The Sidewinder is not a drill but rather a drive/lifting system used in conjunction with either the PICO auger or the Prairie Dog. The system uses an industrial variable speed reversing electric hand drill to both turn the core barrel and lift and lower the core barrel and drill rods within the bore hole. The Sidewinder extends the maximum practical depth of coring with a hand auger to about 30 m. Although 40 or 50 m depth is conceivable with the Sidewinder, drilling beyond a depth of about 30 m is normally better addressed with a different method due to the increasing weight and handling of the drill stem and the trip time in and out of the borehole. With proficiency and a 1 ½ m long barrel, coring to 20 m in several hours is possible with the Sidewinder.
Sidewinders are increasingly being used by investigators without the assistance of IDDO drillers.
Hand Augers, Sidewinder Operator Manual
| Type: | Power unit for PICO auger or Prairie Dog |
| Number in Inventory: | 4 |
| Max. Practical Depth: | 30 m |
| Crew size: | 1 person (but two people helps share the labor and speeds up the cycle time) |
| Power Requirements/Source: | 2-kW generator or solar cells |
| Shipping Weight: | 180 lbs |
| Comments: | shipping weight includes generator. 130 lbs w/o generator |
The video below shows the Sidewinder drill in use on the Lake Vida project in East Antarctica. The video is courtesy of the Desert Research Institute.
