Versa-Drill’s 2019 drilling rigs for sale is designed for a new generation of drillers.

Originally appeared in National Driller Magazine

Better Safety

Drillers are out in all weather, making tough decisions and thinking on their feet. It’s a job that requires a certain level of grit and tenacity—and one comes with a specific set of hazards.

Working with heavy machinery puts even the most experienced drillers at risk for an on-the job accident. To combat these risks, the Versa-Drill team has been hard at work improving the safety of their newest models.

1. Automatic rod handling and better stops and catches reduce direct contact with moving rig parts and protect drillers from injury. Even the most compact models now include a built-in carousel to manage heavy drill rods.

2. Smaller rig designs are easier to maneuver in and out of job sites without incident

3. New, rigorous testing protocols and a dedicated quality control specialist ensure that Versa-Drill rigs are thoroughly vetted before hitting the road.

Better engine emission profiles also mean fewer harmful emissions, reducing exposure for operators and the communities they serve. In short, good equipment can make all the difference when it comes to the safety of your team and your customers.

More Fuel Efficient

As communities across the globe push for cleaner air, environmental compliance laws are becoming the norm.

Versa-Drill’s newest rigs are ahead of the game in terms of emissions and fuel efficiency, packing more power into smaller, lightweight frames. These streamlined designs match or outperform larger competitor equipment with impressive pullback and torque. They are quieter and enable higher work capacity at lower RPMs. Best of all, these new models earn more miles per gallon on the road and more hours per gallon on the job.

Tier 4 engines are better able to maintain horsepower though a load by adjusting to internal and atmospheric conditions. On any given day, the engine will account for the temperature, humidity and air intake, adjusting the amount of fuel it adds to create the optimal fuel mixture for the required load.

Finally, display-based readouts help operators understand the way their machine is running and find its sweet spot—learning to run their rig at optimal conditions and extending the life of their machinery.

Easier to Operate and Fix

In addition to being lighter and safer, this updated fleet of rigs is designed to make life easier for the operator.

Half of the Versa-Drill product line is now built on trucks with automatic transmissions, and the control panel incorporates more functionality into a simple, easy-to-learn interface. Attachments like the Mud Manager spare drillers hours of manual labor and help extend the life of drilling equipment by managing harsh solids in the borehole fluid.

To top it off, these new models offer error code readouts on the console screen—helping operators quickly and decisively pinpoint problems as they arise.  This not only aids in preventative maintenance; it makes necessary equipment repairs more straightforward.

Now, instead of waiting for a maintenance tech to arrive on site or taking the rig back in to the dealership for inspection, an operator can place a quick call to Versa-Drill’s service line and relay the error code that appears on their rear display. An on-call technician can help them diagnose the problem and identify necessary replacement parts. This shortcut saves drillers days of downtime and expensive service fees they would otherwise pay a maintenance technician to investigate the cause of equipment malfunctions.

In particular, the V-12, a water well and geothermal drilling rig which will be released mid-2019, is being developed with maintenance costs top of mind. Built on a lightweight frame, with a user-friendly control panel and fuel-efficient engine, the rig’s design incorporates components that are simpler to troubleshoot and easier to replace or fix.

A good rig serves as a magnet for both new business and new employees. As drillers’ helpers become more difficult to find and train, investing in the right equipment can make all the difference.

Drillers face a lot out on the job. At Versa-Drill, we believe that concerns about equipment safety, reliability and upkeep costs shouldn’t be at the top of that list.