Get Attached to Your Drill

Get Attached to Your Drill

Horizontal boring kitWhether you’re a contractor or taking on DIY landscaping projects, efficiency, precision and safety are essential for a successful job. However, tackling different horizontal boring jobs typically means investing in multiple specialized machines and costs can add up quickly.

But we have you covered.

Designed for the Little Beaver Mechanical Earth Drill, our horizontal boring attachment packages allow you to handle a range of jobs from landscape lighting to sprinkler systems and drain tile, all with one machine. Here’s how our horizontal boring kits for the Mechanical Earth Drill help you do more with less.

 

Earth drill horizontal boring kitsA Versatile Machine

Our horizontal boring attachments are designed to work with Little Beaver Mechanical Earth Drills, the top choice for rental store owners, fencing contractors and other professionals who need a one-man auger that’s safe, efficient and easy to operate. The lightweight Mechanical Earth Drill packs a punch with a high-speed auger reaching drilling speeds of 360 rpm, providing faster and cleaner drilling than competitive models. We offer various auger sizes, from 1.5-inch-diameter for soil sampling to 16-inch-diameter nursery augers, ensuring your earth drill is properly equipped for the task at hand. The drills feature a steel torque tube to protect users from dangerous kickback, allowing for safe one-man operation for fence installation, planting trees and other landscaping projects.

 

Mechanical earth drill horizontal boring driveway attachmentSidewalk or Driveway?

We offer two horizontal boring kits which easily pair with the Mechanical Earth Drill by simply replacing the auger with the boring attachments. True to its name, the Sidewalk Boring Kit allows you to quickly bore up to 5 feet under sidewalks, paths or drainage ditches to easily install electrical, water and plumbing lines. Utilizing a 3-inch-diameter auger and wiggle joint extension that are lightweight and easy to install, the Sidewalk Kit allows you to bore underneath the concrete without damage, preserving surface integrity and eliminating the need for restoration and repair.

If you’re taking on a bigger job, the robust Driveway Boring Kit can bore up to 50 feet under wider spaces such as driveways, roads and parking lots. Its extended reach equips you to do more complex underground installations like irrigation systems, electrical conduit or communication cables. The Driveway Kit’s expandable design gives you the flexibility to adjust the setup based on the desired bore length. This kit features a water drill bit, swivel adapter, swivel assembly and a horizontal drill key. To complete the setup, you’ll also need a garden hose, water pipe for the length of the bore plus 15 feet and necessary couplings. The water from the hose runs through the water pipe to flush out the cuttings for a clean result. Like the Sidewalk Kit, our Driveway Kit saves time and money by keeping concrete and asphalt surfaces intact.

 

More Bang for Your Buck

So, whether you’re a homeowner taking matters into your own hands for those yard upgrades, or a contractor taking on summer landscaping jobs, our horizontal boring kits can turn your Mechanical Earth Drill into a multifunctional workhorse. Instead of needing multiple machines to tackle horizontal boring and drilling jobs, investing in attachments for your earth drill is a cost-effective solution with rapid ROI.

Ready to get to work? Contact us to learn more about how our Mechanical Earth Drill and horizontal boring attachment offerings can save you time and money.

Embracing the Benefits of Equipment Rental

Embracing the Benefits of Equipment Rental

Mechanical Earth Drills

Maximize potential while minimizing expenses

Providing quality services while maintaining a healthy bottom line will forever be high on a contractor’s priority list. Renting drilling equipment is one way to maximize productivity and potential while minimizing expenses. For specialty projects and testing the waters on new services, equipment rental can be a cost-efficient option if you’re looking to provide more without over-investing.  

There are endless opportunities that rental centers can help a fencing crew tackle. For example, rental centers offer a range of machines and attachments for safe one-person operation. Availability will vary from center to center, but you can often find our Mechanical and Hydraulic earth drills as well as the Kwik-Trench in a variety of sizes — perfectly scalable for construction and landscape projects.

Drilling Through Soft Soil

Looking for a post-hole auger that is lightweight, high-speed and digs quickly and cleanly? See what your local rental center has for mechanical earth augers. Little Beaver Mechanical Earth Drills power through sand, silt and loam, creating clean 6- to 8-inch diameter holes for applications such as fencing, deck building, landscaping and more. Digging a post hole takes less than a minute, meaning a crew can accomplish a lot with just a two-day rental. Need to bore under something? With Little Beaver’s optional horizontal boring attachments, you can easily rent the equipment to bore under sidewalks and driveways to install landscape lighting, water systems and much more.

