To buy a mainline drill or not to buy a main line drill...

[TerryEspo]

I didn't even know a mainline bit existed until this year.
I drilled holes with a cordless last year by hand and had no issues, never went through the other side. I do not dill hundreds of holes , so maybe if you do many holes the jig idea may be the way to go, cant hurt.

I may even set up a jig this year as I hope to run a much longer mainline.

Gotta love this site.

Terry

[BreezyHill]

Having chased a leak for several minutes over three days, just to find it was a saddle with the gasket that slipped on a cold day. I use a tool. I would suggest that at the least you use a block of wood to keep the hole as perfect as possible. The leak that can start from a less than perfect hole will hurt your production over the life of the mainline.

Yes I am a micro manager...Watch the Pennies and the Dollars will take care of themselves. if you prevent just one leak it will payback large dividends over the20-25 year life of that mainline.

Ben

[Sunday Rock Maple]

I realize the main point of your question was cost and the quality of the hole and I think the replies so far have addressed that. What I would to add is that the mainline drill is my favorite tool to use in the whole operation -- it is just plain fun to use.

[Russell Lampron]

I realize the main point of your question was cost and the quality of the hole and I think the replies so far have addressed that. What I would to add is that the mainline drill is my favorite tool to use in the whole operation -- it is just plain fun to use.

I bought one last year because I was replacing a mainline and didn't want to have to carry the drill around to put in the manifolds. You are right, it is fun to use!

[SeanD]

I sucked it up and bought one the day before this thread started. I was going to make a block/jig and it probably would have been fine, but this is my first of hopefully many more mainlines and I figure getting it at the beginning would give me the best return on it. I also thought that if I screwed up even just one hole, I'd be living with it for the next ten years.

The cost is no joke, though. When it came, I held it up to my wife and played the game, "Guess How Much I Paid for This?". She started at $20. At $60, she was laughing.

It was the longest game of "Guess How Much...?" we've ever had.

Sean

[adk1]

Depends on how many saddles you have to put it. When I first started I was in the same situation and almost bought the actual mainline drill. Then I came upon the mainline punch. It cost $12 and takes about 10 seconds to put a perfect hole in your mainline. I bought it through leader. It's blue

[maple flats]

I made a jig and used it for 12-13 years, it was OK but cumbersome. Last year I saw a mainline drill bit (use in a cordless drill) and bought it. Cost $16-17, it is a super stubby, that cuts super clean holes and is too short to reach thru to the other side of a mainline even if you use 1/2" mains. It is made by DSD, our sponsor carries them, The Maple Guys. It worked so well, I bought 2 more just to be sure if I lost one I'd have another. To use it you need nothing to hold it in place on the main, just push it against the main where you want the hole, support the mainline from under it, and pull the trigger. perfect, neat hole, every time.