It has been over a decade since I entered the world of horizontal directional drilling. At that time, the market was in a period of renewal. Contractors had a new generation of rigs available that were smaller, faster and more automated.
One thing that did not change with the more sophisticated equipment was that many contractors still believed that more horsepower was the only thing needed to complete a successful bore. Visiting jobsites, I was amazed at the size of the rigs being used. Over time, it became apparent to me that the diameter of the product and lengths of the bore were small in comparison to the size of the rigs.