The screws need a specific bit to drive the screws in, along with the specific gearbox to handle the torque, you can get a bigger attachment that will attach to any tractor or bobcat.
I’ve been looking for a solution to easily install helical piles, this is exactly the tool I’ve been looking for! When I saw the 905 I was even more surprised! I’m going to call Larry’s today to check out your drill!
I have not tried it. I do not see why not. The screws self-feed themselves in with the threads, you may need to just apply some downward pressure, but I don't see why it would not work. @@ВинтовыесваивКрыму
5’? In Oregon I build fencing at 24”deep. Maybe 36” Figure something like this could work in place of a post with concrete. At least the posts wouldn’t rot anymore
It would help. :) There are also smaller ones. They range in all lengths. But yes in Florida, most go down only 2ft. I like to go 3. the deeper you go, the stronger it is. Especially if you're installing 16ft 6 by 6 for a pergola.@@woodman1701
That is a nice,high tech tool,and all the safety you mentioned,you left one thing out,buried plumbing,power conduit ,gas lines or irrigation lines.Otherwise great video.
Can this be used for house foundations in a similar way to helical piers? Is there a place to find more information on how many would be needed for a foundation or deck etc? I’d like to send more information to my contractor
Are these approved for deck foundations in Ontario? I intend to rent the system and do it myself, but not sure how it works with the building inspector.
You need to send the drawings to an engineer. Where he will convert the regular footing for ground screws. Chandana Peiris PhD, MEng, BSc, PEng Principal Avant-Struct Ltd. 6395 Ranchview Dr NW Calgary, AB T3G 1B5 403 606 4276 www.avantstruct.com e mail it to this guy. he will give you what you need. :)
WOW, this seems like an excellent investment for any small carpentry business. Anyone know what a ball park price is for the driver and each screw? Currently paying about $350 per screw installed from my local guy.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 it costs at most $250 to get someone else to do the helical pile here in southern ontario canada. At first i was intrigued but it really doesnt make sense to spend all that money on equipment and material and also do the work yourself
@@amilli092 I'm glad you can find them that cheap. :) A lot of other people are paying 500. Also, there are scenarios where you can't get the Helical piles in the location you need them. Be it a tight space, steep incline, island, rough terrain or simply new sod was just laid, or other reasons.
Why don't you put a piece of scrap wood underneath the end of the torque bar to keep it from digging into the soil as you go down. That would allow the bar to slide across the surface.
Very helpfu video. Instead of using the rod to mark the ground screw location pre-drilling the hole is a good idea and one used by many others. Also pre-drilling the hole to put the rod in that's used as the stop for the long torque arm works well. As far as leveling whatever your inserting into the ground screw, some ground screws provide three nuts welded to the outside top of the ground screw which can be used as set screws to hold whatever you're inserting into the ground screw at whatever height you want.
I am in the USA trying to get this started. I am in Florida. Feel free to give me a call at (905)-980-4515 also you can get the drill. Just have to make an order and ill send it to you with the screws. Then you can go rent it out or install them yourself. There is a less than one year return on investment and an easy probability to make over 80k a year.
@@rollandelliott That's actually exactly what we pay for it. Without the shipping in truth. we are losing money selling the drill. The money is only in the selling of the screws.
I just went through American Ground Screw, and frankly helical piers worked out almost the same. Screws at $120, saddles are $25, and tool rental and s/h was $1000 by itself. Now that the border is opened up, if you are close to one of the rental locations it might be more worthwhile. If they could get a deal with HD/Lowes, they would make an absolute killing in the US as $150/pier without having to mess with augering/diggings, mixing or getting a big concrete truck down your driveway, slopping concrete around.... Make the rental cheap enough for HD to make some $$, and make your $$ on the screws. Like razor vs razor blades, or printers vs ink.
I could not agree more. :) I have looked into that with Home Depot already and spoke to the people I needed to speak to about it. But they were not interested In it yet. That is why we are trying to get local rental companies or other individuals to get them, and either install them for clients or simply use them for their own projects as well as rent the drill out and sell the screws themselves. Then they can make the money. The problem is that it is new technology and most people do not know much about it, so no one is ever walking into these stores and asking for them, so the big box stores don't see a demand for it. Even tho there is a very large one. If someone has another contact for Lowes or Home Depot, or even some other company or individual that would be interested, please let me know! (905)-980-4515
There is a website, its on the new video. Its www.easyscrewfoundations.com/ we are waiting for someone to buy the drill to rent out to people. We cannot ship screws to random people for a one time use, as the cost would be to great. But if anyone knows a rental company or contractor who would be willing to take the drill and make money with it, Then we we get it rolling.
