Old timer told me to stop running the pump at full throttle all the time...

Back on the Mississippi near Baton Rouge last summer, a retired guy with 30 years on the river told me I was burning through fuel and wearing out my impeller by keeping the throttle pinned. I ignored him for about 3 weeks because I figured more power meant more material moved. Then I actually tried dropping it down to 75% for a shift, and I moved almost the same yardage but used 40 gallons less diesel. He was spot on. Has anyone else found better results by backing off the throttle on certain jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_carr4d ago

Man I was the exact same way. Always thought full send was the only way to get the job done right. @the_charles put it perfectly, treat it gentle and it'll treat you gentle right back.

alice24211d ago

My uncle ran a gravel pit like that for years, always said the engine lasts twice as long if you don't push it past 70%.

the_charles11d ago

My old neighbor had a similar rule with his wood splitter. He'd run it at three quarter throttle all day and that thing just kept going year after year. Meanwhile my buddy who bought the exact same model would redline his every chance he got and had to rebuild the carburetor twice in one season. There's something to be said for not squeezing every last drop of power out of a machine. Treat it gentle and it'll treat you gentle right back.