There's no single answer to which falcon product is right for your operation. I've handled procurement for energy and mineral equipment for over eight years, and I've made enough mistakes to fill a small warehouse. If you're trying to choose between a falcon 50EX or a falcon lair setup — or just trying to figure out what a falcon has to do with drilling equipment in the first place — this guide is for you.
Let me say upfront: my experience is based on roughly 200 mid-range equipment orders, mostly for mining conveyors and drilling rig components. If you're working with ultra-budget or heavy-custom segments, your experience might differ significantly.
Why This Question Has No One-Size-Fits-All Answer
Most buyers ask "which one is better?" and expect a simple ranking. The honest answer is that each option exists for a reason, and the right choice depends on your priorities. I've seen companies waste serious money because they ordered what their competitor ordered, without checking whether it actually fit their setup.
Here are the three scenarios I see most often:
- Scenario A: You need a standardized, repeatable equipment setup.
- Scenario B: You need flexibility and customization over everything else.
- Scenario C: You're actually not sure yet — you just need to understand the differences before committing.
The mistake everyone makes is jumping into a purchase before identifying which scenario they're in. I know because that was me in 2017.
Scenario A: When Standardization Wins
If your operation runs the same types of jobs week after week, you don't need bleeding-edge flexibility. You need predictable performance. In the falcon product family, the falcon 50EX tends to fit this role well. It's designed as a workhorse unit, and it's the one that kept showing up in my order histories when repeatability mattered more than anything.
One key thing I learned the hard way: check the compatibles list before you order. In Q1 2024, I had to approve a $2,800 write-off because we ordered a batch of components without verifying they matched the current spec revision. The label on the box said EX-compatible. The actual mounting bracket said otherwise. I should have caught it, but I was in a rush, and the mistake cost us a week of production time.
If you're in this scenario, here's what I'd suggest:
- Identify your most common spec and stick with it for at least a year
- Document which falcon variants your current system actually supports
- Verify revision numbers with the manufacturer (don't trust third-party labels)
- Keep a simple internal checklist before processing any order
Scenario B: When You Need to Adapt
If your site changes specifications frequently, a fixed setup is going to fight you. This is where falcon lair becomes relevant. In the years I've spent around energy equipment, the falcon lair concept keeps appearing as a modular or adaptable configuration — something that lets you swap components rather than replacing whole assemblies.
Now let me be clear: I'm not saying it's a perfect solution. Custom setups have hidden costs. Add-ons, fitment testing, and rework can add 20-35% to the initial quote if you don't plan carefully. I've seen it happen, and it happened to me in 2019 when we tried to build a hybrid solution for a client that didn't have clear specifications. We approved the order, the parts came in, and a third of them didn't fit. (Ugh. That's a memory that still makes me cringe.)
Key advice for this scenario:
- Demand a full fitment review before you pay a deposit
- Ask the supplier to document what they've actually done in the field, not just what they claim is possible
- Budget for at least one trial fit if you're combining components from different product lines
- Get a compatibility statement in writing
I've caught 47 potential errors using this approach in the past 18 months — most of them small, a few of them expensive. The pre-check list works because it forces you to slow down.
Scenario C: When You're Still Figuring It Out
This is the most dangerous position, and it's where I see the most wasted budget. You're not sure whether you need a fixed configuration or a flexible one. Maybe someone mentioned "robert" or "drift" in an internal conversation and you don't want to admit you're not sure what it means. I get it. I've been there.
Let me clear up the most common confusion first: a falcon is not a hawk. The difference between a hawk and a falcon matters because it affects behavior, speed, and wing shape — and if you're ever comparing them, you're usually talking about birds, not industrial equipment. Falcons have long, pointed wings and are built for high-speed dives. Hawks have broader wings and rely more on soaring. If someone in your supply chain is asking about the difference between a hawk and a falcon, they're probably not talking about the equipment line at all. (Thanks, keyword research, for making that clear.)
If you're in this stage, don't panic. Here's what I'd actually do:
- Run one pilot order with the most standard falcon product that matches your basic requirements
- Track the total cost of ownership: unit price, setup, fitment, maintenance, and any downtime
- Resist the urge to customize anything until you've proven the baseline works
- Ask your supplier about the differences between the product lines and request a simple comparison sheet
Avoid skipping the baseline step. Like most beginners, I once customized a configuration to match a competitor's impressive-looking spec sheet. It added cost and complexity, and we ended up reverting to the standard version anyway. (That was the second mistake I made, in 2017. I promised myself it would be the last one like it. It wasn't, but at least the reasoning got better.)
How to Know Which Scenario You're In
If you're reading all of this and still feeling unsure, here's a quick decision guide I use with our own team:
- Do you order the same falcon item more than five times a year? You're likely in Scenario A. Standardize and move on.
- Do you frequently adjust specs between orders, often with less than a month's notice? You're in Scenario B. Focus on modular configurations and protect yourself with documentation.
- Are you ordering for a new site or a new application that you haven't run before? You're in Scenario C. Start with the most basic viable product and validate from there.
That's the whole trick, honestly. Just figuring out which position you're in will save you more money than any discount you can negotiate.
The Bottom Line
I can't tell you which falcon option to buy. But I can tell you that the buyers who succeed are the ones who know what problem they're solving before they talk to a salesperson. Whether you're deciding between a falcon 50EX and a falcon lair setup, or just trying to understand the difference between a hawk and a falcon, the first step is always the same: map your own requirements, write them down, and check them against the equipment spec before you commit.
That's the process that's gotten me through the last eight years. It's not flashy, and it doesn't make for an exciting story. But it has saved me from repeating my most expensive mistakes — and that's a pretty good foundation for any procurement decision.
Prices and availability should be verified with current suppliers; my data is based on 2017-2025 orders and public pricing as of January 2025.