# General Wire Machines



## 3KP (Jun 19, 2008)

Are general wire machines good? I been looking into the root 66 model. I found one brand new with 5/8 cable and 7/8 cable and cutter kits for around $1700.00 on one of those online shopping stores. I know it's not a Ridgid K 60 but look close to it.

Any input would be great!


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

3Kings Plumbing said:


> Are general wire machines good? I been looking into the root 66 model. I found one brand new with 5/8 cable and 7/8 cable and cutter kits for around $1700.00 on one of those online shopping stores. I know it's not a Ridgid K 60 but look close to it.
> 
> Any input would be great!


You can't afford to buy cheap tools.

Ridgid and Spartan have customer service that is second to none, General Wire has a rep that is not employed by them that does not know how the machine actually works.

If you are going to lay out four figures for a tool don't you think you should get some serious customer service in return?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

I have a rt66 and the only advatage is the base is wider side to side. To change for cable size, you change the handle position vise turning the thingamajig on the k60.

I love my k60 and the ridgid staff has great customer service. I bought my k60 for 1265 from black book of tools. If you buy a k60 during ridgid spring fling drain cleaning special, you get a free a35 kit which includes the 5/8 cable. I have 75' of 5/8 cable, 90' of 7/8 innercore and 225' of 7/8 and probably spent around 1700 for everything. Just wait for the specials and you'll find good deals. 

The only thing I would buy from general are their jetters and sectional innercore cable.


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## 3KP (Jun 19, 2008)

*customer base*

KTS:
I have an ad in YellowBook my ad was spose to be in Plumbing Contractors (well the heading is) My 2x2 color ad is posted under the drain cleaning heading. I have so far got 7 calls for drain cleaning. (which I don't have the equipment , so I pass the work on to some one else)..

service guy:
So I should pony up for K60 which is basically the same machine? there is one on ebay but I can't tell if it all together?


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

K-60 is awesome. Never used any other sectional besides Ridgid, so I couldn't tell ya about general's.


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## 3KP (Jun 19, 2008)

*I'm sorry got confused*

I ment gear junkie not service guy:blink: little tired here! :whistling2:Sorry service guy


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Get the k60


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

I only have experience with General. I never really wanted to do drain work but felt I had to or lose future plumbing business from everyone calling about drains.

I started out renting equipment which is just no good because by the time you go get it, do the job, clean it up and return it, you just aren't making any money, plus the rental equipment just flat out sucks.

When I decided to buy equipment it's my view that the equipment I bought was pretty much providentially handed to me. I rarely take time to read the newspaper but did one particular day. In the classified section was a listing for a "plumbing co." that was apparently going out of business. I wound up getting an essentially brand new (it wasn't even scuffed yet) speed rooter 90 w/100' of 5/8" cable, full set of bits, a brand new mini rooter w/I think it's about 75' o 3/8" cable and the cart that you can strap it to so you can roll it around, it also had a full set of bits, and about 3 or 4 boxes of various types of pvc, copper, brass, and b.i. fittings. When I inventoried the fittings after I bought them, they turned out to be over $600 worth at that time. I paid $1500.00 for everything so for me it was a no brainer. The equipment has performed satisfactorily and has not had to be repaired thus far except I did replace the cable once and have since added an additional 50' of cable. I do not use it everyday or even every week but I do use it often enough that it stays on the truck.

Ask around. See if any of your plumbing buddies know of any equipment for sale but don't buy anything that's old and ragged out unless you figure in the cost of rebuilding it into the purchase price. I can't tell you if General out performs or under performs anything else because I've never used anything else. I can say that with the exception of a very few, very long sludge plugs (I estimate 30' or more) it has always cleared whatever I have asked it to. The auto feed/retrieve spoiled me in about 2 seconds so that I would never use anything that didn't have it (I say that but the mini rooter doesn't have it). I would not buy anything with an open drum unless you never take it inside a house or even a garage because even the closed drum after you run it back and forth for awhile will begin to sling water (I can only imagine what an open drum would do).

This may sound opportunistic but look around, see who is struggling and possibly hurting for cash. You may find some great deals. I recently had another "plumber" who had gotten in way over his head and offered to sell me 1- General J2900 jetter with 200' of 3/8" hose plus another reel on a cart with 150' of 1/4" hose, an array of nozzles for both, plus a 90# electric breaker w/4 bits and cart, plus a rescue saw w/diamond blade. His price (not mine) for all of this was $1000.00. The saw and the blade alone are right at $1000.00. I made him demonstrate that the jetter would run properly and I paid him $1000.00. 

The thing is that you have to watch for these sorts of things when you don't necessarily need them. The tyrrany of the now often times forces us to spend more than we otherwise would.


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## Marlin (Aug 14, 2008)

The shop I work for uses general machines. They don't get used often, probably once a week or so but aside from broken cables we haven't had any problems.


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## rainman (Feb 19, 2009)

*General for the money*

Had almost all brand machines. For the money general is alot for the buck. Its usually not the machine, its the operator. I prefer spartan but in comparison you usually drive a buick before a caddy. I have a hot rodder mach Im going to sell on ebay soon. Nice machine ''IF'' your into sectionals. Been there tried that no more for me


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## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

*Gorlitz #1:thumbsup:*


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## gusty60 (Oct 21, 2008)

We use General. Very few problems.


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

Bought a General main line drum snake about 10 years ago, hated it. Used it maybe 6 times and then returned it, nothing but problems. Purchased a spartan, it's been running great for all this time without a single problem. Now looking into the sectional by Ridgid because I'm getting too old to carry that drum machine up and down stairs.


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

rainman said:


> Had almost all brand machines. For the money general is alot for the buck. Its usually not the machine, its the operator. I prefer spartan but in comparison you usually drive a buick before a caddy. I have a hot rodder mach Im going to sell on ebay soon. Nice machine ''IF'' your into sectionals. Been there tried that no more for me


Good point


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

rainman said:


> Had almost all brand machines. For the money general is alot for the buck. Its usually not the machine, its the operator. I prefer spartan but in comparison you usually drive a buick before a caddy. I have a hot rodder mach Im going to sell on ebay soon. Nice machine ''IF'' your into sectionals. Been there tried that no more for me


Hi rainman, I was thinking about purchasing my first sectional. I see you don't like them. I would love to hear your comments about the sectionals and your experience with them, thanks.


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## trick1 (Sep 18, 2008)

I've been knocking this one around in my head for a while now. I have a General Speedrooter 90 and for a drum machine, it's pretty good. No major problems, feed mechanism is pretty straight forward and it's fairly easy to get parts from general, in my experience. Of course it's not a Spartan, which is one of the best machines out there but it gets the job done and to my satisfaction. The only drawback is the length of the cable. Sometimes, 75' just isn't enough.

I own about 7 machines, ranging from the small General Power Vee a couple of Ridgid 375's (I think that's the number) and the Speedrooter. I think if you're gonna make drain cleaning a REAL source of income, you need the K-60 just for the strength of the cable and the length that sometimes is needed. 


I ended up subbing out a buliding sewer this week because my cable was 2' too short. I can't tell you how frustrating that is. I still made money on the call but I couldn't help but be embarrassed that I didn't have the proper equipment to complete the project.


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