The Drain Machine One Company Has Counted on for Two Decades

Wisconsin’s X Rooter Sewer & Drain Cleaning has relied on a specific RIDGID model to help it provide consistent service to customers since opening its doors in 1996

The Drain Machine One Company Has Counted on for Two Decades

An X Rooter Sewer & Drain Cleaning employee uses a RIDGID K-7500 drum machine on a job.

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When Brian Smith established X Rooter Sewer & Drain Cleaning in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, in 1996, he wanted to be sure that he invested in durable and productive drain cleaning equipment. He found what he was looking for in RIDGID equipment, especially the K-7500 model drum machine.

Smith bought his first K-7500 machine in 1996 and several more during the next two decades. His most recent purchase of a K-7500 came just this year.

“The K-7500 is our mainstay,” Smith says. “We use them more than anything else, mostly for 3- to 6-inch-diameter lines. But I’ve used it even to clean lines up to 8 inches in diameter.”

Smith typically uses 100-foot-long, 3/4-inch plastic inner core cables, but the machine is powerful enough (the newest models have a 4/10 hp electric motor that generates 200 rpm) to drive up to 300 feet of cable.

“We go 200 feet or more a couple times a month,” Smith says. “You just have to go slower when you’re out more than 200 feet because you’re driving more cable and can’t feel obstructions as quickly.”

Smith buys inner core cables made by Service Spring.

“Most cable manufacturers are pretty good, but I find that these last longer for the price,” Smith says.

A gear-reduction motor helps Smith work more efficiently by minimizing the chances of binding up a cable.

“Some other companies use belt drives for reduction, and I don’t like that,” he says. “When you run into an obstruction, you can hear the gear drive slow down — it’s an audio warning to ease up on cable and let it grind through. That audio warning is one of best things about this machine.”

The unit weighs 244 pounds and is designed to clean lines from 3 to 10 inches in diameter. It includes a two-position stair-climbing feature; a narrow profile (21 inches) to fit through most doorways; quick-release drums with built-in handles for easier transport; height-adjustable handles; and an autofeed function that advances and retrieves the cable at up to 22 feet per minute.

The machine, which sells for about $2,800, is easy to maintain. Six months after buying one, Smith says he takes apart the gear drives and re-greases the ball bearings and gears with a special, high-quality grease.

“Then it’s good for another three years or so,” he says. “You definitely get your money’s worth with this machine.”

Look for a full profile about X Rooter Sewer & Drain Cleaning in a future issue of Cleaner magazine.



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