Recently I was talking to a contractor who had just plopped down $200,000 for his first directional drill. The rig is self-contained, comes with 2.580 diameter drill pipe, pumps 28-30 gpm, will mix and pump bentonite and has 25,000 plus push/pull. Trailer, tanks, the whole deal. He bought the drill because his long-time client, an electric utility, said "Buy your own drill or I will not be able to keep you and the bid list." I thought you may find it interesting to hear his questions related to making this $200,000+ investment (included dedicated truck and locator equipment).
1. How long do you think this piece of (HDD) equipment will last?
I have been around commercially available HDD rigs since 1989. Yes rigs are lasting longer. By that I mean most manufacturers have an evolving model that can be updated and new features added. Rigs now seem to have leveled out. The innovations are in fine-tuning electronics; rod-loading and adding gadgets that make life easier for the driller.