Personal well drilling rig?

[Erin]

(I'm just full of questions this week.    )

Personal well-drilling rigs-- are such things actually realistic?
We're looking at a household well for sure.  But I'd also like to get another one, maybe two, on the other side of our place for a windmill and water tanks...

There are a bunch of options: 
http://www.deeprock.com/diy.htm (Hydra-Drill has been around the longest, if I'm not mistaken)
http://www.hydratek2000.com/ (similar to the above, but cheaper)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320232794499 plans to make your own hydraulic operated rig
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220205658000 My personal fave, it runs on magic.   

And- from a question I posted a couple of years ago, we had a very detailed personal experience from a member re: the hydra-drill http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=2224.20

Our water bearing layer would be gravel directly above shale.  Judging by the other wells in our area, we can expect to go 50-100' down to hit it.  And we can also expect that we won't hit it on the first try...
the local driller quoted me $5-6G to drill, case, and put in a submersible.  I would love to save some pennies, but at the same time if it's not realistic, it's not realistic...   

[MountainDon]

There is at least one other topic on this. I'll do a search later as dinner is calling right now.

Seems to be the feasibility depends on likely depth and 100 ft is not bad at all. I wish for something that shallow. Drifting a little... but the city is drilling a new well... expected depth 1000 feet! Up in the mountains it varies from 250 to 600 ft.


Ground composition is another factor... I don't know how they'd do in hard rock.

[glenn kangiser]

The simple answer part based on the old discussion and part on experience is that I don't really think it is practical, and I would make a rough guess on your chance of success at around 25% but won't say you can't do it.

I or the guys under me, cable tool drilled around 300 wells average 200feet, but did some over 700'.

[MountainDon]

Here's the other thread I knew was someplace around here...

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=3255.msg34686#msg34686

[Erin]

The simple answer part based on the old discussion and part on experience is that I don't really think it is practical, and I would make a rough guess on your chance of success at around 25% but won't say you can't do it.

That other thread looked just as promising as the one from two years ago.  For sand/clay/gravel drilling at a fairly short depth (which is what we'd be doing), that is.

And are you speaking of all three approaches (the rockmaster/hydra-drill being the same type of design) or does one look more promising than the others?

Tell me what you're seeing that I'm not to make our chances so low! 
I really don't want to waste money on a pro if I don't have to, but I also don't want to waste money sending away for a super-secret decoder ring! 

[glenn kangiser]

I have no experience with the small drills - just talked to a few people and read a few things. 

From experience and seeing other small rotary drillers,  A hundred feet of wobbly pipe is going to be hard to handle.  Getting a straight well could be a real challenge.  Too much down pressure will likely send it shooting off to one side as can glancing off of rocks or ledges.  I am not familiar with your soil conditions so can only offer general information.

Rocks -- especially cobbles if you have any are really hard for even the big rigs to get through.  Hit a solid one and you will be stopped or near stopped I think. Any thing over an inch or two may effect the small drilling rig.  Hopefully it will push off to the side of the formation i soft enough.

Tips I can give you is to always keep the hole full of mud to the top.  Mud is the product you create when drilling but you cna greatly enhance it by adding drillers bentonite to keep it like a thin milkshake.  This will seal the sidewalls - keep the water in the hole and help prevent caving.  Keep make up water added to keep the hole full at all times.  An empty hole will likely cave..  Don't leave the tools in the hole when not working - they may not want to come out when you return.

[MountainDon]

Sure would be nice to talk with a couple of users of the DIY variety....

[Okie_Bob]

Hey Glenn, long time no talk!!! Mountain Dan, you have been busy on here and giving out good advice. Course Glenn always
has good thoughts to share.
Thought I'd kick in with my 2 cents here as I used to own a truck mounted rotary that had a hydraulic pull down that could
get to 2000' on a good day!
My biggest problem is that the water you find at 100' or less is what I consider surface water. By that I mean there are all sorts of little thingies that can penetrate down that far and make your water something you wouldn't want to drink. Now of course that depends on where you are planning to drill and if far enough away from all impurities could be ok. But, before I drank anything from a well 100' or less I'd want to see a test report assuring me it was ok to drink. I'm just kind of funny that way.
For the quoted price of $5-6 bucks a foot complete with casing and pump, that is a steal in my opinion and I'd jump in it way before I'd try one of the hand held rigs like you are looking at.
You now have my opinion and it cost you what it was worth.
Okie Bob

[glenn kangiser]

I think that was $5000 to 6000  ( $5-6 G -Grand?) for the job.

