The shift I saw in cutter head wear after switching to harder steel in Galveston

For the last 5 years I ran the same cutter heads on our barge here in Galveston and got about 6 months of decent cut before replacement. Then last spring I swapped to a harder alloy from a supplier out of Houston and the difference showed up in just 3 months. The teeth held their edge way longer in the same sandy mud we always dig, and I had to replace them half as often. Has anyone else noticed a big change like this from switching metal grades?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix_lane9917d ago

Switched to carbide teeth last year and it was night and day.

jessica_ross3813d ago

Took me THREE tries to get my carbide set seated on my 029, so I'm right there with you Karen. My filing technique is basically "pray and hope for the best" now.

karen_west5917d ago

That second set I put in my old Stihl 029 was a real pain to get seated right. I mean, the carbide teeth on that saw made such a difference cutting through mixed hardwood and the occasional nail I hit. @felix_lane99 is right, it really is night and day compared to standard chains. Idk about anyone else but I had to adjust my filing technique a little since they're tougher to sharpen by hand.