Maintenance or mayhem. When picking between
the two, the choice seems simple — no one would
intentionally disrupt their productivity. Too
often, when it comes to properly maintaining
earth drills, operators forget the importance of
daily and monthly inspections. Foregoing regu-
lar maintenance leads to trouble onsite with ei-
ther declined drilling performance or a complete
breakdown.
With maintenance in mind, rental centers
and contractors should always choose a reliable
manufacturer that produces quality equipment
with minimal maintenance. After finding the best
drill and manufacturer for their needs, operators
must understand checking drills only once a year
doesn't make the cut. Routine preventative main-
tenance and servicing is crucial to achieve the
most uptime.
For rental centers, this means they can get the
equipment "rental ready" faster, and ensure the
next operator will have a quality product to use.
Not only can routine maintenance cut expenses,
but it can also eliminate the frustration contrac-
tors feel when a machine goes out of service be-
cause it wasn't properly maintained in the first
place.
Scheduling service for drills depends on the
usage, specifically based on hours. For example,
if an operator uses a drill every day for a week, he
or she should service the drill once a month. If the
drill gets used two to three times a week, he or she
should service every three or four months.
Drill maintenance depends on specific parts
and features, because portable earth drills can
come in varying models, like mechanical or hy-
draulic drives.
MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE
Two-man drills feature the motor directly on top
of the drill. By comparison, some manufacturer's
mechanical earth drills include a motor on a car-
rier connected to the drill handle by a flexible
drive shaft. Due to the design, these drills only
need one operator. This is beneficial because it
can cut labor costs in half. Mechanical drills are
less expensive than hydraulic models, and spin
An Earth Drill Education
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Some manufacturer's mechanical earth drills include a flexible drive shaft that connects the drill
to the carrier behind the operator. These drills also include the motor on the carrier rather than on
top of the drill itself.
22 January/February 2016 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com
No more excuses for drill maintenance
■ BY MIKE HALE
ALL
PHOTOS
PROVIDED
BY
LITTLE
BEAVER,
INC.