Can we talk about the new cutterhead upgrade everyone's raving about

I work the Missouri River near Kansas City and installed that new tungsten carbide cutterhead 3 months ago, but I've already had to re-tip two sections because rocks chipped it worse than my old steel one. Anyone else finding these fancy tips don't hold up like the hype?

3 comments

3 Comments

derek_ramirez1mo ago

Raise your hand if you actually checked the carbide grade before you bought it. I see a lot of guys grabbing whatever the supply house pushes without looking at the specs. The standard tungsten stuff they sell for general dredging is way too brittle for river rock with any quartz in it. You need a cobalt bond if you're hitting hard stone, otherwise you're just wasting money on fancy marketing. I had the same problem until I switched to a different mix and now it holds up fine.

harper_wright1mo ago

Yeah I read somewhere that cobalt bond handles quartz way better too!

emery87928d ago

Right?! Derek nailed it - the bond mix is everything. Most guys don't even check the grade before they buy.