Turns out the odd shudder in my ladder pump wasn't ghosts
We were pulling sediment in a river bend when the whole dredge started shaking like a washing machine off balance. I spent two shifts checking every bolt and joint I could reach, with no luck. Finally, I shut it down and waded out to feel the ladder by hand. Found a chunk of concrete wedged between the cutter head and the pump housing, probably from some old construction dump. Pulled it free with a crowbar, and the shudder stopped immediately. Lesson learned: sometimes the problem is just a rock in the wrong place. What's your go-to method for checking for hidden debris before it causes a shake-up?