World Fence News

56 • JUNE 2015 • WORLD FENCE NEWS It was a crushing one-two combi- nation. In the fall of 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita beat down the Gulf of Mexico coast within weeks of each other, leaving splinters of devastation in the wake of their Category 5 forces. It didn't take long after the flood- waters receded from New Orleans and surrounding communities for the phone to start ringing at Hercules Fence. One call became a deluge, and for the next three years the replace- ment jobs kept the Lake Charles, Lou- isiana-based company working nearly double-time days. Mechanical earth drills had been Hercules's go-to tools for years, but company owner Charles Harris said he never appreciated their dependabil- ity, power and versatility more than he did in the aftermath of the storms. Hercules is a family-owned busi- ness that has been installing fences for more than 60 years. There was a time when the work suited the name "Hercules." Crew members dug all the holes by hand, muscling through the toughest soils with manual augers. But for nearly five decades now, Little Beaver me- chanical earth drills have been driv- ing the company's installations. Harris himself used one of the first Little Beaver models. Initially, he didn't know what to expect as far as efficiency. But when he sent his crew out in the morning, expecting them to return around the traditional quitting time of 5 o'clock, they were back at noon. The speed was a revelation at the time, and as the years have gone by, power, reliability and safety have kept the Hercules owner coming back for more. Today, Hercules owns three MDL-8H mechanical drills and uses them for installing residential and commercial chain link, ornamental, wood and vinyl fences. They're the most efficient option for bread-and-butter jobs that cov- er 200-600 lineal feet of fence with 30-60 holes that are 3 feet deep, ac- cording to the manufacturer. Hercules also does more expan- sive commercial and industrial instal- latons, as long as 25,000 lineal feet, that require as many as 2,500 holes up to 12 inches in diameter and 42 inches deep. Because of the sheer scope of the jobs, the crew uses a skid steer equipped with a drill to do the bulk of the digging work. Even for those larger and more challenging projects, the compact but powerful Little Bea- ver machines meet the challenge, the company said. As an example, Harris said there might be an area with soft soils where there's a concern of getting stuck with a skid steer. In most of those cases, a couple of installers can get in with a mechanical drill, do the work and get out again. "Steeper areas where a skid steer might tip, confined spaces, between trees and buildings – they're great for all of that," he said. In addition to being able to get into hard-to-access areas, the Hercu- les crew members can change points and blades to fit specific soils and con- ditions. They generally use the asphalt blade to dig through not only asphalt, but also hard clay and sand. That versatility is important, but for Harris, the safety of his employ- ees is paramount. A major concern with many drills is the transfer of digging torque to the operator. With steel torque tubes that transfer digging torque from the drill heads to the en- gine carriers, the Little Beaver equip- ment reduces fatigue and nearly elim- inates the risk of injuries to the hands, arms and back that are typically asso- ciated with other drills. "The guys on the crew don't get as tired or sore. Not only are they safe, but it really boosts our efficiency," Harris said. Buried objects or engine over- loads can produce dangerous kick- backs, too. The centrifugal clutch on Little Beaver power earth drills stops the engine if either occurs, which pro- tects the operators from injury and minimizes damage to the flexible drive cable, transmission gears and Louisiana fencing company relies on Little Beaver mechanical earth drills in face of hurricane devastation Little Beaver hydraulic drills were used by the Hercules Fence crew to bore hundreds of post holes as they replaced miles of fence that were de- stroyed by Hurricane Katrina and Hur- ricane Rita along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. (Little Beaver photos) continued on page 58

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