Got into it with a guy about bucket teeth on the Columbia River job

Last week on the Columbia River near Astoria, this operator named Carl swore by running his cutterhead with worn down teeth, said it gave him a smoother slurry flow. I mean, I've always been told to swap them out as soon as they lose 2 inches, otherwise you're just burning extra fuel for less material. It got pretty heated over coffee break. What's your crew's rule on tooth replacement timing?

3 comments

3 Comments

hunt.hayden26d ago

That "smoother slurry flow" thing Carl said is interesting, but has he checked his pump wear lately? Worn teeth make bigger, uneven chunks that can really beat up your pump lining. You might save on teeth but end up with a huge pump repair bill way sooner.

derek_ross26d ago

Yeah my buddy ran his crusher teeth way too long trying to save money. Ended up with these jagged rocks that chewed through his pump lining in like half the normal time. Cost him almost triple what new teeth would've been.

kevin_williams26d agoTop Commenter

Hold on now... what if the pump lining is already due for a change anyway? Sometimes you can time it so the worn teeth get you that last bit of life before a full shutdown. Derek's buddy had bad luck, but maybe his pump was already on its last legs.