Old timer on the dredge told me to stop babying the controls - still wonder if he was right

I was running a cutterhead on the Mississippi near Baton Rouge about 6 months ago, new to the job. This guy with 30 years on the river walks up, watches me for a minute, and says "you're gonna wear out those joysticks before you move any dirt." He showed me his way - just slam it in and hold, let the machine work. But my trainer said slow and steady to avoid plugging the line. I've tried both and get mixed results. Who do you trust, the old steady hand or the gentler approach?

3 comments

3 Comments

maxl934d ago

Wait hold on, has anyone checked what the equipment manual actually says? I mean, sometimes the old-timers forget that newer machines have different limits than the ones they ran in the 80s.

patricia324d ago

You've gotten yourself caught between two different schools of thought and that's a tough spot to be in. I've been around long enough to see both ways work and fail, depending on the conditions. The old timer's method might be fine on a consistent bottom with good material, but the Mississippi can change on you fast. Your trainer's approach is probably safer for learning and keeps you from having to dig out a plugged line at 2 in the morning. Neither one is wrong, they're just right for different situations. Give yourself time to figure out when each approach fits best.

aaron8804d ago

Man that's exactly the kind of thing that kept me up at night when I first started! I ran into the same problem on the Missouri River a few years back, ended up splitting the difference. I'd slam it in hard on the initial cut to get good bite and then back off a hair once the load settled in. That way I got the aggressive digging the old timer wanted but still kept an eye on the vacuum gauges to avoid plugging up. The Mississippi bottom can be tricky so maybe try that middle ground and see how it treats you.