Compact Well Drill Rig Goes Anywhere

Compact Well Drill Rig Goes Anywhere FARM HOME Miscellaneous The Aqua Bore well drilling rig has all the features of a full-size rig but is small enough to take off road The compact rig can be carried in a pickup bed or towed by a pickup or small tractor Gray Webber got the idea for the Aqua Bore when he and a group of friends all needed wells drilled at remote camps or cottages “We needed a smaller rig and one that was less expensive to drill with ” says Webber of Webber Construction and Fabrication “When it’s just a campsite you don’t want to spend $8 000 per well ” Webber began looking at small drill rigs but couldn’t find one with the major design components of a full-size rig He decided to build his own He spent about 6 months working on 4 different designs before settling on a final prototype The Aqua Bore is priced at $19 239 with a narrow-track single-axle transport kit and 96 ft of drill pipe It features a 27-hp gas-powered 23-gpm hydraulic pump with a 750 ft /lb torque power head and a 6 000-lb hoist It has a super duty full flow spindle with a 20 000-lb bearing pack which is 2 to 3 times what competitors offer and is more durable The 21 hp true oil field-style mud pump is built to handle larger diameter and deeper wells than others in its price range “It can do anything a full-size rig can do and has almost the same capacities ” says Webber “I can drill to 300 ft and make a 3 to 8-in bore hole Most competitors in this price range might go 200 to 300 ft but leave no more than a 4-in bore hole ” For ease of operation and safety Webber located all controls on a single panel Even the tool-less breakout system is at the driller’s control station “It’s an ideal compact rig for commercial well drillers needing a unit for remote sites ” suggests Webber “It’s also suitable for vertical bore geothermal installations Safety and simplicity make it well-suited for a starter well business or for groups of private owners needing wells drilled ” Webber suggests prospective customers who are considering drilling their own wells should contact their state health department and review state regulations While a license is needed for most commercial well drilling he says most states allow individuals to drill their own wells “I’ve rented my well drilling rig and trained the renter how to operate it ” says Webber “I’ve assisted with drilling 8 wells and each one came out just fine ” Webber has also designed and fabricated a portable “snake pit” – a retrieval and settling pond for water and mud slurry pumped out of wells He designed it after working with settling pits dug by hand and with a backhoe “The Snake Pit lets you drill a 100-ft well with only 200 gal of water ” says Webber “It’s more efficient and easier than the alternatives ” The Snake Pit takes only 15 min to set up and is priced at $375 You can see an Aqua Bore video at FARMSHOW COM Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Webber Construction and Fabrication 22590 Johnson Rd Ontonagon Mich 49953 ph 906 884-2170; info@webberfabrication com; www webberfabrication com

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