Basic drilling Facts or just a honey lips sales pitch?
Remember figures don't lie , But liers figure!
You must educate yourself past the sale pitches and what i call the smoke and mirrors of portable water well drilling rig sales. Most portable rigs seem to be good, but are they? The averge joe knows nothing about drilling or operating a drilling rig , thats why i sell a plans book and troubleshooting guide to help people through the smoke & mirrors.With many people needing water , but have no clue where to start and what to look for. People like this are easy pickings for salemen with honey lips or honey fingers on the key board posting listings..If you do your home work, in the last 2 years there have been lots of people who have started manufacturing portable water drills ( post hole digger conversion rigs). I will try to shine some light on basic rig needs to help the average joe make a informed and educated decision. Heres a list of what makes the differance between a nicely painted pyle of iron, or a very capable drilling rig.
You must know the basic needs in a drilling rig before you can decide on what type or kind of rig to buy.
1. Most portable rigs (post hole digger conversion rigs) use small swivels and small drill pipe. Have you heard this is sales pitche 1 3/8 OD drill pipe.What this means is , that it is 1 inch pipe. when you measure 1 inch pipe OD you get the measurements 1 3/8. Remember the smaller the drill pipe the easier it is for well bore hole to deveate ( crooked hole), less water flow and easier for drill pipe to break while drilling. A crooked hole is no good, just wasted time and stuck casing half way down. Won't go in and won't come out..Larger drill pipe drills straighter and carries more water flow and washes cuttings out better, plus handles larger drill bits without breaking.
2. What is the water course of the swivel ? The larger the water course determines how fast and how deep you can drill. Smaller water course rigs can't wash cuttings up without water volume. water flow is what carries cuttings up and out of bore hole.Its amazing that everyone has the best swivel, but no one tells you water course size or psi ratings.WHY? Because the water course is small 5/8 to 11/16 and psi rating is near 0.
3. What is your swivel psi rating for air or water.Most companies selling rigs CLAIM TO HAVE HIGHEST FLOW OF ANY OTHER BRAND, BUT GIVE NO WATER COURSE SIZE OR PRESSURE RATINGS OF ANY KIND, OR BEARING WEIGHT RATINGS.When a pro water well driller orders a swivel for a water well drilling rig or even oil well rig, the first thing they ask is, what is the weight rating, and water course flow and pipe size connection . This determines if you can use stronger mud pumps or air to help lift hard to drill gravel and rock out of well bore hole, and if you can use down hole hammer for rock formations
4.What kind or type of drill pipe is used, and what thread connections.
The So called portable one man water well drills (post hole diiger conversion rigs). They all use post hole digger power heads, but motors vary slightly using different lifting frames, most use poor quality swivels, (called the commercial or heavy duty), use 1" - pipe with NPT threads or flat threads, then write about their units as if the were engineered from the ground up.There are several things to consider before buying or building a rig. Some rigs sold include mud pumps of 2" or 3" output, but all are reduced down to the small water course swivel and drill pipe. Your water flow is only as good as the smallest opening between mud pump and drill bit end. Even if you use a 6 inch mud pump, but using a 5/8 water course swivel means you have a 5/8 water course. 6.5 hp or even 100 hp is worthless if you only have a 5/8 water course swivel. Most manufactors boast of commercail swivels, but include no Psi ratings and most swivels are only for water, because air will would blow them apart. The threads and conncetion type play a great roll in drilling also. Standard pipe threads npt or flat threads work ok for shallow easy drilling soils, but can over tighten when drilling deep over 100ft or in rock. Standard threads were made only to connect and stay connected for life, like when plumbing water lines ect.Connect and disconnect can wear threads fast and cause breakage. standard pipe can be used though, just know the limitations, go slow and keep threads greased and free of dirt. If you plan on drilling many wells you may invest in tool joint drill pipe.Tool joint drill pipe is much more exspensive but can be used for 100'S of wells, where standard thread drill pipe is short lived. But if your operating on a tight budget you can make standard drill pipe work. If you read my book water well drilling & troubleshooting guide it will show you how to make your own drill pipe and also how to make it better than stock with easier breakout too. Tool joint drill pipe comes in many, many differant kinds of threads and connections. Heres a list of common styles that work great . The following are CA21 ( larger water course 1 1/2, and heat treated course tapper threads that do not over tighen.) M-50 is a square thread and course, works well for drill pipe 1 1/2 or smaller. Mayhew JR the larger water course heat treated tappered thread and works best on 2 3/8 " drill pipe.All these drill pipe connections are so easy to use, no over tightening, and no cross threading, these connections slip over drill pipe and are then welded on in place. The cost on these are much more, but pay for themselves fast if your drilling for cash money daily. These are sold in what are called box & pin, that means 1 male and 1 female coupling.
