Drain Auger good or junk?

[TxGladiators]

So, I am looking to purchase a used drain auger. The larger “professional” ones since my handheld dewalt drill augers are too small for the job in our home.

Spotted this bad boy for $125. But makes me nervous that the working end is not fed inthe drum. Is it fairly easy to coil it in the drum or am I wasting ny money on a defective used product?
I asked the owners to coil in the drum. This was his response,”
Sorry I have no experience with a drain cleaning machine and don't know how to do it. Motor runs, drum turns, forward and reverse works, the foot switch works, ground fault interrupter works. Snakes are rolled up as you saw in the pics

 

[Helper Dave]

We don't use that one, but all our augers, the cable just sits loose, coiled up in the drum. Sometimes, we take em out completely to clean them, which is maybe why that's out. They're easy to stuff back in so long as they're not kinked.

Research the model, if you want, but I'd guess it's fine (and a hell of a deal) as is.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Inspect the cable for kinks or heavy rust.

If it looks ok, just keep it oiled up from now on.

If it gets rusty and snaps inside a drain, you will have a bad day.

You can always buy new cables if you are worried.

 

[Geofd]

that general snake is a good one i think i will take a 3/8" cable we used them years ago but we went to rigid, same thing different name, if you soak those cables in oil they may come back to life, if you don't try to force the cable down the drain your cables and machine will last a long timw

 

[TxGladiators]

Thanks for the knowledge. I am buying ithe auger and purchasing a new snake/cable for it Never thought about the old coil breaking 32 feet into my plumbing. Yikes!
What type of oil is good for soaking rust ofF the old cable. Thanks in advance!

* I am a homeowner and at least yearly I have had to snake our plumbing because wifey likes to wash her hair in the kitchen sink. LOL. Or the laundry angled plumbing gets clogged.
Tired of renting drain augers from Home Depot and racing the clock for a few hours rental. This style of auger with the guide tip has worked for me the best. It will pay for itself in 2 uses.

 

[Jeff Handy]

You can get very effective and safe drain cleaners, enzyme or bacteria based, that are added weekly or monthly as needed, to keep the sludge build up out of the drain line.
They don’t dissolve hair or lint, but they soften up and release the grease and sludge that the hair or lint gets mixed into, which causes the clogs.

So not really a clog buster, but a drain pipe maintainer.

You just add a spoonful of powder to about a quart of warm water, dump in the drain at bedtime, don’t run any water there overnight.
They gradually thin out the sludge coating over weeks or months.

Maybe use a half gallon of water for your bigger washing machine trap.

 

[Jeff Handy]

18 oz. Drain Defense Pipe Build Up Remover Powder

https://www.homedepot.com/p/100014771

 

[Jeff Handy]

As far as cable oil, I just use WD40, but there is probably something better that pros might use.

I take the auger out of the drum, lay it out outside on hard surface, hose out the yuck, let it dry in the sun, then put it in the grass and spray WD40 with the straw right tight to the cable.
Then wipe the cable down with a small rag soaked in WD40.
Pros probably have a more clever system than mine.

Put an old carpet scrap or similar under your machine, where you park it for storage.
Oil or yucky water can drip out of it.
Even while using it.

 

[Geofd]

i think general actually makes something call"snake oil" we have some at work ifi have time i will check for a name

 

[Helper Dave]

i think general actually makes something call"snake oil" we have some at work ifi have time i will check for a name

I dunno if I'd trust anything called "snake oil." Just sayin...