I must be missing something, wouldn't the offset lever be on the opposite side of the bar driven in the ground. It seems to me if the screws are turning clockwise the extension arm would want to turn clockwise also?
The screw is turning clockwise, so the drill wants to turn anti-clockwise. The long lever is connected to the drill so turns anti-clockwise too, and the ground bar stops it.
Been researching screw piles for a couple years for a large deck. Goliath and Technometal Post are the big Canadian names in the industry. My concern with your system is that for real bearing capacity, the big names have very large helicals at the bottom of their screws. Yours looks to be simple an ~1" 'thread" down the pipe like a screw. No one likes getting permits, however in the end they are there for our protection, and the next buyers. Do you, or have you gotten any sort of Certified Specs on your screws as to bearing strength? Every State has Residential Codes, which is where I think your big hurdle is going to be.
Thank you for your good question sir. Our screws are totally different from helical pylons as they use the fin at the bottom to gain their lateral load barring capacities. Our ground screws use compression of the substrate to obtain about 2500 pounds of lateral load. (which you can get engineer to stamp). Also much less chance of hitting a root or rock, along with the flexibility to get into tight spots, and steep inclines. Not to mention how you will do no damage to the surrounding landscape. :) If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them, and help you.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 Appreciate the answer and quick too. Not a structural/mechanical engineer, however I can follow how a helical is 'screwed' into the ground to a point where the pressure required to push it further down reaches a certain resistance measured on the top end at x PSI. At that PSI, it is known that it will bear x #'s. For your screw end, I envision it like an eye-bolt being screwed into a piece of wood. I see the 'threads' on the pile exerting some compression, however unlike wood, the surrounding ground seems likely to just move horizontally. The screw point seems like it is going to simple continue to drive into the dirt, and has a very small cross-section from which downward compression could build. Unless at 6-7' depth you are reaching extremely dense earth where the threads begin bearing. If you have any spec's, I'd love to run them past my permitting dept. Thanks!
@@boots7859 Yes, the screws we use are 7 ft long. It not only gets us below the frost lvl but also reaches deep into the virgin ground. As well the ground is hard as a rock down there, imagine also compressing it turning the soil into concrete if you will.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 thanks for the info. My health has taken a dive so im just now checking my messages. Its feb in texas and its about to be in the 20s for a week or two. Yesterday i was wearing beach wear. I will get with you soon. I think this will be a good solution for a serious issue i have to deal with very soon.
@@davidreynolds4684 No problem. Hope you feel better. Here in Florida, the weather has finally taken a turn for the warmer. We just finished 2 or more weeks of cold.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 i lived in boca for a while in my early 20s. Rained every damn day for 2 mins. Then built hotels around hot springs and brendan. About 120 days at a time. It was miserably hot and sticky Like satans jock strap. Ill take the atalantic side but yall can have all the inner leg area.
The torque wrench on their website is rated to 4750 n/m. I would expect you could rent one from a local hire place. The telescopic brace is unique but not next level technology either. The torque gun I used for my home project was one I borrowed from my rigging mate who uses it to tension structural steel bolts. In my area (australia) the market is in its early stages and the screw suppliers would only put you in contact with an installer locally even though they advertised installation. The local installers all used excavators instead of the install rig as they could not justify the return on investment especially when they had a mini escavator sitting in their yard. Those torque guns in australia are 5K plus for the high torque models or about $500/day hire. A local contractor with the screw adaptor charges about $1200 including $400 travel time to install.
@@joseespinoza5794 Hi Jose, can you share more information in Australia regarding how to build these foundation like this? Are they really cheaper than Slabs on a sloppy land?
Yes for sure! They are different in a lot of ways, for the better. Would love to chat with you about it, feel free to give me a call or an email. (905)-980-4515 stevendroppert@gmail.com
Not there yet. sorry. But if you have a local rental company, get me their number or talk with them, and I can send one to them if they are interested. My plan is to get into every rental company.
