The Real Cost of Cheap Cutting Edges
A cutting edge is a vital component of any heavy machinery operation, used for digging and levelling a wide range of abrasive materials, including soil, gravel, sand, granite, and rock.
A high quality Ground Engaging Tool is especially important in Australia due the harsh nature of the climate and environment, which serves to exacerbates any quality issues. This means that cheap cutting edges break down and erode more quickly than higher quality, readily available alternatives.
As cutting edges and bucket teeth are a vital component of any heavy machinery operation, the quality of ingredients and manufacturing have a significant impact on productivity, safety, and overall performance. While there are many brands available on the market, not all of them are created equal.
Unfortunately not all edges are made up of high quality steel, or designed to withstand heavy use. As a result of this, cutting edges made from lower quality materials wear out quickly, distort, wear unevenly and even break altogether. In order to avoid these issues, investing in the right cutting edges is paramount.
GET Competitor Edges vs WPA®’s Products
The main factors that contribute to the difference in durability between cutting edges are the ingredients used to make the actual edge, as well as the type of heat treatment used. This is to be expected as when buying “cheaper” edges, the cost savings must come from somewhere.
These “cheaper” cutting edges are made from a lower quality steel, made with less than favourable (cheaper) ingredients and put through a cost cutting heat treatment process called “induction hardening.” We think of induction hardening like baking a cake in a toaster, instead of an oven…the end result may look okay after it’s painted, but the reality is in the middle.
To compare quality, a “cheaper” cutting edge from a well known GET supplier was used and compared with WPA®’s products.
The supplied “cheaper” cutting edges were used on a front-end loader for a construction project, in semi-abrasive conditions. These cutting edges wore out in a matter of weeks, providing less than 150 hours of usage.
Comparatively, a similar machine in similar semi-abrasive conditions was fitted with WPA®'s specially formulated 1XP® edges. Whilst this is not a direct comparison, the results of the 1XP® edges serve as a clear indication of the power of superior quality products.
The below image shows how the edge started and finished. The even wear shown throughout the blade allows maximum usage and reduces the amount of change outs.
The unique 1XP® material used in WPA® edges contains higher quality Boron and Manganese, among other key ingredients, producing a higher quality alloy, combined with a more intense “through hardening” heat treatment to create a tougher cutting edge. Using a very specific formula, WPA® has designed the steel to harden, this treatment is more commonly referred to as “work hardening.” This increases the hardness of the edge as it’s used in operating conditions.
The superior results of the cutting edges from WPA® demonstrate the importance of choosing the right product for the job. As cutting edges are an essential component of heavy equipment, it's important to invest in quality parts that are designed to withstand heavy use and exposure to abrasive conditions. WPA® is able to provide countless examples of the types of tools that can outperform expectations when made from high quality ingredients and designed with durability in mind.
With longer lasting Ground Engaging Tools, you will reduce the number of part changes in a year, your edges will be more effective and will help to keep your projects on time and within budget.
WPA® - Designed for Australian Conditions.