How to snake past single screw overflow plate

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This particular slow draining tub has an overflow plate with a single screw in the center. After removing the screw and plate, there is not enough room to get a snake with the traditional spiral type head into and past it down the drain.

Is a flat sewer snake/rod the right thing to use for that? I see some of them have spear heads that don't look like they would fit either though. Did I just not notice that snakes come in different sizes and got one not appropriate for this?

I've already removed the bathtub drain with tool and cleaned all that out. In that case there doesn't seem to be enough room there either to get a snake past the 90 degree bend that leads to the drain which is at another 90 degrees (presumably) and leads down (or up to the overflow plate). The snake head again seems to be too big to allow for those bends easily.

Specific product recommendations are appreciated. I'll likely be doing this a bunch so I'm ok getting a better tool if there's something that's a little pricey but works much better than the rest.

Thanks for reading.
 
Been there already with similar contraptions that go 1-3' -- it's deeper. About a gallon or more run freely before it starts to slow down, but it does drain.
 
I use a 1/4" Erickson drain snake. I usually end up cutting the head off and bend the end. trial and error with the bend to be able to get it to pop through the 90 on the p-trap. Cranking that drum can be a real work out sometimes.
Perseverance my boy! Perseverance!

1/4" manual drain snake
 
Tried to find the Erickson drain auger but couldn't locally, so ended up with the 25' basic with drill attachment from Harbor Freight. This auger had a smaller tip than other augers and it worked through the overflow plate flawlessly.
 
Some of those Cheap hand snake are just that, cheap and not very durable but they work sometimes. Glad you got it. Never seen the HF ones. Some of their stuff is okay.
 

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