Show your HDD Drill Rods Some Love

That rack of drill rods sitting on your horizontal directional drill (HDD) represents one of your biggest investments in the HDD world. It’s the backbone of every bore you make, yet too often, crews treat their drill rods like it’s virtually indestructible. The reality is quite different, and proper maintenance can significantly extend the life of this crucial equipment.

Your drill rod inventory represents a crucial capital investment in your HDD operation. Though drill rods are essential for successful drilling, they often receive less maintenance attention than equipment with much shorter lifespans.

A single neglected drill rod can quickly spread wear patterns across your entire rack. Worse, a failing rod underground can turn a routine bore into an emergency excavation. When rods fail below ground, costs skyrocket — emergency response, unplanned excavation, restoration work, contract penalties and damaged client relationships pile up. One catastrophic failure can erase a project’s entire profit margin within hours.

Proper drill rod management starts with selecting quality components.

Not All Drill Rods Are Created Equal

Several manufacturing methods differentiate quality levels in today’s market. Many aftermarket drill rods use three-piece welding, where the tube body is inertia-welded to each tool joint. These welds can become weak points that may be prone to fatigue and failure during demanding drilling operations.

Higher-quality drill rods are manufactured through forging as a single piece of steel, which provides superior strength by avoiding weld points that can fail. These premium drill rods incorporate specialized steel alloys and precision-engineered threading to deliver maximum durability and performance in demanding drilling conditions.

Steel Secrets

“Different steel blends help rods return to straight more effectively than standard steel,” said Cody Mecham, product manager for Vermeer Cutting Edge. “If you’re steering aggressively, premium drill rods will maximize your investment.”

While standard drill rods often use S135 steel, leading manufacturers have developed specialized steel formulations engineered specifically for HDD applications. These manufacturers maintain strict quality standards and inspect every rod with precision gauges for consistent performance.

The Rotation Rule

“If you’re rotating that lead rod, it’s like rotating the tires on your car,” said Mecham. “That whole rack of rods should wear out at the same time. If you don’t, one or two rods will reach end of life significantly faster.”

This simple weekly maintenance protocol involves removing your lead rod (the first one behind the drill head), moving it to the back of the rack, installing a fresh rod up front and documenting the rotation in your maintenance log.

Thread TLC

Maintenance of threads is essential for maximizing drill rod life and helping prevent maintenance downtime.

“Thread lubrication is important on every joint,” said Mecham. “Every time you thread the rod together, you need to apply the recommended amount of lubricant.”

To help protect your investment, perform daily thread maintenance by cleaning threads thoroughly before connecting, applying proper thread lubricant according to manufacturer specifications, installing thread caps during storage and inspecting pin ends regularly for signs of damage or “mushrooming”.

Sub Savers Wear First

A sub saver helps protect your drill rod investment by connecting the drive chuck to the drill rod. Without proper maintenance it can lead to thread damage. The sub saver takes the brunt of stress from drilling operations so your rods don’t have to.

“Sub saver maintenance is crucial,” said Mecham. “Changing the sub saver often to preserve the thread will help to prevent thread damage from rod to rod.”

Check your sub saver with a thread gauge during daily inspections. When you can see through the teeth replace it right away. Waiting too long risks damaging threads across your entire drill string.

The Gentle Touch

Proper operating techniques help drill rods last longer and deliver better performance.

“Usually, a bent rod won’t line up on the drill correctly and should be taken out of the drill string immediately,” said Mecham. “It’s likely been oversteered. Rods have memory and steers are cumulative. So, if you oversteer it today, it might not bend until two weeks later from the memory of that oversteer.”

Using smart drilling practices helps protect your investment. Stay focused on your bore plan, avoid aggressive steering that can damage rods and pay attention to torque readings to understand what’s happening underground.

Even Good Dirt can be Bad

Ground conditions can make or break your drilling success. Even when conditions look perfect you need to follow proper drilling practices to help protect your tooling investment.

“Sandy loam provides a highly workable and ideal drilling environment,” said Mecham. “But if you don’t use the right drilling fluid mixture your HDD tooling will wear out too quickly. Use drilling fluids on every bore no matter how good the ground looks.”

The right drilling fluid mix lubricates, cools your tools, removes cuttings and keeps the bore stable. Don’t try to get by with just water. Your drill rods and downhole tools need proper fluid protection in all soil types.

Rack it Up

Proper storage is critical to maximizing drill rod life. Store your rods on sturdy racks away from the ground and protect them from harsh weather. Always clean rods thoroughly before storing them.

When to Say Goodbye

Recognizing retirement indicators helps prevent costly in-bore failures. Watch for visible thread damage or excessive wear, mushroomed pin ends that won’t clean up, bent or twisted sections, leaking connections that won’t seal and “hourglassing” effect on the rod body.

Your Rods Are your Investment

Your drill rods represent a significant investment in your company’s success. From selecting quality materials at purchase to implementing proper maintenance protocols, every decision impacts your operation’s efficiency and productivity.

As the unsung heroes of HDD success, properly maintained drill rods quietly deliver the performance and reliability that keep your projects moving forward and your reputation strong.

Todd Versteeg is a writer with Vermeer Corp.