Vermeer D24 HDD Drill Targets Operator Efficiency With Auto Rod Exchange and Onboard Diagnostics
According to Trenchless Technology, Vermeer has engineered its new D24 horizontal directional drill to address recurring pain points in utility HDD work, centering the design on operator usability, machine diagnostics, and next-generation mechanical components.
What Drove the Design
Vermeer, which the publication describes as the market leader in utility directional drilling for over three decades, developed the D24 after extensive conversations with HDD customers. According to Clint Recker, product manager for utility HDD equipment at Vermeer, those customer discussions revealed consistent themes around operator training burdens, productivity, and machine reliability.
Key upgrades in the D24 include a single-button auto rod exchange, updated hydraulics, redesigned wire harnesses, new thrust motors, improved vise clamp force, and a redesigned rack and carriage system. The machine also features specific onboard diagnostics built to reduce downtime by giving operators clearer visibility into machine status in real time.
Spenser Remick, a sales manager at Vermeer, framed the goal plainly: “Customers are really expecting an integrated operator experience. They want to be able to increase the effectiveness of that operator on the machine, whether that’s a control perspective or a diagnostic perspective.” Remick added that the intent is to turn “the operator and the machine into a force-multiplier on the job site.”
Recker noted the development required “a diligent team of engineers and thousands of hours of work.”
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Single-button auto rod exchange can reduce the skill ceiling required for rod handling, which matters for crews dealing with high operator turnover or newer hires on fiber and utility boring jobs.
- Onboard diagnostics that surface machine status in plain terms can shorten troubleshooting time in the field, reducing costly downtime on time-sensitive utility installations.
- Redesigned hydraulics, thrust motors, and vise clamp components suggest Vermeer is addressing wear and reliability issues that contractors have flagged over years of field use, potentially lowering maintenance frequency.
- Subcontractors evaluating HDD equipment for fiber buildout, water, sewer, or gas line work should request a demo focused specifically on the diagnostic interface and rod exchange cycle time, as those features directly affect crew productivity and labor cost per bore.
