To fix clogged drains, snakes (also known as augers or plumber’s snakes) are a useful and budget-friendly tool.
So, quit experimenting with acidic cleaners, plungers, or coat hangers. So, what’s the best drain snake?
If you need a quick answer, I approve of the FlexiSnake drain snake, especially for hair-clog removal. It has grabbers and small hooks that’ll attach to the hair as the auger rotates even around the p-trap.
In a Hurry? Check Best Drain Snakes
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1. Our #1 Pick: Forlivese 25-Inch Drain Opener or Hair snake Tool
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2. #2 Pick: Vastar 19.6-Inch Clog Remover or Drain Snake
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3. #3 Pick: 5-in-1 Clog Remover & Sink Snake Auger or Cleaner
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4. FlexiSnake Drain Snake – Toilet & Hair Auger
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FlexiSnake tops the best drain snakes – has grabbers and hooks that’ll collect grime, filth, & hair without damaging the porcelain or pipes.
FlexiSnake is also cheap and relatively long (18 inches) to reach the deepest clogs.
It will entangle all hairballs – you’ll now easily pull out to break down the toilet or drain clogs. Its wand is highly flexible to allow the snake to reach challenging curves and tight spaces.
The drain snake has tiny hooks (more than 100) that’ll prevent the tool from pushing the clogs down the drain. Further, it’ll enable a complete sweep to remove the clogs thoroughly.
Luckily, the snake has a replaceable head – you can use it for different purposes. The tool is compact – which is easy to store and use – that’s mostly for removing tough hair clogs.
The Good:
- It has a replaceable head – which makes it useful for removing different clog types.
- No plumbing setups are needed.
- It has a compact and portable build – and thus, it’s easy to store and use.
- The hairy hooks dismantle the hair clogs without damaging the pipes or toilet porcelain.
The Bad:
- Designed for hair clogs
So, let’s get started! Related: Quality Drain Cleaners.
5. Ridgid 41408 Snake Maxcore Cable (AUTOFEED)
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The Ridgid 41408 gives you the freedom to leverage on either manual or powered operation.
For lighter jobs, you can use the manual crankcase. If the jobs require extra effort, you can connect this device to a power drill to achieve better torque.
With its 25 feet flexible maxcore cable, you can tackle most of your drain problems even if you live upstairs. It is ideal for lines between 1’’ and 1½’’ in diameter, meaning you can use it in your bathtub drain and sink, among other household clogs.
It features a wire bulb for grabbing hair clogs and breaking up other stubborn clogs in the drain. The rear drum perfectly retains the cable preventing it from accidental release. Besides, it uses an auto-feed mechanism to enable easy and quick forward and reverse engagements.
When connected to a power drill, Ridgid 41408 runs at 500 rpm.
The Good:
- Utilizes a strong cable and a wire bulb to effectively deal with stubborn clogs
- Can operate manually if connected to a power drive
- It has a lock for preventing unintended stoppages
The Bad:
- It is not ideal for toilets
6. Milwaukee 2772A-20
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If you want to clean your drain with much less effort, then you need Milwaukee 2772A-20 M18 Fuel Drain Snake.
- It utilizes a Cable Drive Locking Feed System which is an advanced technological trend for handheld power machines.
A PowerState brush motor is incorporated in this device, meaning there’re no wearable parts. This enhances the machine’s ability to run for a prolonged time, especially when tackling tough drain cleaning chores.
This drain snake is also equipped with RedLink Plus Technology, a current advancement for cordless power tools.
The importance of this feature is to prevent overloading and overheat during operation. Thus this device can be extremely durable.
Unlike many drain cleaners, Milwaukee 2772A-20 has a fully enclosed drum to give you protection and prevent any mess. Plus, it comes with a LED light to help you tackle poorly lit areas such as under the sink.
What’s more, this drain cleaner is lightweight and will offer you a reliable solution to most of your household clogs.
The Good:
- Features advanced technologies such as Cable Drive Feed System and RedLink Plus
- Safe to use as the drum is enclosed
- Has LED lights for working in dark areas
- Can work for long without overheating or overloading
The Bad:
- Charger and battery are sold separately
7. General R-25SM Spin Drain Snake
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R-25SM is a small-sized snake that’ll break up minor clogs in the bathroom or kitchen sink. So, don’t hire a plumber so fast – pick this tool and you’ll be done in under 10 minutes.
On design, R-25SM is designed from steel (rust-resistant), has rubber bumpers, and telescoping capability, and a durable 48-inches spring.
R-25SM is excellent for unblocking sinks & urinals. The spring is flexible but equally tough to maneuver tight bends. Further, with the powerful telescope, you’ll quickly see down the drains.
The snake’s drum is designed from stamped steel – which makes the tool highly durable. Homeowners find this snake to be very budget-friendly but also effective in unblocking clogs.
R-25SM has a 25 feet cable that comes with a crank and suitable grips. With these additions (including the knob and grip handle), it’ll be so easy to handle the snake using hand gloves.
The Good:
- Suitable for unblocking a wide range of urinals, drains, and toilets.
