Little Beaver Earth Drills and Augers recently launched its Lone Star heavy-duty geotechnical drill rig. The LST1G+HD drills to 100 feet with an optional 4.25-inch hollow-stem auger.
The new model offers enhanced power and capabilities when compared to the company’s smaller LST1G+ geotechnical drill. Little Beaver added a planetary reduction gearbox for more torque and a reduction mechanism for increased push- and pull-back force over its standard geotechnical drill rig.
The Lone Star is designed to give engineers and soil technicians an efficient, robust and dependable drill for standard penetration tests and sampling soils for academic testing, the company said in a press release.
Little Beaver has increased the rig’s torque from 500 with the standard model to 1,100 foot-pounds, doubling the drill depth to 100 feet. It provides users with 8,500 pounds of push- and pull-back force for tackling challenging soil conditions, as opposed to 5,000 pounds on the standard model. Little Beaver accommodated for the additional force by increasing the unit’s pull capacity with a double-row 80 drive chain. The strength of the unit’s steel frames also has been increased by 50 per cent for enhanced durability.
The rig comes with Little Beaver’s SSK1 kit, which includes a tower, pulley, third hydraulic valve and a steel cathead. The unit’s hinged shuttle plate allows users to swing the rotary aside for quick and easy access to the borehole.
The drill is mounted on a lightweight, single-axle trailer that can be towed by an ATV or a small truck for quick, easy manoeuvrability from site to site. It’s also equipped with a two-inch hitch, three levelling jacks and a spare tire. A hydraulic lift cylinder raises and lowers the mast, which folds down when the unit is moved. The drill can be shipped fully assembled in a 20-foot container or knocked down and palletized for transportation by standard truck or ocean freight.
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