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Pioneer One Prospector Air Hammer System

Hard rock, handled.Purpose-built for HDD.

The Pioneer One Air Hammer converts a standard HDD rig into a high-efficiency rock drill. Not a vertical DTH hammer with a bent sub bolted on — a percussive hammer designed for horizontal directional drilling from the first drawing. Paired with a quality high-pressure compressor, it gets results in hard rock.

Request System Pricing
See How It Works
2″–5″
Hammer Model Range
1.8°
Integrated Bent Sub
15″ & 19″
Native Sonde Housing

The Problem

Most “HDD” Air Hammers Weren’t Designed for HDD

When directional drillers hit rock, the common fix on the market is a down-the-hole (DTH) hammer — a tool engineered for straight, vertical drilling — with a separate bent-sub addition to make it steer. Two different products, never designed with each other in mind, trying to imitate a directional tool.

That’s a workaround, not a system. The Pioneer One was engineered for horizontal directional drilling from the ground up — steering, tracking, and lubrication are built into the tool, not bolted onto it. That’s the difference.

The Workaround

What a DTH hammer + bent-sub add-on costs you:

✕

Built for vertical holes — steering is an afterthought, not a design principle

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Add-on bent subs introduce extra connections, weak points, and unpredictable steering response

✕

Improvised sonde placement limits your locating options and accuracy

✕

No integrated lubrication or fluid control designed around the hammer

✕

Mismatched parts from different suppliers mean more wear, more downtime, more finger-pointing

One Tool. Designed as One System. For One Job.

Every part of the Pioneer One exists because directional drillers need it — from the steering geometry to the sonde housing to the lubrication circuit.

↗

Steering Built In

A 1.8° bent sub is integrated into the hammer body — matched to the tool, not added after the fact. Predictable steering response in rock.

◎

Slant-Face Steering Bit

The percussive hammer drives a slant-face bit that fractures hard rock while holding your line. Four bit styles to match ground conditions.

📡

Native Sonde Housing

Natively houses 15″ and 19″ DCI and Underground Magnetics transmitters. Subsite beacon adapters available. Wireline adaptable.

🛡

Protected Internals

An automatic inline oiler feeds a continuous stream of rock drill lubricant into the air supply — protecting every moving part, exhausting safely downhole.

How It Works

Your Rig. Compressed Air. Broken Rock.

The hammer runs off high-pressure compressed air, so your rig’s thrust and torque stop fighting the rock — the percussion does the work.

01

Connect to Your Rig

A crossover sub adapts the hammer to your lead rod. The Support Pack sits inline between the compressor and the rig — air, fluid, and lubrication in one controlled circuit.

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02

Air Does the Breaking

High-pressure air drives the downhole percussive hammer. The slant-face bit fractures the rock face while you steer exactly as you would on a standard bore.

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03

Fluid Keeps It Alive

A steady 1–2 GPM of drilling fluid through the air stream cleans the cutting face and drastically extends hammer life, while the oiler lubricates the internals non-stop.

Pioneer One air hammer breaking through rock on an HDD bore

In the Ground

When the Rock Wins, the Job Stops.

Percussion breaks the face instead of grinding at it — so your rig keeps making metres in ground that would otherwise stall the bore, burn out tooling, or send you home.

400–750
CFM Required
14–21 Bar
Working Pressure
1–2 GPM
Fluid Through Air

The Complete Rock Package

Hammer, control system, and air supply — commissioned and tested as one package through JB Trenchless.

Pioneer One air hammer with slant-face bit on rock
1

Pioneer One Air Hammer

The Rock Breaker

Available in four sizes — 2″ LP, 3″ CR, 4″ CR, and 5″ CR — covering everything from compact 9,000 lb rigs to 130,000 lb class machines. Every model steers, tracks, and locates like the HDD tool it was built to be.

Model Range2″ LP — 5″ CR
SteeringIntegrated 1.8° Bent Sub + Slant-Face Bit
LocatingDCI, Underground Magnetics & Subsite
Rear ConnectionAPI Regular Pin (via crossover sub)

2

Pioneer One Support Pack

Control & Lubrication

The nerve centre of the system: a wireless-controlled air valve, a drilling fluid pump, and an automatic oiler with a non-pressurised tank. One operator cycles air and fluid ON/OFF from a handheld remote — no one standing over valves.

Fluid Pump0.5 – 4 GPM
Air ControlWireless Remote (P1SP081)
OilerAutomatic, Non-Pressurised Tank
Safety4× Whip Check Cables, 2,000 psi Backflow Preventer

3

Tewatt TWT605-17F Air Compressor

The Power Source

An air hammer is only as good as the air behind it. This two-stage Cummins-powered diesel screw compressor delivers 605 CFM at 17 bar as standard — with a manual dial to trade volume for pressure up to 21 bar when the rock gets harder.

