Been running my cutterhead too fast on the Willamette for years

An old timer named Frank from Portland told me to watch the slurry color, not just the engine RPM. I was pushing 22 rpm thinking more speed meant more cut, but the spoil was mostly water. Slowed it to 18 and the load thickened up right away. Anyone else get stuck on a simple thing like that for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

laura4861mo ago

Yeah, Frank's right about watching the slurry. It's not just about the engine speed, it's about what's actually coming up.

tarahall1mo ago

Used to swear by the tachometer alone, thought slurry watching was for guys who overthink it. Then last spring I had a pump running perfect revs but the return looked like dirty water, no solids at all. Kept going and ended up washing out the whole pit wall before I felt the engine finally lug. Now I split my focus, check the mix coming up every few minutes just to be sure.

jake_wells121mo agoMost Upvoted

Disagree on that one honestly. Engine speed tells you everything if you know your pump and the pit depth. Watched the slurry too much last season and choked the pump twice because the mix looked thin but the revs were already dropping.