Find Directional Drills For Sale
Directional drills, also called horizontal directional drills (HDDs), install pipe, conduit, and cable below ground with less surface disruption than open trenching. Contractors use them under roads, driveways, footpaths, waterways, and built-up sites where digging is costly or hard to manage.

2024 Vermeer Navigator D23X30DR S3 Directional Drill
Buyers looking for directional drills for sale often compare drill size, rod capacity, pullback force, fluid systems, and transport needs against the type of ground they work in. On MarketBook.co.nz, shoppers can review machines applicable to small service work, council projects, fibre rollout, and larger civil infrastructure jobs.
Directional Drill Benefits
- They help crews install utilities with less reinstatement work, which can reduce disruption around roads, verges, farms, and commercial sites.
- Trenchless drilling can support safer workflows by limiting open excavations in busy or confined areas.
- Compact and mid-size units can move between jobs more easily, helping contractors serve multiple sites in a week.
- Drill rigs can save time when bore length and tooling are correctly matched to ground conditions before purchase or rental.
- Used directional drills can give smaller contractors access to HDD capability without the expense of new models.
Directional Drill Applications
- Telecommunications and fibre installation in urban streets, rural corridors, and new subdivisions
- Water, sewer, and stormwater service work for councils, civil contractors, and utility providers
- Electrical conduit installation beneath driveways, roads, footpaths, rail approaches, and landscaped areas
- Farm, irrigation, and lifestyle block projects where trenching may affect access, pasture, or drainage
- Commercial and industrial sites where crews need to work around existing buildings, services, and paved areas
Differentiating Features
- Horizontal drilling and steerable heads allow operators to guide the bore path instead of digging a continuous trench from above.
- Pullback capacity, torque, and rod length help determine whether a drill suits short service shots or longer utility crossings.
- Fluid mixing and recycling options can support cleaner cuttings control and better bore stability in changing soils.
- Tracked undercarriages help maintain traction on soft sites, slopes, and uneven civil works areas.
- Operator stations, tracking systems, and tooling packages can affect comfort, accuracy, and daily productivity.
How To Buy The Right Directional Drill
- Match the drill to your usual work. A contractor doing fibre drops may need a compact HDD unit, while longer road crossings or larger pipe work may call for more pullback and onboard capacity.
- Check ground and site conditions. Compare tooling, mud systems, anchoring, and track condition for clay, sand, gravel, rock, wet ground, or tight urban access.
- Review hours and wear points. Inspect rods, vice jaws, tracks, pumps, engines, and service records when comparing directional drills for sale from dealers or private sellers.
- Think about transport and support. Machine weight, trailer needs, parts access, and local service options all are factors for crews moving between North Island and South Island jobs.
Top Directional Drill Manufacturers
Explore new and used directional drills for sale on MarketBook New Zealand from American Augers, Atlas Copco, Ditch Witch, Epiroc, Sandvik, Universal HDD, Vermeer, XCMG, and other manufacturers, with listings that help buyers compare condition, age, tooling, configuration, and seller type.