Free Air Delivery605 CFM / 17 m³/min
Working Pressure17 Bar Standard — Up to 21 Bar
EngineCummins QSC5.9 — 210 HP
Warranty2 Years / 3,000 Hours

Specifications

3″ CR vs. 4″ CR — The Core Models

Match the hammer to your rig class and compressor output. Not sure which fits your fleet? Send us your rig model — we’ll spec it for you.

Feature
3″ CR Air Hammer
4″ CR Air Hammer
Hole cut size
4.750″
5.750″
Rig size compatibility
Small rigs (D9x13 – D40x55)
30,000 – 100,000 lb rigs
Min. air volume
400 CFM (11 m³/min)
750 CFM (21 m³/min)
Min. air pressure
200 psi (14 bar)
300 psi (21 bar)
Fluid flow rate
1 – 2 GPM
1 – 2 GPM
Rear connection thread
2.375″ API Regular Pin
2.875″ API Regular Pin
Sonde housing
15″ & 19″ DCI / U-Mag
15″ & 19″ DCI / U-Mag
Slant-face bit options
Standard, Blue Max, Ballistic, Semi-Ballistic
Standard, Blue Max, Ballistic, Semi-Ballistic

Rig Compatibility

There’s a Hammer for Your Rig

From compact city rigs to maxi machines — find your rig below.

Hammer
Ditch Witch
Vermeer
Goodeng
2″ LP
JT9, JT10, JT1220
7×11 – 16×20
GS50-LS, G10
3″ CR
Up to JT3020 / JT30
7×11 – 40×55
G10, G30, G40
4″ CR
JT25 – JT100
24×40 – 100×120
G30, G40, G60, G100, GS450, GS520, G800
5″ CR
JT4020 – JT100
36×50 – 130×150
G40, G60, G100, G130, GS450, GS520, G800

Comparison

Purpose-Built HDD Hammer vs. DTH + Bent-Sub Workaround

Capability
Pioneer One
DTH Workaround
Breaks hard rock with percussion
✓
✓
Designed for horizontal directional drilling
✓
✕
Steering integrated into the hammer body
✓
✕
Native sonde housing for DCI, U-Mag & Subsite
✓
✕
Matched oiler & fluid control system
✓
✕
One supplier — matched parts, one point of support
✓
✕

What’s Included

Everything You Need to Start Breaking Rock

Each system ships job-ready — hoses, safety gear, service tools, and controls included as standard.

Complete hammer assembly & sonde carriage
Wireless remote — air & fluid pump ON/OFF
30′ + 20′ × 2″ air hoses with hammer lock adapters
50′ × 1″ drilling fluid hose with filter
4× whip check safety cables
Air diffuser
Spanner wrench & T-handle rig wrench
Slant-face bit — your choice of 4 styles

Lubrication

RDO 302 ES Rock Drill Lubricant

A vegetable oil-based lubricant that’s safe for groundwater environments. Its compounds preferentially wet the steel — so it stays on the hammer’s internals instead of washing out under high-pressure downhole water, saline, or foam.

Drilling Fluid

Hole Control & One Shot Plus

Environmentally safe polymer additives that keep the bore stable and eliminate the threat of hazardous frac-outs. Baseline mix: 1–2 quarts per 250 gallons of water, injected at a steady 1–2 GPM through the air stream.

Why This Matters

Rock Capability Shouldn’t Mean
A Compromise of Parts.

Plenty of contractors have been burned by piecing together hammers, subs, and compressors from different suppliers. There’s a better way.

One tool designed for HDD — not two products forced to cooperate.
One matched air package — hammer and compressor specced together.
One point of support — parts, service, and advice from JB Trenchless.

Who This Is For

Built for Crews That Keep Hitting Rock

Civil contractors drilling in rock-prone regions
HDD operators declining jobs because of hard ground
Fleet owners adding rock capability without buying all-terrain rigs
Contractors replacing worn-out DTH workaround setups
Utility & infrastructure crews on fixed deadlines

HDD rig set up with a Pioneer One air hammer on a rock site
Supplied as a System

Specced Together. Delivered Together.

We don’t sell you a hammer and wish you luck. Tell us the rig and the ground, and the whole package arrives matched — hammer, bit, support pack and compressor, commissioned and tested before it reaches your yard.

✓Hammer sized to your rig class and available air
✓Compressor matched to the hammer’s CFM and pressure demand
✓Operator training on setup, lubrication and fluid rates
✓Parts, service and technical advice from JB Trenchless in Australia

Hit Rock? Let’s Spec Your System.

Tell us your rig model and typical ground conditions — we’ll match the right hammer, compressor, and support pack, supplied and tested as a complete system with training and local parts support from JB Trenchless. Finance options available.

Request System Pricing
Speak to a Technical Advisor
Book a Live Demonstration

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