Switched from a 6-inch to an 8-inch cutterhead on the old dredge

I was convinced the smaller head was better for the tight spots in the river bend near Sedona. After chewing through three sets of teeth in a month and barely moving 50 cubic yards a day, the boss made me try the bigger one. We're now clearing over 80 yards daily and the wear is way less. Anyone else had a similar experience with cutterhead size?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_brian1mo ago

That "tight spots" logic is how you end up buying teeth by the pallet.

linda_murphy1mo ago

Imagine the shipping cost on a whole pallet of teeth.

nathan1931mo ago

That "tight spots" logic is the exact trap I fell into years ago. You figure a smaller head will be more nimble and get in there. But what happens is it has to work WAY harder to move the same material, which just grinds everything down faster. The bigger head might seem like overkill, but it gets a full bite and moves material efficiently. That efficiency saves the teeth and the machine in the long run. It's a tough lesson to learn when you're staring at a pile of worn out teeth.