# time for a new machine



## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

i bought my first machine as a used rental tool from home depot the electric eel model r ,but i think its time to upgrade! i would like to get something with a closed drum (so that its a bit cleaner)and auto feed ...manual cable feed is hard ass work at times!my electric eel has been a great sturdy machine ive had it about 6 years ,does anyone have an opinion on the rigid k-750 thats what im thinking about getting i can buy one in town with 100ft of 3/4 cable for about 1800$.and then pick up an extra 75ft of cable of the internet for about 280ish.any insight on rigid cable stregnth and overall durability of machines would be appreciated


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

i would love to buy the electric eel d-5 but the closest place to get it is midwest drain in st.louis mo


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## Fatpat (Nov 1, 2015)

No go on the k750
I have seen used k7500( professional model) for $800-$1400. 

I looked into the k750 and everyone told me to look elsewhere.

I got a killer deal on the k7500 and couldn't be more pleased


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

sethro1981 said:


> i bought my first machine as a used rental tool from home depot the electric eel model r ,but i think its time to upgrade! i would like to get something with a closed drum (so that its a bit cleaner)and auto feed ...manual cable feed is hard ass work at times!my electric eel has been a great sturdy machine ive had it about 6 years ,does anyone have an opinion on the rigid k-750 thats what im thinking about getting i can buy one in town with 100ft of 3/4 cable for about 1800$.and then pick up an extra 75ft of cable of the internet for about 280ish.any insight on rigid cable stregnth and overall durability of machines would be appreciated




I'm selling a Duracable DM175 with an extra drum and feeder. I'm the only guy who used it. Real nice shape. PM me if interested. I'm asking 1500 plus shipping. I'll take pics if you like. 

Honestly, the only reason why I'm selling it is because it's heavy. I opted for a Spartan 2001 because it disassembles easier. 


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

sethro1981 said:


> i bought my first machine as a used rental tool from home depot the electric eel model r ,but i think its time to upgrade! i would like to get something with a closed drum (so that its a bit cleaner)and auto feed ...manual cable feed is hard ass work at times!my electric eel has been a great sturdy machine ive had it about 6 years ,does anyone have an opinion on the rigid k-750 thats what im thinking about getting i can buy one in town with 100ft of 3/4 cable for about 1800$.and then pick up an extra 75ft of cable of the internet for about 280ish.any insight on rigid cable stregnth and overall durability of machines would be appreciated


The 750 is an ok machine. I had to use one for about three years and if you aren't paying attention it's a btch. In my opinion 175' of 3/4 is beyond its effective capability. 150' of 5/8 is bad enough. I did run 200' of 5/8 once in a line with no bends and that really sucked. Every once in a while I see a nearly new 750 on Craigslist for about $800. I have one as a backup just in case my 300 goes down, but I wouldn't want one as a primary ever again.


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

@fat pad there cant be much difference between the 750 and the k-7500 they both use the same cable and 7500 might have a bit more horsepower but there virtually the same right?


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

OpenSights said:


> The 750 is an ok machine. I had to use one for about three years and if you aren't paying attention it's a btch. In my opinion 175' of 3/4 is beyond its effective capability. 150' of 5/8 is bad enough. I did run 200' of 5/8 once in a line with no bends and that really sucked. Every once in a while I see a nearly new 750 on Craigslist for about $800. I have one as a backup just in case my 300 goes down, but I wouldn't want one as a primary ever again.


 :thumbsup:what did you like and dislike about the 750 why would you not recomend it as a primary machine ?what is your 300 is that a spartan?


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

Drain Pro said:


> I'm selling a Duracable DM175 with an extra drum and feeder. I'm the only guy who used it. Real nice shape. PM me if interested. I'm asking 1500 plus shipping. I'll take pics if you like.
> 
> Honestly, the only reason why I'm selling it is because it's heavy. I opted for a Spartan 2001 because it disassembles easier.
> 
> ...


arent spartans some of the heaviest machines are the closed drums on them metal?


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

sethro1981 said:


> arent spartans some of the heaviest machines are the closed drums on them metal?




The weight is very similar. The advantage of the 2001 for me is that although it's heavy, it's easier to disassemble and transport than the DM175. 


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

I've cleaned 1000's of drains with a name brand 1/2 hp, 100' 5/8" cable machine. We use Speedrooters but the power and size is plenty. Not to small and not to big (heavy). Beyond that the customer has a really big problem.


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

Weight factor is why I use sectionals. I have the K-60 on board but if it even slightly looks bad I bring out the Dreel. 
( go back and look it up in the archives )

To old to drag a drum down stairs. Up is even worse.

Wish there were more options for cutters.


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## Kpwplumb (Dec 28, 2015)

I am pretty new to drain cleaning but I love using my k-7500.
It's about a year old and I have had no issues.


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

A true drain professional can get by with most any machine. 


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

sethro1981 said:


> :thumbsup:what did you like and dislike about the 750 why would you not recomend it as a primary machine ?what is your 300 is that a spartan?


Yes, Spartan 300. Good machine for 4" lines with roots.

750, the bad:
No inner drum, which means slightly over torquing can easily end in failure in the barrel, especially when using a cable nearing the end of it's lifespan. When that happens the yoke is a pain to remove and replace. That's my biggest complaint. It's bulkier/larger than it needs to be, hard to get it into those tight places.

The good: 
The machine in general is easy to work on. The kick stand is nice when it decides to get all bouncy. 

