Differences of rak and ROWO / ROTHENBERGER drain cleaning machines

The drain cleaning machines from rak show some differences to the ROWO and ROTHENBERGER machines due to their construction. In the following we will introduce to you in detail which these are and how they become noticeable in use.

Closed hollow shaft vs. open hollow shaft

The most significant difference between a rak machine and a ROWO machine is the closed shaft of the rak machine through which the drain cable is passed: The clamping jaws on the outside of the rak machine allows the hollow shaft to be passed through the body of the rak machine in a closed manner. The main advantage of this design is that the splash water from the rotating drain cable machine cannot get into the interior of the rak machine! So if you open the side covers of a rak machine, you will find that the interior of the machine is dry and well maintained.

The ROWO machine, on the other hand, has a split hollow shaft inside the machine, as the clamping jaws machine is also inside the machine under the side covers in the middle of the split hollow shaft. This has the advantage of a shorter pipe cleaning machine, but the disadvantage that the spray water from the rotating drain cable reaches the interior of the machine through the gaps at the clamping jaws. The motor is protected against this by a splash guard. Nevertheless, after using the machine for a longer period of time, you will notice that the interior of the machine is very dirty when opening the side panels.

Differences in maintenance and care

Right picture: Heavily soiled R600 after opening the side covers

The closed hollow shaft of the rak drain cleaning machine makes it particularly easy to clean: As no moisture enters the machine, it does not need to be lubricated. The bearings are lubricated for life. In contrast, the ROWO machine should be lubricated after each use, both inside and outside! In practice, however, this is generally not the case. Therefore the lifetime of the bearings and the pipe cleaning machine suffers.

To ensure that the internal clamping jaws of the R-machine grip the drain cable when lever pressure is applied, a thrust bush is used. This must always be cared for, as it becomes clogged with dirt over time and can rust. This becomes noticeable when the lever of the machine becomes noticeably more difficult to move. If the bushing is not maintained regularly, it can in extreme cases become so stuck that it needs to be cut out with a grinder! The design of the rak machine makes it possible to dispense with a thrust bushing; in addition, the interior of the machine is protected against dirt anyway.

Simple change of clamping jaws at rak, thrust bushing at R-machines

The external clamping jaws on the rak sewer cleaning machine allows easy replacement in case of wear and tear. The clamping jaws are easily accessible from the outside and can be changed in no time at all. The machine does not need to be opened for this purpose. With the ROWO sewer cleaning machine, it is necessary to open the side covers of the machine to change the clamping jaws. Then the front hinge bolts must be loosened and the sleeve moved. Then the clamping jaws including the springs can be changed. As the inside of the sewer cleaning machine is often very dirty, changing the clamping jaws is often more difficult.

Motor power and speed from rak and ROWO

In terms of engine power, the rak machine rak-40 is ahead of the R600: at 0.75kW, it offers almost twice the power of the R600 at 0.4kW. On the other hand, the R650 with an output power of 0.75kW also has the same power as the rak-40.

The rak is also ahead in terms of speed: In all comparable machine versions, it has a higher speed on the shaft than the machine from ROWO or ROTHENBERGER. Thus the rak-40 has a speed of 690 rpm, the R600 only 460 rpm. A brief overview of the different input & output powers and working speed can be seen here (for comparison, the two drain cleaning machines REMS Cobra 22 and Cobra 32 are also listed):

Summary

The drain cleaning machine from rak is due to its construction a very easy to maintain machine. Regular lubrication is not necessary. The external clamping system allows easy replacement. The closed hollow shaft keeps the sewer cleaning machine free of contamination and thus enables a long service life. However, this is noticeable in terms of price. The ROWO pipe cleaning machine requires more maintenance. However, with regular maintenance it is also a very reliable machine. Changing the clamping jaws is more difficult and may have to be carried out with the help of a specialist. For the occasional to regular drain cleaning in the sanitary sector, the ROWO machine is well equipped, while professional drain cleaner and sewer cleaners mostly rely on rak.

Both the rak machines and the ROWO machines are high quality drain cleaning machines that offer the best reliability and robustness. Unfortunately, more and more inferior sectional machines from China are pouring into the market. However, these supposedly cheap alternatives do not offer the necessary quality for a professional drain cleaning in the long term. Here, as so often, the motto is "He who buys cheap, buys twice".

Do you have further questions about the rak and ROWO machines? Simply write to us via our contact form, we will be happy to help you!