The Spider cutter from General Pipe Cleaners features front and rear blades. Cutting starts as the cable feeds into the line and continues as it retracts. A prime application for the tool is cleaning pipe walls prior to lining.

“With the blades going in both directions, it doubles the efficiency of the cutter,” says Marty Silverman, vice president of marketing for General Pipe Cleaners. “It does a better job of clearing the line and it does it faster.”

The tool is available in two models (double U-cutter and double heavy-duty side cutter) and two sizes. The 3-inch size is designed for cleaning 4- to 6-inch pipes and the 4-inch size is made for cleaning 6- to 8-inch lines.

“The Spider cutter is designed to scrape the walls of the pipe more efficiently,” Silverman says. “You would probably use it as a finishing tool after you cut through the stoppage with your root cutter. Because the blades are on the side, it’s ideal for cutting root hair and scraping the walls of the pipe clean.”

Made of 1/8-inch hardened spring steel and coated for rust protection, the cutter can be adapted to sectional machines or other brands of cable-type drain cleaners for use in a variety of pipes, including plastic and cast iron. 800/245-6200; www.drainbrain.com.