# K750 suggestions



## Plumbtastic1 (Jul 5, 2014)

I have a k750. I bought it with a 3/4 cable and quickly found that I couldn't use it for what I wanted to use it for (snaking 3-4" residential lines, sometimes through toilet flanges) so I bought the 5/8 cable...much more negotiable. 

I have been using a k60 (love it). I wanted a second machine for added versatility. 

Long story short, I have had several kinked cables, 2 almost stuck cables, and am getting pretty frustrated. I can make the k60 dance a jig through roots or almost anything. I'm pretty sure there is something I'm doing wrong, it seems like a solid machine. I ask for any advise you fellas could throw my way. I am getting tired of buying and repairing cables.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Throw that k750 on Craig's list quick and sell it for whatever anyone is willing to give you.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I would agree you are doing something wrong...
Personally I'd have gone to an 11/16" cable....
That is what I run on my K-7500 which dances a little jig through anything in a line I push it against

I get about 2 years use out of my cables...


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Plumbtastic1 said:


> I have a k750. I bought it with a 3/4 cable and quickly found that I couldn't use it for what I wanted to use it for (snaking 3-4" residential lines, sometimes through toilet flanges) so I bought the 5/8 cable...much more negotiable.
> 
> I have been using a k60 (love it). I wanted a second machine for added versatility.
> 
> Long story short, I have had several kinked cables, 2 almost stuck cables, and am getting pretty frustrated. I can make the k60 dance a jig through roots or almost anything. I'm pretty sure there is something I'm doing wrong, it seems like a solid machine. I ask for any advise you fellas could throw my way. I am getting tired of buying and repairing cables.












OK. Ridgid recommends that the 7/8" cable is the one to use in a main line of 3" or 4". 

The smaller 5/8" is for an inside line. For example, a 2" kitchen drain line, or an 1 1/2" lav drain with the trap removed. Using the 5/8" in a main line is asking for trouble. It'll flip over on itself very easily. 

Also, there are a few different temper 5/8" cables:

C-7...Tight wind
C-8...All-purpose wind
C-9...Heavy-duty wind

I have the C-8 and C-9. The C-9 is a much more stiff cable. It is for 2"-3" lines. It wont take bends all that well. The C-8 is alot less stiff and it'll take 1 1/4" waste arms {with the trap removed of course} and up through 2" lines.

Call Ridgid and have them send you their printed catalog with the drain cleaning cables head chart, tool tips and different cable sizes. 1-888-743-4333. By the way, the C-7 & C-8 5/8" cables are both 7 1/2 feet long whereas the C-9 comes in 10' lengths.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I'm not sure if it is visible, but you can just make out that even though both cables in the picture are the same OD of 5/8", one uses a thicker wire as opposed to the other one. Holding them side by side makes the difference clear. One is stiff and the other is alot less stiff.


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## alberteh (Feb 26, 2012)

k750 is garbage! all we have up here is basements and guess where the main cleanout is always located?

downstairs!!

stupid heavy arsed machine...


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## Plumbtastic1 (Jul 5, 2014)

Thanks for the feedback. I will try the 11/16 cable. I also have the rep coming out to give us a crash course using the machine.......if that doesn't work, I give up.


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## Plumbtastic1 (Jul 5, 2014)

Tommy plumber, I did not know they made different 5/8 cables for the k60. I will be getting the heavy duty one to add to the arsenal. Thanks


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## Plumbtastic1 (Jul 5, 2014)

sierra2000 said:


> Throw that k750 on Craig's list quick and sell it for whatever anyone is willing to give you.


What do you have against the 750? I'm not questioning you opinion, I am just curious to what you've based it on.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I would go with the K-7500 over a K-750, it's a better machine...

I use drum machines exclusively...
One of the 1st things you'll need to do is get a nice comfy seat....:yes:










It will be handy to keep some blades, leaders, tools, and stuff in...

Then you'll need to learn to have a discussion with your cable and machine...
You'll need to know when that blade sticks in a root and stops turning...
You'll need to know when it has just the right amount of torque wound up into the cable....

Then at just the right moment you jerk back on the cable pulling the cutter free....
Then in an instant you plunge it back into the root as it starts to unwind and they get obliterated...:laughing::yes:

Yea... It's not like running a K-60...
As I understand it they can cut a hole in a piece of plywood...
Then again I've never found a sheet of plywood in a sewer yet...:no:

But I did bust up some 2X4's that were in a line at the mushroom farm...:laughing:


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

I started off with one when I went into business 11 years ago. 100' of 3/4" cable. Nothing but stuck and broken cables every few months for years until I switched to Spartan. Since I switched I haven't been stuck or broken a cable not once.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

sierra2000 said:


> I started off with one when I went into business 11 years ago. 100' of 3/4" cable. Nothing but stuck and broken cables every few months for years until I switched to Spartan. Since I switched I haven't been stuck or broken a cable not once.


