Direct Push Tooling Worth a Little More Money

Industry veteran, Joe Fleck, EnviroCore LLC owner, has tried his share of direct push tooling.

“If you are comparing tooling costs, I think some drillers might buy aftermarket (non-Geoprobe^®) drill rods to save money. For example, saving $20 a rod sounds good. In reality, after 20 years of experimenting, I’ve learned the aftermarket guys are going to cut you short somewhere in their process. That’s the reason they can sell you a rod for $20 less," Fleck said. "Some of those short cuts include thinner steel, a different thread pattern, or untempered steel ends. I think I’ve seen it all.”

Having experienced the headaches firsthand, the Ohio-based company now relies on Geoprobe^® direct push tooling almost entirely for their environmental jobs.

“Ultimately, I’ve never had these so-called 'cheaper versions' save me any money. That’s why I switched back to ordering actual Geoprobe^® tooling,” Fleck said. “In terms of the quality, Geoprobe^® spends a lot of energy researching their product and then building a manufacturing system around that. The aftermarket guys haven’t done their homework in the same way as Geoprobe^®. This is why Geoprobe^® continues to make the best materials on the market. No one really comes close to producing what they do.”

According to him, the Geoprobe^® engineering and in-house manufacturing practices result in a better overall product.

“The in-house CNC machine shop, dedicated R&D staff, and relentless commitment to field testing are what allows Geoprobe^® to produce the highest quality products in the drilling industry. The direct push tooling Geoprobe^® makes is a massive commitment of time, energy, and resources by the folks at Geoprobe^®,” Fleck said. “You want the highest-quality steel material, timely deliveries, customer support, various options, durability? The word 'Geoprobe^®' to me represents a remarkable group of people who serve the drilling needs of their customers day-in and day-out. Really no one else does it quite so well, from manufacturing, to size options, to support and delivery.”

He also cautions against the extra cost of retooling when other manufacturers discontinue their potentially less expensive product line.

“The advantage of using Geoprobe^® is having products on your shelf or on your truck so that you know you can get the job done every time and to the customer’s satisfaction,” Fleck said. “After 25 years of drilling, we know you can count on Geoprobe^® to be there. It’s a remarkable, well-run company that serves me well.”