Oil Rigs Now lists land drilling rigs across the horsepower range operators actually run today: mechanical, SCR (silicon-controlled rectifier) and AC-VFD electric rigs from 350 to 3,600 HP, sourced from operators, drilling contractors and equipment liquidations across North America. Every rig below is inspected stock, ready to move — not a manufacturer catalogue. If you’re sizing a rig for a specific well programme, use the horsepower and drive-type notes below before you call; if you already know what you need, the listings speak for themselves.

Listings marked “Listed by [Company]” are offered directly by that company or owner. Oil Rigs Now doesn’t carry its own inventory — every listing is placed under a fee arrangement (flat listing fee or sale commission) agreed with the seller. Questions? Call 832-912-5843.

Buyer Guidance

How to choose the right horsepower for your well programme

Horsepower is the first filter, and it is the one buyers get wrong most often by rounding to a round number instead of matching the drawworks brake horsepower to actual well depth and hookload. As a rough guide: rigs in the 500–1,000 HP range handle shallow-to-moderate vertical and directional wells; 1,000–1,500 HP is the workhorse band for most onshore development programmes; 1,500–2,000 HP covers deeper and extended-reach horizontal wells; above 2,000 HP is reserved for the deepest or most demanding programmes, including high-pressure/high-temperature work. Match the rig’s drawworks rating and mast/substructure capacity to your actual hookload at total depth, not just to the horsepower number on the spec sheet — two rigs badged at the same HP can have materially different hoisting capacity depending on drawworks generation and gearing.

Mechanical, SCR and AC-VFD — what the drive type means for you

Mechanical rigs are the simplest and cheapest to maintain, well suited to shallower, more predictable programmes where uptime on straightforward wells matters more than fine control. SCR (DC electric) rigs offer better torque control and smoother operation than mechanical, and were the standard upgrade path through the 2000s and 2010s — a large share of the used market is still SCR. AC-VFD rigs are the current standard for new-build and premium used equipment: better torque and speed control, smoother top-drive integration, lower maintenance on the drive train, and generally better fuel efficiency. If you’re comparing two rigs at similar HP and price, the drive type is usually the bigger differentiator in day-to-day operating cost than the headline horsepower figure.

What “inspected” and condition grading mean on this page

Every rig listed here has been through an inspection pass before it’s offered — mechanical systems, structural components (mast, substructure, drawworks), and electrical/control systems where applicable. Condition on a used rig is not binary; the real questions are mast and substructure fatigue history, drawworks and gearbox hours, top drive condition where fitted, and whether the rig comes with a current inspection/certification package or needs one before it can go to location. Ask for the inspection report and maintenance history on any rig you’re seriously evaluating — a lower price on a rig needing a substructure recert or a drawworks rebuild can cost more than a higher-priced rig that’s ready to run.

What to check before you buy a used land rig

Beyond the rig itself: confirm mobilisation logistics (rig-up/rig-down crew availability, transport permits for the mast and substructure sections, route survey if the rig is moving cross-state), confirm what’s included (top drive, mud pumps, generators, camp equipment, or sold separately), and confirm title and lien status before wiring funds — used rig transactions move fast in this market and a clean title check is standard due diligence, not an insult to the seller. Oil Rigs Now coordinates the transaction and can walk you through all three.