@@fudogwhisperer3590 Iv already tried. They don't want to because no one walk in and asks for it... Really disappointing. So I'm aiming for the local markets from the local rental companies. Any help in this and there would be a part for you. :)
I'm investigating ground screws for a DIY solar install. I wasn't sure I could use them unless I could find some kind of handheld device rather than the large wheeled or tracked drivers I have seen. They would be very difficult to get into my preferred solar array location. Your video provided the solution I was hoping for. The driver you demonstrated was the perfect solution. Your clear and complete descriptions of how to use the tool provided very high production value. Great video. Thanks for making my day!
@@unionse7en Cant yet, im feeling out the market. But the plan is to have them in all the rental stores. They are available for buying, and I cant send a drill with a bunch of screws. If you know of a local rental shop from you, talk to them and see if they would be interested. We could send them a drill for you to use. :D
@@easyscrewfoundations632 you will have to bribe and pay off the corrupt building permit/code communists before getting this approved for use in the states. It's a damn shame the technology is there but entirely too much bureaucracy to make advancements. Technology would advance so much faster without government dictating to people what they "feel" is good for markets and safe. These systems have been in use in Europe for YEARS but not available here in the states because the government is too high for itself. I too want to install for solar....thank God I don't live in or even near the communist state of California. The prohibit anyone doing anything on their own without government inspections and approval. It takes years to get anything approved for energy independence. Ask Bill Maher.
@@wadebrewer7212 Well. If you buy the panels and install them yourself. It will still generate electricity. 90% of people who build decks, don't take out permits. same with sheds, and small structures. Same as all the people who rent one or two-person augers. The government is not inspecting every hole they dig. It is no different. If you rent it yourself. you are free to use it :) If you have a bad neighbour and he has lots of free time and tells on you. You can still get an engineer to stamp it. They have more power over the city imspectors. :)
Just what I'm trying to do in London Clay lol. I can not touch to excavate small overhanging pathway to build proper footing for traditional retaining wall so screws or cabled anchors I was thinking!
Looks incredibly complicated.
Will the screw attachment fit a quick attach mcclaren PHD with a 2" hex?
The screws need a specific bit to drive the screws in, along with the specific gearbox to handle the torque, you can get a bigger attachment that will attach to any tractor or bobcat.
Can they be used for a light steel building like versatube?
Yes, they can. :)
Cost?
150 to 200 per screw depending on where ya are. about 7k for the drill
I’ve been looking for a solution to easily install helical piles, this is exactly the tool I’ve been looking for! When I saw the 905 I was even more surprised! I’m going to call Larry’s today to check out your drill!
I dont know if they still have it, if not call me. (941)-294-9001
You need a box platform to stand in the ladder is dangerous.
What is the torque p/m of the pile driving mechanism?
It goes up to about 3000 ft-lbs, which will get you about 10,000 lbs lateral weight.
There was another question, maybe I translated it wrong. I'm wondering if this mechanism can spin a pile with blades
I have not tried it. I do not see why not. The screws self-feed themselves in with the threads, you may need to just apply some downward pressure, but I don't see why it would not work. @@ВинтовыесваивКрыму
Aren't those a little to deep, or in other words why are those going so deep, what are those supposed to support?
They are installed up north. SO you need to be 4ft down with the smooth part of the screw. Then 3ft of the threads need to be below that.
I am in Arizona White Mountains we have ver high clay soil content here. Would these work for cabin foundatio n
Yes, it does. :)
Those screws seem long for that hard ground. I thought a 1m would be fine. What drove the decision to choose this length? Great video.
THe length is do to the frost. That job location was in Ontario Canada. Down here in Florida, you can get away with a 5ft long screw.
5’? In Oregon I build fencing at 24”deep. Maybe 36” Figure something like this could work in place of a post with concrete. At least the posts wouldn’t rot anymore
It would help. :) There are also smaller ones. They range in all lengths. But yes in Florida, most go down only 2ft. I like to go 3. the deeper you go, the stronger it is. Especially if you're installing 16ft 6 by 6 for a pergola.@@woodman1701
For ANY Questions. Please call (941)-294-9001
Link to where you can find the giant screws?
you order them through me. :) (941)-294-9001
How many kips does it generate?
Who makes this system?
Companies in Europe.
Thats neat.
How much I need this
7k for the drill plus shipping, depends on where you are. around 200 per screw.
