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Had to pick between a used dredge pump and a new cutterhead... I think I messed up
Been running a small 8-inch dredge on the Missouri River near St. Joseph for about 2 seasons now. My old pump started losing prime and I had like $4,000 saved up, so I had to choose between grabbing a used Thomas 8x10 pump off Facebook or getting a new Esco cutterhead. I went with the new cutterhead because the teeth were worn down bad on mine, but now my pump is coughing and spitting and I can't get a full production shift in. Anyone run into this kind of trade-off before, or did I just make a rookie mistake?
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blair_chen812d ago
Man, I feel that "my pump is coughing and spitting" line in my bones. I've been there where you think you're making the smart call by fixing what's visibly worn out, and then the hidden problem bites you twice as hard. That decision between a used pump and new cutterhead is brutal because both can ruin your day if they fail. Sometimes Facebook marketplace gear is a gamble but a running pump at 80% is better than a fancy cutterhead on a dead machine. You didn't mess up on purpose, it's just one of those calls that only looks obvious in the rearview mirror.
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Ha! Sounds like we both learned the hard way that new teeth don't help a dead horse.
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zara_sanchez2d ago
Isn't it funny how we all do that? We patch up the obvious thing and ignore the ticking time bomb hiding underneath. I see it everywhere, not just with pumps and cutterheads. @abby_martinez your dead horse example nails it. People fix the leaky faucet but their whole plumbing is rusted out. Or they buy new tires when the engine is shot. We're so focused on the shiny fix that we miss the real problem completely. It takes getting bit twice before you learn to check the whole machine.
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