Shopping for Used HDD Tooling? Here Are Some Tips to Keep in Mind

By Bill Hendricks

New HDD tooling can get expensive. For this reason, many will search to find used tooling that will work for their drill rig and the bore they need to complete.

For more information, please visit our website.

// ** Advertisement ** //

When looking for used tooling there are several factors to consider. For drill head setups, reamers and hole openers a contractor needs to select the correct diameter, shaft, thread size and style for the specific ground conditions of their job.

Finding the right used piece that ticks all these boxes can be challenging. Many contractors settle for used tooling that isn’t the right size or is overly worn and should be discarded. Here are a few tips that can help find the right used downhole tooling.

// ** Advertisement ** //

RELATED: HDD Used Equipment Market Remains Strong

Reamers and Drill Heads

Oftentimes, a used reamer or drill head will have an adapter at the front of the reamer or at the tail of the housing. This allows you to change the threads over to use that tool on a variety of drill setups. Many times, used tooling has an adapter that has been welded in place and this can be costly and time-consuming to remove and re-weld if needed. If the threads are in poor condition, proceed with caution. While trying to save money on buying used tooling, overly-worn threads can easily lead to breaking off underground and it can be costly in the long run.

// ** Advertisement ** //

Some pullback reamers have built-in swivels. It’s important to make sure the swivel is tight because a loose swivel will eventually come apart and lead to a frustrating day. These built-in swivels can be welded in place if done correctly. Some of the carbide teeth on a used reamer may be broken off or worn away but this is not necessarily a deal-breaker.

RELATED: Radius HDD: Looking at Things a Little Differently

// ** Advertisement ** //

The teeth can be easily replaced if only a few are needing to be changed out.

When examining a used drill head to purchase, you might see that the threads between the housing and starter rod are worn. On the starter rod, look for wear around the collar area, as well. If there is an excessive amount of wear in this particular area, purchasing this piece of used equipment should be avoided.

KunXu Drill Tools Product Page

Rock Tooling

Rock tooling can be especially challenging to buy on the used market. The roller cones on the reamer or bit should feel very tight when turning; they should not roll freely. Look for side to side movement, as this will indicate the amount of wear in the bearings. If there is a lot of side to side play, the bearings quite likely are broken. It can be very costly and time-consuming to replace these cones. Keep in mind that when one cone is needing to be replaced, it is usually a sign that the other cones will also need to be replaced soon. As with other used tooling pieces, check the threads to make sure there is not an excessive amount of wear. On roller cones, examine the buttons to ensure there is plenty of carbide left. Welds on the sides of a roller cone are a good indicator that the reamer may be getting close to the end of its usable life. Additionally, heat from these welds can damage the seals and bearings.

// ** Advertisement ** //

Drill Pipe

When buying used drill pipe there are some specific points to keep in mind. It’s valuable to spend the time to learn how the thread pattern and profile looked when new. This will help you to visually gauge the amount of thread wear on the used stem.

The body of the rod may appear to be in great shape, even showing the original black paint in certain spots. This does not necessarily mean the threads are in good condition. To check the body of the rod you can use a caliper and compare your measurements with the manufacturer’s specifications, to see how much of the metal has worn away. A slightly bent pipe can be easily fixed by a professional. A good test is if the pipe can roll freely on the ground without being stopped by the bend. In that instance the pipe is generally salvageable.

// ** Advertisement ** //

RELATED: HDD Tech Talk: Managing Your Drill Pipe Investment

One of the more important things is to determine the original manufacturer of that pipe. Not all drill stem is manufactured at the same level of quality. Low-quality pipe can lead to headaches even when purchased new. Be discerning and ask questions. Does the person you’re buying the rod from know the original manufacturer of the rod and can they tell you where they bought it from? Is the person selling the pipe because of a bad experience? Or maybe they have sold their drill rig after a job and have excess pipe they are now getting rid of? Being discerning will help you avoid inheriting someone else’s headache.

// ** Advertisement ** //

With all that in mind, there is good used downhole tooling out there to be had. Finding it can equate to a substantial amount of money saved, and what driller can’t use some extra cash in their pocket? Keep these tips in mind and your chances of success will increase. Happy hunting!

Bill Hendricks is HDD Specialist at MTI Equipment.

