Ed Hook and his brother Jerry, or “G,” as everyone calls him, are owners of Hook Well Drilling of Tyler Hill, Pa. G knows drilling, but he likes the variety of running the service side of the business. Ed, on the other hand, says he loves to drill, and is the driller of the family. Together, they can recall every drill rig they have owned over the years, almost like they are remembering old friends.
The Hooks have owned several Atlas Copco T3W water well rigs – six over the years – plus a few TH60s and a T4W. When you include the cable tools he learned on with his father back in the 1960s, you could say Ed knows drill rigs. As Ed Hook puts his new T3W drills into action, he has a lot to say about its performance.
When looking at what they like about their new T3W, Ed went right to the feed system. Specifically, he likes the smooth operation with the big sheaves and 7⁄8-inch cable. He likes the hydraulics, saying he doesn’t have to play with the feed control. With the old rig, he says, “I was always fiddling with the knob, but with the new rig, I can set it and walk away.”
Ed compares the pressure-compensating system on his new T3W to that of an Atlas Copco T4W, saying he really thinks it is a benefit. He also likens the floating spindle to the T4W, saying it is easier on threads, absorbs recoil and runs smoother, especially with an 8-inch hammer. According to Ed, the comparisons with the T4W end about there.
Ed finds several areas of the T3W to his liking, saying the rod-handling is user-friendly, the drill is faster over the road, and it sets casing easier. He says having 420 feet of 41⁄2-inch rod on the rig also is a big benefit with the T3W, and the 20-foot rod is easier to handle.
Since the new rig was put into action, it has run many 500-foot to 800-foot holes, but also has drilled deeper. When running the new T3W at 1,000 feet, Ed says, “You didn’t know you were down that deep. I had control like I was at 300 feet,” which he attributes to the feed system.
Ed also likes the increased speed when tripping, pointing out the two-speed head and faster winch. “I can cut my tripping time in half compared to my 2004 T3W,” he states.
Ed runs both 6-inch and 8-inch hammers, setting 6-inch, 8-inch and 12-inch casing. They use the 6-inch QL60 hammer most often. “We really like the QL hammer,” says Ed. And, with the faster winch on the new T3W, placement gets done faster, too.
Ed and Jerry’s father, Gerald, died in 1996, 33 years and about 10 rigs after starting the business. Ironically, the day before he passed away, he sat Ed down and told him that to make the business work, he had to get along with his brother.
ND
The Hooks have owned several Atlas Copco T3W water well rigs – six over the years – plus a few TH60s and a T4W. When you include the cable tools he learned on with his father back in the 1960s, you could say Ed knows drill rigs. As Ed Hook puts his new T3W drills into action, he has a lot to say about its performance.
When looking at what they like about their new T3W, Ed went right to the feed system. Specifically, he likes the smooth operation with the big sheaves and 7⁄8-inch cable. He likes the hydraulics, saying he doesn’t have to play with the feed control. With the old rig, he says, “I was always fiddling with the knob, but with the new rig, I can set it and walk away.”
Ed compares the pressure-compensating system on his new T3W to that of an Atlas Copco T4W, saying he really thinks it is a benefit. He also likens the floating spindle to the T4W, saying it is easier on threads, absorbs recoil and runs smoother, especially with an 8-inch hammer. According to Ed, the comparisons with the T4W end about there.
Ed finds several areas of the T3W to his liking, saying the rod-handling is user-friendly, the drill is faster over the road, and it sets casing easier. He says having 420 feet of 41⁄2-inch rod on the rig also is a big benefit with the T3W, and the 20-foot rod is easier to handle.
Since the new rig was put into action, it has run many 500-foot to 800-foot holes, but also has drilled deeper. When running the new T3W at 1,000 feet, Ed says, “You didn’t know you were down that deep. I had control like I was at 300 feet,” which he attributes to the feed system.
Ed also likes the increased speed when tripping, pointing out the two-speed head and faster winch. “I can cut my tripping time in half compared to my 2004 T3W,” he states.
Ed runs both 6-inch and 8-inch hammers, setting 6-inch, 8-inch and 12-inch casing. They use the 6-inch QL60 hammer most often. “We really like the QL hammer,” says Ed. And, with the faster winch on the new T3W, placement gets done faster, too.
Ed and Jerry’s father, Gerald, died in 1996, 33 years and about 10 rigs after starting the business. Ironically, the day before he passed away, he sat Ed down and told him that to make the business work, he had to get along with his brother.
ND
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