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 | zedosix
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 23 Ontario, Canada 
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2003-03-09 50828
Just wanted to take a quick poll on who wears ear protection on their tractors. When running the rear p.t.o. with a snowblower I can barely stand the noise. Is this to be expected when using the MMM? I haven't taken delivery of the B7800 yet and still have the opportunity to upgrade models. Are they all this loud?
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada 
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2003-03-09 50831
I try to wear the old shooting muffs whenever I am sitting on top of a running engine. I have lost enough hearing from flying airplanes and shooting guns, so I want to protect what is left.
It must work because if I am on the tractor for 4-5 hours without the muffs I come in really tired. With the muffs I am not so beat-up. Those decibel ratings are logarithmic and even a small increase in numbers will accelerate your hearing loss.... which by the way is cumulative and permanent.
I'll bet Tom G. can educate us on where the numbers begin to cause damage. I know many tractors run in the 90 dB range. ....
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| zedosix
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 23 Ontario, Canada
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2003-03-09 50836
I know what you mean Mark. I thought my jd 14hp lawn tractor was loud. But I can't get over how loud the 7800 is. I am just reading up on the 3130 series again and have read in their brochure about how quiet they are. I am going to have a test drive tomorrow morning on the 3130 . Hope it is quieter! ....
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| OSHA INfo
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2003-03-09 50837
Here is what OSHA says about noise www.osha.org. If you want to know what the noise level is on your tractor you can buy a meter from Radio Shack for about $35. Another way is if you have to yell to a person standing next to you for him to hear you while the tractor is running, you are at the 85dba or higher level. A good rule is to wear hearing protection when operating high noise level equipment. The loss of hearing is over a long time, but it does add up!
The hearing conservation program requires employers to monitor noise exposure levels in a manner that will accurately identify employees who are exposed to noise at or above 85 decibels (dB) averaged over 8 working hours, or an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA.) That is, employers must monitor all employees whose noise exposure is equivalent to or greater than a noise exposure received in 8 hours where the noise level is constantly 85 dB.
Hearing protectors must be available to all workers exposed to 8-hour TWA noise levels of 85 dB or above. This requirement will ensure that employees have access to protectors before they experience a loss in hearing. Hearing protectors must be worn by (1) employees for any period exceeding 6 months from the time they are first exposed to 8-hour TWA noise levels of 85 dB or above until they receive their baseline audiograms in situations where baseline audiograms are delayed because it is inconvenient for mobile test vans to visit the workplace more than once a year; (2) employees who have incurred standard threshold shifts since these workers have demonstrated that they are susceptible to noise; and (3) employees exposed over the permissible exposure limit of 90 dB over an 8-hour TWA.
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| NYYANKEESFAN
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 9 North West New Jersey- Warren County
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2003-03-09 50838
OOPS the web site is at www.osha.gov ....
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| JerryGoucher
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 100 NW AR
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2003-03-09 50839
I may be deaf but I don't think that I am. I can hear pretty well. I don't wear anything on my ears when I'm using my tractor. The reason is that I don't think it is loud. I never have any ringing in my ears or any kind of sound change when I get off the tractor at all. I have a MF 1250. ....
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| BillBass
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 190 North Texas
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2003-03-10 50860
I wear ear plugs whether I am riding my Craftsman lawn tractor or my JD 950. Or using my chain saw for that matter. ....
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2003-03-10 50863
Everyone is different as to the noise levels of tractors. Comparing just ten years ago they are all quiet today. We do outfit a few tractors with stereo headphones which gives you the best of both worlds. Many say they can actually here machines malfunctioning better as the gross noise is cut from the ear muffs. The Kubotas are quiet compared to some of the others but it does vary by size. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-03-10 50865
Some overly long stuff I wrote (typical for me I guess) is in a thead titled 'diesel noise-levels.' I measured the sound with a 10-band spectrum analyized from the seat under the canopy of my Ford 1710. The db's ranged from 85 to 97.5 at pto rpm and under no load. Plenty of level to cause hearing damage to many people--given several hour exposures. Actually, a person's natural protection against loud-noises starts declining after about 20 minutes exposure to sustained high-levels.
Jerry, the ear ringing thing isn't a bad measure, but when you get it, it's a sign that damage has been done. Any damage is permanent and cumulative, although surgical implant techniques can be a partial solution. A better measure is if everything sounds much quieter than it should when you get off the tractor. That happens before the ear ringing starts.
Your ears have muscles that clamp down on middle ear bones in response to loud sounds and limit the energy reaching the inner ear, which is why a tractor may not sound very loud initially. In response to sustained loud noise, these muscles stop releasing and then everything sounds quieter when there are no loud sounds. People in typical rock bars almost shout at each other between sets but not necessarily because they're having a good time. It's because their hearing is still clamped down. Eventually, these muscles fatigue and stop providing protection. That's when people start getting the ringing. