Picked up a $30 plumbing snake from Harbor Freight and it snapped on the third drain

I figured I'd try the cheap option since I only had one clogged sink in my rental, but that cable twisted apart inside the pipe and now I have a bigger mess. Managed to fish out the broken piece with a magnet on a stick, but it took way longer than if I'd just rented the real thing from Home Depot for $15. Has anyone else had luck with those bargain tools or is it always a gamble?

2 comments

2 Comments

zarapalmer11d ago

Oh man I had the EXACT same thing happen with a snake from there. The cable just twisted up like a pretzel and I spent an hour digging it out. I mean yeah you saved a few bucks upfront but now you're paying with your time and frustration.

rosel8310d ago

Has anyone else noticed that these cheap snakes get way too stiff when it gets cold out? I read something in a plumbing forum about how the lower grade steel they use can't handle temperature changes. So on a chilly morning that cable is like trying to wrestle a frozen garden hose. By the time it warms up in the pipe it's already kinked into a mess. You really do end up paying for it with your patience.