# General maxi-rooter



## Maximumplumbing (Nov 6, 2010)

Anyone have any hands on experience with the maxi-rooter from general. I'm looking at adding a large main line machine to the arsenal. I know it's not a spartan but I have kind of a large selection of general equipment now and have had no real issues yet. Adding a different brand with different cables and cutters and all seems kind of crazy at this point. I think I may load it with 5/8 to go along with my general metro. As of yet I haven't felt I needed to be running a 3/4 cable. I mostly run residential 4" sewers with some commercial 4 and 6" thrown in the mix. At this time I can only run 75'. Between my metro and the 3055 Jetter I'm usually in pretty good shape. There is the occasional time do to the length problem I can't get things flowing and have to bring in a friendly sub. I've also recently picked up some commercial service work and I know length will be an issue if a problem arises. Anyway anyone with first hand experience?


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## Plumbducky (Jun 12, 2010)

I have a General 91 with 5/8" cable and have never had a problem. I think they are well built units.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

I do not recommend the Maxi, and here is why I had one for many years and the motor and cable where fine but the general auto feed was just a plain terrible design, I bought new rollers, I bought the whole assembly and the same thing always happened....... it would travel out fast in forward but had no speed or torque in reverse after a few runs. General always said " you must have worn cable" "nope it's new" then "you must have adjusted the tension too tight and wasted the new rollers" Nope didn't do that at all. The reason I hated this situation is because you are really only supposed to run the machine in forward so when backing out and you have a good amount of roots you need to rip them out the general could not do it. I found myself putting the feeder in forward and the machine in reverse and it would back out fast but this was dangerous to do or the roots you had on the cutters could fall back off. I ran only 3/4" cable maybe with 5/8" it's better but I kinda doubt it.


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## Maximumplumbing (Nov 6, 2010)

I've heard that before. That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I'm still, thinking about a 300 with an extra drum of 55 because of stuff like that.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Plumbducky said:


> I have a General 91 with 5/8" cable and have never had a problem. I think they are well built units.


I have a 91 as well. It is 6 or 7 years old and still performs flawlessly. I have no idea of how many times it's been used but quite a few. It has made me a lot of money. 

David


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

This month's issue of the Cleaner magazine has a General ad inside the front cover where this guy is sticking a 1/2" cable from a Mini Rooter XP down a manhole so that Maxi-Rooter should easy do culverts...

We had a Mini-Rooter XP and it flat sucked, so after a year I complained loud enough that they sent me a SewerRooter T3 to replace it with, I had to pay the difference in the original cost of the machine and I kept my used cable and installed it in the new machine. For a smaller machine I've been happy with the T3 but we don't use it all day every day like some guys do.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

SewerRat said:


> This month's issue of the Cleaner magazine has a General ad inside the front cover where this guy is sticking a 1/2" cable from a Mini Rooter XP down a manhole so that Maxi-Rooter should easy do culverts...
> 
> We had a Mini-Rooter XP and it flat sucked, so after a year I complained loud enough that they sent me a SewerRooter T3 to replace it with, I had to pay the difference in the original cost of the machine and I kept my used cable and installed it in the new machine. For a smaller machine I've been happy with the T3 but we don't use it all day every day like some guys do.


I think he's rodding a septic line, not a sewer main.

I think the what General did for you speaks volumes for their customer service. I worked for a shop that had a problem with a SpeedRooter 91. They replaced it and upgraded the motor to 3/4hp for no cost. They were easy to deal with.


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

I agree I was very impressed. I have read mostly on the Ridgid forum about how treacherous General's customer service is but after an experience like that I won't be talking smack about their company. I should clarify, "complained loud enough " consisted of one phone call explaining my problem and an immediate offer from them of the upgrade. 

And before anyone trashes me for saying I read it on the Ridgid site I might've mis-remembered where I read that and I'm not running for president OK? :laughing:


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

General make an alright mainline line machine. The Speedrooter is a decent machine. Ran one for years and did well. It's there mini rooter that sucks.


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## alberteh (Feb 26, 2012)

HEY! 

whats wrong with the mini rooter?

I have one and it works just fine for me, but i would definitely like to know of any issues.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Mini rooter is terrible. That's the issues with it:laughing: I ran one of those also for years, I even had one at one time. It's in the same crap class a K-400. Might be slightly better turd than a K-400. l


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## alberteh (Feb 26, 2012)

OK now you have me curious will, what exactly makes it terrible?

I have had no issues so far?


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

I've moved on to better machine. I used to think the mini rooter was the only option, then I found the Spartan 100, then I got my Electric Eel Model N. Mini rooter will work if you only snake a few drains here and there, if you do it on a daily basis you will find a Model N or 100 will work so much easier and better. General machines really aren't the worst you could buy, but there is defiantly better option out there. There machines are just not very refined or engineered to me.


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

They claim that it will run 75' of 1/2" cable. After a few uses the power feed wouldn't push the cable into the drum. I finally jerked the power feed off and I couldn't physically push the cable into the drum. I called them and told them and they said that for whatever reason some cables end up stiffer than others. I said it just seemed to me like the drum simply wasn't big enough to handle that much cable. That's when they said it sounded like the cable I ended up with was stiffer than usual and they thought the next size bigger machine would be better for me. Huge difference! Power feed plugs along without trouble as it's twice as big and heavy plus the bigger drum handles the 75' cable without issue.

That was my issue.


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## alberteh (Feb 26, 2012)

interesting.

i run 75' of 1/2" no problem in my mini rooter and more than once all the way out with the power feed no problems. must be lucky with my rodding? ;-)


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

Couldn't tell you but I know we tried everything... pulled all cable out multiple times to make sure it laid right in the drum, etc. The last 10' or so just wasn't going in either power feed or by hand.


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