Found out my cutterhead teeth were the wrong size for 6 months

Was doing a routine changeout on the cutterhead last week and my supplier in Baton Rouge asked what size I was running. Told him 4 inch and he just shook his head, said this model takes 3.5 inch. All that extra wear on the bearings and reduced production rate, and I never even checked the manual. Been running this job since March. Anyone else realize they were running mismatched parts way longer than they should have?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisa6711mo ago

Oh man, I did something similar once where I ran the wrong belt size on a conveyor for four months, just assumed the old worn ones were the right ones. It wasn't until the whole thing started smoking that I actually cracked the manual and realized my mistake. Ever find yourself just trusting the old parts without double checking?

mitchell.wade1mo ago

Running the wrong size for half a year (and probably cursing the machine for being slow) is a special kind of oops. At least you didn't have to hire a pyromancer to fix it like the belt guy.

evaperez1mo ago

lisa671 yeah I feel that about just trusting old parts without double checking. I did the same thing a while back with a hydraulic pump setup on a feed mill, ran the wrong pressure relief valve for like 8 months because the old one was stuck and I just swapped in whatever was on the shelf. What finally worked for me was I started making a habit of snapping a picture of the part number and cross referencing it on the supplier's website before I even take the old one off. Saves having to run back to the shop or make a phone call later. I just keep a little folder on my phone now with all the common part numbers and models for my equipment.