be nice, sometimes. Three mainlines two in basement, wore me out.
By the way, congrats on the good money day. I


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## Bollinger plumber (Apr 3, 2009)

smellslike$tome said:


> For those who don't know, I have a relatively small jetter (J-2900). I don't normally use it for anything except resi ks/wm lines. I am charging $488 for the jetter and have often thought that it wasn't enough. Now if the jetter was with me all the time it would probably be fine but it's not, it just takes up too much space on the truck. I have an Isuzu with a Hackney P2000 box. It carries a LOT of stuff including all my other drain equipment which rides all the time. It will even carry the jetter w/extra reel but it's hard to get to anything when all that is on there. So normally I do not carry the jetter which means that if I go on a call that turns out needing it, I have to go all the way back to the shop, load it, and drive all the way back, then do my thing. This is why I have often thought that $488 is kinda lite.
> 
> Well today I only had one call scheduled at the beginning of the day. It was for a medium sized church for whom we have performed jetter services before. They had requested more jetter services so it was loaded up in the Hackney this morning. We went and did our thing and about an hour before we were done I get a call from the office saying we have another drain call. Great!!! We have every piece of drain equipment we own on the truck so we are ready for anything! Get over there and sure enough it's a ks drain. I offer the cable or jetter options and they decide on the jetter. Very good we will fix you right up! Haul the jetter off get it set up, we might have been there an hour and a half. $488.00 plus $59 service charge, this is the way it supposed to work!!! On the other hand, because we never even arrived until about 3:30, had we had to leave to go get the jetter and then come back it would not have been nearly so good.
> 
> ...


I have a 12 ft box truck and I carry all my drain cleaning tools with room to spare. I have pics on here somewhere of it. It is big enough to cary all my tools yet small enough to maneuver city streets. Watch out for low hanging tree limbs though:laughing:
I have the j-3080 general jetter with separate hose cart, spartan 2001 drum machine, spartan 502, spartan 100 drain machines 2 rubber tires with sewer cable in them. a small job box Insight video camera and locator. Along with 2 tool boxes and digging tools and a spare tire plus floor jack. Still have plenty of room to put shelves in but haven't got around to it yet.


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## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

I'm thinking about the General J-2900 not much commercial around here.
Have a water cannon electric jetter 2.2 gpm @1500 psi good for sinks
only draw back needs 20 amp. Need a little more zip in the sewer lines 99% of the residential sewers are under 100 feet. I'm running out or room in my van. I like what Al has :thumbsup: Have to empty half the van just to fit a 40 gallon water heater.


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## retired rooter (Dec 31, 2008)

My jetters a small ecect general (not sure about the model #) .I have a friend who uses one just like it all the time .he leaves jetter on ground ,climbs to roof stack and does his thang:jester: I took my ladder rack off ,just use it, like the jetter only when I have to, as needed ,dont like the roof as much as I used to!With my ole my-tanna m66 I used to be up on a roof ,unstop a sink before a cat could lick his arsh ,guess thats why my BACK is like the old fellow with 1 foot in grave ,the other on a bananna peel. ready to go at anytime


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

I've told this story before but I love this story so if you've heard it before, too bad 'cause you're going to hear it again :laughing:.

I never really wanted a jetter, heck I never really wanted a cable machine but I could see that if I couldn't clean drains I would be losing other work. So I accumulated all of the basic stuff. Then I came across a used Spartan camera with locator for $2500 (still works well, used it the other day). Then one day a friend says that a mutual acquaintance is in money trouble and selling stuff off. I call him and it's true. He shows up with the J-2900 w/200' 1/2" hose, additional reel w/cart and 150' of 1/4" hose, a bunch of different basic nozzles, an electric breaker w/4 bits and hand truck, and a rescue saw w/about a half used 14" diamond blade. He gets the jetter running and I ask him how much he wanted. He says I need $1000.00 for all of it. I said "Will you take a check, if not, we can go to the bank and I will get you cash." He took my check.

I'm really not sure how many thousands of dollars these tools have made me but I'm quite sure it's in the tens.


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## Bollinger plumber (Apr 3, 2009)

smellslike$tome said:


> I've told this story before but I love this story so if you've heard it before, too bad 'cause you're going to hear it again :laughing:.
> 
> I never really wanted a jetter, heck I never really wanted a cable machine but I could see that if I couldn't clean drains I would be losing other work. So I accumulated all of the basic stuff. Then I came across a used Spartan camera with locator for $2500 (still works well, used it the other day). Then one day a friend says that a mutual acquaintance is in money trouble and selling stuff off. I call him and it's true. He shows up with the J-2900 w/200' 1/2" hose, additional reel w/cart and 150' of 1/4" hose, a bunch of different basic nozzles, an electric breaker w/4 bits and hand truck, and a rescue saw w/about a half used 14" diamond blade. He gets the jetter running and I ask him how much he wanted. He says I need $1000.00 for all of it. I said "Will you take a check, if not, we can go to the bank and I will get you cash." He took my check.
> 
> I'm really not sure how many thousands of dollars these tools have made me but I'm quite sure it's in the tens.


That is one sweet deal. Wish I could come across something like that.


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## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

smellslike$tome said:


> I've told this story before but I love this story so if you've heard it before, too bad 'cause you're going to hear it again :laughing:.
> 
> I never really wanted a jetter, heck I never really wanted a cable machine but I could see that if I couldn't clean drains I would be losing other work. So I accumulated all of the basic stuff. Then I came across a used Spartan camera with locator for $2500 (still works well, used it the other day). Then one day a friend says that a mutual acquaintance is in money trouble and selling stuff off. I call him and it's true. He shows up with the J-2900 w/200' 1/2" hose, additional reel w/cart and 150' of 1/4" hose, a bunch of different basic nozzles, an electric breaker w/4 bits and hand truck, and a rescue saw w/about a half used 14" diamond blade. He gets the jetter running and I ask him how much he wanted. He says I need $1000.00 for all of it. I said "Will you take a check, if not, we can go to the bank and I will get you cash." He took my check.
> 
> I'm really not sure how many thousands of dollars these tools have made me but I'm quite sure it's in the tens.


I'll give him $1001 let the bidding begin  Nice score at that price :thumbsup:


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