Minnesota Contractor Breaks Ground and Records with New HDD

Located in Central Minnesota, Anderson Underground provides a wide range of utility-construction services across the Midwest. The company was founded in 2004 and has since grown from running a single horizontal directional drill (HDD) to operating a full fleet for telecommunications, power, water, sewer and wind-industry projects.

As the company continues to expand and take on new projects, it often evaluates its fleet, looking for ways to keep up with equipment advancements and improve return on jobs. After an evaluation in the spring of 2015, Anderson Underground made the decision to add its first Ditch Witch drill — a JT25 HDD.

“My job as a business owner is to provide my team with productive equipment that can get a job done efficiently while improving our ROI, and the JT25 does exactly that,” says Nick Anderson, co-founder and president, Anderson Underground. “We could tell the JT25 was designed specifically for utility operators because its open-topped vice systems provide direct visibility to the tool joint, which increases overall productivity.”

Equipped with a 130-hp, Tier 4 Cummins diesel engine, the JT25 offers 27,000 lbs of thrust and pullback, and 4,000 ft-lbs of rotational torque. It is ideal for installing utility pipe and cables up to 4 in. in diameter.

Once added to the fleet, Anderson Underground operators were quick to learn and employ all the JT25 has to offer. The rig has met the daily average of 1,500 to 2,000 ft that most drills provide and on occasion surpassed that average, boring more than 1,000 ft at a time.

Operators knew they could depend on the JT25 for its continuous productivity. That’s why it was used when Anderson Underground was hired to install product to enable Wi-Fi before a large anniversary rally and celebration at a major campground in South Dakota. The job called for 20,000 to 25,000 ft of boring on a tight schedule.

While on the job, operators were reminded of a company record for boring out and pulling back more than 3,000 ft of product in one day. The operators who achieved that record earned company recognition through a photo that hangs on the walls of Anderson Underground headquarters.

While working on the job in South Dakota, the operators worked to surpass that record and earn similar recognition. By the time operators called it quits for day one, they had officially set a new record. The team bored and pulled back 3,380 ft of product. The full installation at the campground was completed in 14 days.

“The JT25 has accomplished every job we’ve thrown its way, and our operators appreciate its consistent, reliable performance, as well as the ergonomic work station and quiet operation,” says Anderson.

Seth Matthesen is a senior product manager for Ditch Witch.

For more articles featuring Ditch Witch, click here. Tags: Ditch Witch, Horizontal Directional Drilling, March 2017 Print Issue