10
Question about a stuck cutterhead on the Columbia River
We were working a gravel bar near Astoria last Tuesday when the whole thing just locked up. The suction pressure spiked, the engine groaned, and then nothing. Turned out we'd hit a submerged log pile the sonar missed. We had to reverse the pump, clear the intake with a grapple hook from the deck, and then spend an hour checking every bearing. Has anyone else had a cutterhead jam that bad from wood debris?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
christopher6720d ago
Running a camera down first just adds another step that slows you down. Most of the time you can feel a jam coming through the controls before it locks solid. It's better to rely on the machine feel and keep moving.
3
dylan_anderson20d ago
Man, that's rough. We keep a set of those heavy-duty log tongs on the deck just for that. Ever try running a camera down the ladder frame before you start a new cut?
1