Pun intended. That is it's job right? Ok.. I rated this 5 stars. Is it a 5 star machine? Well, no, it isn't. But for the price point and for it's intended use (home owner) with occasional use, it gets the 5 stars. It obviously is not a heavy duty commercial unit, but then again, it's not $800- < either. For the price of calling a plumber out to do this once, maybe twice, you own the machine and it's paid for. So, if it works one or two times, it paid for itself. I tested mine, but have not actually used it yet. But it seems powerful enough for the once or twice a year use. I live very rural with a lot of woods around my home, so I am always having to dig roots out of my septic lines. With this, I can auger them out once a year as preventive maintenance, and I don't have to worry about finding a machine to rent for $50 for a couple hours, picking it up in town (30 miles away) and returning it in a hurry, or worse, calling a plumber which would cost me as much as I paid for this machine just to drive up into the driveway. So, for me, it is an investment worth investing in. Like I said, if I use it twice or three times, and it burst into flames, I still would have gotten my money worth IMHO. I only paid $200 for one (yes it was new) and I believe it is worth that even if it doesn't last several years (TBD). If I wanted something I can rely on for a lifetime, i would have paid the $800-$1000 for that peace of mind. We will see how long this lasts, But I think I will get at least 2-5 years use out of it cleaning out my pipes once or twice a year. It is what it is, and for the money/value, it is a 5 star. One thing I might add. Get a good pair of gloves. The gloves they give you are for some sort of mutant. The pinky in them is HUGE, larger than all the other fingers. Not sure was species they were supposed to be for, but they are not made for the human hand.. lol. Maybe some alien species or something.. ;)
Shelley 
