• How can I buy the Portable Drilling Rig?

Contact us by email (faragedesignworks@mail.com) first. Upon request to purchase a unit, we will invoice you with Pay Pal.

• How do you ship the Portable Drilling Rig?

We ship each unit in 2 crates and 2 large packages. We use either UPS or FedEx.

The Mobile Post Hole Digger is shipped in 2 large crates.

• How long it takes to complete shipping each unit?

We do not keep inventory. Once an order is placed it takes 2 to 3 weeks to complete shipping each unit. We will provide you with the carrier name and tracking number of each shipment.

• What is the diameter of the standard auger?

The standard auger cylinder diameter is 4 inches, however, because the 2 blades are extender wider, the total diameter is approximately 5 inches. This auger is capable of drilling close to 6 inch holes depending on the type of soil.

• Can I have a 2-inch auger?

We have 2-inch spiral auger, which is good for soil investigation.

• Does the small 63cc engine have enough power to go 50 feet?

The 63cc, 2 stroke engine delivers 3 horse power. The auger head is designed with two flared out blades, which will minimize friction contact between the auger cylinder and side soil. This design is to reduce the torque required  for drilling. The engine can turn the auger head with rods at 50 feet.

• What kind of soil this machine is designed to drill though?

The Portable Drilling Rigs can drill through clay, silt, mix of silty clay, mix of sandy clay, and occasional small gravel, but not large gravel or rocks.

• Can I drill through dense sand and hard clay?

The standard auger head can go through firm to mild dense clayey sand, and mild hard clay and silty clay.

• Can I drill into sand?

In general, drilling into only sand layers, such as beach sand is problematic even for large on deck drilling rigs. Sand layers are permeable and often wet and loose. Wet and loose sand tends to cave in and clock the hole above the auger head. As you go deeper the hole wall will collapse and bury the auger head in the hole. The only way to drill in sand is by using the rotary wash method combine that with expanded clay (Bentonite Clay). By adding clay to the water you raise the viscosity of the mixture and seal the wall, and therefor keeps the hole open.

• Can I drill into Gravel?

This machine using the standard auger head will drill through a mix of small gravel mixed with clay and silt, but not large gravel.

• Can I drill through bedrocks?

This machine using the standard auger head will not drill though bedrocks, or do rock coring. However, if you have occasional thin rock layers, you may purchase the barrel auger to cut through these layers.

• What is the drilling procedure for the Portable Drilling Rigs?

This method of drilling is different than the rotary wash drilling, it requires drilling 6 to 8 inches at a time then pulling the auger head out with the rods to empty the soil cuttings, then lowering the auger again and drill another 6 to 8 inches, which will be repeated to reach required depth. This procedure gives accurate  soil samples and depths, which is important for geotechnical engineers, geologists and environmental engineers. This may sound repetitive and slow procedure, but it is fast because auger coupling  needs only a pin to secure the rods, no pipe wrenches to screw/unscrew the rods as in traditional auger rigs.

As you go deeper there will be more rods above the auger head to pull out the hole each time. I have put a limit depth of 50 feet. One person in California told me that he drilled 75 feet with the electric portable drill rig.

• Can I convert the rig to rotary wash method?

This drilling rig does not have the swivel water connector to hook it up to a water pump/mud pump. Rotary wash drilling needs a  swivel connector, water pump and hoses, water, and a pit or tub to collect the water coming out of the hole for mud circulation.

However, in the past some drillers improvised by using a direct garden hose feeding water to the hole from the surface, that way bypassing the need for swivel head at a depth deeper than 20 feet, but you may still need a pump and a pit if you wish to circulate the mud.

• What is the price of a 4 ft. Extension rod?

The price of each 4 ft. Extension rod is $75 plus shipping. The price may be reduced for multiple orders.