Little Beaver subsidiary Lone Star Drills is upgrading its HD and HDA model drills with Honda iGX800 engines, increasing responsiveness and power via an electronic governor that optimally adjusts the engine’s throttle to match the drill’s load.
The new standard engine on HD and HDA soil sampling drills is an upgrade option for other models.
“You set the engine speed, and the electronic system ensures that speed is maintained even when the drill encounters varying soil types,” said Little Beaver President Joe Haynes. “This gives customers consistent efficiency on those tough job sites with inconsistent soil.”
The iGX800’s electric, self-tuning regulator (STR) governor maximizes performance during varying loads when encountering different soil densities and obstructions. Other governor systems can be less responsive, causing some engines to lag and hunt for optimal performance as loads change.
Lone Star’s geotechnical drill rigs address any soil sampling situation a contractor might encounter. The HDA model designates heavy duty, high-performance hydraulic drills with an automatic hammer, and the HD model designates similar drills without automatic hammers.
“The biggest performance impact we’ve seen from the new engine has been on our track mounted unit,” Haynes said. “The drilling power is consistent even when making minor positioning adjustments while drilling.”
