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Question about switching from cable to hydraulic dredge controls

I started running dredges back in 2004 on the Mississippi near Baton Rouge, and everything was cable-operated back then. Last month I took a temporary gig on a newer hydraulic rig and the difference in response time was night and day. Has anyone else made that switch and found it harder to feel the bottom compared to cables?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew_park1mo ago

I ran cables on a 12-inch Ellicott from 2006 to 2012 down on the Gulf near Mobile, so I know exactly what you mean. Switching over to hydraulics was a real shock at first, especially with that lag in the response from the levers. You lose that direct feel through the cables, and it took me a good three months to get comfortable reading the cutter head again. It does get better with time, but I still miss the old cable setup sometimes for that immediate feedback.

mark_thomas1mo ago

Respectfully, I think the cable lag was part of the art, not a flaw.

dakota_nelson431mo ago

Man, you nailed it with that three month adjustment period. I had the same exact experience when I made the switch, felt like I was learning the job all over again from scratch. There's just something about feeling every vibration through those cables that hydraulics can't quite match.