All in the Air Rotary Drill Rig Details

Seeking to update their fleet of rotary rigs, MacKinnon Water Solutions in Ontario sought to steer clear of electronics.

“The DM series being hydraulic versus electric over hydraulic is a big plus,” Rob MacKinnon, owner, said. “We’re not worrying about salt on the roads affecting the electrical components.”

They also sought to combine the best features of their previous rigs.

“After drilling two decades now, I’ve used rigs from different manufacturers. I thought it would be so nice if we could tailor a rig to our needs and use the best features of each brand,” Darren Ashick, drilling manager, said. “The DM650 is the best of both worlds. It has a lot of innovative features.”

Access to Team Geoprobe^® engineers contributed to their decision to invest in not one, but two DM650 air rotary drill rigs.

“The engineers not only listen to constructive criticism but respond with design modifications. The feeling it’s a team effort definitely won me. They’re willing to listen to concerns and constructive actions are taken,” Ashick said. “Our voice was heard, and you see the results of that.”

Innovative Features on DM650 Air Rotary Drill Rig

One favored innovative feature is the rod carousel capacity and ability to reload while drilling.

“The rod carousel has 240 feet standing with the ability to reload once past 240 feet. That’s much better than the 140 feet standing we had before,” Justin Montgomery, driller, said. “The machine handles the rod when you’re drilling so you don’t have to. The rod spinner makes life easier when pulling the rods out versus doing it by hand — it definitely saves time that way.”

Ashick describes the backloading rod carousel as “fast and easy.” He also finds the ability to shift the head either direction useful for clearing the path for the tool string (see next page).

“I’ve always been in favor of less moving parts. There’s less wear items and less chance to break. But some of the things that save time like taking the rod off and moving the head either way to access something is more useful than I expected,” Ashick said. “Because the head side shifts both directions and the rod handling capabilities, we’re saving time.”

He also appreciates the engineering that went into the table assembly and pullback capacity of the DM650.

“The table assembly is robust, open to work within. And it’s designed with replaceable components so you can replace wear items rather than the whole assembly,” Ashick said. “The DM650 already saves time on set up and tear down. I like the pullback capabilities for our geographic condition. It operates so smoothly and safely, it’s an asset on all projects.”

The DM650's air capacity plays a part in being an asset on projects.

“There’s much more air than what our previous rig had,” Montgomery said. “When we go deeper, there’s lots of air to lift the cuttings out.”

Positioning Seasoned Pros for Success

Their two new DM650 air rotary drill rigs position them to be more profitable.

“We’ve reduced downtime having a reliable unit. It has better capacity for pullback, which means we’re not stuck on a hole,” Ashick said. “This all contributes to saving time, which saves money.”

He also finds the space and support needed to make the repairs.

“You can tell engineering pays attention to details and has foresight to think ahead about when repairs will be needed. I appreciate the clean deck to maneuver around. I’m not wishing my fingers were three times as small so I could reach something,” Ashick said. “The knowledgeable service and sales team gives you confidence they’ll be able to walk you through any issues.”

The switch to the new DM650 has been easy on these seasoned pros.

“I don’t like change and am used to my day-to-day activities on our older rigs. So even though I liked all the new stuff, I was still skeptical,” Ashick said. “It’s an easy system to pick up so it makes training faster. It’s straight forward and user-friendly. Now that I’ve taken the time to learn it, every job has won me over. It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”