Turn your drillinto a rock drill.

That’s what percussive impact is for. Instead of relying on rotation to grind the face, the hammer strikes it repeatedly to fracture the formation. It’s the same principle used in rock drilling generally — Pioneer One packages it for directional work. Performance still depends on the formation, the hammer size and the air behind it, which is exactly what we spec with you before you commit.

It steers. Pioneer One uses a slant-face bit and a purpose-designed bent sub that allows accurate clocking without shimming. The specification describes the system as strong with aggressive controlled steering. This is the main practical difference between a purpose-built HDD hammer and a DTH hammer adapted for directional use.

Yes. The fully enclosed End Load Sonde Housing uses an inner and outer sonde tube with a spring isolation system, protecting the transmitter from hammer vibration, impact and heat. The system supports 15 inch DCI transmitters and is fully wireline adaptable, with broader compatibility including 15 inch and 19 inch DCI and Underground Magnetics on applicable systems. Send us your locating gear and we’ll confirm the exact configuration.

There are four hammer sizes covering rigs from small units up to maxi machines, and the correct crossover adapts the hammer to your lead rod. The recommended drill sizes are in the specifications section above. If your rig isn’t listed — Tracto, Goodeng or anything else — send us the model and we’ll tell you honestly whether it will work.

It depends on the hammer and the pressure you intend to run. Air consumption ranges from 288 SCFM for a 3″ CR at 200 psi up to 791 SCFM for a 5″ CR at 350 psi. Because a compressor’s delivered volume drops as pressure rises, both figures have to be checked together. We do that matching for you rather than leaving you to guess whether a hire unit is capable.

Beyond the hammer and compressor: the correct slant-face bit, a rig crossover, the sonde housing configured to your locator, a hammer oiler or Support Pack, rock-drill lubricant, air and fluid hoses, and whip-check safety connections. JB Trenchless supplies all of it as one package so nothing is missing on day one.

The system is designed to integrate with your normal drill setup plus the compressor, and runs with a two-person crew — operator and locator. The jobsite footprint is your standard rig setup plus the compressor. We also provide setup guidance, operating support and on-site training so your crew isn’t learning it alone.

Approximately 1–2 gallons per minute in normal operation, injected through the air stream. That’s substantially less fluid than conventional mud drilling, which means less mud onsite, less cleanup and smaller fluid-handling requirements. An optional off-board mud pump of roughly 1–4 gallons per minute is available where the job calls for it.

It depends entirely on your utilisation, and we won’t pretend buying is always cheaper. If your crew regularly runs air-hammer HDD setups, repeated weekly hire, freight, call-out costs and availability risk add up fast with no asset retained. If rock work is occasional, hire may well be the right call. Ask us and we’ll help you work through the numbers on your actual workload.