Got called out for my 'gentle touch' with the cutter head last month
We were working a sandbar job on the Missouri, pulling up mostly soft material. My old foreman, Hank, watched my screen for about ten minutes and then just said, 'You're treating that thing like it's made of glass. It's a rock eater, not a kitten.' I realized I was babying the controls, worried about shaking the whole rig. He made me switch seats and showed me how to really lean into the swing, letting the teeth bite and the pump do its job. The next load came up twice as fast and the pump pressure stayed steady. I've been running it with a lot more confidence since then, and we're clearing sections in half the time. Anyone else have a boss or coworker give you a simple tip that totally flipped your approach?