- R-25SM is compact in size – and thus, it’s easy to use and store
- Budget-friendly drain snake that’s equally excellently designed.
- Designed from durable stamped steel
The Bad:
- None
Related: Using a Drain Plunger.
8. RIDGID 46683 K-1 Snake Auger (With Telescoping)
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RIDGID 46683 is “insignificant,” but it’s great for unclogging the difficult toilet blockages. In fact, this is the tool that plumbers don’t want you to know – I discovered it the hard way.
- Luckily, this RIDGID 46683 will tear down those clogs & blockages without damaging toilet porcelain and pipes.
- Thus, readily prevent toilet backup for cheap and with minimal damages.
Being an electric drain snake, this RIDGID 46683 will make 500 rotations per minute and easily break down those tough clogs quickly.
It has a great ergonomic build for less effort in manual mode. But with a power drill, you can get that great boost. Its “c” cutter head will tear down the tough clogs by rotating in 2 directions.
Despite being sturdy and durable, RIDGID 46683 is equally lightweight and won’t break or bend easily. Thus, try this tool on the heavy-duty blockages in your shower drains and urinals.
Its drum auger comes with dual power & an aggressive end allowing the tool to dislodge drain clogs. The telescoping capability allows one to view the blockage sitting deep down the drain.
This snake’s cable is designed for left-hand winding, which reduces the chances of cable kinking while increasing power delivered. Finally, the RIDGID 46683 drain snake has a great quality design.
The Good:
- Has a cutter head (c type) that’ll tear down the clogs while running in both directions.
- RIDGID 46683 is uniquely created to tear down toilet blockages but won’t scratch the porcelain.
- Dual-operation modes (use with a power drill or just manually)
The Bad:
- None
Related: How Drain cleaners Work.
9. Ryobi P4001 One Plus 18V Drain – 25 ft Snake Auger
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The 25-foot Ryobi-P4001 is great for unclogging bathtubs, toilets, and sinks. You can unclog ¾’’ to 2’’ (width) pipes. The cable won’t work kinker since it is highly reinforced.
- With the reverse and forward power, the snake is effective and easy to use in tearing down clogs.
- I note that this snake is an excellent addition to the cordless power tools.
It has cable clamps to hold the snake cable tightly when breaking the difficult clogs. Ryobi-P4001 has a charger or battery and drain port (at the back) that’ll hinder water build-up in your drum.
The lock (auto-feed) engages the snake’s bearings to avoid pommel squeezing – which reduces your fatigue. Further, for comfort and great grip, Ryobi-P4001 has some GRIP ZONE over-mold.
The tool has an 18 V battery that’s interchangeable with any similar battery from Ryobi. It’ll even reach speeds of up to 600 RPM, making it a favorite of many plumbers.
The Good:
- Its cable is reinforced (25 feet) – which helps hinder kinking.
- Allow both reverse & forward feeding – a system that’ll help prevent homeowner fatigue.
- Its GRIP ZONE over-mold is effective and thus allows a great snake grip. You won’t require professional gloves.
- Has an excellent auto-lock mechanism
The Bad:
- Not light in weight
10. Dr. Drain VEDRAU01A1 Plumber’s Spring Snake
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Dr. Drain VEDRAU01A1 is a DIY auger. The 25-feet cable auger has a tiny hand crank plus a crank knob, a big handle, and a mounted drum at the back. It has a large bulb tip and a metallic mouth for less wear.
Dr. Drain VEDRAU01A1 will remove the toughest clogs in your floor drains, tub, sewer, and sink – a reliable household drain snake. It has a Flexi core to traverse the drain pipes and unclog.
The tool will readily bend up to 90°, has a durable polymer housing, and comes with a 1/4″ by 25′ spring flexible cable. It cranks knobs, a large handle, and a drum installed at the back.
You’ll find it easy to secure the snake’s cable using the simple-to-operate fastening screws. This, plus the provided cam, enables one to adjust the cable easily.
It’ll clear vacuum lines and downspouts. What’s more, this device comes with high-quality gloves for your use in DIY drain unclogging chores.
The Good:
- Unblocks both simple and tough drain clogs
- Will unclog even 2’’ diameter pipes.
- Highly flexible – won’t snap or kink
- Non-corrosive on plumbing materials including Polyvinyl chloride pipes, PPR, and iron
The Bad:
- Material is not strong enough
11. Ridgid Drain Snake 115v 35473 K-45AF – Shower & Sinks
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With this Ridgid K-45AF snake, you won’t have to mess your hands o clothes – it comes with a self-feeding cable that’s easy to operate with just a push of its button.
- It’s great for unclogging sinks, the lavatory bathtub, showers, or even urinals. You’ll love the flexible auger and the rust-proof material. The 115 V plug on this snake will give your 15% more efficiency.
With this device, you can go as deep as 25 ft. deep into your drain pipes. Pipe diameters range from ¾’’ to 2’’. The motor used in this device has a variable speed enabling you to push and pull the cable swiftly.
