PHD Almost Worthless
- Thread starter GeoHorn
- Start date
Mexicans.
This is the local driller and the equpt used by a local family operation.
:I’ve recently watched a commercial driller on the development nearby…and their equip't wasn’t nearly as good-looking…. it was easily 40 yrs old…. when the turn-table engine blew…the truck stayed on-site for a week before a crate-engine arrived…which they replaced in the field.
The crate-engine…arrived in a 1940’s era Air Force container that looked newer than the old surplus engine.
They had that thing running in 4 more days. (They drilled 4 dry holes,…each took 3 days….500+ feet deep and re-filled the holes before moving on to the next dry hole. The general contractor had them give-up …and the developer has contracted with the river-authority to pull water out of the river. They’ll now have to create an entire MUD water-treatment, distribution, sewer-treaatment and grey-water-drip system to supply their “resort”.)
The developer has 3 times asked permission to send a camera down my well to survey it… I told them “NO”. each time. (My well was drilled ca. 1950 and is unrecorded. If I let a driller survey my well….it’ll get recorded in the ground-water-district and become subject to current regulations.)
I don’ think that drilling-rig is economical for post holes.
Last edited:
Bmyers
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
That is what I thought and based on the rambling of the post, I figured it was correct since the post appeared to be a philosophical insight.
nbryan
Well-known member
Equipment
B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
Well drillers have huge heavy rigs with rock penetrating tips that have no problem grinding through whatever is encountered.
Another type of portable drilling rig are the granite hole drill rigs used around here in Canadian shield country, for blasting at mine sites, and for installing steel pipes for docks.
They're a whole other class of machine. The diamond tipped pneumatic driven dock pipe rigs are also hammer drills. I have lake ice road dock building experience working with these around, and they're EXTREMELY loud in action.
curious. Does anyone with 'hard to drill' holes ever use 'hydrovac' system? Around me every new utility pole is hydrovaced. $500K truck is a combination of pressure washer and vacuum systems. Odd thing is 'they' says it's cheaper than using PHD. Don't need PHD to dig the hole, bobcat to load dirt into dump trucks so saves on manpower (wages ) and time.
Runs With Scissors
Well-known member
Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
Yea I figured they had some sort of "special drill”, but I have never seen one in person.
The only time I have seen a “rock drill” being used was on TV…….(But they were also on an astroid that amazingly had enough mass/gravity to hold them in place so they could drill holes for blasting to save the Earth…...……so my “experience" is fairly limited….
)
I fitted 1/2" PVC to a garden hose to create a "directional boring system." Worked about as good as the professional ones, but for smaller applications like sidewalks. I bet an old liquids tote with electric pump on a trailer would work well for powering a PVC post-hole blaster.
Bmyers
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
We use hydrovac trucks/trailers all the time at work. More so because we are digging in areas that have underground piping and would prefer not to blow anything up.