Over the years I have spent lots of money on renting drain augers and I have used corded and cordless augers for drains ranging from sinks and showers to commercial kitchen drains. I own several properties and decided to purchase my own auger. I decided to go with the Milwaukee M18 Fuel version as opposed to the M12 version, which was half the price.
This drain auger is all that you can ask for to get the job done quickly and efficiently. This kit comes with the auger, a storage case, battery, and charger. I personally did not need the charger and battery because I own a ton of batteries, but the storage case was a huge bonus for me. Being able to clean drains, which is an extremely messy job, and minimize the amount of clean up on the job site, means less time spent on the job which equals more money.
The auger is extremely powerful and runs well with a 2.0 battery. I was able to easily clean three drains, running the cable at least 25 feet each time, on a single charge with the 2.0 battery. Being cordless I no longer have to worry about extension cords or the need for an outlet, which makes any job more convenient. The drum on the auger is fully enclosed which means less mess and less dirty water splattering. The auger has a flat base which allows for you to place the tool on the ground and run it with one hand and frees up your other hand to hold a rag to clean the cable as you retract it. The auger has a built in automatic feed system which makes feeding and retracting the cable very easy. The tool also has an LED built in which sufficiently lights up the area that you are working in. You can easily clean drains that range from 1 1/4 - 3.
The kit comes with. 5/16 cable, but I purchased a 1/4 cable and replacing the cable was very easy. There are four screws that hold the drum together and once you unscrew them you have easy access to the inside of the drum. This tool is powerful so I always keep the tool flat on the ground when running it for greater control and ease of use. As soon as I am done cleaning the drain, I drop the tool into the bucket for minimal mess and get the tool out of the location of the drain. I always make sure to clean the drum and cable after every use before storing.
Investing in my own auger was an easy decision. Because I own and manage so many different properties, recouping my investment was very quick. I own a huge collection of Milwaukee tools and this drain auger meets the extremely high expectation that I have for all Milwaukee tools. The quality is excellent and most importantly it gets the job done!!
