I finally realized I was running my dredge pump way too fast for 2 years straight

An old timer named Pete at the marina in Galveston watched me struggle for 5 minutes, then just said 'you're cavitating the hell out of that thing, slow it down to 1400 rpm'. Has anyone else found they get way more production with way less throttle?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley_martin2mo ago

Read a study from the mining journal last month that said most operators push their slurry pumps 20-30% over their optimal rpm, costing them both fuel and wear. The numbers were pretty wild, like thousands of dollars a year in extra maintenance. That Pete sounds like he knew his stuff, slow and steady really does win the race with these pumps. What kind of material were you dredging that let you get away with that speed for so long?

terry_carter152mo ago

Man I had a buddy who tried the fast rpm route on his dredge and ended up replacing the impeller twice in one season. So yeah slow and steady is definitely the way to go with that stuff.

keith_rodriguez2mo ago

@terry_carter15 I bet your buddy's wallet is still recovering from those impeller swaps, that's a rough way to learn the lesson. Funny how we all think screaming rpm equals more dirt moving, when really it just makes the pump eat itself alive and burn through fuel for nothing. I ran my old 6-inch wide open for two seasons before a guy half my age showed me the pump curve chart and I felt like the world's biggest idiot.