Abstract: A push rod rotator and push rod boring rig uses a reciprocating carriage to push a drill string of push rods into the ground and pull the drill string back out usually with an expander and pipe or utility lines. A push rod rotator is connected to a swivel supported on the non-rotating carriage. The rotator is a two-part assembly, one part is a non-rotating conduit, having two or more helical slots and the other part has a pin which follows the slots for inducing relative rotation. Slips grip the push rods and are reversible to enable push and pull operations. Preferably the slips trail the carriage and the rotator leads the swivel. The rotator is adapted to a boring rig having a frame, and hydraulic cylinders for reciprocating the carriage relative to the rig. The double-acting cylinders are mounted in pairs with the powerful extension stroke oriented to pull back the drill string and push rods and the weaker retraction stroke to push rods.