You may want to shop that if you have options but prices keep going up so that could be a good price.

BoB -- I sometimes have bad thoughts too but try not to share them here.  Pleasure hearing from you again.  Don't be a stranger, please.

[Redoverfarm]

Here it is $10 ft to drill and about the same per foot to case.  Pump is additional as well  as supply line and labor. But if the area is limited to the # of drillers then you would be better off to bite the bullet and try to save elsewhere.

[Erin]

You may want to shop that if you have options

No options. 
And he won't drill deeper than the shale (which is where I get the 100' give or take number, because that's how far down it is to shale)

[peternap]

Sure would be nice to talk with a couple of users of the DIY variety....

OK Don, Here I am.

If you read the link Don posted, I looked at everything and tried one. The results were difficult to classify.

Glenn is correct. It is whippy and difficult (make that impossible) to get a completely plumb hole.

THEY WILL NOT DRILL rock without a good bit. The best price I could find was about 7K and was a refurb. So rock is out.

You can make the same rig for a few hundred dollars and in fact, we drilled a well (about 40 feet) for my sons camper and used a drive point, with a home built unit.

If you can get it done for 10.00 a foot, DO IT!!!!! This is not a fun project.

Depending where you are, surface water can be fine. Mine was. You just don't know until you get some tested.

[MountainDon]

Well, that's good enough for me. 


Thanks Peter

[Redoverfarm]

Erin in this area you have to get into the hard shale before you get decent water.  Then you usually case off to the rock to keep it from collasping later.  But I think I said once before that I had drilled 132 ft and had good water for about 4 - 5 years and then it went south. Water quality and quanity most deminished.  I drilled another well and went 393 ft with good water and 60 gpm.  But at 4K it was worth it. 

[Erin]

If you can get it done for 10.00 a foot, DO IT!!

$10 a foot?  Boy, I wish...      Shoot, $20 would be nice!  (yes, the "G" in my price stands for grand.  $5-6,000)

Erin in this area you have to get into the hard shale before you get decent water.

The local driller (the only one for 100 miles, btw) was really clear that he stops at shale.

[MountainDon]

Reading back I see you did say $5-6G for the job. Not sure where the $10 a foot came from. 

Around here they'll drill as deep as your pockets. 

That's a dilemma.

[glenn kangiser]

The local driller may have a good reason for not going through the shale.  It's hard to outguess a man with experience in the area. 

It may be gas - oil - saltwater - no water -- loss of water - Probably a good reason.

[MountainDon]

HMMM. Good point, from a man of experience.

Wouldn't want to hit oil if you were after freshwater.

[glenn kangiser]

I've done all of the above at least once.  Even hit a layer of carbonaceous material and tannins, that we drilled through eventually as it wouldn't clean up, and after we went through it, the water was totally soft.  Carbon filtered.

Another one we did had enough gas to shoot flames 10 feet and 3 feet in diameter.  Kinda reminded me of yours truly.

Another - live worms like miniature squid from about 450 feet deep.  They were about 1 inch long.

[MountainDon]

Yes, this is an old thread, but a more recent one on water wells made me think of this one. Plus I have something new to add.

There's also a related DIY well drilling thread here...
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=3255.20


I ran across this web site a short time ago. The author is critical of most of the DIY machines out there. He has some words to say that sound real.

http://www.drillingfab.com/

[Source_to_Sea]

We're seriously considering just going with rainwater capture instead of drilling. Lots of variables, not the least of which are $ and what (if any) animals we'll need to water. Just another option, not without it's own +/- points.