# K1500 almost ready to go...



## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

I picked this machine up last week for $1000. I almost didn't buy it as it was beat to crap but, it had the guide hose, all the heads and ten 15 foot sections with it.

The sections cleaned up fairly well and all the buttons freed up nicely. So, they're good to go.

I disassembled the machine entirely. Everything apart including the electric motor. Scraped and cleaned all the junk out of it. Unbent the motor mount and mounting bracket. Cleaned and repacked all the bearings. Sanded, wire wheeled and/or polished most everything. Painted everything with a fresh coat. I cleaned the old front cover enough to use it if needed but it's cracked almost all the way through between the two side mounting bolts and the housing is worn through from the bottom pulley being so far out of alignment because everything was bent up.

I have a new front cover coming in this week as well as a new tool clip for the side, new handle caps/plugs, new clutches and new warning plate. I also need to wire up a new power cord.

Anyhow, it's functional now and works fine with the existing clutches but might as well start new. It should be as fine as a brand new machine when the rest of the stuff comes in.

Looking forward to trying my first sectional. It won't be practical for every job but I love the fact I can sling it around - unlike the General reel machine with 100' of 5/8 cable on it...


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## TraTech (Jan 22, 2012)

Looks nice, I'm debating getting a sectional right now. Either that or a drum machine of large capacity


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Great find. Ridgid is a great product. You cleaned it up well......:thumbsup:


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

It did clean up nice are the wheels rim plastic?? The old one I got has metal rims with chrome hub cap. I think it's a 1981 model. What year is yours ??


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

MarkToo said:


> ... Cleaned and repacked all the bearings....


Those are supposed to be sealed bearings. Buy a new set.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

That looks better than mine, and mine is just now a year old. Man I need to clean mine up, it almost makes me feel bad.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I've never been up close to a 1500. I knowww,,,,,,, I have many shortcomings.:laughing: What is the advantage of the short (15ft.) lengths. I can see how getting it on a roof would be easier, but running a typical 50 to 100+ft. sewer line would be a pain connecting and reconnecting all those joints is it not? I tend to run a line often 3 times before I'm fully satisfied, usually 2. Does the cable have to be broken down joint by joint each time you come out of a line? Not trying to be a smart a**.
Really nice looking machine btw. I might be interested in one.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Epox said:


> I've never been up close to a 1500. I knowww,,,,,,, I have many shortcomings.:laughing: What is the advantage of the short (15ft.) lengths. I can see how getting it on a roof would be easier, but running a typical 50 to 100+ft. sewer line would be a pain connecting and reconnecting all those joints is it not? I tend to run a line often 3 times before I'm fully satisfied, usually 2. Does the cable have to be broken down joint by joint each time you come out of a line? Not trying to be a smart a**.
> Really nice looking machine btw. I might be interested in one.


I don't break the cables down each time. Each time I ran a drain it would matter outside inside grass tall grass drive way,,, ect,,, ideally short grass or drive wAy and I'd pull all the cable out of spool lay it out straight and run the line Tall grass I'd break a cable or two off and run just those and repeat!! I've only ran a few drums and they where pos and just twisted up in the drum on me. I'd like to learn from a pro drum guy the pros and cons in drum machines!!


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Pro's,, when its back in the drum, load it and your gone. No breaking down. Compact, doesnt take up much realistate. Very strong.
Con's,, if your hung up, be careful in reverse, it might kink up, it don't like that. I run in reverse sometimes to back it around a corner or to turn loose of a binding load. As with any tool, use and experience makes all the difference.
It's heavy but I use a aluminum foldable ramp to get it in and out of my trailer.


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## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

plbgbiz said:


> Those are supposed to be sealed bearings. Buy a new set.


No sealed bearings in this machine. The large rear is open race and the front thrust/needle is obviously cleanable and packable. Even the front and rear in the motor are serviceable. 

This machine services nicely. It's like working on a quality vintage car or bike. 


Texas mech:

Yes plastic wheels. Very dense plastic but, plastic nonetheless. I have no idea how old it is. I was told two years but, I laughed at the guy and called bull$hit on that one. No one could make a machine look like that in only two years - I should have taken before pictures I guess.


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## rusak (Sep 20, 2008)

Epox said:


> Pro's,, when its back in the drum, load it and your gone. No breaking down. Compact, doesnt take up much realistate. Very strong.
> Con's,, if your hung up, be careful in reverse, it might kink up, it don't like that. I run in reverse sometimes to back it around a corner or to turn loose of a binding load. As with any tool, use and experience makes all the difference.
> It's heavy but I use a aluminum foldable ramp to get it in and out of my trailer.


