My new Root Ranger 'The Ghetto Blaster'

[plumberscrack]

Ever since I saw the Ridgid Root Ranger in action at last years' Roundup I've been jonesing for one. I just couldn't justify the $300+ price tag. So I 'value engineered' one

I tried to build it by using two 1/4" street 45's and a street 90. That works, but it's way too wide at nearly 3 1/4". Might be ok for 6" pipe but I'd be afraid of getting it stuck in 4"

So I tried two street 90's and it's only 2-1/2" wide. I'll need to tack weld the 90's so they don't spin on me in the pipe and add a weighted nose piece. Not sure what to use there




Regular rotary nozzle paired to the specs for my machine with zero degree head on a 25 degree pattern (about $30 from Water Cannon)


Same nozzle with the cover removed.


Little too wide at 3-1/4"


This is the prototype version I named 'The Ghetto Blaster'
Untested final version

[haycad]

i like it now go pull your toilet and let us know how it works

[Gene Bickford]

Careful not to get your foot caught in the foot pedal again.

The last thing you want is a Root Ranger screaming through the neighborhood

[BHD]

the idea I was thinking of trying was to take a 1/4 pipe and put a fitting on one end of the pipe to hold the shape, and then heat the pipe and carefully bent it around a shaft to get the curve and end up with a U in the pipe, and then cut off and rethead it to the location where I would want to hook up the hose,

or just take a block of steel and drill and tap and then drill a couple of internal passages, and then shape it like the boughten unit, have not had time to spend on working on it,

[bill2601]

We spent years developing the Root Ranger. We started with a couple of bends ourselves then went to the drilled bar. The Root Ranger has a smooth 90 degree pressure bend inside a cast duplex stainless housing.

The smooth curve prevents water energy loss. It's shape allows it to fit past large root masses then shred them to bits! It won't come undone in the drain (like to screwed bends) and they are nearly impossible to wear out thus very expensive to make!

We have an arsenal of Jet heads of mass destruction!

Check out this baby below!

[Cuda]

Quit being Plumbers we need the angled nose piece to make it work where can we get one?

[plumberscrack]

Originally Posted by BHD

the idea I was thinking of trying was to take a 1/4 pipe and put a fitting on one end of the pipe to hold the shape, and then heat the pipe and carefully bent it around a shaft to get the curve and end up with a U in the pipe, and then cut off and rethead it to the location where I would want to hook up the hose,

or just take a block of steel and drill and tap and then drill a couple of internal passages, and then shape it like the boughten unit, have not had time to spend on working on it,

That what I was thinking also. I even found a piece of extra heavy steel in the warehouse to use.

But then I found a couple of street ells and my laziness kicked in

I hope Ridgid doesn't think that I'm trying to undercut their business. I just wanted to test this design out a few times to see how well it works. No one I know has a Root Ranger to borrow. If it works half as well as I expect it to, I will dish out the money for the real deal.

I think Bill is just building those things for fun

Cuda I have seen the nose piece available as a separate part. Still nearly $200 I look for the link when I'm more coherent.