Review on Cobra Products 10250 Drain Auger by Dylan Goins

A year after this purchase (purchased 25th November 2014) I've thought about updating this review. Last year our sink drain got clogged twice. And I was able to use this product - twice! Note that I didn't have ZERO experience with plumbing - I'm actually a computer geek so fiddling with electronics is my forte, not hard work like plumbing. But upon closer inspection, I found that hiring a proper plumber costs a lot of money. And since I learned my trade from scratch, mostly self-taught, I guess why not start with plumbing? So I did some research on the internet and these basic home remedies of hot water, baking soda and vinegar didn't work. So it came down to using a snail snake and pure lye, which are available here in Revane. Both arrived on time to save the day (I love Prime Shipping!). Please note this auger came in frustration-FULL packaging (not without frustration). It's in a hard plastic case that claims to be reusable but I don't think so! As soon as I took the drill out of my pocket, it jumped up like a snake and stretched like never before. It would be very difficult to bring it back there. Anyway, with the bucket underneath I removed the P-trap and placed it in the downspout where I removed the trap - I figured it would be easier to navigate the drain without the trap. tricky P-trap bend and instead went straight into the downtubes (and yes, I checked that the watch isn't in a P-trap). So when I put about 2 feet of this snake in, it took a turn so I spun it like crazy but noticed it wouldn't move anymore. After thinking for an hour trying to figure out what was wrong, I managed to get it in by putting the handle about a foot closer to the hole in the tube where I was inserting the snake and applying a little pressure as I twisted . I felt a tug and the snake pushed in deeper. After another grueling hour or two and about 20 feet of queuing, I suddenly felt the water drain. Just in case, I poured some water into the pipe and made sure! I pulled the snake out by twisting it the other way, and this time, by gently pulling instead of pushing, I managed to pull it out completely in a few minutes. All slimy, and the head caught some incomprehensible things there. Thrown in the bathroom and smothered with hot, soapy water. I followed the clean liquor, put on gloves and put the mug with it into the pipe, then carefully, at arm's length, gradually poured a cup of hot water and heard a pleasant hiss. I set the trap in place and after waiting a few minutes I poured hot water over the sink and voila! no longer clogged. After cleaning and drying the snail, I put it in a plastic bag and put it away for storage. Unfortunately, after 11 months, I had to call the snake back into action. What I found was a snake that looked and smelled like rust all over it. I had doubts about using it a second time. So, as in the first case, I did exactly what I did. Except that at a depth of 3ft the part of the snake that is still outside the pipe was bent and couldn't straighten it out and he thought maybe if that bent area went inside the pipe it wouldn't be possible penetrates as it refuses to turn the snake's head. . And sure enough, when the bent part entered the tube, the snail's rotation became hell! I had to try to spin my turns and push with more power - luckily it drained after 5ft in the pipe! And when I pulled the snake out the curved part was worse and looked like it would break if more force was applied to it and if that happened while it was in the pipe it would be a disaster. The auger is not rusted, so it can be reused. However, since it stood there for 11 months and was already severely affected by rust during this time, it would not have been safe at this point. However, given the price of this drill and the savings you've already made, it's worth buying a new one. Pros: * Affordable * Gives you muscle * Works well Cons: * Difficult to rotate/use * RUST * Only use once if not in use for a long period of time. Bottom Line: Even with ZERO plumbing experience, with just a little research and a lot of hard work, this can unclog a drain, and a bottle of pure lye ($20) can save you hundreds of dollars. If you're cheap, you should. But if you want to save 15% or more on car insurance, no problem.