Mechanical Earth drill horizontal boring

Tackling Tough Soil

For tougher soils — like clay, rock or frozen ground — a Little Beaver Hydraulic Earth Drill may be the best choice. These machines offer more power than mechanical drills, and our models still allow one-person drilling. With their extra torque, hydraulic earth drills can handle augers up to 16 inches in diameter and can drill depths of up to 30 feet with the right auger. Little Beaver Hydraulic Earth Drills also include a reversible feature that makes them ideal for quick removal from the ground.

Earth Drill used for landscaping

With even more power and potential, UN-Towable and Towable Earth Drills have a balanced torque-free design to enhance operator safety when drilling through uneven terrain. These earth augers are ideal for fencing, landscaping, decks, sign installation and recreational applications.

Effortless Trenching

Mini trencher machines at your local rental center are a great solution for digging trenches. Little Beaver’s Kwik-Trench can dig a 12-inch-deep trench at speeds of up to 30 feet per minute. They make installing lawn sprinklers, electric dog fencing, low voltage wiring, plumbing and drainage lines and wire cable the work of an afternoon. Silt fencing, landscape edging, root pruning and bed preparation also become faster and less backbreaking.

Can Renting Work for Me?

When it comes to one-time projects — those special requests that pop up in conjunction with a current project but aren’t something you’re looking to offer regularly — renting lets crews get the job done without a costly, long-term commitment. Depending on the length of the rental, the team can even knock out several small projects with the same machine, optimizing efficiency. Planning will help ensure you get the most out of the rental.

Repeatedly renting the same equipment can also be cost-efficient, to a point. It’s a great way for small businesses looking to expand their services to test out different machines and attachments before committing. For equipment you don’t plan on using every day, renting rather than buying saves money since the rental center takes on the initial cost of the machine and any maintenance needs. However, it’s important to keep in mind there’s a limit to the cost benefits of renting if your crew is frequently using a specific machine.

When used wisely, renting can be a valuable tool for contractors looking to provide more while spending less. The fastest way to assess rental potential is by taking a trip to your local rental center or talking to the manufacturers who supply their equipment. We’re happy to answer your questions. Contact our team today.

Horizontal Applications That Are Anything But Boring

Horizontal Applications That Are Anything But Boring

Earth drill horizontal boring kits

Expand Your Mechanical Earth Drill Capabilities

Versatility – for construction companies and DIYers looking to do more with less, versatility is the key to success. Rather than a specialized machine for every job, a basic Mechanical Earth Drill with a range of simple accessories maximizes project potential from fencing to soil sampling and plenty of jobs in between. The same Mechanical Earth Drill you rely on for quick, clean vertical holes with minimum manpower can also help you tackle horizontal applications with the right attachment kit.

Horizontal boring enables operators to bypass surface obstacles like driveways, sidewalks and roads by simply going underground. For contractors and DIYers looking for an easy way to install landscape lighting, irrigation or other shallow utility lines, it is a popular option because it requires less time and labor than traditional methods of pounding rods under these obstructions. With a simple attachment you can bore up to 50 feet, eliminating barriers and opening up your possibilities.

To maximize versatility, Little Beaver offers two choices for horizontal boring kits. Selecting the right kit depends on your project.

Sidewalk Auger Kit

Horizontal boring sidewalk auger kit

The Sidewalk Auger Kit uses a 3″ diameter auger and wiggle joint extension to quickly bore under sidewalks up to 5′ long.

As the name implies, the Sidewalk Auger Kit enables boring short distances – like under sidewalks, paths or residential drainage ditches. It includes a 3-inch by 5-foot auger.

The 3-inch diameter hole is large enough for most low-voltage electrical, plumbing and water lines, making this idea for landscaping, utility and plumbing projects that only need to bore short distances. With the Sidewalk Auger Kit, contractors and homeowners can easily bore under narrow obstacles to install landscape lighting wire, water softener lines, sprinkler systems and gas lines.

Driveway Auger Kit

Horizontal boring driveway kit

The Driveway Auger Kit is used for horizontal boring under driveways or parking lots up to a distance of 50′.

If you need to cross a road – or a driveway or parking lot – on the other hand, you will need the Driveway Kit. This kit uses a water drill technique to bore up to 50 feet.

It comes with the option of a 2-, 3- or 4-inch water drill bit. As with the Sidewalk Kit, the 3-inch bit creates a large enough hole for the majority of landscaping needs. However, when boring more than 10 or 15 feet, we recommend starting with a 2-inch hole for better control. Follow that up with the 3- or 4-inch bit if you need a larger diameter hole for your project.

For operation, the Driveway Kit requires a garden hose, ¾-inch Schedule 80 water pipe for the length of your bore plus 15 feet and necessary couplings. These are not included with the kit. Unlike the Sidewalk Auger, the Driveway Kit uses water to drill and maintain the bore hole. Low water pressure flushes the dirt and lubricates the hole to avoid collapse. Rental companies often rent the required water pipe with the Mechanical Drill and Driveway Kit, so be sure to inquire at your center before purchasing.