Water well swivels or directional side walk boring swivels.
Its fun to watch people online. I see items people bid on Directional side walk boring swivels that are small water course swivels with threaded drive connections that are a joke. You need a cross pin connection for the swivel drive thats sure. Threaded connections will come loose when you disconnect drill pipe and fall in the well. These swivels were designed to bore under side walks, not drill water wells. most side walk boring jobs are only 5 to 10 ft, not a 150 ft water well or more. also 1/2 or 5/8 water course won't work, but i see people waiting in line to buy these. I like a cheap deal too, but i feel sorry for those who get hooked..
Water pumps and mud pumps.. Do i need a 3hp or a 6.5 hp pump..
Rockbuster Mud 200. This pump is new and in the box. The R-Mud 200 is superior to drill with because of the unique Cast iron pump impeller and housing Design.Its self priming to 25ft. Accommodates pressures to 85ft , and up to 170 GPM capacity. Motor is a 3.8 hp that pumps better than any import 6.5 hp. ALL OF THIS PUMP IS MADE IN THE USA , INCLUDING ENGINE.. R-Mud 200 is self-priming and totally Made in the USA,THIS IS NOT CHINA JUNK. I have tried 2 different china import pumps , one pump came apart during the 2 tank of gas, the other pump seals started leaking making prime time a very long 10 minutes every time pump was shut off and restarted.Remember CHINA pumps are not designed for greater performance, they are only designed to look like a high price honda pump for less.The R-Mud 200 accommodates heavy viscous liquids ,abrasives and even weak acids. The supieor cast iron Impeller and pump design on the R-Mud 200 pumps drilling fluids that are shear-sensitive without damaging Drilling fluid, keeping drilling mud at full potental.Cheaper import pumps have plastic and aluimuim impellers or housings that cause foaming and poor transfer of drilling fluids, not to metion abrasive sand cutting parts away almost instantly. Drilling very abrasive cuttings can wear pump housing and impeller if they are plastic.This pump has every thing your looking for, Starts fast and easy, primes very fast, cast iron pump and impeller for long lasting use . Pump can be rebuilt and parts are available for everything. We tested 2 differant CHINA PUMPS. Thats why we don't sell them. China pumps have a better markup to make money, but to use daily they are junk. On the 2 we tested at first i was excited, i thought WOW- a 3 " honda style pump for only 159.00 bucks. Well things changed fast. After only 2 tanks of gas the cheap impeller came apart inside the housing and distroyed the pump . we called to find parts and there is none i found, they said (just through it away and buy a new one.) So we did, i thought maybe it was just a bad one out of the bunch. The new 159.00 pump arrived and we tested again. This time it was 4 tanks of gas and the sand cut seals out of it and it took 10 to 20 minites to prime pump everytime pump was stoped and started.Thats when we quit buying & selling CHINA junk. If you saved 150.00 on buying a water pump, but you loose circulation at 150ft and loose 500.00 worth of drill pipe and bits, not to metion 2 days larbor, thats not good.
For questions please email me @ drillingfab@aol.com