Jerry wrote in yesterday (thanks for the note!), with a heads-up about new Ryobi cordless power tools: I was at Home Depot recently and the Ryobi display had a little teaser about some ‘coming soon’ 18V cordless tools. I think there were at least two, maybe more, but I can’t remember for sure. The one I do remember, was a cordless 18V One+ drain auger. Do you know anything more about it?
And wouldn’t you know, just a few minutes later a Ryobi Tools press release hit my inbox, announcing the new Ryobi 18V One+ drain auger, model P4001.
It’s a cordless snake! You know, for clearing out stubborn clogs.
The Ryobi drain auger can be used in sinks, toilets, and bath drains. It’s got a 25-foot reinforced cable that is said to resist kinking, and can be used in drains up to 2 inches wide.
Features & Specs
- 25-foot reinforced cable
- Max 2-inch drain size
- 600 RPM (no load)
- Powered forward and reverse feeding mechanism
- Auto-feed lock that engages bearings
- Cable clamp
- Protective feet keep rotating drum off delicate surfaces
- Rear drain port prevents water build up
- Improved GripZone handle comfort
Price: $70 (battery and charger sold separately)
ETA: Sep/Oct 2015
Compare (Manual auger via Amazon)
Compare (Ridgid auger via Home Depot, also at Amazon)
First Thoughts
I don’t think I’ve ever used a toilet snake before, but I familiarized myself with my grandfather’s older corded model after he passed away. I remember my father borrowing it in past years a couple of times. It was heavy and still required a lot of elbow grease to get going.
Drain augers have corkscrew-like tips that, when rotated, can dig into and grab hold of whatever might be clogging up a drain, such as clumps of hair that has built up over time, or… other stuff.
In the announcement email, our contact at Ryobi leads into the attachments by saying You may want to think twice before calling a plumber? When a plunger fails (here are some recommendations), or simple hair hooks or other improvisations are simply way too short to reach a sink or bath clog, most people are left with calling a plumber to resolve the issue.
It really might be a good idea to pick up one of these before calling up a plumber. How much does it cost for a plumber to come out and clear out a clogged drain? I’m guessing that this would pay for itself with one or two uses.
Ryobi’s new drain auger is just $70. A battery and charger are sold separately. But if you’ve already bought into Ryobi’s system, this seems like a reasonably priced accessory.
I took a look at manual drain auger pricing, linked above, and you can get a basic model for as low as about $25, and a Ridgid one for $40. AC-powered augers are different story, with fairly high pricing.
Compared to a manual auger, this $70 Ryobi model might seem a little pricey, but it also has a number of appealing features. While you might not need a powered feed to reach shorter clog differences, it’ll likely make a difference after you a U-joint, elbow, or other bend in the piping. And then you have the auto cable lock so that you can rotate the cable around without unintentionally losing contact with the clog.
Ryobi’s new 18V drain auger looks good on paper, and it should be safe to assume it’s built as well as their other One+ tools. It looks to be a great addition to Ryobi’s frequently-expanding range of cordless 18V tools.
While I don’t think professional plumbers will even look at this tool for this drain-clearing jobs (or would you?), it might be a good addition for maintenance pro’s, facilities managers, and other such do-it-all guys that might not want to splurge for a more premium powered model.