To find out how to maximize your versatility with horizontal boring, contact a Little Beaver expert.

Who Needs Horizontal Boring Equipment?

Who Needs Horizontal Boring Equipment?

Horizontal boring kit

Keep Projects Going When Up Against Pavement

From landscape lighting installation to irrigation system maintenance, horizontal boring is highly valuable for keeping projects going when up against pavement. As a result, many landscaping professionals and homeowners find a fast return on investment in horizontal boring equipment. But others fail to realize the benefits due to misconceptions that boring machines are too expensive to rent or purchase or are limited in use.

The applications for boring equipment in landscaping are actually quite diverse. Horizontal boring is highly valuable for every job from landscape lighting line installation to irrigation system maintenance. And whether it’s contractors with their own equipment or rental centers serving landscapers, homeowners and do-it-yourselfers, most already have machines that can pair with boring attachments and accessories, maximizing their fleet efficiency with multi-purpose equipment that can be used every day and on every job.

Little Beaver’s horizontal boring kit turns a traditional earth drill into an economical boring solution. Though inherently more limited than a large dedicated boring machine, the Little Beaver Boring system easily completes the jobs landscapers and homeowners tackle.

Solutions for the homeowner

A Little Beaver earth drill fitted with the horizontal boring attachment is a perfect fit for the do-it-yourselfer. The drill and attachment are lightweight and safely operated by just one person. And because it’s a cost-effective alternative to renting larger boring machines, it’s an ideal solution for cost-conscious homeowners.

Homeowners and DIYers use the horizontal boring kit to install and maintain:

  • Sprinkler systems
  • Water softener lines
  • Landscape lighting lines
  • Gas lines

Fast ROI for the contractor

Professional landscape contractors are often faced with small- to medium-size projects that do not require the industrial capacity of expensive and heavy directional drilling equipment. While moles are geared for this size of project, they are expensive to buy or rent, complicated to use, and typically require at least two people to operate.

A horizontal boring attachment is an inexpensive way for contractors to efficiently install or maintain:

  • Fiber optic lines
  • Gas lines
  • Irrigation systems
  • Conduit pipe

For more ways to improve landscaping efficiency, contact a Little Beaver expert.

Get Attached to Your Drill

Master Horizontal Boring: Pro Tips & Solutions

Horizontal Boring Tips and Best Practices

Achieve Project Success with the Right Methods and Equipment

If you’ve installed landscape lighting, underground sprinkler systems or drain tile running through a lawn, you understand the demanding work caused by a sidewalk or driveway blocking your path. Boring under cement may not be a part of every job you do, but it’s nice to know you have a solution available for this situation.

With help from Little Beaver’s horizontal boring attachments, you can get underneath almost any concrete obstacle to install conduit, pipe and irrigation systems. The attachments pair with our Mechanical Earth Drills. Before you start your next project that involves burying lines, consider your horizontal boring options and learn best practices.

Sidewalk or Driveway

The first step is to evaluate the size of the project. This will help you determine the equipment best suited for your needs. Smaller jobs, such as boring under sidewalks to connect a water line or run wires for lighting, are best done with a sidewalk boring kit that easily bores up to 5 feet.

Larger projects — as long as 50 feet — can be tackled with the driveway boring kit. This attachment bores smoothly under a street or driveway, which makes it ideal for installing underground irrigation systems. After choosing the proper attachment, you can get started with your boring project.

Digging In

First, gather your horizontal boring kit, mechanical drill and either a trenching machine or a round point hand shovel and spade. For wet drilling you will also need a garden hose, 3/4-inch Schedule 80 water pipe and 3/4-inch pipe couplings.

Then, dig a small starter trench so that you can reach the correct depth and angle as you start to bore. The dry boring kit requires a 6-foot-long trench 6 inches below the bottom of the concrete slab. When using the wet auger kit, dig a trench 15 feet long. Trench depth is important, as a deeper trench will greatly reduce the risk of cracking concrete while boring. Then move to the opposite side of the pavement and dig a shorter trench to receive the drill as it passes from under the pavement.

Since this is such a low-torque job, the torque tube is not needed. Disable it by attaching the horizontal drill key to the tube connector, which activates the safety interlock. Drill setup varies slightly for each auger kit, so follow the instruction manual for finer details. Before you begin, call 811 to verify there are no existing utilities in the digging area and follow all other safety precautions.

Here to Serve You

Little Beaver Mechanical Earth Drills are designed to make horizontal boring easier so you can take on more boring projects in a shorter period of time. To complete your next horizontal boring job quickly, efficiently and safely, watch our attachments in action. Then contact us to get the horizontal boring attachment that fits your next project. Do not let sidewalks and driveways get in your way.