Had to choose between a new cutterhead and a full rebuild on my old ladder dredge

My dredge, the 'River Queen', was down for a week last month with a worn out cutterhead. The quote for a brand new one was over $15,000. An old hand at the yard said I could rebuild the old one with new teeth and weld up the worn sections for about a third of that cost. I went with the rebuild, thinking I was saving a bundle. Two days back on a job in Mobile Bay, and the vibration was so bad I thought the whole ladder would shake loose. The balance was off, and we lost half a day's production. I bit the bullet and ordered the new unit. The difference in smooth operation and cut speed was night and day. It paid for itself in saved downtime in under a month. Has anyone else been burned by a rebuild that seemed like a good idea at the time?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elliot16d ago

That "paid for itself in saved downtime" line really hits home. Sometimes the cheap fix costs more when you add up all the lost work and stress. A rebuild can be a gamble if the whole part is just tired out. You gotta figure out if you're putting a bandage on something that's just worn out for good.

william86416d ago

Ever try fixing a phone screen just to crack the whole case next week?

violaramirez16d ago

My old truck had a water pump that kept weeping. Replaced the gasket twice before the whole housing cracked from being overtightened. Ended up costing way more in parts and weekend time than if I'd just swapped the whole unit the first time.