Kyle wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
Latest visit, to snake kitchen sink, cost $85.

and later:
I hardly used the disposal at all, and haven't for years..
decades!
[snip]
I HAVE always composted the stuff that's appropriate for compost, and
scraped meat, bones, etc
into garbage.So really don't need "teaching" thank you, though I know
the advice was well meant.

Given that you are looking for advice on snaking a sink and that
you've had it snaked and you are looking for a garbage disposal and
you didn't mention you compost most of your food waste, it's not
unreasonable to assume you're clogging your drain with food waste.

If the OP is composting most of his food waste, I fail to understand how
food waste would then be the cause of the sink drain not working. I had
experienced similar problems that turned out to be a badly deteriorated
main sewer line from our condo.

Our condo unit is first floor, nearest the street, so is first to show
blockage. There were times I sent potato peelings and similar through
the disposal, causing the drain to work slower. Proof came after the
condo sewer line was rooted for the fourth time....I complained to the
city, they sent a crew to video the line all the way from the street and
to install a cleanout at the edge of our property. The condo assn. then
had the line video'd, which I saw, and the plumber showed me how the
lower portion of the cast iron pipe was essentially gone. On an earlier
visit, another plumber had advised that the age of the pipe was at the
end of it's useful expected life (35/40 yrs.).

The question, then, is what IS constricting or blocking your sink
drain? Is it the disposal? If not, have you figured out what it is?
Seems to me that's a bigger concern than how to snake a drain or the
cost of an Insinkerator.

As to the cost question: my own practice is to find someone whose word
and work I trust, and pay them for that trust and work ethic. The
cheapest contractor in town may not be competent; then again, neither
may the most expensive one in town. If you don't trust what your Roto-
Rooter guy is telling you, get a second opinion - for peace of mind
alone it's money well-spent!