Why do you think the change in machine made the cable last longer?


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Some have said I just needed more experience or it was user error but I think it's no coincident that as soon as I made the switch I had no problems whatsoever.


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

Redwood said:


> I would go with the K-7500 over a K-750, it's a better machine... I use drum machines exclusively... One of the 1st things you'll need to do is get a nice comfy seat....:yes: It will be handy to keep some blades, leaders, tools, and stuff in... Then you'll need to learn to have a discussion with your cable and machine... You'll need to know when that blade sticks in a root and stops turning... You'll need to know when it has just the right amount of torque wound up into the cable.... Then at just the right moment you jerk back on the cable pulling the cutter free.... Then in an instant you plunge it back into the root as it starts to unwind and they get obliterated...:laughing::yes: Yea... It's not like running a K-60... As I understand it they can cut a hole in a piece of plywood... Then again I've never found a sheet of plywood in a sewer yet...:no: But I did bust up some 2X4's that were in a line at the mushroom farm...:laughing:


I'd like to see it cut that plywood if if was 70' away and after you passed several offsets.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Here is Ridgid's guide to determining what cable is recommened for particular drain sizes. Sorry for low quality picture, it looked bigger when pre-viewed on my computer.


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## Plumbtastic1 (Jul 5, 2014)

sierra2000 said:


> I started off with one when I went into business 11 years ago. 100' of 3/4" cable. Nothing but stuck and broken cables every few months for years until I switched to Spartan. Since I switched I haven't been stuck or broken a cable not once.


I am having that same issue. I'm going to give it one more shot. If it doesn't improve.....wanna buy it from me? Haha


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Plumbtastic1 said:


> I am having that same issue. I'm going to give it one more shot. If it doesn't improve.....wanna buy it from me? Haha


When I first bought mine, a local plumber I know tried to sell me one he had that has been sitting because of the same reason. He switched to Gorlitz.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

I have two plumbers that use the K750 ever since they had come out. There was a slight learning curve since the cable wound in the drum opposite of what most other drum machines do, and no inner drum. Also the first models we had did not have the ezlift wheel in the handle bars.

Once they learned how the machine works they have been thrilled with it, only sad part is the original 3/4" cable that it came with was bullet proof The newer cable not so much. Here are some pro's and con's in my book.

Pro's


light weight compared to other machines 
fits through tight spaces 
plenty of power to tear through heavy roots 
Auto feed works more reliably than the newer feed they made for the K7500
 Con's


plenty of power to tear up cable if you are not careful 
small frame and uneven wound cable makes the machine dance around. 
the distributer arm needs to be greased daily or suffer from the cable knotting up in the drum 
Auto feed is a pain in the arse to service 
no inner drum makes life interesting when you run the machine on reverse (cable will come out of the drum)
 There are more but I can't come up with them right now.. I am to down and out atm.


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## KoleckeINC (Oct 22, 2011)

I had one, sold it too. If turns are a pita because your cable is stiff aka Mytana blue flex get a 2' leader or a drop head. Eel makes em. 
And if I didn't do the spearhead first I would flip the stupid cable too.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

KoleckeINC said:


> I had one, sold it too. If turns are a pita because your cable is stiff aka Mytana blue flex get a 2' leader or a drop head. Eel makes em. And if I didn't do the spearhead first I would flip the stupid cable too.


Agreed. There's much easier machines out there to operate to have to deal with that junk.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

sierra2000 said:


> I started off with one when I went into business 11 years ago. 100' of 3/4" cable. Nothing but stuck and broken cables every few months for years until I switched to Spartan. Since I switched I haven't been stuck or broken a cable not once.


Ahhh yea...
I did forget to mention one thing...

I don't use Ridgid Cables....:no::thumbup:

I like using the cables with the DuraCable Style Ends and the C1 Chuck...

I wrote a whole bit about it over at DCF if you want to read it...
Might be some stuff here too...


