# Root Ranger Questions?



## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

OK after hearing how fantastic they are on here we purchased a root ranger for our general j-3000 jetter. I put it on to use it for the first time today and the jetter would only build 1500 psi with it on there and it wasn't enough to cut any roots. It is the size root ranger that rigid recomended for our jetter specs? Anyone else had this problem? I feel like an a$$ now after the boss just spent good money on this and it won't work


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Your flow is reduced, probably a bad root ranger (the blaster nozzle) You could take it apart and look for rust etc. Or just return it. It has happened to others before.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Oversized nozzle is the first guess. My pump would put out 2700 psi with them. They come at a factory 5.5 nozzle size. You gotta take the turbo off and get a 4.5 or a 4.0 nozzle. My pump is 4gpm 3500 psi...yours is 4gpm 3000 psi...not sure which nozzle it is for you. build a test gauge...makes a world of difference for ordering the correct jetting nozzles. I buy my 4.5 turbos through envirospec. part # 1563. What size and length hose you running?

Second guess is you have a leak where the u bend meets the turbo nozzle. Connect an air hose to it and increase the pressure gently to 50 psi and stick the nozzle in water. Air should only come out of the nozzle end. btw, this will be loud...earplugs.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> Oversized nozzle is the first guess. My pump would put out 2700 psi with them. They come at a factory 5.5 nozzle size. You gotta take the turbo off and get a 4.5 or a 4.0 nozzle. My pump is 4gpm 3500 psi...yours is 4gpm 3000 psi...not sure which nozzle it is for you. build a test gauge...makes a world of difference for ordering the correct jetting nozzles. I buy my 4.5 turbos through envirospec. part # 1563. What size and length hose you running?
> 
> Second guess is you have a leak where the u bend meets the turbo nozzle. Connect an air hose to it and increase the pressure gently to 50 psi and stick the nozzle in water. Air should only come out of the nozzle end. btw, this will be loud...earplugs.


So I can change the nozzle size! That may be the solution!
I leak tested it with water at 1000 psi and water only came out of the nozzle!


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Gear we are running 3/8 hose and it's 125' right now but planning to add another 100 soon.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Switch to the quarter inch hose. You'll get much better results.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Another thought on hoses. I just bought a 1/4" 200' hose and see a pressure loss of a about 1000 psi. The majority of my jobs are less then 100'. When I have to buy another hose, I'll buy a 100' hose and 2) 50' hoses. Use them the same way a drum cable gets used. 100' goes in first then add more hose as I need it. Adding another hose will add less then 10 minutes to a job.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> Switch to the quarter inch hose. You'll get much better results.


I would of thought there would be less friction loss with 3/8 hose?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

But it weighs almost twice as much as the 1/4" hose. That's why it doesn't work as well with our specs.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> But it weighs almost twice as much as the 1/4" hose. That's why it doesn't work as well with our specs.



OK makes sense!


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

I have a J3000 and a factory SPEC root ranger and I get full psi and the spray is very devastating.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Does the water cut the roots out ?? Never used or seen a jetter so just tryn to learn a bit !! I understand I think. High psi water come out the front of the head to clean out line. And water comes out the back to force line down the pipe and also clean the pipe and I think it makes the head/ rotate. Got all this from reading on the zone is this correct ??


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Do you guys also heat the water going through your jetter ????


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> Does the water cut the roots out ?? Never used or seen a jetter so just tryn to learn a bit !! I understand I think. High psi water come out the front of the head to clean out line. And water comes out the back to force line down the pipe and also clean the pipe and I think it makes the head/ rotate. Got all this from reading on the zone is this correct ??


Yes. The Warthog, Root Rat, And Root Ranger all cut roots. The Root Rat uses spinning chain or cable to do the cutting.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

My Root Ranger shreds the heck out of roots. No we do not heat the water through our jetters, even when jetting frozen lines we use cold water. For frozen lines I use a nozzle that has only 4 jets back but three jets forward.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbMRwUTolgI


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

SewerRatz said:


> I have a J3000 and a factory SPEC root ranger and I get full psi and the spray is very devastating.


What kind of pressure you getting at the machine Ratz?


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

deerslayer said:


> What kind of pressure you getting at the machine Ratz?


It reads 3000 PSI so sounds to me yours maybe detective.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Another thing to consider. The root ranger is sold with the kj3100 a 5.5 3000 psi jetter. In the past, it was sold with a kj3000, a 4gpm 3000 jetter. I would guess that Ron bought his ranger when the KJ3000 was being sold so it was sized to the kj3000. Since it's now sized to the kj3100, it's oversized for me and deers jetter.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Actually this one said right on the box it was for a kj 3000, I remember because the apprentice told me I ordered the wrong one because we had a J3000 jetter.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Hmmmm you got me. Without taking off the nozzle to see the size, it's just a guess but I'd bet money it's oversized.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

deerslayer said:


> Actually this one said right on the box it was for a kj 3000, I remember because the apprentice told me I ordered the wrong one because we had a J3000 jetter.


It wouldn't be the first time a part was pulled from the wrong box, whether putting it together or throwing it in a box for shipment.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> Hmmmm you got me. Without taking off the nozzle to see the size, it's just a guess but I'd bet money it's oversized.


Next time I get to the shop I am gonna look closer at it! Does the nozzle itself have a size stamp on it?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

It'll be stamped on the bottom. You can't see it until you remove the turbo from the ubend. .


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