Thus you can easily tackle even the toughest blockages without much fatigue. Its compact size enables easy transportation and allows you to maneuver through hard-to-reach areas.
What’s more, this drain cleaner will solve all your problems related to drain clogging. An operation manual and cleaning gloves are included in this package.
The Good:
- Suitable for a variety of drain cleaning chores
- Its flexible cable can bend more than 90°
- Ideal for diameters up to 2’’
- Works well in pipe materials such as PPR, iron, and PVC
The Bad:
- Relatively expensive
12. Cobra Drain Snake GIDDS-211332 – 500 RPM
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If you indeed need a drain cleaner to tackle tough and enormous clogging, you might go for this cobra GIDDS drain cleaner.
- Clogging in the main drains, root blocks, and sewer lines requires a heavy-duty unit like this.
It features a 0.75 hp motor, which spins at 500 RPM. With its forward-reverse option and 100 ft. flexible cable, this drain snake can clean pipes of between 4 and 10 inches. It’s not suitable for small drains cleaning chores like sinks or toilets.
Although this drain snake is heavy, it has built-in wheels to ease its mobility and to enhance loading and unloading into a cart.
The Good:
- Handles pipe diameters up to 10 inch
- Uses a heavy-duty motor with forward-off-reverse options
- The motor has a manual thermal overload relay
- This professional drain cleaner comes at a reasonable cost
The Bad:
- It’s costly to replace the cable
- At 215 pounds, this is not the ideal unit to get to the fourth floor
Buyer’s Guide – Best Drain Snake
When shopping for a drain snake, it is common for many customers to become overwhelmed by the many varieties that the market has to offer.
- It is worth noting that price does not always go with quality. So, be keen not to be fooled by shopkeepers who present the pricey products as the best in quality and performance.
- Also, different customers may be interested in different features of a product.
So what you see as the qualifying factor in a product may not be the qualifying factor for another customer. Thus, I find it important to share some of the most important factors to consider when buying a drain snake.
Considerations when buying a drain snake
1. Cable Length
Drain cleaners come with varying cable lengths. So, depending on the span of your clogs, the ideal cable should be able to reach them.
- Usually, your cable length will be determined by the place you live in. Typically, people who live in a single storied house will require a drain unit with a least 25 ft cable, such as Ridgid 41408.
A 25 ft cable will not be the ideal cable for cleaning a bathroom drain on the second floor. You need a unit with at least 25 ft cable length.
2. Diameter
A drain snake should slide freely through the drain piping to reach the clogs. That means the diameter of the cable should always be smaller than that of the drain piping.
Experts usually recommend a difference of at least ½’’ to 1’’ between the snake diameter and the pipe diameter. If you don’t know the pipe diameter, go for a small diameter.
3. Auger Mechanism
Every snake needs a means of spinning the cable through the drain. Turning of the cable is what makes it possible to negotiate curves and penetrate clogs.
Avoid units that lack an auger mechanism. The auger mechanism you opt for should be reliable. Otherwise, you might spend a lot of time unclogging your drain or even retrieving the cable from the drain.
4. Head Type
Drain cleaners come with either fixed or interchangeable heads. If you opt for a snake with a fixed head, choose one that will tackle your most frequent clogs.
In the case of interchangeable heads, choose those that are easy to change. Below are the most common types of head types used for drain snakes.
- Screw head: Also known as coil head, this type of head allows you to pull the blockage. This is a powerful head for removing blockages such as paper towels and other related products.
- Cutting head: A cutting head is the most preferred head for blockages that require cutting. Most professional plumbers prefer this type of cable head.
- Fixed Head: This type of head is fixed on the cable and cannot be changed.
- Interchangeable Head: When a drain snake comes with an interchangeable head, it provides you with a way of leveraging different heads to cater to different types of clogs. The good thing is that they are easy to change and do not require special tools to change.
How to use the Drain Snakes
1. We’ll take the plumber’s snake. Next, I’ve loosened the thumbscrew, as this will allow me to pull out the snake.
2. Next, we’ll pull out the snake and start pushing it into the drainpipe that’s clogged. Continue with this process until you meet so relatively high resistance. This resistance means that you’ve reached the drain blockage or a bend in the pipe. Check flea foggers.
3. But you need to be about 6 inches from the pipe opening. Once I meet some resistance, I’ll tighten up the thumbscrew. Now, I’ll spin the auger bit, and it’ll drill through the blockage. To do this, I’ll hold the handle while pushing forward.
4. Now, hold at the end and loosen the nut, pull out the drain snake more, tighten the nut again and repeat the process to drill through more of the drain blockage.
5. When you feel that you’ve drilled through most of the blockage, loosen the thumb screen and pull back the drain snake.
Conclusion
When it comes to drain clogs of all types, a drain snake would be an ideal solution rather than paying for a plumber’s services be.
And although there are various drain snakes out there, not all of them are suitable for your type of drain clog.
So, it is recommended that you access your kind of drain clog to determine the suitable drain snake for you.
Always go for a drain snake that fits into your drain pipes. Oversize drain snakes will not do a good job or, even worse, will end up damaging your pipes.