well-drilling with PTO??? anybody?

benjio · May 25, 2009

So i searched around and couldn't find anything...

Surely there must be a way to utilize the power and the PTO already on my BX 24 to help me drill my well, eh?

I have enough 3/4" steel pipe to get deep enough and an 8" bit. I've gotten down 10 feet by hand (right now the water table is about 2.5' below ground... so i shouldn't have to go too deep to get a nice supply), but there's gotta be a way to jury-rig some power onto that thing to spin it.

I'm not in any hurry, it's just for irrigation on my couple acres. I've already got a city water line comin in for the house.

Could I adapt a post-hole digger to turn the 3/4" pipe and still be able to send water down the pipe to the bit while it's drilling?

I've googled all over and seen a bunch of the home-job drill rigs, but I'd love to use the tractor for this if there's a good way.

thanks in adavance, k

Benji

ultrarunner · May 26, 2009

I don't have an answer, but it's something I've thought about...

Why wouldn't it work?

carpenter383 · May 26, 2009

My cousine bought a pto well driller on ebay, I can't remember the price, it worked til he hit rock. He broke a couple bits, got em stuck under ground, etc. Finally gave up and ended up hiring it done.

laen64 · May 26, 2009

So for Hire is the way to go for my home site planning. However I will watch this thread that I may dig another well just for an additional sprinkler system for gardening.

Scotty370 · May 26, 2009

I'm thinking a 3/4" pipe powered by a PHD is going to turn it into a pretzel! Lots of torque on relitively thin wall pipe driving an 8"auger!

. Check this site for ideas:

Deep Rock Home

You could certainly adapt to drive it, but you'd have to have 3' section to keep adding on, plus, how do you get the cuttings back out of the hole? What's your projected final depth? ~Scotty

valley · May 26, 2009

Benji, Your water table is not far down! Your can use a DrivePoint. They are made for that purpose. They are stainless steel I bought one from Sears years ago. If they no longer sell them someone does. Richard

chriswheeler · May 26, 2009

I'm sure it is doable. That said, I know that 3/4" schedule 40 pipe will not handle the power necessary to drive a 8" drill for more than a couple of feet!!!!! If you were running that drill with 2" or larger, you might get 100' if you are lucky. If you did get 100' deep, think about how you are going to raise the drill and 5 sections of 2" pipe out of the hole?? Lots of weight. Not saying it can't be done, just not worth the effort for the savings. If it were me, I'd hire out the job and let them do the well caseing at the same time.
Chris

Renze · May 27, 2009

does your soil contain rocks or clay ?
We're on sandy soil, and have water jetted up to 10 meter with the manure tanker and a 2.5" pipe.

The Dougster · May 27, 2009

You are fighting an uphill battle.... best suggestion to date is a well point, stainless steel of course.... second best bet would be to install casing in the ten feet you have obtained thus far and then rent a high volume compressor with your 3/4" pipe set on bottom and blow out the well, which, in theory, will cause your existing casing to sink downward at which time you add another joint of casing... Visit your local well driller supply and obtain a polymer based drilling fluid, which, when mixed with water, will float the cutting out of the well.... Messy, messy work but depending on your geology, might.... might work.. Good luck.

Stimw · May 27, 2009

Since you are in a SUPPER SECRET LOCATION it's hard to offer advice on your options.
The simplest way is to wash it down. I use 2" PVC, wash it down then drop 1 1/4" PVC with well point inside the 2" and then remove the 2" completely. I've done over a dozen wells this way, I have two on my property now. I've washed as far as 42'.

daveyb45 · May 29, 2009

I have been trying to find someone who has used one of the portable drilling rigs. I would like to do my own well and I have at least two to do. I saw somewhere where there is a rig that works off the back of a tractor using the three point and hydraulics. My old brain cannot remember though.

jenkinsph · May 29, 2009

A friend of mine built one many years ago using an old telescopic forklift rack to lower and raise a kelly swivel. He used a hysraulic motor to turn the pipe and a 2" pump with a 2000 gallon tank on a trailer. All of this was fairly involved though and not something I would try for financial savings. I sincerely think you would be money ahead to have it drilled by someone in the business.

If you wan't to do it yourself I agree with driving a point if the water table is close enough for you to reach.

Steve

ultrarunner · May 29, 2009

I've talked to several commercial drillers and access is a problem... they all have large rigs and are unwilling to risk getting stuck on my back 40...

The other problem is they also get a big price around here.

I've looked at a few of the portable rigs and tried to rent one once... none of the rental yards have them anymore because they often came back damaged of broken...

funkydaddy59 · May 29, 2009

My well is 100 ft deep and draws 75 feet of water.

milkman · May 29, 2009

Even if you were able to add sections of pipe to get as deep as you want to go, how will you get the dirt out of the hole since the auger is only 40 some inches long?

carpenter383 · May 29, 2009

My well is a shallow well, I'm not sure how deep it is, but the pipe going into the casing is only 30ft. I use an above ground pump/pressure tank. Water seeps out between the top of the casing and the cap almost continuously. I had the water tested once, but still don't drink it.

AKwelder · May 30, 2009

they sell 2 inch and 1-1/2 inch driving coupling and make a bit for those electric jack hammers. I worked for an old coot that put in several wells a season this way. We would have the pipe cut and treaded to 5 foot section, buy driving couplings, get a sand point and a small gen set, stand on the tail gate or in the bucket and pound away.

went 40 feet in two hours, good luck

bx24 · May 31, 2009

Depending how deep you have to go, seems like you could rig up something like this without too much effort. My water table is about 6-8 feet down and this is how I hope to put in an irrigation system later this year.

http://www.campbellmfg.com/brady/documents/wellinstallation.pdf

Mustangous · Jun 1, 2009

bx24 said:
Depending how deep you have to go, seems like you could rig up something like this without too much effort. My water table is about 6-8 feet down and this is how I hope to put in an irrigation system later this year.

http://www.campbellmfg.com/brady/documents/wellinstallation.pdf

Seems very interesting. I have been wanting to put a system in for irrigation and was contemplating a well or using a holding talk and pumping in water from a lake behind the house. I thought i ruled out a well because i thought i cant do it without spending a lot of money for drilling. this looks like its worth a try. Holding tanks are a little pricey and not sure where/how to hide it. a 1500 gallon tank would be bit of an eye sore. Would like to burry most of it.

So i was reading the installation guide and it says to install one 4' well point per 1/4 pump. I am planing on irrigating around an acre and from what i have been reseaching i would need 20gpm at minimum and with a 1-1/2 pump. so i would need 6 points 5'-8' apart.

how about this, pretty much the same but with a video
Drill A Water Well In Your Backyard!

bx24 · Jun 1, 2009

Mustangous said:
Seems very interesting. I have been wanting to put a system in for irrigation and was contemplating a well or using a holding talk and pumping in water from a lake behind the house. I thought i ruled out a well because i thought i cant do it without spending a lot of money for drilling. this looks like its worth a try. Holding tanks are a little pricey and not sure where/how to hide it. a 1500 gallon tank would be bit of an eye sore. Would like to burry most of it.

So i was reading the installation guide and it says to install one 4' well point per 1/4 pump. I am planing on irrigating around an acre and from what i have been reseaching i would need 20gpm at minimum and with a 1-1/2 pump. so i would need 6 points 5'-8' apart.

how about this, pretty much the same but with a video
Drill A Water Well In Your Backyard!

I saw this video and it your right, it is a similar concept ... the big difference is that the video uses an air powered "drill". Can you use a smaller HP pump and just have more zones?