Buyer’s Guide – DTH Drilling Rigs

DTH Drilling Rig Price in 2026: What a Crawler Rig Really Costs

By Windrilling Technical Team – Updated September 2026 – 9 min read

A contractor in Ghana emailed me a quote last spring. One page. One number: US$96,000 for a crawler DTH rig. No air compressor line. No hammer. No bits. He was one week away from wiring the deposit.

I asked him two questions. What rock are you drilling? And what is your compressor output? He did not know yet. Neither did the supplier who sent that quote.

That is the trap behind the search term DTH drilling rig price. There is no single number. There is a rig, and then there is everything that makes the rig drill. The two are quoted separately, and buyers who compare a bare machine against a complete package always end up confused.

Below is what crawler DTH rigs actually cost in 2026, based on publicly listed factory prices and marketplace listings, plus what those numbers include. Read it before you send a deposit.

1. What “Rig Price” Actually Means

Three suppliers can quote the same job at US$25,000, US$58,000 and US$96,000 – and all three can be honest. The difference is what sits in the box. Every DTH rig quote is really one of three products:

• Machine only. Crawler chassis, mast, rotation head, feed system, controls. No air supply. No tools. On its own it cannot drill a metre.
• Machine plus air. The rig plus a compressor that delivers the pressure and volume your hammer needs. Usually the largest line in the quote after the rig itself.
• Complete package. Rig, compressor, hammers, button bits, drill rods and a spare parts kit – sometimes with a commissioning visit.

A one-line quote that does not say which of the three it is tells you nothing. Ask for the line items first. Then compare.

2. Observed Crawler DTH Rig Price Bands in 2026

Band	Hole diameter	What is normally included	Observed public pricing (2026)
A – Light split crawler	90-130 mm	Rig only, no compressor; 3″ hammer capable	About US$18,000-33,000 for the machine
B – Mid crawler DTH	90-150 mm	Higher torque, dust collection, 4″-5″ hammer capable	Around US$58,000-60,000 on supplier listings
C – Integrated, onboard air	150-250 mm	Engine, compressor and rig in one unit	From about US$218,000, volume pricing below that

These are publicly listed machine-only prices from Chinese manufacturers and B2B marketplaces, not our own quotations. A real quote moves with configuration, options and delivery terms – treat the bands as a sanity check, not a target.

Band A: light split crawler rigs

This is the entry point for small quarries, road work and shallow blast holes. One publicly listed Chinese factory price page puts a split-type blasting rig for 90-150 mm holes at US$18,000-22,000, and a crawler version for 90-130 mm at roughly US$31,500-32,500. The rig is simple, the hydraulics are basic, and the compressor is a separate purchase. On a tight budget this band is where you start – just understand that “cheap rig” and “cheap drilling” are different things.

Band B: mid-size crawler DTH rigs

This is the working class of the market: 90-150 mm holes, enough torque to keep a 4″ or 5″ hammer cutting in hard rock, dust collection, a mast that handles 3 m rods, and a chassis that moves on its own. Chinese export suppliers list crawler surface DTH rigs in this class around US$58,000-60,000 for the machine. Our WD-ZJ516 sits in this band: 90-145 mm holes, 3,500 N·m of torque, 5,500 kg, and flexible compressor matching rather than a built-in air package.

Band C: integrated rigs with onboard air

Once the hole gets past 150 mm, the compressor stops being a separate machine and becomes part of the rig. Marketplace listings for integrated crawler DTH rigs in the 150-250 mm class start around US$218,000, with discounts quoted for multi-unit orders. You are paying for a 190 kW-class engine, an onboard air end, an enclosed cab and automation. On a mine or a large quarry this is the correct tool. On a 20-borehole water well contract it is expensive overkill.

3. The Four Things That Move the Price Most

Two rigs that look identical in a photo can differ by US$40,000. These four items are where that money goes.

1. Hole diameter and hammer size

A 90 mm hole and a 200 mm hole are not the same machine class. Bigger hole means a bigger hammer, which needs more air, which needs a bigger compressor, which needs more engine power and a heavier chassis. The cost climbs at every step of that chain. Decide the hole diameter before you ask for a price – not after.

2. Rotation torque

Torque is what rescues you when a bit jams or a rod binds. A 2,500 N·m head and a 6,000 N·m head cost very differently, and the gap shows up in the rotation motor, the gearbox and the mast structure. Low-torque rigs work fine in soft, uniform rock. In fractured ground they cost you the shift.

3. Integrated air or separate compressor

A split rig plus a towed compressor is cheaper to buy and easier to service, but you need road access and you lose mobility on site. An integrated rig costs more upfront and gives you a self-contained machine. Neither is better – they suit different jobs. Get the air sizing right either way; a mismatched compressor is the most common reason a new rig underperforms. See our guide to DTH hammer air requirements.