Where did you get the ramp?
I'm Looking for something like that


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## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

Epox said:


> I've never been up close to a 1500. I knowww,,,,,,, I have many shortcomings.:laughing: What is the advantage of the short (15ft.) lengths. I can see how getting it on a roof would be easier, but running a typical 50 to 100+ft. sewer line would be a pain connecting and reconnecting all those joints is it not? I tend to run a line often 3 times before I'm fully satisfied, usually 2. Does the cable have to be broken down joint by joint each time you come out of a line? Not trying to be a smart a**.
> Really nice looking machine btw. I might be interested in one.


I worked for 4 years all over Melbourne for the most well known( at the time) drain cleaning company, used both the general drum machine and ridgid sectional, the general IMHO is a far superior machine with the one exception rodding a 4"PVC trap the ridgid will do it the general will snap!


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

How does a drum have more power then a sectional ?? Doesn't it twist up in the drum??


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

The idea behind the Drum is to build up tension. When you run a cutter head into a large root ball with a drum machine, the drum continues to roll, while the cutter head stays stationary. When the tension releases, if you have control over the cable(aka Snake Charmer :laughing the cutter head unwinds into the blockage releasing massive amount of torque and force onto the blockage busting it up.

Someone who does not have much experience with a Drum machine can lose control of the cable, and cause major injuries to themselves, which is why a drum machine can get a bad name. If you know what your doing, they really are not that dangerous.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Will said:


> *The idea behind the Drum is to build up tension. When you run a cutter head into a large root ball with a drum machine, the drum continues to roll, while the cutter head stays stationary. When the tension releases, if you have control over the cable(aka Snake Charmer :laughing the cutter head unwinds into the blockage releasing massive amount of torque and force onto the blockage busting it up.*
> 
> Someone who does not have much experience with a Drum machine can lose control of the cable, and cause major injuries to themselves, which is why a drum machine can get a bad name. If you know what your doing, they really are not that dangerous.


 






Thanks for the explanation. I've never heard that before about the buildup of torque when cutter head is lodged into the stoppage yet the drum continues to turn. I have almost always used K-60 and K-50 machines.

I might get hurt with a big Spartan drum machine.....:laughing:

When I was new to drain cleaning (and un-trained I might add) I was using a big Spartan 1065. I put a cement block on the foot pedal and walked around the other side of the house to try and hear where the cable was hitting the stoppage (BIG mistake). When I got back around to the Spartan, the cable was sheared off! The cutter head got hung up in the stoppage, didn't turn, yet the drum with all that power kept turning which broke the cable. I'm guessing the Spartan 1065 had close to a 1" diameter cable in the drum. Glad it wasn't my wrist.......


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Tommy plumber said:


> Thanks for the explanation. I've never heard that before about the buildup of torque when cutter head is lodged into the stoppage yet the drum continues to turn. I have almost always used K-60 and K-50 machines.
> 
> I might get hurt with a big Spartan drum machine.....:laughing:
> 
> When I was new to drain cleaning (and un-trained I might add) I was using a big Spartan 1065. *I put a cement block on the foot pedal and walked around the other side of the house to try and hear where the cable was hitting the stoppage* (BIG mistake). When I got back around to the Spartan, the cable was sheared off! The cutter head got hung up in the stoppage, didn't turn, yet the drum with all that power kept turning which broke the cable. I'm guessing the Spartan 1065 had close to a 1" diameter cable in the drum. Glad it wasn't my wrist.......


You got lucky there, that could have gone south real quick. Where you able to get the cable out of the line?


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Will said:


> You got lucky there, that could have gone south real quick. *Where you able to get the* *cable out of the line?*[/QUOTE]
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> Thanks for the explanation. I've never heard that before about the buildup of torque when cutter head is lodged into the stoppage yet the drum continues to turn. I have almost always used K-60 and K-50 machines.
> 
> I might get hurt with a big Spartan drum machine.....:laughing:
> 
> When I was new to drain cleaning (and un-trained I might add) I was using a big Spartan 1065. I put a cement block on the foot pedal and walked around the other side of the house to try and hear where the cable was hitting the stoppage (BIG mistake). When I got back around to the Spartan, the cable was sheared off! The cutter head got hung up in the stoppage, didn't turn, yet the drum with all that power kept turning which broke the cable. I'm guessing the Spartan 1065 had close to a 1" diameter cable in the drum. Glad it wasn't my wrist.......


I consider this a major benefit with the k-60. Just wrap a bungee around the handle and one man can safely locate pipe by sound. Never felt safe enough to try with a drum.

Im glad you did'nt get hurt. It could a been ugly!


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I have often set the the drum machine in ever so slight retrieve position and go listen for the head. But never ever ever in advance setting and absolutely not when hung up. Actually if you hang a drum machine up you will have a cable mess literally in seconds if you don't have your head in the game. I typically let it torque up a bit and tug it back a tag so the head can unwind and its mean as h*ll on the roots when it does that. But you have to discern quickly if it's roots or as mentioned a fault in the sewer line.
The aluminum ramp folds in half and is handy but wife found it in a garage sale or something for a few bucks. I'll try to remember to check it for manufacturer.


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