Each harrow suction boat uses its mud tank capacity to indicate the size. The smallest harrow suction boat can be constructed at a water depth of about 3m. The maximum harrow suction boat can dig deeper than 30m. The ship can dredge, sail and throw mud on the sea where the wind and waves are considerable.

Trailing suction hopper dredger has single harrow or pair harrow, which are arranged in the ship or on both sides respectively. trailing suction hopper dredger is maneuverable and flexible, with high efficiency and strong resistance to wind and waves. It is suitable for operation in coastal ports, wide rivers and ship anchorages. In windy and unprotected coastal and estuary areas, self-propelled trailing suction dredgers are suitable . It is suitable for loose and low-clay soil operations.

The disadvantage of the trailing suction dredger is that it can not dig when the bottom is hard. The dredged sand with a lot of water is transported to the dumping area together, which affects the output. The trailing suction boat is used in both infrastructure dredging and maintenance dredging. It can be used, but it cannot be constructed in narrow waters.