4. Undercarriage, engine and options

Gradeability, ground clearance, dust collection, cab, automatic rod changing, air-conditioned operator station – each is a line on the quote. Rod changing alone can add a five-figure sum. Ask what is standard and what is optional, in writing.

4. The Second Invoice: Air, Hammers, Bits and Rods

The rig is one invoice. The equipment that makes it productive is another. A mid-size air compressor package for water well and mining work was listed at US$14,700 in 2026; DTH hammers, button bits and drill rods are priced separately and are consumed as you drill. Budget them together.

Item	How many	Why it matters to the total
Air compressor	1	Must match hammer air consumption, not just rig size
DTH hammers	2 (one spare)	A worn hammer is a lost shift; see hammer prices
Button bits	3-6	Consumable – cost scales with rock abrasiveness
Drill rods	Set for your depth	Thread type must match the rig and hammer; see rod sizes and thread types
Spare parts kit	1	Seals, shank bushings, filters – the parts that stop production

Check the full equipment range on our drilling rigs and drilling tools pages before you negotiate – it is easier to compare quotes when you know what the parts cost.

5. The Third Invoice: Freight, Duty and Commissioning

This is the invoice nobody puts in the comparison spreadsheet, and it is why two “FOB” quotes can differ by thousands once landed.

• Freight. A crawler rig occupies more container volume than its weight suggests. Asymmetric loading wastes space – ask how the supplier packs the container.
• Duty and clearing. Rates vary by country and by the HS code used. Confirm the code in writing before shipment.
• Inland transport. A 5,500 kg machine needs a suitable trailer and a route survey in some regions.
• Commissioning and training. A few days of engineer time on site prevents weeks of wrong-habit production.
• First spare parts order. Place it with the rig, not after the first breakdown.

6. New vs Used: Where the Money Actually Sits

Used prices span an enormous range. A used Atlas Copco ROC L6H surface rig sold at auction for around US$39,600, while a large used Ingersoll Rand TH100 blasthole rig was advertised at US$525,000. Same category, two different worlds – because hour meters, maintenance history and parts availability decide the real value, not the badge.

Buy used when you can inspect the machine, read the hour meter and confirm parts support. Buy new when the rig has to earn from month one. What you should never do is buy used because it is cheap and then discover the mast is cracked.

7. How to Read a DTH Rig Quote: Six Checks

1. Is air included? If not, price the compressor before you compare.
2. Which hammer and how many? A quote with no hammer is not a drilling package.
3. What is the delivery term? FOB, CIF or DAP changes the landed number by a wide margin.
4. Is the engine and air-end brand named? Vague “famous brand” wording is a negotiating risk.
5. What does commissioning cover? Days of engineer time, or a video call?
6. Which spare parts ship with the rig? Filter kits and shank bushings should be in the container.

8. Think in Cost per Metre, Not Cost per Rig

The purchase price is the smallest part of the decision. What decides your margin is cost per drilled metre: fuel, hammer and bit consumption, rod wear, labour, maintenance and downtime. A rig that costs US$20,000 more but drills 30% faster and breaks down less will pay the difference back inside one contract. The same logic applies on the water well side – our water well drilling cost breakdown works through it meter by meter.

FAQ

How much does a crawler DTH drilling rig cost?

Publicly listed machine-only prices run from about US$18,000 for a light 90-130 mm split crawler rig to around US$60,000 for a mid-size crawler DTH rig, and from roughly US$218,000 upwards for an integrated rig with onboard air in the 150-250 mm class. Add air, hammers, bits and rods for a working package.

Why is one DTH rig US$20,000 and another US$200,000?

Hole diameter, torque, whether the compressor is onboard, engine power, chassis class and automation. Each step up the hole-diameter ladder raises air demand, and air demand drives engine size and machine weight. The price follows the physics.

Does the rig price include an air compressor?

Usually not, unless the rig is an integrated model with a built-in air end. Split crawler rigs are quoted machine-only and need a separate compressor matched to your hammer’s air consumption and pressure requirement.

Is a used DTH rig a better deal?

Only with inspection. Auction results show used surface rigs from around US$40,000 to over US$500,000, so “used” is not a price point – it is a condition report. Check hours, mast and rotation head wear, and confirm parts availability before you bid.

What is the cheapest way to start quarry drilling?

A light split crawler rig plus a matched towed compressor, one spare hammer and a small bit set. It is not the lowest headline price once you add the air and tools – but it is the lowest realistic entry that still drills productively. Do the cost-per-metre maths before you commit.

Before You Sign

Send us the borehole diameter in millimetres, the rock type, the depth per hole and the country the machine is going to. We will come back with a configuration and a line-by-line number – rig, air, tools and spares separated, so you can compare it against anything else on your desk. That is the only way a rig price means anything.