Hello all, my well digger has decides to give up the ghost and float on off to that great junk pile in the sky. So I am looking for another. One of the big things we will be providing for folks on our journey is Solar powered wells. Its a big need in a lot of places and we need a towable digger capable of up to a 10" bit and capable of putting in to about 200'. Now I know there are some out there but just wondering if anyone here has any recommendations on bang for the buck! Thanks in advance for any and all input!!!! too country
What will you be providing? Are you just digging the wells? Giving people solar panels? Most well digging trucks are pretty big. I have no idea about a towable digger maybe someone will come along and know of one.
There are diggers from small enough you can tote them around to massive trucks. Trailer mounted versions are a great intermediate size for digging multiple wells on a budget. Something like this is what I am talking about. As for what we are supplying, depends on the need and project at hand. I have plans currently for 6 wells across the country 4 of which will be ready to connect lines when we drive away. One will be connected to a cabin, greenhouse and a watering system for a small garden. I wont be charging anything and will provide as mush as I can.
When you say "country" are you referring to the USA? If so, beware there are varying permit requirements and well driller licenses are required in many states. I looked into drilling a couple wells for myself. The licenses in some states are a racket where the applicant must have the recommendation from 1-3 other well drillers atesting to one's knowledge and experience. Hard to get as these guys won't vouch for a new competitor and too often want to force you into cheap labor for themselves for a couple years first if they are willing. On the flip side, the permits and licenses are generally driven by concerns to protect the aquifers from contamination resulting from inadequate or improper grouting techniques by inexperieced drillers. I can appreciate that as one crap well installation can compromise the water for dozens or even hundreds of neighbors. Additionally, in some western states the permits are to control who uses how much water. Beware fines and sometimes charges can be brought for drilling without the proper paper stuff. There is a guy in I think Washington doing jail time because of a small stock pond he used to trap rain water on his own property for his cows. The state claims you don't even own the rain that lands on your own property. They have even given folks grief for rain barrels attached to house gutters -- another example of government out of control. AT
This is why I have an attorney vetting each location we plan to drill. One of the reasons we don't plan to depart till spring and simply wont drill illegally anywhere. Planning is everything.....
Last I knew in NH you can dig, drill etc your own well, but you have to have a surveyor certify it is x distance from a septic system, etc and have it logged by a certified well driller as to depth, water flow etc. Makes it kind of moot for anything except a driven well in your garden on the quiet. But on the other hand we are having problems with arsenic, radon, various petro chemicals, nitrates, nitrites, heavy metals, sewage contamination, weird plastic chemicals, mercury , and I don't know what else, so I guess they reason to be careful.
Do not try your Well Drilling Act in Utah... Or you will be spending time in their local GreyBar Hotel.... All Water Rights in that State are already Spoken for, and if you drill anywhere, without buying Some Water Right from someone who already has some, the local Sheriff will be looking for you, with Lights & Sirens, and a Warrant for Grand Theft.... Well Drillers in that State are both Licensed & Bonded, which ain't cheap to do. Just a "Word to the Wise"....
We used to install geothermal well with a self built tow behind rig. 26 HP diesel engine and lotsa hydraulics. You're gonna need way more than that to spin a 10" bit even in sand. A lot of the big trucks will have issues with a bore that large and some rocks will ruin the day. We used 10.5' drill rod cut from 1 1/4" seamless pipe, made my own drag bits by brazing on carbide chips, used a chain drive head on an 8" I-beam, and a 30 gpm water pump, also hydraulically driven. We also could switch to a twin cylinder compressor, 18 cfm I think it was, to blow them. 200' 4" wells were about our limit, usually with several strainers as there are many water tables here. We used a lot of submersible pumps in the 30 gpm range and most always got more than that. Most of our applications only needed 12 gallons (geothermal heat pumps). Moral of the long winded story is you can build one cheaper with off the shelf stuff and replacement parts are easier to come by.
Show US your old well driller please & some of the ones you have drilled . I have 4 Wells on what I have drilled . All at different FJORDS ! Im not talking POLLY-TICKS as some have brought up , as with your question . Sloth
My old rig is a boremaster 26 hp and it would drill a 10" well. I drilled about 25 wells on it and it was highly used when I purchased it. I will have to get some pics as I don't have any. Getting ready to buy a new camera for the youtube thing anyway. Considering the AX33 Handycam.
Because a 10" capable Rig will have a great deal of power. Get a rig rated for a smaller max diameter and it just wont be as strong...
Well if anyone was wondering I just placed an order for a Bore Master 26 hp driller. I have had some questions as to why I don't just rebuild my old one. And the truth is I would if I were just using it locally. But out on the road we have to be concerned with reliability more than ever. So I would rather just spend the $15,000 and have new equipment. Going to give the old one away and be done with it.