I've become a fan of direct drive. My 300 I brought back to life from a scrap pile. Washed and baked the stator, same with the armature along with turning and undercutting the commentator, new bearings, completely cleaned the transmission, new grease, new clutch, rebuilt the auto feed... If I ever get slow enough it'll get a paint job. A lot of work, but worth it for a good machine. 

I don't know much about the K6200, but I'd like to check one out some day if my 300 ever dies. I'm pretty sure I won't like the break on the new 300's. The downside of the 300 is if you want 100' of cable on your machine you have to use .55, which is a great cable, just $$$.

All that said, one buddy of mine, who is one hell of a drain cleaner, loves the 750 and does one hell of a job with it.

When it comes down to it, it's really all personal taste and what works for you. Dropping a couple grand on a machine is a big deal. 

I saw a 7500 with two extra barrels :blink: and 300' of 3/4 for $1500? almost new. I almost jumped on it, but I had other investments planned at the time.

The deals are out there, but always seem to come up after you buy something else.


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

OpenSights said:


> Yes, Spartan 300. Good machine for 4" lines with roots.
> 
> 750, the bad:
> No inner drum, which means slightly over torquing can easily end in failure in the barrel, especially when using a cable nearing the end of it's lifespan. When that happens the yoke is a pain to remove and replace. That's my biggest complaint. It's bulkier/larger than it needs to be, hard to get it into those tight places.
> ...


thanks for the help bud yeah i would like to stick to electric eel cause i know there tri max cables are tough but st.louis is to far to drive and believe it or not i load my machine to the hatch of a geo metro so the depth of the machine is an issue and the k-750 w/autofeed will lay on its back just fine ....what did u think of the quality of rigids cables also cant u easily extend past 100ft with just the normal fittings on the end that the bits lock into?


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

Drain Pro said:


> A true drain professional can get by with most any machine.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


are you a nyc guy drain pro? if so do u have any special tricks on getting past those house traps?i hate them alot we have them in the old midtown houses in kansas city


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

sethro1981 said:


> thanks for the help bud yeah i would like to stick to electric eel cause i know there tri max cables are tough but st.louis is to far to drive and believe it or not i load my machine to the hatch of a geo metro so the depth of the machine is an issue and the k-750 w/autofeed will lay on its back just fine ....what did u think of the quality of rigids cables also cant u easily extend past 100ft with just the normal fittings on the end that the bits lock into?


For cables go here: https://draincables.com/

IMHO, just as good as Ridgid's cables but cost less.

Yes, the cables have male and female ends and can be linked together.


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

sethro1981 said:


> are you a nyc guy drain pro? if so do u have any special tricks on getting past those house traps?i hate them alot we have them in the old midtown houses in kansas city




I am in NYC. Not sure if I understand what you mean by "getting past." House traps are generally accessible and are the double vent style, so there easy to clean. Occasionally I have to jump a buried or in accessible house trap. That can be tricky. I usually use a single blade on a flexible leader, bent something like between a J and a U. 


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

sethro1981 said:


> thanks for the help bud yeah i would like to stick to electric eel cause i know there tri max cables are tough but st.louis is to far to drive* and believe it or not i load my machine to the hatch of a geo metro* so the depth of the machine is an issue and the k-750 w/autofeed will lay on its back just fine ....what did u think of the quality of rigids cables also cant u easily extend past 100ft with just the normal fittings on the end that the bits lock into?


:laughing:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/sks/5798317787.html


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

fixitright said:


> :laughing:
> 
> http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/sks/5798317787.html


haha i got a few years of experience ,i aint going out of business


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## draindit (Nov 5, 2016)

I would say the 300 is the way to go. my buddy has a 750 and if the cable isn't replaced VERY often then it flip in the drum constantly. That being said he has used it for years. look around and you might get lucky and find a 300 cheaper used.


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

draindit said:


> I would say the 300 is the way to go. my buddy has a 750 and if the cable isn't replaced VERY often then it flip in the drum constantly. That being said he has used it for years. look around and you might get lucky and find a 300 cheaper used.




My 300 just ran me 2495 with 100' of .55. That's only 700 more than he wants to spend, might be worth the extra money. 


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## draindit (Nov 5, 2016)

Drain Pro said:


> My 300 just ran me 2495 with 100' of .55. That's only 700 more than he wants to spend, might be worth the extra money.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


they are on sale right now arent they? either way, you can make the 700 back in a day so totally worth it for a much better machine. good call sir.


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

Drain Pro said:


> I am in NYC. Not sure if I understand what you mean by "getting past." House traps are generally accessible and are the double vent style, so there easy to clean. Occasionally I have to jump a buried or in accessible house trap. That can be tricky. I usually use a single blade on a flexible leader, bent something like between a J and a U.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


yeah ive always had to run from the outside cleanout and sometimes the 90 is a foot or better down and submerged in **** water so its all by feel no visual ive made a tool to create a floor for the 90 bend but i might have to experiment with the flexible leader


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## sethro1981 (Oct 31, 2016)

draindit said:


> I would say the 300 is the way to go. my buddy has a 750 and if the cable isn't replaced VERY often then it flip in the drum constantly. That being said he has used it for years. look around and you might get lucky and find a 300 cheaper used.


r u sure its a 750 with 3/4 by 100ft cable and not a k-375 or 400 3/4 cable is pretty hard to flip inside the drum


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