Lone Star Drills upgraded its HD and HDA model drills with Honda iGX800 engines, giving users increased responsiveness and power via an electronic governor that optimally adjusts the engine’s throttle to match the drill’s load. The new engine comes standard on HD and HDA model soil sampling drills and is an optional upgrade for all hydraulic drills. The engine upgrade is recommended for all high-torque hydraulic drills, including parent company Little Beaver’s Big Beaver earth drill.
“The new engine allows users to get peak performance from their drill by setting exact performance parameters with the electronic governor. You set the engine speed and the electronic system ensures that speed is maintained even when the drill encounters varying soil types. This gives customers consistent efficiency on those tough job sites with inconsistent soil,”
said Joe Haynes, president of Little Beaver.
The iGX800’s electric, self-tuning regulator (STR) governor maximizes performance during varying loads when encountering different soil densities and obstructions. This provides reliability that is critical to achieving peak drilling efficiency. Other governor systems can be less responsive than electric ones, causing some engines to lag and constantly “hunt” for optimal performance as the engine’s load changes. The new engine’s governor allows for better performance than the previously used engine, despite having similar horsepower.
Lone Star Drills’ line of geotechnical drill rigs comes in various models to address any soil sampling situation a contractor might encounter. The HDA model designates heavy-duty, high-performance hydraulic drills with an automatic hammer, and the HD model designation is for those high-performance hydraulic drills without an automatic hammer.
The LST1G+HDA comes standard with a 140-pound automatic safety hammer. The heavy-duty rig is mounted on an easily maneuverable, single-axle trailer that can be towed behind a small or standard-sized truck. The LST1G+HDA is capable of drilling 6-inch boreholes down to 100 feet.
Likewise, the LSGT+HDA features an automatic hammer and a 100-foot drilling depth but comes mounted on tracks to spread the drill’s weight and lower its ground pressure to 3.8 psi. Additionally, a remote-controlled feature allows operators to position the drill in hard-to-reach areas and locations with delicate topsoil while also adjusting leveling control with hydraulics.
“The biggest performance impact we’ve seen from the new engine has been on our track-mounted unit. The drilling power is consistent even when making minor positioning adjustments while drilling,”
said Haynes.
The HD models are both trailers mounted. The LST1A+HD reaches a drilling depth of 100 feet, has 1,100 foot-pounds of torque, and can be easily towed by an ATV. The LST1G+HD achieves similar depth and torque but has a cathead and tower for operating a 140-pound safety hammer during standard penetration testing and sampling.
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