Description
Drill pressurized municipal water mains and commercial irrigation lines without shutting off district water pressure. The Reed Mfg FT2000 3/4 – 2 Inch AWWA feed tap drilling machine kit hot-taps ductile iron, cast-iron, and PVC water mains under pressure. This manual feed machine installs commercial service connections for large sports turf complexes and irrigation vaults. It cannot drill dry steel structural pipe.
A heavy cast-bronze body and precision-ground steel boring bar resist high line pressure without fluid leakage past internal chevron packings. Heavy-gauge Acme feed screw threads advance carbide-tipped shell cutters smoothly through pipe walls using manual ratcheting wrenches or pneumatic drive motors. Standard AWWA corporation stop thread adapters secure the machine body water-tight onto brass service valves. Integral blowoff valves allow technicians to flush out drilling chips before withdrawing the boring bar.
Water Main Tapping Machine Specifications
Municipal utility crews and commercial turf irrigation contractors require wet tapping equipment to install new service branch lines without customer service interruptions. This kit cuts clean tap holes into live mains.
- Tapping capacity cuts 3/4-inch through 2-inch holes in pressurized water distribution lines
- Acme feed screw delivers positive mechanical cutter advance through ductile iron pipe walls
- Cast-bronze body withstands internal water line pressures up to 200 PSI during tapping
- Internal chevron packing seals prevent water leakage along the boring bar during operations
- Carbide-tipped shell cutters slice clean circular coupons from cast-iron, ductile, and PVC
- Coupon retaining drill bits lock cut pipe plugs to prevent drop into the water main
- Built-in chip flush valve purges metal shavings from the cutting chamber before valve closing
Pressure Bench Tapping Load Telemetry
Hydrostatic testing verifies zero boring bar packing leakage under 300 PSI static water pressure. Manual feed torque tests record 38 foot-pounds of rotational resistance while cutting a 2-inch hole through Class 52 ductile iron pipe at 50 RPM. Boring bar deflection remains below 0.003 inches under 800 pounds of axial feed thrust. Coupon retention pins hold 100 percent of test cut cores across one hundred consecutive pipe taps.
Live Main Drilling Operating Restrictions
Technicians mount the corporation stop, thread on the matching FT2000 adapter, advance the boring bar, and turn the ratchet handle while feeding the screw. Close the corporation stop before detaching the machine. Do not use this tool on gas lines or high-pressure steam mains.
- Boring bar chevron packings require silicone grease lubrication before every hot tap
- Carbide shell cutter teeth demand visual inspection for chips before drilling water pipes
- Acme feed screw threads require mineral spirit cleanouts and light grease every season
Commercial Tool Warranty Crate Manifest
Reed Mfg backs this FT2000 tapping machine kit with a 1-Year commercial limited warranty. The heavy steel tool case contains the FT2000 tapping machine body, boring bar, ratchet wrench, AWWA adapters, coupon retainers, and comprehensive technical field manual.