The right type of drain cleaner
I have used the Ridgid snake, some similar snakes of other brands, chemicals, CO2 cartridges (after one time when a handyman used them - really amazing when they work!) and at times rented a BIG snake and (for the worst clogs - roots) - hired a handyman or plumber to do the job for me.

I have had every type of sewage backup - hair clogs in the bathtub drain, bathroom sink trap clogs (usually hair, but last one was a bandaid!), kitchen sink pipes (well past the trap, but accessible pipes in the basement below), laundry lint, grease, perler beads (they make quite a strong clog when mixed with lint &amp; grease...) and of course roots. Based on my experience, I would say anything but roots is in the realm of a moderately handy homeowner willing to get his (or her) hands dirty. But the trick is figuring out what type of problem you are having so you can solve it correctly AND to (if possible) prevent it from happening again (e.g., perler bead projects are no longer allowed near the basement floor drain in my house; metal mesh lint trap on washing machine).

The first step is to determine where the problem is - e.g., if the problem only affects the kitchen sink then you know it is between the sink and where the pipes join with the bathroom pipes. Next is to determine what the problem is. If the problem is only the kitchen then is likely grease and/or food scraps - I have learned over the years to minimize what actually goes down the disposal. The Badger 5s are quite powerful, but they can't push food past a real clog, and trying can actually make the clog worse (in my case, the infamous chicken soup clog, but I digress).

If the problem affects kitchen + bathrooms then (a) I doubt the CO2 cartridges will be very effective (but worth a try) and (b) you might need more than the typical cheap 25' manual/power snake both for distance and for power; and then the problem may be roots.

Sorry if this doesn't give a specific definite answer, but basically you need to determine more about what is going wrong before deciding if a 25' snake will likely do the trick. I consider those snakes a good investment - one plumber visit avoided will pay for a snake - but they are definitely not the solution to every clog.