HI MIKE
THERE IS A WAY TO INSTALL A PIPE UNDER YOUR DRIVE WAY WITHOUT CUTTING THE DRIVEWAY OR SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON BORING CO. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ON THE WEB, WWW.BULLETMOLE.COM IT CAN DO A HOLE FOR A 20' PIPE.
TOMTHUMB2009
You guys have got to be kidding us about the bullet mole... right?
I watched their video, and I must say that this definitely looks like a professional product. But it also comes with a professional price tag. Based on their online store, the cost to bore under a 20' driveway:
6' Sidewalk kit: $650.95 (I assume this is cheaper than getting each part individually).
6' Extension Shaft: $423.95 (times two for a total length of 18')
4' Extension Shaft: $311.95 (to finish the 20' plus a little sticking out to still hit)
TOTAL: $1,810.80 (and that's without the tax/shipping).
For someone needing a one-time bore under a driveway, they could hire a professional and not have to bother doing the manual labor themselves for much less. Based on quotes I've heard over the years when this subject comes up, I would suspect that a 20' driveway could be bored by a professional for $500 - $1,000.
Now I'll admit that this looks like a great tool... FOR A PROFESSIONAL that is going to use it over and over and over. But I assume this is coming from a home-owner that needs a one-time bore, not an expensive tool they will maybe used two other times in their life.
Mike,
Doing it your self or hiring it out will likely come down to the type of soil that you have.
Logically, you can make your own "bullet mole", and even get under a 20' driveway. A way to do it is get a 20' piece of rebar for <$20 and pound you a pilot hole under your drive way. Then pull the rebar out and hammer sections of cheap black pipe. You can make your own pointy tip by getting a reduer at the front end of the pipe with the reducer closed off with a nipple. It will form a crude point that should easily follow your pilot hole.
However, if you have clay soil... experience tells me... HIRE A PROFESSIONAL... or deal with the unsightlyness of cutting a trench through the driveway. Basically rent a saw to cut through the drive way. One idea is to make the trench the width of a brick, and once you have your pipe in place and backfill... top the trench off with nice looking brick.
I can tell you that I was able to drill under my driveway in clay/rocky soil using the rebar+black pipe method. But I can also tell you that it was a 3 day job, a pain in the neck, and that was for a driveway that was only 11' wide (it might have been easier if I had had more than just 5' of working space... but fortunately rebar bends).