There are two main electric drain cleaning machines: Marco Drain Cleaner – This method uses a flexible cable coiling around a drum and can slice through blockages up to 23 meters away Ridgid Drain Cleaner – Rather than using a single long cable, the Ridgid electric eel uses combinable rods to create the length necessary to remove a blockage We can safely say that both brands of electric drain cleaning machines will remove more than just tree roots. With the variety of cutting and removal heads, they’re able to cut through anything, including sedimentation, grease and hair.