Overheard a crew boss in Mobile say 'a clean ladder is a happy ladder' and it got me thinking about maintenance schedules.

He was talking about his cutter suction dredge, saying he has his crew do a full wash-down and inspection of the ladder every single shift change. My old captain on the Great Lakes would only do a full teardown check every 100 hours. The Mobile guy argued the saltwater and constant use meant you couldn't wait that long without risking a big failure. So which is it? Are we wasting time cleaning too much, or is the 'little and often' approach the only way to avoid a 3-day downtime for a bearing swap? What's your shop's rule?

3 comments

3 Comments

smith.anna23d ago

Better to waste an hour washing than lose three days fixing a seized pin.

rowan65824d ago

My old man ran a bucket dredge out of Tampa for thirty years. He swore by the 250-hour service interval on the ladder gearbox, never had a major failure. That Mobile boss is washing away profit along with the salt. Every hour your crew spends hosing down a ladder is an hour they aren't cutting paydirt. Modern greases and seals are built for the punishment. You're just creating extra work and wearing out the paint with all that scrubbing.

the_thea24d ago

Your dad's right about the grease, but hosing isn't just about the gearbox. It's about the whole ladder frame. Salt packs into every crevice and weld, especially around the bucket pins and bushings. That crud locks up joints and hides cracks you need to see during inspection. A quick rinse lets you spot a problem before it becomes a breakdown.