Gas utilities across North America are seeking innovative tools that improve efficiency, ensure safety, and keep operations on schedule. The Kobus KPP400 Pipe Puller offers a way to raise the benchmarks in each of these areas. Designed to streamline service line replacement, this innovative equipment is ideal for the unique challenges gas utilities face, adding much-needed precision and safety on every jobsite.
Better Jobsite Safety
Safety is at the core of the KPP400’s design. Innovative engineering eliminates many of the risks associated with traditional open trenching. By removing and replacing underground gas pipes simultaneously using versatile pulling power, the KPP400 significantly minimizes the need for excavation, which poses substantial concerns about accidents and corresponding liabilities. When relying on the Kobus Pipe Puller, crews spend less time exposed to excavation hazards like unstable soil conditions or utility strikes.
Creating a safer environment for its employees and customers is one of the primary reasons Atlanta Gas and Light opted to use the KPP400 in its efforts. Tasked with updating aging and faulty galvanized gas service lines with new HDPE pipes throughout the region, the company asked Kobus to train its crew to make the most of the new equipment.
During a two-day training session, the crews were able to replace lines between customers’ homes and the gas main, including a 180-foot line that was completed with three pulls, taking approximately 10 minutes each.
Minimal Disruption, Maximum Results
The KPP400 is also designed with community surroundings in mind. Traditional pipe replacement, requiring large-scale excavation, leads to road closures, traffic rerouting, and costly restoration efforts. Pipe pulling solves these problems by requiring only a 2’ x 2’ access pit at each end of the pipe, allowing crews to work with minimal surface disruption. Instead, the Kobus Pipe Puller’s advantages reduce utility companies’ costs while protecting nearby residents and businesses during the replacement project.
Of course, time is critical in infrastructure projects, and delays can quickly derail budgets. The KPP400 works at unmatched speeds, capable of pulling and replacing up to 80 feet of pipe in as little as three minutes, depending on conditions. Despite demanding schedules, rapid and seamless operation helps keep projects on track, without cutting any safety or regulatory corners.
Designed for Versatility and Ease
Integrating the KPP400 into your existing fleet couldn’t be easier. The machine pairs effortlessly with compact excavators, ensuring faster deployment.
Beyond that, its 360° rotating footplate provides the flexibility crews need to handle the challenges of gas line replacement. Whether working in busy municipal settings or underground utility corridors packed with lines, the KPP400 delivers pinpoint accuracy and reliability, even in tight spaces.
Conventional excavation methods often leave behind a trail of displaced soil, uneven terrain, and unpredictable cleanup costs. The KPP400’s precise pulling action removes failing pipes and installs replacements without leaving behind unnecessary mess or disruption.
When Canada’s SaskEnergy gave the Kobus Pipe Puller a shot at elevating its replacement project, they were impressed with the results. Notably, the training session was devoid of cable failures, pipe puller malfunctions, or damage to adjacent utilities, highlighting the reliability and safety of the technology. The positive experience has prompted the utility to integrate the pipe puller into its routine operations and look into expanding its pipe puller fleet.
See the KPP400 at the AGA Conference
The Kobus KPP400 is now revolutionizing how gas utilities approach pipe replacement. Its ability to improve safety, reduce disruption and meet aggressive timelines makes it the ultimate solution for today’s gas utility challenges.
You can connect with the Kobus Pipe Puller team at booth #427 at the 2025 AGA Conference & Exhibition, May 4-8. Stop by to see the equipment up close and get answers to any questions you might have. Visit KobusPipePuller.com to learn more.
