Why does nobody talk about how fast dredge cutter teeth wear down in sandy bottoms?

I was out on a job near Mobile Bay last Tuesday and noticed my production dropping off hard. Figured it was a pump issue or something, but nope. When I pulled the cutter head up, the teeth were basically smooth nubs after only 40 hours. I mean, I know sand is abrasive, but I didn't expect them to go that quick. Has anyone else run into this with certain material types, or do you just plan on swapping them more often than the manual says?

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charles_coleman3h ago

Yeah I know exactly what you mean. I had the same thing happen down near Biloxi a few months back, sand just chewed through a set of teeth in no time flat. You pull that cutter head up and see nubs where you had sharp teeth and it's like, what's the point of even following the manual? It's not like those wear charts account for real world conditions like heavy sand. I've just started treating teeth like a consumable you stock up on before every job, way cheaper than burning out a pump or wasting a day messing with it.