There is nothing more essential to your HDD drilling project than making sure you’re using the correct drill rod. But it can be difficult to figure out which drill rod will work best for your next fiber job or water-sewer contract. Which style should you choose? The fact is, it depends on your bore and the steerability you need, the degree of difficulty it is, and whether minimizing short-term costs or longer-term performance is more important.
Generally, this means utilizing a drill rod with the strength, stability and flexibility to perform the bore at hand. In addition, you want a drill rod that matches your budget in order to help maximize margins.
Your answers to those factors will determine whether or not you should go with Vermeer Firestick® drill rod or Vermeer Silver Series drill rod. Both options are strong enough to handle large bores and can be used in tough ground conditions.
Let’s dive into each of those and then consult a flow chart to help you make the right decision for your operation.
Vermeer Firestick drill rod
When Vermeer developed the Firestick drill rod, it invigorated the industry. This was a new and improved drill joint that Vermeer invented, and the rest of the industry eventually adopted this style, too.
Each Firestick drill rod carries a batch number for traceability. Overall, it’s designed with a coarse and tapered thread profile for quick makeup and is made of V145 grade steel. Firestick rod is preferred for those that desire longer-term performance and are boring with a high degree of difficulty. It also provides operators a higher level of steerability while boring. This is the premium option for Vermeer drill rod and lets operators maximize their investment through longer wear and fatigue lifecycle on their drill rod.
Vermeer Silver Series drill rod
The Silver Series drill rod can be used in the same tough bore conditions as Firestick drill rod. Comprised of one-piece forged, S135 grade steel and threaded in the same U.S. state-of-the-art facility as Firestick drill rod, it is designed for challenging jobsites that require strong and quality drill rod.
Silver Series drill rod has the same column wall thickness as the Firestick rod but comes at a lower cost. The advantage with Firestick drill rod is that it tends to outperform Silver Series when it comes to overall wear life and material fatigue.
Both Firestick and Silver Series drill rod can effectively help you bore your next HDD project. But which one you use depends on your boring conditions and needs. If you have any questions about Vermeer drill rods, contact your local dealer or visit borestore.com.
Vermeer Corporation reserves the right to make changes in engineering, design and specifications; add improvements; or discontinue manufacturing at any time without notice or obligation. Equipment shown is for illustrative purposes only and may display optional accessories or components specific to their global region. Please contact your local Vermeer dealer for more information on machine specifications.
Vermeer, the Vermeer logo and Firestick are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. © 2022 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.