That is a nice,high tech tool,and all the safety you mentioned,you left one thing out,buried plumbing,power conduit ,gas lines or irrigation lines.Otherwise great video.
👍
So many thanks my man!
Can this be used for house foundations in a similar way to helical piers? Is there a place to find more information on how many would be needed for a foundation or deck etc? I’d like to send more information to my contractor
Yes, you send the drawings to engineers and they can speck out the screws.
Are these approved for deck foundations in Ontario? I intend to rent the system and do it myself, but not sure how it works with the building inspector.
You need to send the drawings to an engineer. Where he will convert the regular footing for ground screws. Chandana Peiris PhD, MEng, BSc, PEng Principal Avant-Struct Ltd. 6395 Ranchview Dr NW Calgary, AB T3G 1B5 403 606 4276 www.avantstruct.com e mail it to this guy. he will give you what you need. :)
@@easyscrewfoundations632 I do not see this product on the CCMC registry.
They are. you use the engineer and he updates your drawings.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 You better have a chat with your engineer friends, they are gong to cost you business if they don't start answering emails.
@@Mrdubomb E mail me your information. stevendroppert@gmail.com I will reach out. Also please feel free to give me a call (905)-980-4515
Do you have a way to install these in water for a dock, or do we have to stick to pounding in conventional pilings for that situation?
You can use the drill over water. Just don't drop it. haha, also if you need really large ones, you can use a barge and bobcat, or excavator.
Are these available for rental yet? Or, can I buy one? Thanks
Sorry, Bob. You can buy it. if you are interested, Please contact me if you are interested. (905)-980-4515
WOW, this seems like an excellent investment for any small carpentry business. Anyone know what a ball park price is for the driver and each screw? Currently paying about $350 per screw installed from my local guy.
Screws are about 250 Depending on where you are located. And drill is 12k
@@easyscrewfoundations632 it costs at most $250 to get someone else to do the helical pile here in southern ontario canada. At first i was intrigued but it really doesnt make sense to spend all that money on equipment and material and also do the work yourself
@@amilli092 I'm glad you can find them that cheap. :) A lot of other people are paying 500. Also, there are scenarios where you can't get the Helical piles in the location you need them. Be it a tight space, steep incline, island, rough terrain or simply new sod was just laid, or other reasons.
A ski on the end of the tube
Make a bracket on the side of the ladder
Why don't you put a piece of scrap wood underneath the end of the torque bar to keep it from digging into the soil as you go down. That would allow the bar to slide across the surface.
It retracts inside itself. But it would also help. :)
Very helpfu video. Instead of using the rod to mark the ground screw location pre-drilling the hole is a good idea and one used by many others. Also pre-drilling the hole to put the rod in that's used as the stop for the long torque arm works well. As far as leveling whatever your inserting into the ground screw, some ground screws provide three nuts welded to the outside top of the ground screw which can be used as set screws to hold whatever you're inserting into the ground screw at whatever height you want.
wow this is amazing. read your comments below saying they are not for rent yet, but I can buy. how much does it cost???
never mind $10K is too much for me. can you ship the rental of drill?
Yes but for a cost. Where are you located?
I'm looking for this in the USA, not finding anything
I am in the USA trying to get this started. I am in Florida. Feel free to give me a call at (905)-980-4515 also you can get the drill. Just have to make an order and ill send it to you with the screws. Then you can go rent it out or install them yourself. There is a less than one year return on investment and an easy probability to make over 80k a year.
What is the name of that drill
That information is top secret! :)
They charge $10,000 for it so probably very good profit margin and they don't want to let people know.
@@rollandelliott That's actually exactly what we pay for it. Without the shipping in truth. we are losing money selling the drill. The money is only in the selling of the screws.
Dose it still work in sandy soil conditions
Yes Sir. Works really well.
I just went through American Ground Screw, and frankly helical piers worked out almost the same. Screws at $120, saddles are $25, and tool rental and s/h was $1000 by itself. Now that the border is opened up, if you are close to one of the rental locations it might be more worthwhile. If they could get a deal with HD/Lowes, they would make an absolute killing in the US as $150/pier without having to mess with augering/diggings, mixing or getting a big concrete truck down your driveway, slopping concrete around.... Make the rental cheap enough for HD to make some $$, and make your $$ on the screws. Like razor vs razor blades, or printers vs ink.
