About Hydroverge

Over a Decade of Innovation

Seeking Solutions

In 2009, Jeff Backlund received a call from a local city official: an operator almost lost the use of his hand due to extensive soft tissue and nerve damage from exercising hydrants manually.

As an independent sales rep in the hydraulic tool industry, Jeff knew the current tools on the market were heavy, loud, or cumbersome—sometimes, all three.

So he designed the solution himself.

Hydrant Buddy

Soon, he patented the Hydrant Buddy: a cordless, lightweight tool to exercise hydrants and valve gates safely and efficiently. The Hydrant Buddy has now been sold all over the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, South Korea, and Iceland.

Designing the Kerf Cutter

A new customer approached Jeff to find a solution for fixing broken valve boxes.

Typically, the process includes digging the ground all the way to the first fitting of the valve box top. This customer wanted a new way to solve this ongoing problem.

So, Jeff got to work, and designed a tool to cut the pipe from the inside, pull the broken top out, and just replace the top portion. With digging eliminated from the process, valve replacements went from several hours to several minutes.

Looking Ahead…

With the Hydrant Buddy and Kerf Cutter patented, Jeff continues to innovate. Next up, he’s designing a cordless version of Kerf Cutter that will work with both Milwaukee and DeWalt systems. He’s also creating a mini Kerf Cutter for repairing curb stops, and an innovative style of breaker bar.

Year after year, we strive to improve all of our products, making them lighter, stronger, and more durable.

We look forward to providing powerful innovative solutions to your water department or municipality!