During a 25-year career as a master plumber, Joel George has used — as well as discarded — a wide variety of drain cleaning equipment. But there’s one machine he plans to stick with: a Model 184 truck-mounted water jetter from Mongoose (a brand owned by Sewer Equipment Co. of America).

“I’ve been through a lot of water jetters and many of them are just junk — underpowered machines with little lawnmower engines on them,” says George, owner of Drain Doctor in Toledo, Ohio. “But this is a high-quality machine. When you use this to clean a line and then camera it, the results are going to look stellar.”

The Model 184 ticks off a lot of boxes for George, who established his company in northwestern Ohio in 2000, employs nine people and runs seven service vehicles. Power? Check. Durability and reliability? Check. Versatility? Check. Packed with productivity-enhancing features? Absolutely.

“There’s nothing this machine can’t get through,” George says.

George bought the unit almost two years ago for about $56,000 and paired it with a Ford F-550 equipped with a 14-foot box body from Supreme Corp., insulated for use during winter. He primarily uses Warthog and Reaper nozzles from StoneAge and Hydra-Flex, respectively.

“Those nozzles are the only way to go,” George says.

Built to get things done

The Model 184 that George bought features a 300-gallon water tank; a five-cylinder, run-dry water pump (4,000 psi at 18 gpm); a hydraulic-powered extendable and retractable reel that holds 500 feet of 1/2-inch-diameter hose for pipes up to 12 inches in diameter; a 49 hp turbo-diesel engine; a pulsation system; and remote-control operation.

George also invested in three adapter reels with quick-release mechanisms for quick swap-outs. The reels carry 100 feet of 1/8-inch hose for cleaning 1 1/2- to 2-inch pipes; 200 feet of 1/4-inch hose for 2- to 4-inch drainlines; and 200 feet of 3/8-inch hose to clean 3- to 6-inch pipes.

“Three extra reels — that’s why it’s truly a money machine,” George says. “I can drive to a job and no matter what issue I encounter, I can handle it. That’s one of the things that I like best about the machine. It’s so versatile.”

George also praises the diesel engine, which he says provides more than enough power to maintain pressure at the end of even a 500-foot hose, which he often uses for cleaning stormwater drains and commercial sewer lines.

“It’s hard to find machines powerful enough to push that much pressure to the end of a 500-foot-long hose,” he says.

Working remotely

The remote control is a game-changing feature because it enables one-person operation, George says.

“It gives me full control of the machine in my hands,” he says. “I can start and stop the machine at will, retrieve my hose, raise pressure up or down and so on. And I can operate the machine from up to a half-mile away. In my opinion, it’s the best remote control in the industry.”

George says he does a lot of work in rural areas where clean-outs are in basements, not by street curbs. As such, the remote control is a must to avoid back-and-forth trips to the truck to perform basic operational tasks, or going from manhole to manhole on municipal jobs, he notes.

“If you have to keep going up and down basement stairs just to push buttons, you might as well hire somebody to help you,” George says. “This remote is like having a second employee.”

The remote also promotes safety. If the jetter nozzle hits a broken pipe and pops up through the ground, George says he can shut off the machine immediately.

“That emergency kill switch is in my hand at all times,” he says. “I use it all the time.”

Opening drains and new markets

The machine has expanded the company’s business base by enabling George to do work he couldn’t do before, such as cleaning drainlines for municipalities and at industrial plants, restaurants and other commercial businesses.

“You need this kind of machine to do those jobs,” George says. “You’re a sitting duck if you don’t have enough power to get from point A to point B. I have yet to run into a clog that this machine can’t get through.”

As an example, George cites a complex of restaurants in Toledo that periodically fills a 12-inch-diameter sewer line with grease when grease traps overflow.

“Sometimes that main is packed solid with grease for 1,200 feet — right up to the manhole covers,” he says. “This machine makes a job like that easy. It may be time-consuming, but I’m never nervous about whether it’ll be able to do the job. I know I have the best machine and it’s just a matter of time before I unclog that line.”

Enhances productivity, profitability

The bottom line is that the Model 184 boosts revenue by enabling the company to do more jobs per day.

“In this business, it’s all about time,” George says. “This literally is a time machine — it saves us time, which tips over the dominoes right down the line because if I’m saving time, I’m saving money and doing more work. People actually call and request that we come out with this machine.”

Furthermore, the machine helps George attract and retain employees.

“I’ve had guys’ jaws drop when they see this machine and all of our other equipment,” he says. “Everyone wants to use it.”

Moreover, the machine provides a great return on investment and has become the company’s workhorse, George says.

“It will easily pay for itself and is very central to my business,” he says. “I think it sets the standard for the industry. I wouldn’t recommend anything else.”