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## Plumbtastic1 (Jul 5, 2014)

Update: after meeting with Ridgid rep I feel a bit more confident. We have been doing a couple things wrong. The biggest error in my part was running the machine in reverse on occasion to try and negotiate turns (after hearing the logic of the cable spinning against the wind pattern it easily flips over in the drum). Makes pretty good sense. So, here we go final effort in using the darn thing. It definitely has some power, hopefully we will be more successful in using it with no issues. And most importantly- more profitable. Thank you all for the great insight.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

I thought I jinxed myself yesterday. 
I got stuck in a line for the first time since I've had my Spartan machine and it took me over an hour to free it. After getting loose I was able to see that I was hung up on severely broken pipe.
My worse thoughts were that my cable twisted in a knot inside the 6" pipe since I only run .55 cable in my 300. Yea I know, .55 in 6"? I've been clearing sewers for years with it and only a few times that I couldn't clear a line.
I worked the cable forward and reverse letting the torque build up along with manual pulling, finally I just let it sit for 15 minutes and was able to free it.
This same situation would have snapped my ridgid cable.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

sierra2000 said:


> I thought I jinxed myself yesterday.
> I got stuck in a line for the first time since I've had my Spartan machine and it took me over an hour to free it. After getting loose I was able to see that I was hung up on severely broken pipe.
> My worse thoughts were that my cable twisted in a knot inside the 6" pipe since I only run .55 cable in my 300. Yea I know, .55 in 6"? I've been clearing sewers for years with it and only a few times that I couldn't clear a line.
> I worked the cable forward and reverse letting the torque build up along with manual pulling, finally I just let it sit for 15 minutes and was able to free it.
> This same situation would have snapped my ridgid cable.












Are your cables innercore?


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> Are your cables innercore?


Inner core. 
This is from their website about the cable I use. It's a really strong cable. I think it's why I can get away with using it in 6" mains. 
___________________________________________________________ 
Spartan Tool’s Magnum™ cables give you three important advantages in use. First, rather than winding our cable from a single continuous strand of wire, Magnum™ cables are double wound using simultaneously fed and formed wire. This double wind results in dramatically quicker torque into the clog –33% quicker torqueing – because the two independent strands of wire not only torque down into the inner-core, but the inner core itself torques in the opposite direction. It’s like having two cables in one. And because it torques more quickly, you can finish the job sooner!

When we double wind our Magnum™ cables, we can use thinner gauge wire than we otherwise would. This means that Magnum™ cable is 25% lighter weight than the same length of standard drain cables, making it easier to maneuver the machine to its work location, again allowing you to save time on the job.

Because the Magnum™ cable is wound with a thinner gauge wire, it has a smaller outer diameter. This means that you can fit more cable in the drum! Where a Model 300 machine can only fit 75 feet of 5/8” cable, plus the 5 foot anchor and 2 foot leader cable for a total of 82 feet of capacity, using Magnum™ cable allows a full 100 feet of cable, plus the anchor and leader, for a total capacity of 107 feet. That 25 foot advantage can often make the difference between needing a different machine or a second drum to reach and clear a clog.

Since time is money, and Magnum™ cable saves you time, it will deliver a huge return on your investment. It is lighter yet stronger, more cable will fit into your machine, and it will clear drains more quickly. Make Magnum™ your choice the next time you consider drain cables for your larger machines.


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## Plumbtastic1 (Jul 5, 2014)

I've heard nothing but good things about the spartan magnum cables. I'll have to try them next go round.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Nice concept on the Spartan Magnums with the opposing coils loading against each other...

It does add a bit of complexity to the cable repairs and putting ends on...
I usually only do this once and the cable is getting replaced...
It also loads torque onto the cable faster...
Which could make repairs more frequent...

I thought about it a while back and decided I was quite happy with what I had and the way it was working. Something along the line of "if it isn't broke don't fix it" or, "don't rock the boat..."


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## supakingDFW (Aug 19, 2014)

sierra2000 said:


> I only run .55 cable in my 300.



I've used this same setup on my 300 since they came out with the Magnum cables with GREAT success...yep, even in 6" lines :thumbup:


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

supakingDFW said:


> I've used this same setup on my 300 since they came out with the Magnum cables with GREAT success...yep, even in 6" lines :thumbup:


Although I will probably get a 1065 somewhere down the line with the .66 cable, I get comments all the time about how the 300 with the .55 cable isn't a serious main line machine. Well no one has told my machine that. Haha.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

I have two plumbers that rod 6" main lines all the time with their Spartan 300 and never had any issues. The machine only falls short when the line is beyond a 150' My brother runs a 1065 with the .66 cable, when he first switched to the cable he was snapping them due to over torque, once he realized it is building up torque a lot faster than standard 3/4" cable he has not had any issues since.


