Whether you’re boring under highways, installing pipelines, or laying fiber, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is all about matching the right machine to the job. Go too big, and you’re hauling more rig than you need. Go too small, and you’re stuck halfway under the bore path, wishing you’d brought more torque.
At Power Drive Supply, two of the most requested HDD rigs in our yard are the VR-500 and the VR-330. Both are solid, American-built units from Gefco/American Augers. Both are field-proven. But they’re built for different scopes—and if you’re looking at either one, you need to know which one’s going to make you money and which one’s going to hold you back.
Let’s break it down.
VR-500: The Heavy Hitter for Big Pullbacks
This rig was built for serious jobs—long bores, big pipe, and tough conditions.
Core Specs:
- Rated Pullback: 500,000 lbs
- Rotary Torque: 60,000 ft-lbs
- Power Plant: CAT 3412 or similar
- Drill Pipe: Typically 5”–6”
- Ideal For: 36”+ product pipe, heavy infrastructure, long-haul utility installs
The VR-500 isn’t just a drill rig—it’s a full-on trenchless construction machine. If your project involves steel casing, hard clay, or unpredictable soil layers, this unit has the torque and hold-down force to stay on path and finish strong.
We’ve seen crews use VR-500s for:
- Major pipeline work under rivers
- Multi-lane highway crossings
- Utility corridors in rocky soil
- Heavy sewer infrastructure
Bottom line: If you need brute force, you’re in the right neighborhood.
VR-330: The Right Size for Everyday HDD
Not every job calls for 500,000 lbs of pullback. The VR-330 hits that sweet spot between overkill and underbuilt.
Core Specs:
- Rated Pullback: 330,000 lbs
- Rotary Torque: 45,000 ft-lbs
- Power Plant: Cummins or CAT inline six (varies by year)
- Drill Pipe: 3.5”–4.5”
- Ideal For: Mid-size municipal work, telecom, water, and power
The VR-330 is perfect for bore lengths in the 300–1,000 ft range, and can handle a variety of soil types without needing oversized support equipment. It’s fast to rig up, easy to transport, and works well for contractors that run multiple bores in a week—not just mega-projects.
Common use cases:
- City water main replacements
- Fiber conduit installations
- Gas service line upgrades
- Rural utility expansions
Bottom line: More versatile, easier to move, still powerful enough to get the job done right.
Head-to-Head: What Really Matters on the Job
The VR-500 and VR-330 are both strong HDD rigs, but they’re built for different scopes of work. The VR-500 packs a serious punch with 500,000 pounds of pullback and 60,000 ft-lbs of torque, making it the go-to choice for large-diameter, long crossings. The trade-off is weight—this rig is heavier and usually needs a permit to transport. It also takes more time to set up and typically requires a crew of four to five to run smoothly.
The VR-330, on the other hand, is lighter and much easier to mobilize. With 330,000 pounds of pullback and 45,000 ft-lbs of torque, it’s a nimble option that sets up faster and only needs a crew of two to three. It really shines on mid-size utility installs, where speed and mobility matter more than brute force.
What Our Customers Say
One of our clients recently used a VR-500 on a 1,200-ft bore under a four-lane highway. They were pulling back 30” steel casing through mixed soil and rock. The 500 powered through, no problem—and they finished a day ahead of schedule.
Another crew in Oklahoma picked up a VR-330 from us last fall. They’ve been using it for city water main replacements and have praised it for how quick it is to rig up and tear down. “We can hit three jobs in a week without wearing the crew out,” their foreman told us.
Both rigs earn their keep. You just need to pick the right one for how you work.
Why Used? Why Us?
Buying a new drill rig is great if you’ve got money to burn and time to wait. But most of our customers don’t.
At Power Drive Supply, we sell used HDD rigs that are ready to work—not stripped-down auction leftovers or units that have been sitting under a tarp for five years.
We inspect everything before it’s listed. You’ll get:
- Full walkaround videos
- Maintenance records (when available)
- Load tests and hydraulic function reports
- Logistics support and shipping assistance
And we’ll talk straight. If there’s something we’d replace or keep an eye on, you’ll know it upfront.
Buy the Rig That Fits the Job — Not the Brochure
You know how your crews work. You know what your projects demand. So don’t get sold on something you don’t need—or worse, something that can’t keep up.
- Need raw power and deep bores? VR-500.
- Need speed, versatility, and mobility? VR-330.
- Need help deciding? We’ll walk you through it.
Give us a call or shoot us a message—we’ll send photos, videos, specs, and anything else you need to make the right call. These rigs don’t stay on the yard long.