Cobra Products 88250 1/4-Inch-by-25-Foot Power Drain Clearing Drum Auger

by Cobra

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Cobra Products Drum Augers are for small and medium household drains. These units can be used manually or can be attached to any power drill. The rust proof canister protects a high-grade, high carbon, rust resistant spring steel wire.

Product Description

Power Drum Auger attaches to your power drill and clears clogged and slow running drains. Opens clogged sinks, showers and tub drains.

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000VLETJ6
• Item model number: 88250
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,087 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #7 in Home Improvement > Rough Plumbing > Drain Cleaning Equipment

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Took Multiple Passes but Cleared the Restriction, March 13, 2010

By 

Dave - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cobra Products 88250 1/4-Inch-by-25-Foot Power Drain Clearing Drum Auger (Tools & Home Improvement)

Although I seldom write a review, I thought some shared observations might be helpful to others. This is based on my experience. Some of the observations may not apply in other applications. My drain was not completely clogged, and no chemicals had been used that could cause injury or damage surfaces while using the power auger. I am not affiliated in any way with the company or distributors of this product.

1. I spent the additional money (about $6) for the power auger as opposed to the manual only, since the power auger can be operated manually as well. On long runs, using a drill is helpful.

2. As shown in the image, it comes with a sharp exposed barb that could cause injury during use and/or damage your vehicle during transport.

3. This is a messy procedure, but worth it to me. I suggest disposable gloves, paper towels, and an old towel or two to put down. Wipe the cable off as it is pulled back out. As the end comes out, handle it gently to prevent making a mess.

4. Some users report that they cannot get it to work using the drill. There is a thumb screw at the end that must be tightened (snugly is all it takes) to grip the cable. Hold the part that is on the drum side of the thumb screw and slowly rotate the drill in the clockwise direction. The whole canister and the cable turns in the process as light pressure is used to feed the cable in. This allows the barb to move through the obstruction. The screw must be loosened, more cable pulled out and then re-tightened before feeding further into the drain line.

5. I chose this product because I am on a septic tank. Use of chemicals can kill off septic tank organisms that break down the waste and interfere with septic tank performance. Chemicals can also damage plumbing.

I used it on a bathroom lavatory that was draining slowly. Since it took a larger quantity of water before it began to back up in the sink, I knew it was more than simply removing a clog from the trap. I removed the trap to allow feeding directly into the drain line. If the trap is not PVC, replacement parts may be needed on reassembly to prevent leakage. As the cable was slipped into the drain line,I rotated it clockwise to make a turn or to work through debris. Be gentle with the cable- it is made of piano wire. It resists bending well, but if bent, it cannot be bent back to original shape. After rotating it, I would pull it back a little after going a foot or so more. If it moved freely, it was a turn in the piping. If there was resistance, it was debris. The first time I pulled it out, there was a wad of hair, and I assumed the source of restriction was removed, but after reassembly, the lavatory drained even slower, and could not be cleared with forceful plunging. It was not until I removed 42g of hair (about a double handful) during multiple passes that the drain began to flow like new. I expect much of the remaining hair went down the drain. I then used it on the shower drain to restore good drainage after snaking it twice.

I took it outside and used water pressure to clean the cable good and then let it dry before feeding it back into the canister. If it came with a protective cover over the barbed end, I would have given it 5 stars instead of 4.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worked like a charm, December 1, 2009

By 

Alex Chovanec - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cobra Products 88250 1/4-Inch-by-25-Foot Power Drain Clearing Drum Auger (Tools & Home Improvement)

I used this to unplug my toilet. I didn't even need to hook it up to a drill, because the manual mode worked just fine. It turns effortlessly. One thing that would be nice: if the first foot of cable were a different color--that way, when I'm retracting it from the drain it would be easy for me to tell if there's only a little bit left, and then I'd slow down to make sure the drill on the end doesn't snap up suddenly and hit me in the face. (In spite of the lack of color coding, I managed to prevent this from happening with great care. ;)

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars drain clearing, January 28, 2010

By 

Richard Gifford - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cobra Products 88250 1/4-Inch-by-25-Foot Power Drain Clearing Drum Auger (Tools & Home Improvement)

My parents have a problem with their kitchen sink stopping up from the disposal. They always called a plumber and I noticed all they did was use an auger to clean out the clog. They always took their time to make it look hard and $150 to $200 later they were done. When I found this item I figured it was worth a shot even though I was skeptical about being able to fix the problem since I have no plumbing experience. After connecting it to my drill and feeding all 25 feet into the outside clean out drain I felt the clog come loose. About five minutes of back and forth action with the hot water in the sink running I accomplished what would have been another fleecing from a plumber. GO FIGURE!