I finally ran a cutterhead comparison on two different sand types

Ran a little test last week comparing my standard draghead with a newer vortex style one. In fine sand the vortex pulled about 15% more material per hour but in coarse sand it clogged up twice as fast. The standard head just chugged along in both conditions without any issues. I'm sticking with the old design for mixed ground since downtime kills production way more than peak rates. Anyone else seen big differences with different head designs on varying bottom conditions?

2 comments

2 Comments

mary61420h ago

Honestly, is this really that serious of a difference though? I mean 15% more in fine sand sounds decent but if it clogs up that fast in coarse stuff then you're basically trading one problem for another. Ngl most jobs I've seen have a mix of bottom types so you're probably better off with the standard head anyway unless you're doing a whole project in nothing but fine sand. Tbh people get way too caught up in peak numbers when actual production time is what pays the bills. I'd rather have something reliable that just works than a fancy head that needs babysitting every hour.

the_rose6h ago

Had a buddy lose a whole shift on the Mississippi with a vortex head in mixed gravel.

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