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

I have run many 6" lines with a 300 with a very high success rate. I agree with Ron, no good past 150'.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Why the heck aren't you jetting when that far out? Cable machines have their place and 100+ feet out isn't it. I find it kind weird you guys talking so much about the big drum machines. They cost $2000+ and only do so much. My homemade cart jetter came in right about the same price and actually cuts the roots and cleans.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

With my 1065 I have not had any problems rodding 250' lines, and with my old K500 or the Rothenberger I have rodded 400'+ lines.

Longest run I ever did (before I owned my trailer jetter) was a 600' line manhole to manhole with my Rothenberger and the heavy duty Ridgid 1 1/4" cable. Normally I would of went to the shop and picked up the K1000 with the solid steel 3/8" rod and did the job, but the guy said if I left he would call someone else. Called my buddy had him bring me another 300' of cable and had at it. Got them open, called my truck jetter guy to come and give a proper cleaning. We all made a decent buck and everyone including the customer was happy.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Man Ron, all I saw was that you worked super hard to do an inadequate job because there are better options out there. Why aren't you jetting those long lines? Why didn't your truck jetter come out first for the 600' manhole job? Not trying to bother on you man but you gotta work smart man.....these stories sound like you're work hard and not even doing as good of a job as you could be. Jet it, work easier while doing a better job. If you wanta charge more...go for it but quality of end product, jetting is the way to go.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Look I'm not even a good drain cleaner but you give monkey the right tool and it's amazing what he can accomplish. Cable machines can't do this.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

This is what a root mass looks like AFTER my 3" C-cutter went through got it flowing again. 6" pipe and I sent the cable in first so my root ranger could cut the roots out.

Then the after the roots got cut out. Come on Ron, see the light my friend. Get that jetter working!


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> *This is what a root mass looks like AFTER my 3" C-cutter went through got it flowing again. 6" pipe and I sent the cable in first* so my root ranger could cut the roots out.
> 
> Then the after the roots got cut out. Come on Ron, see the light my friend. Get that jetter working!


Ummmm... :blink::whistling2:

Why were you using a 3" "C" Cutter in a 6" pipe expecting it to be clean?:laughing:

Wouldn't that be kinda like me putting a small 1/4" button nozzle on a 1/4" hose with 2500 PSI & 2.5 GPM down a 24" pipe saying jetters don't work...:laughing:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> This is what a root mass looks like AFTER my 3" C-cutter went through got it flowing again. 6" pipe and *I sent the cable in first so my root ranger could cut the roots out*.
> 
> Then the after the roots got cut out. Come on Ron, see the light my friend. Get that jetter working!


Read it again.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Oh something else that may be particular to my area. A common setup here is to have a 3" two way cleanout(1 fitting going both ways) but we almost always have 6" pipe at the sidewalk or curb. Because of this I often see big root masses in the 6" pipe because the cable guy could never get a big enough cutter in there. Obviously just another advantage to the jetter.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

Gear, I did them an A1 job, the jetter truck was out in Hammond IN on a job site and couldn't be out for 4 hours. They needed to get flowing since it was a whole industrial park that was backed up. 

The other long runs where in a store like Kmart that had clean outs buried or hidden with no prints to locate them. So rodding from the only clean out 300' was the only option. Jetting with my cart jetter would of flooded the store out prior to getting the line open. Made multiple passes with small, medium then large blades. I still service this place and it has been over 5 years since that line backed up. Since then we have located two clean outs in that long run as they moved freezers and cabinets around.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> Read it again.


Right... Pointless to even have a picture of it...
Unless you like saying, "Here's a line I poked a hole in."
Here's a line I used a 1/2 blade in...
Here's a line I used a blow bag in...:laughing:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Here's a line that a 3" cutter went through and is still plenty clogged with roots.

Here's the same line after a jetter has been through it. 

My point is jetters do a much better job at drain cleaning with the key word being "cleaning" and the pictures back it up......not just talk about it. 

What's your point?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> here's a line that a 1/2 size cutter went through and is still plenty clogged with roots.


tifify...


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

lol......ok.....sure. If that makes you feel better. Good job for fixing that for me.


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## NH Rob (Jan 16, 2014)

Sorry I have no pictures but, I cleaned a 200' run 6" clay with a 3" cutter. Sent in the camera and it was hard to find the joints that had roots. A Jetter after the cable would have been pointless.

All you need to do is get the head to "dance". 

This was done with a drum machine, no 10' sections for me:no:


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