Tier 1 vs Tier 3 Jetter Nozzles: Compare the Cost of a Completed Job

A nozzle's purchase price is only one part of the cost of cleaning a line. Compare the tools that fit your machine and can complete the same work, then measure the costs you actually incur.

Keep tier, insert material and application separate

KEG's SBK-F26 cleaning-family chart lists Standard and Ball as Tier One, Sewer Flush and Egg as Tier Two, and Cleaning, Traction, Sewer, Torpedo and Royal as Tier Three. The designation concerns fluid mechanics; it is not a steel-versus-ceramic grading scale. Check the exact model and size in the tier guide.

Choose a tool for the job before comparing its price. A penetrating tool that opens a path and a cleaning tool that removes material may perform complementary stages rather than interchangeable tasks.

Build a fair comparison

• Use comparable pipe diameters, lengths, deposits and starting conditions.
• Record machine settings, hose setup and actual flow.
• Use the same completion standard, supported by inspection where appropriate.
• Record active jetting time, tool changes, water, fuel and maintenance.
• Include every pass and the work required to remove loosened debris.

A Tier Three rating does not establish that one nozzle always takes one pass while another takes four. Reclaimed minutes are valuable, but they become cash savings or extra revenue only when your operation can use them that way.

Calculate water and time separately

Water used = actual GPM × minutes of flow. For illustration, 8 GPM for 20 minutes is 160 gallons; the same flow for 15 minutes is 120 gallons. That 40-gallon difference follows from the assumed five-minute change. It is not a claim that a specific KEG nozzle will produce that result.

Time value = hours saved × your relevant hourly cost. Use crew and operating costs appropriate to the comparison. Do not count full billed revenue as a cost saving, or count the same labor twice.

Include maintenance fairly

For a factory-drilled model, include its actual service and replacement history. For an insert-equipped model, include the correct replacement parts, service labor and any body or other component repairs. Neither type has a universal service-life interval. Use current product prices when calculating a purchase.

Apply it to your truck

Start with your connection size, GPM and the jobs you repeat. Compare 1/4-inch Starter and 3/8-inch Essentials for a complementary loadout, or review individual tools in the KEG collection. Larger operators can compare Victory and available demo and used units with condition and availability checked for each unit.

KEG's published warranty provides one year on replaceable steel inserts and five years on titanium-ceramic inserts, subject to the applicable terms and exclusions. Warranty duration is not a predicted replacement interval or a promise that normal wear is covered. Read the warranty details.

Technical reference: KEG SBK-F26 product catalog, including the Fluid Mechanics section and the relevant model specifications. Match parts to the exact nozzle and configuration.