Long-spiral and rotary rigs both make holes, so they are often treated as interchangeable on site. Put the official spec sheets of the LQR180C and the LQR-130 side by side and, at the same 25 m depth, the gaps are concrete.
Diameter first. The LQR180C drills 400-1000 mm, topping out at 1 m; the LQR-130 covers 400-1500 mm, up to 1.5 m. On a comparable crawler chassis the long-spiral ceiling is 500 mm lower, so piles beyond 1 m fall outside its range.
Depth next. The LQR180C reaches 25 m, listed as 19+6 on the sheet; the LQR-130 reaches 30 m. Those 5 m decide whether another model is needed once the pile passes 25 m, not whether the work can be done.
Torque runs the other way. The LQR180C is rated 180 kN·m against 130 kN·m for the LQR-130, roughly 38% higher. Smaller holes but more torque reflects how the two methods load the machine.
Rotation speed nearly overlaps: 6-38 rpm for the LQR180C, 5-40 rpm for the LQR-130. The difference is not how fast the head turns but how much torque it delivers at that speed.
Winches separate them. The LQR180C carries a 170 kN main and a 60 kN auxiliary winch; the LQR-130 has 150 kN and 30 kN. The auxiliary rating doubles, matching the need to handle a full-length continuous auger.
Engines: a DEUTZ 180kW Euro 5 unit on the LQR180C, a Cummins 154kW on the LQR-130. The 26kW gap is part of why the long-spiral machine is heavier.
Weight is the item most often skipped. The LQR180C weighs 47 t against 28 t, 19 t more, or 68% of the rotary figure. Ground bearing, site access and lifting plans all follow from that number.
Transport size needs planning too. The LQR180C measures 15500 x 3000 x 3220 mm in transport, the LQR-130 11800 x 3000 x 3550 mm. At 3.7 m longer, the long-spiral rig needs a different trailer and permit.
Working height diverges further: 29000 mm versus 13800 mm, a 15.2 m difference. That governs headroom, overhead obstacles and the routing of temporary power lines.
Chassis details differ as well. The LQR180C runs 700 mm track shoes with 2960-4200 mm extension; the LQR-130 uses 600 mm shoes, a 3000 mm extension width and 4550 mm total track length.
Read together, the long-spiral envelope becomes clear: holes up to 1 m, depth up to 25 m, high torque for continuous drilling, on a site that can take a 47 t machine and a 15.5 m transport length.
The reverse holds: diameters between 1 and 1.5 m, or depths beyond 25 m, put you back in the rotary bracket, which is what the LQR-130 covers with 30 m and 1.5 m.
Spec sheets describe limits, not a substitute for a test pile. Confirm diameter, depth, ground bearing and transport route first, then filter against the tables; one pass usually settles it. All figures here come from the LQR180C and LQR-130 official spec sheets.