Rant: Everyone says to use a cutterhead with carbide tips for clay, but I went with steel.

I run a small operation near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, clearing out a drainage canal that's been choked with this nasty red clay for years. Every old-timer I talked to swore I'd be a fool to use anything but carbide on this stuff. Said it'd save me money in the long run, that steel would wear down in a week. Well, I'd already bought a set of steel teeth for my 12-inch Ellicott, and I figured I'd give 'em a shot before dropping over a grand on carbide. Four months in now and I've only replaced two teeth. The clay's not as hard as they acted, and steel's way cheaper to sharpen myself with a grinder in the shop. Plus, the cut's been consistent, no chattering like I heard carbide can do in sticky mud. Anyone else ever buck the trend on cutterhead teeth and have it work out?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_wren1mo agoMost Upvoted

Steel's like that old work truck that just keeps going, sharpening it yourself keeps the cost down and you already know how it handles. People get tunnel vision on carbide but sometimes the cheap route's the smart one if you don't mind a little elbow grease.

matthew7031mo ago

Didn't someone on the sharpening subreddit mention that old Sheffield steel actually gets sharper than the new high end stuff? @the_wren nailed it, cheap and familiar is way better than overthinking it.