Little Beaver offers down-the-hole (DTH) air hammers for fast and efficient water well drilling in medium to hard rock formations. The 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-inch diameter hammers are compatible with the company’s full line of Lone Star hydraulic drills, and they can be powered with air compressors with outputs as low as 185 cfm.

The hammers operate with a percussive motion that allows them to drill as deep as 300 feet through medium to hard rock formations such as limestone, sandstone and quartzite faster than mud rotary bits that are traditionally used for these applications.

The 3-inch model can be used through 4-inch ID casing that has been set in overburden to drill a 3-3/4- or 3-7/8-inch borehole in the underlying rock. Since it requires only 185 cfm to operate, it can be used with common and easy-to-find construction compressors. These are readily found on the used equipment market and are also carried by many rental dealers. Operators can drill faster with the 3-inch hammer by using it with an air compressor that provides up to 375 cfm.

Little Beaver also offers a larger 5-inch diameter hammer that can be used with 3-1/2-inch diameter drill pipe to drill a 5-7/8-inch borehole through a mix of overburden and hard rock formations. Operators can power the hammer with an air compressor that provides up to 400 cfm and 200 psi for fast drilling.

Little Beaver offers four models of Lone Star hydraulic drills, all of which are compatible with most manufacturers’ DTH hammers. They can drill up to 6-inch boreholes to depths of 300 feet in all types of soil and formations. The drills are compact yet powerful, with gas or diesel engines ranging from 11 to 20 horsepower.

The hydraulic system on the largest model, the LS300T+, operates at speeds up to 95 RPM at 10 gpm and can achieve a max torque of 665 foot-pounds. It also features pullback forces of 5,000 pounds and pushdown forces that are adjustable up to 5,000 pounds when anchored with Little Beaver’s optional anchor kit.
Little Beaver also offers inline lubricators that automatically draw oil into the air stream during operation to ensure the hammer stays lubricated. In applications that require additional assistance to lift cuttings, Little Beaver offers a foam pump that injects water, or a combination of foam and water, into the air stream to help lift the cuttings up. This also minimizes dust that can be a health hazard and creates a cleaner hole, which improves drilling efficiency. Each Lone Star Drill rig also comes equipped with wrenches, a grease gun, pipe joint lubricant and spare parts that might otherwise be hard to find in remote locations. This minimizes hassle and downtime. Most units can be broken down and easily crated for shipping to remote locations.