HDD contractors are running into tighter, more environmentally sensitive jobsites. Some of these sites also have older, hard-to-detect infrastructure that demands highly sophisticated guidance tools to minimize the possibility of damage. The Ditch Witch organization has responded to these demands—and many others—with these recent product innovations.

The JT922: A Sizeable Improvement
The JT922 is a powerful new directional drill that is more maneuverable, easier to operate, and easier to maintain than any other machine in its class. Featuring the highest power-to-size ratio in the 9,000-lb (40 kN) pullback category, the JT922 is a full foot shorter than its nearest competitor, making it easier to set up in tight spaces such as backyards and alleys, and also easier to transport.

"Our customers requested a directional drill that was easier to maneuver in tight spaces but still had plenty of power to do long bores," says the Ditch Witch organization's Richard Levings, senior product manager of HDD equipment. "We delivered with the JT922. It holds up to 300 feet of pipe—that's over 100 feet more than its nearest competitor—and the carriage travels the length of the drill frame in two seconds flat, for faster cycle times and more pipe in the ground. All in a more compact package."

The JT922 also meets customer demand for greater comfort. "The operator's station is midway down the drill frame and at a 90-degree angle to the rack, so it's easier to handle the pipe," he says. "And the seat slides fore and aft, so you can get closer to the pipe rack. It just makes everything easier on the operator."

The JT3020 Provides Quiet Efficiency
Building on the success of the popular Ditch Witch JT2720, the new JT3020Mach 1 is an extended-range, self-contained machine with 30,000 pounds (133 kN) of pullback. It can install product of up to 12 inches in diameter 500-800 feet in length, depending on soil conditions.

"It's everything our customers love about the JT2720 plus greater power, less noise, a better operator's station, and an incredibly efficient mud pump," says Levings. "The engine's new cooling design allows extraordinary horsepower (148 hp/110 kW) in a small, quiet package. Under normal operating conditions, the engine is quieter than some smaller HDD units. But the engine automatically turns up the torque when the drilling conditions become more challenging.

"The machine's fluid pump delivers 42-viscosity drilling fluid at 50 gallons per minute, helping the JT3020 drill with outstanding efficiency. The redesigned work station makes operators more efficient, too. "All of the information an operator needs during a bore, like pressure gauges and tracking information, is now right in his line of sight as he looks at the tool joint," explains Levings.

Dual-frequency Beacons Help Bypass Interference
When guiding a bore, HDD operators depend on their guidance system to avoid obstacles. But local interference can play havoc with signals transmitted by the underground beacons. Airborne signals transmitted by traffic loops, overhead power lines, airports, and even other nearby HDD crews can affect the signal, as can metal objects such as rebar, fences, nearby buildings, and underground facilities.

Having an alternate frequency to rely on is one way to keep your drilling operation on schedule. This is the benefit of the Ditch Witch organization's new dual frequency beacons, the 86BD and 86BHD. Offering 12 kHz and 29 kHz frequencies, these beacons reliably transmit roll angle, beacon temperature, beacon battery status, and pitch information. When interference disrupts the bore, the operator can switch the frequency of the beacon during drilling.

The 86BH and 86BHD generate signals that can be tracked to a depth of 50 or 70 feet, respectively.

Published in the Fall 2007 issue of The Underground.