Auger Dredges & Dredging Equipment Manufacturer

Mud Cat invented the auger dredge in 1971 and remains the category leader, with diesel and electric units deployed in over 60 countries. What sets Mud Cat apart is purpose-built engineering rather than off-the-shelf assembly: the patented Pump Defender screen for debris-rich water, the patented WeedMaster cutterhead that turns the dredge into a hydraulic weed harvester, heavy 10-gauge steel hulls that are never foam-filled, and industry-leading automation. Every dredge is backed by ISO 9001:2015 manufacturing, in-stock parts, factory training, and a sales team with decades of dredging experience.

Mud Cat offers three ways to acquire a dredge. Buying outright suits owners with ongoing or long-term dredging needs; renting (short-term, long-term, or seasonal) is ideal for one-off or periodic projects and puts a dredge to work quickly; and lease-purchase is a rent-to-own path in which qualifying on-time rental time counts toward ownership, making it a practical try-before-you-buy option. Rental and lease-purchase programs are available throughout the United States and Canada.

An auger dredge uses an enclosed Archimedean-screw cutterhead that slurries material and feeds it to the pump, producing far lower turbidity and a flat, even bottom profile than the open-basket head of a cutter suction dredge, along with more consistent solids. It is also one-truck transportable, so mobilization is fast. Compared with a long-reach excavator, hydraulic auger dredging works with the water in place, conveys material a long way through a closed pipeline, and avoids the mess and rehandling of mechanical digging.

Production depends on the model, the material being moved, the slurry solids, and the pumping distance, so throughput is matched to each project. Mud Cat builds everything from compact units for small ponds to high-production systems for large industrial and mining work. Share your dredging-area dimensions and material type and Mud Cat will size a dredge to your target production rate.

Standard digging depth varies by model, and Mud Cat offers deep-digging configurations for projects with greater reach requirements. Provide your current and target depths and Mud Cat will specify the right dredge configuration.

Pumping distance and elevation depend on the pump, the material, and the slurry density. Every Mud Cat dredge is sized so its onboard pump meets your discharge distance and lift, and where longer runs are required, Mud Cat booster pumps extend the pipeline to reach distant dewatering or disposal areas. Pumping distance is one of the key inputs used to size your system.

Yes. Mud Cat has shipped dredges to customers in over 60 countries and routinely supports international projects. Units are one-truck transportable or containerizable for global shipping, and Mud Cat provides commissioning, operator training, and ongoing support through its factory and a worldwide distributor network.

Lead time depends on the model and configuration, with custom builds taking longer than standard units. Because Mud Cat keeps many components and parts in stock and ships dredges fully assembled and one-truck transportable, delivery and start-up are streamlined. Contact Mud Cat with your timeline and a realistic delivery schedule can be confirmed.