# My new old jetter



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

Man I love this thing! It's a General J-2900 that I bought about six months or so ago from another plumber who got himself in all kinds of financial trouble and needed a quick $1000.00. It came with I think it's 200' of 3/8" hose on the main reel and 150' of 1/4" hose on a secondary reel/cart.

Well I bought this thing because leading up to that time I had had a string of drain calls where I really struggled and thought that what I really needed was a jetter. I didn't want to buy one though 'cause it seems like every time I turn around I think I need to buy some new kind of drain equipment. I've got way more money in drain equipment than any other types of tools. For $1000 though how could I not buy it.

Anyway as soon as I get it I use it on a call and, oh yeah, this is what I needed! Well I use it that once and then I never need it anymore for like I don't know 6 months or however long it's been and then the other day all of a sudden I turn into jetter man! I had a call from a client who had about 50' of grease laden ks drain and a buddy of mine (who doesn't have a jetter :icon_cheesygrin calls to see if I can go do the same thing for one of his clients. Well I've never really used this thing except for the one time before and there really isn't anybody to show me any tricks so I have to just kind of figure it out as I go. The good news is that there is not much to it once you figure it out. This thing is absolutely murder on a grease line!!!

I had always been afraid that if you tried to jet from inside a house that you would end up making a collossal mess but it really didn't. I took one of my Hackney shelf trays and set it under the open ks waste arm in case it came back on me. It did but it wasn't violent and everything just went into the pan until I got through it all. When I was done I just sucked it all up with my mini wet vac and poured it down the outside clean out (ran tons of water behind it of course), rinsed out the pan with the garden hose, dried it with a towel and you never could tell that there had just been something so disgusting in it just a couple of minutes before.

I used to dread getting ks drain calls because the best I could do was poke a hole in the grease which wouldn't really last anytime. Now it's looking like easy money. Jetter rules!!!


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## Marlin (Aug 14, 2008)

I've never used or even seen a jetter, I guess they aren't popular around here. What exactly does it do, it sounds like it basically pressure washes the inside of the line? How do they work on roots or other large obstructions?


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

If you can come up with a way to backjet the lines it works much better, when I did sevice work we did a lot of apartment buildings kitchen lines, Chicago requires grease basins for multi unit buildings, so it was fairly easy work.


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

Marlin said:


> I've never used or even seen a jetter, I guess they aren't popular around here. What exactly does it do, it sounds like it basically pressure washes the inside of the line? How do they work on roots or other large obstructions?


Exactly! A cable will usually just pass through a greased up line without removing anything. I've also had sludge plugs that were so long that I couldn't get them cleared with a cable.

They say that you can get certain nozzles that will cut roots but I'm not sure I believe it and even if it's true I don't think mine is nearly big enough to do that. For a greased up ks line though it's the only way to fly! I won't drag anything larger than my mini rooter up on a roof but with the jetter all you take up there is the end of the hose.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

We use to have a J-3000 which served us well. We also had the separate hose cart for remote cleaning.

Mark


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

smellslike$tome said:


> Man I love this thing! It's a General J-2900 that I bought about six months or so ago from another plumber who got himself in all kinds of financial trouble and needed a quick $1000.00. It came with I think it's 200' of 3/8" hose on the main reel and 150' of 1/4" hose on a secondary reel/cart.


I hate you.


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> I hate you.


:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Well let me let you hate me some more because it was actually a package deal. The rest of the package was an electric breaker w/4 bits and a cart and a rescue saw w/diamond blade. The saw w/diamond blade alone would be right at $1000.00.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

smellslike$tome said:


> :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
> 
> Well let me let you hate me some more because it was actually a package deal. The rest of the package was an electric breaker w/4 bits and a cart and a rescue saw w/diamond blade. The saw w/diamond blade alone would be right at $1000.00.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

I can't be to jealous, I got a spartan 1065 for a sewer inspection.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> I can't be to jealous, I got a spartan 1065 for a sewer inspection.


That's a hell of a trade off for you.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

These will do a pretty fair job on roots...
http://www.usjetting.com/flex.html


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Warthog will do a better job as it has less ports thereby keeping a constant pressure.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

But if you want to go balls to the wall use a root rat!
http://www.chempure.com/ourrootrats.htm


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## uaplumber (Jun 16, 2008)

Would love to just build a man-portable jetter and buy the heads. However fear and common sense says to wait.


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