Mud Cat^® D-Series - Diesel Powered Dredges

All Mud Cat® D-Series diesel dredges utilize high powered horizontal auger cutterheads with the replaceable teeth. The cutterhead is set at the desired depth and moves from one side of the dredging zone to the other creating an even bottom profile for the entire distance up to 1,000 ft. (305m). The operator is always aware of the depth since the cab has a standard digital depth gauge. As the dredge progresses with its parallel and precise cuts across the dredging zone the bottom can be regulated using the depth gauge. At the end of the project the bottom should be flat and even. This is an extremely important feature of an auger dredge as it ensures the bottom is not uneven or has larger craters in some places and hills of material in others. This is why an auger dredge is superior to a hanging pump dredge which can only cut holes and move around using 4-deck mounted winches in an unorganized pattern. The operator has a hard time tracking the cuts even if there is a GPS system installed because there is no methodology to material removal.

All Mud Cat D-Series models come standard with the a heavy-duty Mud Cat horizontal auger cutterhead for hydraulically dredging sand, mud, tailings, and other underwater sediments. The material is cut and mixed with water to create a pumpable slurry by the cutterhead and then sent to the discharge area via a closed pipeline. The Mud Cat cutterhead is a horizontal cutterhead that uses heavy duty carbide steel replaceable trencher teeth to rip through the material and convey it to the pump inlet. Since the pump on all Mud Cat models are ladder mounted directly behind the cutterhead, the material is pumped at up to 5%+ higher solids than basket / conical type cutterheads. Additionally, the Mud Cat cutterhead has a full-length low turbidity shroud which in addition to lowering turbidity in the dredging zone acts as a vacuum to help convey higher solids than open cutterheads.

Mud Cat dredges are designed to work in a variety of applications including agriculture, industrial, mining, power generation, water & wastewater, and waterways & lakes.

In addition to hydraulically dredging sediments, Mud Cat D-Series dredges do something no other dredge in the world can do and that is it cuts vegetation into pumpable pieces that are discharged up to several thousand feet away via closed pipeline. Mud Cat’s optional patented WeedMaster® cutterhead technology converts the dredge into a hydraulic weed harvester that can continuously cut and pump vegetation to shore without having to stop to switch hoppers or go to shore to empty a payload which then must be handled by an excavator. This significantly reduces operating costs by eliminating an additional workboat, additional diesel engine, and additional labor that conveyor type harvesters or amphibious dredges require. Mud Cat D-Series dredges with the patented WeedMaster® can cut and pump vegetation continuously allowing for higher production rates in challenging environments. The WeedMaster® can cut and pump cattails, reeds, hyacinths, hydrilla, milfoil, water lilies, sargassum, and large mixed vegetation mats. No other dredge in the world has this capability.

Mud Cat is known globally as the benchmark for one truck transportable cable driven dredges. As the inventor and leading innovator of auger dredge technology to this day, Mud Cat has sold more auger dredges than any other manufacturer in the world over the past 50+ years. Mud Cat D-Series models are expected to last 25-35+ years and that is why customers continually come back to Mud Cat for their next dredge. No other auger dredge on the market has value added options like the patented WeedMaster or an affordable radio remote control system for use in hazardous environments where having a man on the dredge is not possible. Each project has different requirements and Mud Cat D-Series models can be outfitted with more cost effective and value-added features than the competition. In terms of pricing, Mud Cat is more affordable and provides more versatility with its value-added technologies. Additionally, Mud Cat dredges hold their resale value worldwide. When people search for auger dredges online, they think “Mud Cat” first, so you know there will always be market demand for your used Mud Cat when you are ready to sell it or upgrade to a larger dredge. It is difficult to find a good used Mud Cat online as contractors and municipalities want to keep them and rebuild them since Mud Cat’s Parts and Service Department is so reputable.

All Mud Cat D-Series models are one-truck transportable when fully assembled which means they are launched with a single crane. There are two lifting points on port and two lifting points on starboard which allow an appropriately sized crane with a 4-point spreader to launch and retrieve the dredge safely to and from the water.

Some clients will opt for Mud Cat’s Transport – Launch – Retrieve (TLR) Trailer™ which can transport the dredge to the site, launch the dredge from a boat ramp or safely graded shoreline, and retrieve the dredge to go to the next job. The Mud Cat TLR Trailer™ has keel guides, a remote-controlled winch, deck roller wheels which recess for transport, and a hydraulic tilt design for easy launching. The TLR Trailer™ is ideal for contractors and municipalities that wish to frequently move the dredge from site to site to reduce transport and launching expenses over time.

All Mud Cat D-Series models are engineered to be the most versatile, productive, and deepest digging in their respective class.

All Mud Cat D-Series dredge models have an optional radio remote control that is effective up to 1,000 ft. (305m) from the dredge. For under $12,000 you can add on a the Mud Cat Radio Sense™ remote control and work in environments that are unsafe to have a human operator onboard like ponds with high levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. The Radio Sense remote control has a digital depth gauge and can remotely monitor dredge flow and density if those optional features are added to the dredge. The Radio Sense remote control offers another level of versatility that other dredge suppliers cannot match.

It is common to run across cans, bottles, plastics, and other debris in rivers, lakes, and canals around the world when dredging. This is why all Mud Cat D-Series models include the patented Pump Defender®. The Pump Defender® is an advanced version of a cutterhead debris screen that is designed to allow uninterrupted flow of material to the slurry pump while the cutterhead cleans it after every revolution. The cutterhead Mud Cat D-Series models rotate at 1 revolution per second, so every second the Pump Defender® is cleaned to ensure maximum flow and minimize downtime. The Pump Defender® is proven around the world in debris rich environments where other hydraulic dredges would clog up and fail. Before the Pump Defender® a dredge would stop every hour for cutterhead clean-outs and after it would be maybe once or twice a week if that. This is a significant technological breakthrough in the dredging industry because to clear a cutter requires the dredge to slow the pump down and clear the line, so material does not settle and clog the discharge pipeline. Then the operator must get in a work boat to free material from the now shut down dredge. Once the material is removed after several minutes to a half hour, the dredge must be started up again. This loss of time and inefficiency can make a dredge program a complete failure. Rest assured when you invest in a Mud Cat D-Series you get the Pump Defender® as standard equipment to reduce downtime by up to 90%.

The Mud Cat 225D, 275D, and 275D-SP come standard with Mud Cat’s Anti-Corrosion package which provides longer service life in salt, brackish, and freshwater applications. The Anti-Corrosion package is optional on the Mud Cat 115D. The superstructure and hull are sandblasted in accordance with SSPC-SP-10 and painted with two coats of marine epoxy suitable for saltwater service. The hull is equipped with 4 zinc anodes for cathodic protection. All hydraulic fittings, with the exception of the high-pressure hydraulic line fittings are constructed of stainless steel. All hardware including nuts, bolts and washers 1/2” (12.7mm) and below, were applicable for strength reasons are constructed of stainless steel. All non-stainless-steel fittings and hardware are given a coat of epoxy coating after final assembly to give some corrosion protection. Mud Cat does not compromise when it comes to the service life of your dredge.