Tricone Bits
Tricone Bits, developed in the early 1930’s, were a big improvement over the two cone Roller Bit. Due to its versatility and performance, it’s still one of the main Rock Bits in use today.
Wide Variety of Tricone Rock Bits
Sealed Bearing TCI Tricones
The sealed bearing system is a key feature, providing superior protection against dirt, debris, and contamination. This ensures smooth operation, reduces wear, and extends the life of the bit, even under demanding drilling conditions. Additionally, advanced bearing lubrication and optimized cutting structure placement deliver consistent performance and improved penetration rates.
Soft Formation TCI Tricone Bits
These are specifically designed for efficient drilling in soft, unconsolidated formations such as clay, sand, shale, and soft limestone. These bits feature large, chisel-shaped tungsten carbide inserts that deliver maximum penetration rates by aggressively cutting through softer materials with ease.
Medium Formation TCI Tricone Bits
These bits are designed for versatility and efficiency in drilling medium-compressive-strength formations such as shale, dolomite, and limestone. These bits feature an optimized cutting structure with tungsten carbide inserts that provide an excellent balance between durability and penetration rates.
Medium-Hard Formation TCI Tricone Bits
These are specifically designed to handle abrasive and semi-hard formations such as sandstone, limestone, and dolomite. These bits feature durable tungsten carbide inserts that provide exceptional wear resistance and cutting efficiency, ensuring optimal performance in demanding drilling conditions.
Hard Formation TCI Tricone Bits
These are engineered to tackle the toughest rock formations, including granite, basalt, and hard limestone. These bits are equipped with durable, wear-resistant tungsten carbide inserts strategically placed to deliver exceptional cutting efficiency while maintaining long service life in challenging drilling conditions.
Leave in the hole bits are used for foundations, pilings, and anchor type systems where the bit is left in the hole and not retrieved. Bit Brokers offers new and rerun Leave in the Hole Bits (LITH). The New LITH can be made without threads which makes them cost effective and easier to weld to.
Surplus tricone bits offer significant cost savings compared to new bits. They are often priced lower due to factors such as excess inventory, discontinued models, or minor cosmetic imperfections. Despite being classified as surplus, these tricone bits are still high-quality products that have never been used in drilling projects. They can deliver similar performance levels as new bits, providing efficient drilling and penetration rates in various ground formations.
Soft Formations
These are specifically designed for drilling in soft formations such as gravel, shale, and soft limestone. These bits feature large, sharp tungsten carbide inserts and optimized cutting structures to maximize penetration rates in softer ground conditions.
Medium Formations
These are for medium formations are engineered to tackle a wide range of drilling conditions, particularly in formations such as sandstone, shale, and other moderately abrasive rock. These bits combine durability and cutting efficiency to achieve excellent penetration rates and reliable performance across various drilling applications.
Medium-Hard Formations
These are for medium-hard formations are built for durability and high performance in moderately hard rock types, including formations such as hard shale, sandstone, and limestone. These bits are designed to deliver optimal drilling efficiency, providing superior penetration rates while maintaining longevity in tough drilling environments.
Hard Formations
These are for hard formations are specifically engineered to handle the toughest and most abrasive rock formations, such as granite, basalt, and other dense, hard materials.
Tricone Bit Bearings Explained
What is the difference between sealed bearing bits and non-sealed bearing bits in tricones?
The bearings are what make the cones on a tricone spin. There are four common types of bearings – standard open roller bearings, air-cooled roller bearings, sealed roller bearings, and sealed journal (friction) bearings. We’ll look into these different types of bearings and explain the differences.
Standard Open Roller Bearing
Standard open roller bearings are bearings without a seal. This means that the bearings are open to outside debris, which can enter through the cone.
The advantage of an open bearing bit is that they are usually cheaper. They are ideal for drilling shallow holes, in the hundreds of feet. If drilling deeper holes with an open bearing bit you will probably have to pull it out every couple hundred feet to clean out the debris in the cones to free them up.
Air Cool/Air Blast Bearing
Air Blast Bearings are equipped on Air Circulation Bits. These bits have air passages that supply air to the bearings for cooling and lubricating of the bearing, and for cleaning of the bearing from the drilling debris
Sealed Roller Bearing
Sealed Roller Bearings have some of the features of the non-sealed open bearings, but longer lifetime because the bearings are sealed with an O’ Ring Seal.
A lubrication and compensator system prevents leakage into the bearing system and stops the possibility of debris blocking the bearing as well as leakage of grease
Sealed Journal Bearing
Sealed Journal Bearings have very good durability and wear resistance. Instead of rollers inside the cone there is a floating bushing.
The bushing is usually made out of special material that is highly resistant to heat and galling (surface damage).
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