While General and Spartan have similar feeds, they are not identical. Here are three things to check if you are having trouble with your General power cable feed:

1. Loosen the knob on top of the feed and try to pull the cable out of the drum by hand. If the cable does not slide freely, then it could be tangled in the drum. Remove the tangled cable and reload it in the drum. Make sure it’s loaded in the correct direction – that is, in a clockwise direction. (Note: Spartan cables are loaded in a counter-clockwise direction) Be sure to lubricate the cable as well. A dry, rusty cable will not slide in and out of the drum easily.

2. Make sure the three feed rollers spin freely. If they are caked with dirt, or frozen altogether, they must be cleaned or replaced. Even if just one roller is frozen, you should replace all three.

3. Check the cable for excessive wear. If the feed pressure knob (the one on top of the feed) is too tight, it will cause the cable to wear flat. Once the cable flat, the rollers can no longer grip the cable and the feed will slip. You’ll have to either cut off the damaged section or replace the cable completely.

If thiis does not solve your problem, please contact our customer service department at 800-245-6200 for help with your General machine.

You are correct. The machine should always be run in forward, whether you are feeding the cable out of retrieving it back from the drain. When the machine is put into reverse, the cable will tend to colapse into the center of the drum and tangle. General uses an inner drum cage to help prevent cable tangling. Be sure the cable was installed in the right direction. General cables should be installed in the clockwise direction. Spartan cables are installed in the counter-clockwise direction because their motors spin in the other direction. To check to see if the cable is installed correctly on a General machine, grab the cable with your right, just like a hand shake. Your fingers will point to the direction the cable should go. Use your left hand to check the direction of the cable in your Spartan machine. Of course, make sure the machine is unplugged before you do this. If you have any questions, please call General customer servcie at 800-245-6200.

While General does not make replacement parts for other brands of machines, you can use our Flexicore cables in them. The wire rope inner core cable will last a lot longer too. You'll have to buy our cutters as we use a different connector. But you'll find the Flexicore cable last so much longer that it will off-set the cost of the cutters. Contact the Drain brains at General at 800-245-6200 or 412-771-6300 or email info@drainbrain.com for more information.

General's cables will fit in the Cobra machines. And you'll find our Flexicore cables will last a lot longer too. Our connectors are different so you'll have to use our cutters as well. But what you'll save in replacement cable costs will more than make up for the cost of the cutters. You can contact our custoemr service staff - the Drain Brains - to get your cost on the items you need. Call 800-245-6200 or 412-771-6300. Or email us at info@drainbrain.com

You have several options. You could cut off the damaged section and contact BrassCraft about getting a replacement connector and cutter head. We do not recommend attempting to cut out the kinked section and re-assemble the pieces on a short cable. The repair point is too stiff and will not go around tight bends easily. A better option is to replace the coil with General's Flexicore(R) wire rope center cable. Heavy gauge wire is coiled tightly around 49 strand aircraft type wire rope and heat treated. This gives the cable unequalled strength and the right flexibility. It's so tough, it carries a one-year warranty against defect or breakage. General's connectors and cutters are different that Brasscraft, so you'd have to purchase a cutter set. But that's a small cost compared to the life of the cable. You can purchase General cables at most plumbing supply houses in your area. Or call the Drain Brains(R) at General at 800-245-6200 for a supplier in your area.