The company is the world’s best Reaming Drill Bits supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

// ** Advertisement ** //

So what are the opinions on adjustable reamers? I have read bad reviews on cheaper sets saying the blades don’t all adjust to the same height and it is hard to get an accurate setting out of them. Are better quality versions more dependable? They would be handy for sizes between standard instead of a 30 piece fixed set for $900. Or better to put the money into fixed size reamers and build up your set over time? I hate them , especially the cheap ones . They are really only of use to open up a hole a couple of thousandths and it can be a bit hit and miss . I used to have to use them to ream the piston pin bush on lawn mower engines as they only needed a light scrape to get that nice sliding fit with no play .
Better to save your money and buy what you need as you need it and buy good quality reamers , i have a set of cheap Chinese made straight shank ( machine ) reamers and they are ok , handy to have with a range from 3-13mm and 1/8-1/2 but not as nice as name brand units .
The rest of my reamers all MT up to 40 mm are all NOS bought off ebay over a couple of years just waiting for a 5mm one to come up and my set will be complete ! I have fix reamer, Chucking, over size, under size.
I also have miniature to 1 inch adjustable reamer
Charles Lamont has the best description, Overhaul job.
if you need to ream a hole to make it round AGAIN cause the bushing failed
that can't be mounted in a lathe or a mill. you would use adjustable one to simply make the hole round. It turns out that one rarely need a standard fractional reamer, is always over or under. In most model construction a hole is to run a shaft made of standard size drill rod mostly in 16th or rarely in 32nd. In that case an "over" size is what is needed.
Often one needs a press fit for the same shaft size and a "under" size is the cat's miao saving you a boring job.

I can't think of a case when a "On Size" reamed hole is required.

It turns out that one rarely need a standard fractional reamer, is always over or under. In most model construction a hole is to run a shaft made of standard size drill rod mostly in 16th or rarely in 32nd. In that case an "over" size is what is needed.
Often one needs a press fit for the same shaft size and a "under" size is the cat's miao saving you a boring job.

I can't think of a case when a "On Size" reamed hole is required.

I have seen over/under reamer sets advertised. How much over and under are they? My plans usually say “drill 3/32 ream 1/8”. I am surprised that you say standard fractionals aren’t used. It seems most instructions say to use the reamer to bring the hole up to a standard size from a smaller drill. What is the purpose for a reamed 1/8" hole? Not for a #5-40 screw, that will require a clearance hole. Nor for a drill rod dowel to turn in, it will bind badly. Not for a force fit with a drill 1/8" rod, it is not secure enough.
Not for a vent hole or a fluid passage, no need for a reamed hole in that case.

Specifying a reamed hole imply some kind of mild precision fitting. A fitting must hold or allow movement. An on size hole will require either an oversize stud or an undersized shaft.

I have seen the same specs on drawing an regularly ream oversize 0.001" to avoid using my hammer at assembly time. I have reamed bores for pistons 'on size' but of course they don't need to be as the pistons are made to suit and being round is really all that's needed. Maybe for an assembly dowel where you don't want a slip fit but don't want to use a press? That's about all I can think of. I use adjustable reamers quite a bit, mostly older non-Chinese ones. But I usually like to drill the hole to 1/64" undersize then bore it to maybe .005" undersize and finish it with the reamer. Boring ensures the hole is round and straight and concentric with where it was intended to sit. Reaming a drilled hole just follows the wobbly drilled hole all over the place.

But for jobs like drilling and reaming dowel pin holes through two pieces at once, I then drill 1/64" undersize (or less if a metric drill falls in the range etc) and machine ream in position.

I like adjustable reamers for things like motorcycle wrist pin bushings. How do you size them? Measure across the blades at the large end. Trial cut undersize. Adjust in small increments to sneak up on final size.

But for small model engine size stuff, adjustables are too clumsy. Better buying the machine reamers you need as you go. I have found the cheapo fixed machine reamers on Aliexpress are plenty good enough for home use. Surprising at the price but I guess if a million Chinese factories are churning out products using the same tooling it can't be all bad. The cheapest ones are crap. Bought another set that looks ok, but I can't get any accurate results with them. They grab, makes poor finish and uneven holes. These are ok for general mechanical work when you need a bigger hole. In fact, I have limited success with fixed reamers too. I like to make things accurate and like to use boring bars instead. With these you can get the accuracy you want regardless of the accuracy of your machines.
Rudy Boring is the best option for accuracy but hard to do for model sized holes. When drills taps and reamers get small its a whole new ball game. Fumble fingered old geezers like me need lots of support tricks to hold things steady.

I found what appears to be a reasonable set of fixed reamers from 1/16 to 1/4 by 64ths. Might buy that as a starter set and add more as necessary. O/U sets are expensive. Might try just polishing shafts for a slight undersize. Well, Luc, I don't own one, but coincidentally I used one, for the first time in many years, last week: to take a tiny shave out of an odd-sized hole so the odd-sized pin would easily go all the way. Even in the busy shop I was working in, it had obviously not been used for ages (which meant that, unusually, it was still sharp) and I had to strip it and clean it before anything would move. Shopgeezer, I also started to be curious if someone actually made some use of adjustable reamers. My first sett from India went in the bin, the second set from China is stil in the drawer, but I can't use them the same way as fixed reamers. My fixed reamers does seldom have the dimension I'm aiming for so I figured adjustable reamers would be fine, but not so.. They can be used to force some holes bigger, but not to make accurate holes for shaft and so on. At least mine can't.
So yes, i too wonder if adjustable reamers of good quality can do the same job as fixed.
Rudy