Spent $40 on a cheap drain snake and it snapped in half on the first use last Tuesday

Had to call a plumber anyway for the clogged kitchen sink after that, and he said the cable on those $20-$40 snakes is made of garbage steel, so has anyone had luck with a specific brand of manual snake that actually holds up on tough clogs?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_willow4d ago

That bit about "garbage steel" really hit home after I watched my own snake snap like a twig. I used to think spending more than $30 on a tool you might use once a year was stupid but now I get that you're paying for metal that won't fold. So yeah I'll never buy another cheap one after that lesson, I'll just borrow or rent a decent one instead.

emeryr384d ago

What kind of snake was it though? Was it one of those cheap Harbor Freight ones or something else? I ask because I've seen guys swear by some mid range snakes that still bend under the right conditions, and I wonder if it's more about the specific brand or just the price point in general. Borrowing or renting a good one makes a LOT more sense than tossing money at junk that'll leave you stranded halfway through a job. Did that experience change what you look for in a snake now, like the cable thickness or the head design?