I could not agree more. :) I have looked into that with Home Depot already and spoke to the people I needed to speak to about it. But they were not interested In it yet. That is why we are trying to get local rental companies or other individuals to get them, and either install them for clients or simply use them for their own projects as well as rent the drill out and sell the screws themselves. Then they can make the money. The problem is that it is new technology and most people do not know much about it, so no one is ever walking into these stores and asking for them, so the big box stores don't see a demand for it. Even tho there is a very large one. If someone has another contact for Lowes or Home Depot, or even some other company or individual that would be interested, please let me know! (905)-980-4515
Great video thanks🤠👍
Thank you!
Can I order online and have them shipped?
There is a website, its on the new video. Its www.easyscrewfoundations.com/ we are waiting for someone to buy the drill to rent out to people. We cannot ship screws to random people for a one time use, as the cost would be to great. But if anyone knows a rental company or contractor who would be willing to take the drill and make money with it, Then we we get it rolling.
No website? No phone? No rental info?
I am in the Memphis area. What is availability and pricing of screws and rental of drill?
165 per screw includes saddle. Drill is 15 grand. Can get them anywhere. :)
no rental down there yet. Drill is 10 grand, and 165 per screw. including saddle.
I must be missing something, wouldn't the offset lever be on the opposite side of the bar driven in the ground. It seems to me if the screws are turning clockwise the extension arm would want to turn clockwise also?
It always throws me off as well. haha but it moves as it moves. :D
The screw is turning clockwise, so the drill wants to turn anti-clockwise. The long lever is connected to the drill so turns anti-clockwise too, and the ground bar stops it.
Been researching screw piles for a couple years for a large deck. Goliath and Technometal Post are the big Canadian names in the industry. My concern with your system is that for real bearing capacity, the big names have very large helicals at the bottom of their screws. Yours looks to be simple an ~1" 'thread" down the pipe like a screw. No one likes getting permits, however in the end they are there for our protection, and the next buyers. Do you, or have you gotten any sort of Certified Specs on your screws as to bearing strength? Every State has Residential Codes, which is where I think your big hurdle is going to be.
Thank you for your good question sir. Our screws are totally different from helical pylons as they use the fin at the bottom to gain their lateral load barring capacities. Our ground screws use compression of the substrate to obtain about 2500 pounds of lateral load. (which you can get engineer to stamp). Also much less chance of hitting a root or rock, along with the flexibility to get into tight spots, and steep inclines. Not to mention how you will do no damage to the surrounding landscape. :) If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them, and help you.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 Appreciate the answer and quick too. Not a structural/mechanical engineer, however I can follow how a helical is 'screwed' into the ground to a point where the pressure required to push it further down reaches a certain resistance measured on the top end at x PSI. At that PSI, it is known that it will bear x #'s. For your screw end, I envision it like an eye-bolt being screwed into a piece of wood. I see the 'threads' on the pile exerting some compression, however unlike wood, the surrounding ground seems likely to just move horizontally. The screw point seems like it is going to simple continue to drive into the dirt, and has a very small cross-section from which downward compression could build. Unless at 6-7' depth you are reaching extremely dense earth where the threads begin bearing. If you have any spec's, I'd love to run them past my permitting dept. Thanks!
OK, just found American Ground Screw's site, which I somehow missed previously. I will review the docs there.
@@boots7859 Yes, the screws we use are 7 ft long. It not only gets us below the frost lvl but also reaches deep into the virgin ground. As well the ground is hard as a rock down there, imagine also compressing it turning the soil into concrete if you will.
I have used Pylex ground screws..they go in much faster...What's the benefit to yours?
Good video. Where are these ground screws available as well as the driver?
Through me. If you are interested you can contact me at stevendroppert@gmail.com it call me at (905)-980-4515
@@easyscrewfoundations632 thanks for the info. My health has taken a dive so im just now checking my messages. Its feb in texas and its about to be in the 20s for a week or two. Yesterday i was wearing beach wear. I will get with you soon. I think this will be a good solution for a serious issue i have to deal with very soon.
@@davidreynolds4684 No problem. Hope you feel better. Here in Florida, the weather has finally taken a turn for the warmer. We just finished 2 or more weeks of cold.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 i lived in boca for a while in my early 20s. Rained every damn day for 2 mins. Then built hotels around hot springs and brendan. About 120 days at a time. It was miserably hot and sticky Like satans jock strap. Ill take the atalantic side but yall can have all the inner leg area.
