Pipe bursting contractors now have 99 tons of pulling force for their sewer, water and gas line replacement jobs from the new, powerful, compact HydroBurst 100XT static pipe bursting system from HammerHead Trenchless Equipment.

The HydroBurst 100XT features a tethered remote control and pays out rod very quickly due to the pipe industry’s first automated rod spinning assembly and the unique design of its hydraulic cylinders. The machine weights just 3,200 pounds and is only 39 inches high by 30 inches wide.

“It has the muscle to replace pipes up to 16 inches in diameter,” says Alan Goodman, national sales manager for HammerHead Trenchless Equipment ram and burst products. “Yet is compact enough they won’t mind using it for pipes as small as 4 inches.”

The pulling machine has a water-cooled PP4500 hydraulic powerpack with 72.7 hp Kubota engine and pumps hydraulic fluid at up to 43.5 gpm and 4,500 psi. In 50-ton mode the unit directs all hydraulic fluid to just two of the cylinders, which then can move twice as fast as in 100-ton mode. 

Although some jobs will require access to the machine’s 100-ton capacity, Goodman says, jobs that require 50 tons of pullback or less mean the actual pipe burst will also be done that much faster.

The pull rod used by the 100XT is the same lightweight 2.5-inch, API-threaded rods used by other models. The spinner assembly incorporated on its carriage is rated to 250 ft-lbs. The spinner allows rod to be fed from behind. As the unit is pushing during payout, rod can be added without stopping the machine. The result is that as the unit is pushing during payout, rod can be made up, or tightened, simultaneously.

Putting the 100XT operator on the surface with remote control frees up workspace in the pit for the rod handler, permits the best view for more efficient control of the operation and also enhances overall worksite safety. Lever-actuated controls on the puller itself facilitate initial training and orientation at the machine and provide redundant backup, ensuring job completion if for any reason the remote control cannot be used.

“The new unit is so user-friendly and its operating manual so clear that the customer is comfortable using the remote after a little guided instruction from me,” says Mark Maxwell, pipe bursting specialist for HammerHead.

Maxwell, who helps to train operators on the machine says D&D Sewer and Water, a contractor based in Canton, Michigan, who specializes in pipe bursting, was instrumental in the final design. “We asked D&D to rigorously and thoroughly test it in the field,” Maxwell says. “Basically, ‘go beat this thing up.’ But it failed to fail.”

The HydroBurst 100XT is available from HammerHead Trenchless Equipment or from authorized dealers, worldwide. Authorized dealers can be found on the web at www.hammerheadtrenchless.com or by calling 800/331-6653. (International: + [1] 920/648-4848).