CFL Rock Drill
Versatile and Economical Solution for
Hole Drilling

From our November 2004 newsletter

The CFL Rock Drill, recently made available by Tramac, offers a lightweight solution to a heavyweight challenge. This transportable, highly maneuverable pneumatic drill, simple yet powerful, adapts effortlessly to different carriers and saves money and time on a wide variety of jobs -- in the quarry, on demolition sites, in trenching situations -- just about any place drill holes are needed.

Since making its appearance a few months ago in this country, Tramac's CFL Rock Drills have already been used for a variety of projects. The CFL is designed for single-operator use. As an inexpensive alternative to a dedicated rock drill, its size, portability, maneuverability and high output make it the best choice in a great many situations.

The drill is mounted on a twin air cylinder which comes with an ingenious special mounting clamp that adapts to a wide variety of platforms -- mini-excavators, skid steer loaders, forklifts, cranes, and man baskets. Tramac provides an optional two-wheel carriage that allows the operator to maneuver the drill into position as easily as pushing a wheelbarrow!

Holes are drilled up to 2" in diameter and, with added steel, can go to a depth of 40'. Holes can be drilled vertically, horizontally, or at any angle in between. Position and angle adjustments are fast and easy -- and the CFL can get in close, even in tight environments. The CFL is tough: it combines both rotary and percussive action for optimum hole production while the heavy-duty construction keeps maintenance low. For more information on the CFL Rock Drill, visit our website (www.tramac.com) or request a specifications sheet from Lorraine Herrmann, 800 526-3837, ext. 110.

The CFL On Site

Al Cerra, President of Cerra, Inc. in Newton, NJ, is using the CFL rock drill at a construction site in Franklin, NJ, where his company is building a Radio Shack and Subway mini strip mall.

The 2-acre site is well below street level and a rock face, 200' long by 25' high, has to be secured before masons come in to make a permanent cement wall. Cerra’s operator is drilling holes approximately 6" apart through hard dolomite. They are pinning rebar into the rock, grouting around the holes, and stabilizing the wall with wire netting.

Cerra is extremely pleased with the performance of the CFL. Asked what he would have done had he not purchased it, he told us, "I would have had to rent a dedicated track rock drill for somewhere between $1000 and $2500 a day and it would only have been operating part of the day. We would be spending a lot of time getting it into position along the wall (high up a dirt ramp) every time we were ready to make holes."

Cerra has the drill mounted on the front of an IR VR642 fork lift. He said "only $90 in parts" (a few steel bars) were required to make the stand for the operator and attach the controls. "It took less than 5 minutes." The operator has an unobstructed view of the work area and with the 42' reach of the boom, the drill and operator are raised to the level of the work area, eliminating any need to move other equipment off the hill and move a drill into place.