@@davidreynolds4684 HAHAHA right on! well ill take the sweaty jock strap over Canadian ice thong.
Would it be possible to have the model and brand of the screw drill?
No sorry. You may buy it. :)
The torque wrench on their website is rated to 4750 n/m. I would expect you could rent one from a local hire place. The telescopic brace is unique but not next level technology either. The torque gun I used for my home project was one I borrowed from my rigging mate who uses it to tension structural steel bolts. In my area (australia) the market is in its early stages and the screw suppliers would only put you in contact with an installer locally even though they advertised installation. The local installers all used excavators instead of the install rig as they could not justify the return on investment especially when they had a mini escavator sitting in their yard. Those torque guns in australia are 5K plus for the high torque models or about $500/day hire. A local contractor with the screw adaptor charges about $1200 including $400 travel time to install.
@@joseespinoza5794 Hi Jose, can you share more information in Australia regarding how to build these foundation like this? Are they really cheaper than Slabs on a sloppy land?
These are awesome they are pretty sweet do you have any literature never sent these I’m obsessed with helical piling seem very similar!
Yes for sure! They are different in a lot of ways, for the better. Would love to chat with you about it, feel free to give me a call or an email. (905)-980-4515 stevendroppert@gmail.com
Where can one the type of drivers in Colorado Springs?
Not there yet. sorry. But if you have a local rental company, get me their number or talk with them, and I can send one to them if they are interested. My plan is to get into every rental company.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 Bills tool rental in the Colorado Springs area is great to deal with, they have a few locations.
@@easyscrewfoundations632 You might want to hook up with lowes or home depot tool rental so you go nationwide.
@@fudogwhisperer3590 Iv already tried. They don't want to because no one walk in and asks for it... Really disappointing. So I'm aiming for the local markets from the local rental companies. Any help in this and there would be a part for you. :)
@@easyscrewfoundations632 lol, of course no one asks for something they dont' see. I dont' go into lowes and ask to buy toys either.
where can one rent this drill?
At Robertson Rentals, and Larrys Rentals at st catharines. Also you can rent it of of Easy Screws, also in St Catharines Ontario.
Nowhere in the USA yet. we are looking for someone to take it and start running with it in a location.
Which ground screw systems is this ?
American ground screw
I'm investigating ground screws for a DIY solar install. I wasn't sure I could use them unless I could find some kind of handheld device rather than the large wheeled or tracked drivers I have seen. They would be very difficult to get into my preferred solar array location. Your video provided the solution I was hoping for. The driver you demonstrated was the perfect solution. Your clear and complete descriptions of how to use the tool provided very high production value. Great video. Thanks for making my day!
Where can one rent the driver? I'm in Colorado Springs)
@@unionse7en Cant yet, im feeling out the market. But the plan is to have them in all the rental stores. They are available for buying, and I cant send a drill with a bunch of screws. If you know of a local rental shop from you, talk to them and see if they would be interested. We could send them a drill for you to use. :D
@@easyscrewfoundations632 you will have to bribe and pay off the corrupt building permit/code communists before getting this approved for use in the states. It's a damn shame the technology is there but entirely too much bureaucracy to make advancements. Technology would advance so much faster without government dictating to people what they "feel" is good for markets and safe. These systems have been in use in Europe for YEARS but not available here in the states because the government is too high for itself. I too want to install for solar....thank God I don't live in or even near the communist state of California. The prohibit anyone doing anything on their own without government inspections and approval. It takes years to get anything approved for energy independence. Ask Bill Maher.
@@wadebrewer7212 Well. If you buy the panels and install them yourself. It will still generate electricity. 90% of people who build decks, don't take out permits. same with sheds, and small structures. Same as all the people who rent one or two-person augers. The government is not inspecting every hole they dig. It is no different. If you rent it yourself. you are free to use it :) If you have a bad neighbour and he has lots of free time and tells on you. You can still get an engineer to stamp it. They have more power over the city imspectors. :)
Where can the drill ne purchased?
Do you think these would be suitable for ground anchors to hold a retaining wall?
Yes, Its one of the best uses for them
Yes, used all the time for that.
Just what I'm trying to do in London Clay lol. I can not touch to excavate small overhanging pathway to build proper footing for traditional retaining wall so screws or cabled anchors I was thinking!