TONGHAND Exit Side Wrench

The TONGHAND® is a hydraulic excavator attachment that serves as the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) industry’s exit-side wrench and rod handler. It enables precision make/break of threaded drill rod, reamers, and pipe joints directly from the cab, eliminating unsafe torquing methods, removing personnel from working in danger zones, and boosting jobsite efficiency.

TONGHAND allows drill rod to be torqued and un-torqued with precision by a single operator from the comfort and safety of the excavator cab. The patented TongVise™ easily makes and breaks joints with guaranteed precision, delivering up to 120,000 ft-lbs of torque directly at the connection site. Telescoping roller arms are used to pick up drill rod (from 5-9 inches OD) and securely lift, tilt, shift, rotate and precisely position a single rod or drill string under the total control of the operator. Gull-wing arms instantly move out of the way for reamer and tooling swaps.

TONGHAND works with reamers (up to 60 inches), adapter subs, and drill pipe connections from 6.5-10 inches OD, and can handle drill strings up to 10 joints in length. It mounts to any brand of excavator, the excavator’s auxiliary hydraulics safely and efficiently power the TONGHAND.