The Epiroc DTH 5 hammer meets all requirements
27 aprile 2026
The morning chill is still hanging in the air as the large carriage slowly makes its way along the gravel road. The truck backs into the driveway between the house and the garage. On the other side, to the south, fields stretch out on both sides of the road.
We find ourselves in Kvarnatorp in southern Sweden, close to the border between Småland and Skåne. A few miles away is Älmhult, where the world-famous Ikea has its head office. The location is rural and very beautiful, but there is a catch for the couple who live in the red wooden house with white trim; the old well has fallen into a state of disrepair and is no longer fit for purpose. The water contains humus and excessively high levels of iron. Moreover, the inflow is getting worse and worse.
That’s why the team from JB Brunnsborrning is here.
JB Brunnsborrning specializes in water wells and geothermal heating, and has been using Epiroc drilling equipment for many years. These include hammers, drill rods, and drill bits.
Three years ago, they had the opportunity to test the Epiroc DTH 5 hammer ahead of its official market launch. Having drilled over 2,000 meters at some fifteen different locations, Johansson was able to confirm that the hammer performed very well, regardless of the environment and conditions. It has already become a faithful servant for JB Brunnsborrning and will be used on today’s job. Once the drill rig has been rolled off the trailer, Johansson and his colleague Anders Nilsson pick up the casing and a hose for drill cuttings, and mount the hammer on the rig.
We’re going to drill a new water well. We’ll see how deep we need to go. You never know.
"We also use the hammer for driving pipes. Because the ground here is so soft and fine, we don’t need to use very high pressures. Now we’re going to set casings down to solid rock – and two meters into the rock – before the process of actually drilling the well starts."
"The DTH 5 hammer has a very simple design with few internal components, but still very efficient. It’s easy to operate and drills very smoothly and finely through the various layers of hard and soft rock that could be experienced within a hole."
Ronny Nyberg, Sales representative at Epiroc
Saranpää has traveled down from Fagersta, where Epiroc has its drilling tools manufacturing in Sweden. Salesman Ronny Nyberg, the person at Epiroc who has been in closest contact with Joakim Johansson, is also on site. Saranpää and Nyberg speak at least once a week about how Epiroc products work in everyday life and how together they can help customers get the most out of them.
“Ronny speaks with customers on a regular basis and contacts me if he has any concerns. That’s how I get in touch with them too. Knowing how our products are used in the field is extremely valuable,” says Saranpää.
He continues:
“This allows us to quickly give feedback to both the development and production departments. Based on the customer’s experiences and wishes, I make suggestions for what can be adjusted. Joakim has been very happy with the DTH 5 hammer, but also expressed an interest in tweaking a few things. We were able to modify it so that he would be completely satisfied.”
Once the casings are set, Johansson and Nilsson pour concrete between the end of the last pipe and the rock to prevent surface, potentially contaminated, water from being led down the pipe into the well. While the cement is setting, the Epiroc DTH 5 hammer is mounted on the boom. Johansson puts a bit on the hammer that he has not used before. Saranpää has brought two of Epiroc’s DTH bits, one Trubbnos (whose buttons are trapezoidal instead of semi-ballistic) and one bit with spherical buttons.
“These buttons have been used mostly in tophammer drilling, but we have also seen very good results in DTH drilling. Both the penetration rate and service life have improved,” says Saranpää, adding that Trubbnos is Swedish for flat nose, an indication of the geometry of the new buttons.
As soon as Johansson starts drilling, he reacts to the speed. This combination of the Epiroc DTH 5 hammer and drill bit with Trubbnos buttons allows him to drill up to 1.7 meters per minute, a quite remarkable figure.
“Although the geology is favorable, I’m very impressed,” says Johansson. “The hammer runs really well in the rock, smoothly and responsively. Otherwise it could end up being jerky and bumpy. And I have to say that Trubbnos has been a pleasant surprise. The bit was very fast – and in our business, time is money.”
But the Epiroc hammer and bits deliver more financial benefits than just speed, which in itself means reduced fuel consumption. Epiroc sells an 'E-kit’, Economy kit, for the hammer, which consists of the outer parts, i.e. the parts worn from the flushing of cuttings. When these parts are approaching the end of their service life, remove the back head, take out the internal parts, and install them in the new cylinder. In just five to ten minutes, you have a fully production-ready hammer again, with maintained pressure and performance.
“It’ll be like new,” says Johansson. "The price is considerably lower compared to the cost of buying a brand new hammer, and you can rebuild it it once or twice.”
He continues:
“In addition, the buttons can be ground on the bit. A bit has a service life of 500 meters, but we regrind the buttons after each hole, so that they become like new.”
You never know how far you need to drill to reach enough water, which is why Johansson has brought 72 drill pipes with him – equivalent to 216 meters. However, he doesn’t have to go quite so deep here in Kvarnatorp. After about 120 meters, water starts to flow out of the hose that has been laid over the edge of a container, but for safety reasons drilling continues unabated for a while more.
“It’s important that there’s enough water – and good water,” says Johansson.
After 141 meters, he is satisfied. The water that now sprays out is clear and fine. It’s soon time to start packing up for the day and start planning for the next job – using the same equipment.
So, what is the main reason JB Brunnsborrning chooses the Epiroc DTH 5 hammer for its drilling operations?
“Of course, the hammer is really important,” says Johansson. “You want it to go nicely into the rock, and it should always work. Quite simply, it should feel good when drilling. You shouldn't have to stand and make unnecessary adjustments all the time, and that’s something you don't have to do with this hammer. It's an excellent tool.”
"I've tried a lot of tools from different manufacturers, but Epiroc’s products are the most stable. You can see that they spend a lot of time on development, and they make things that work. I rate them very highly."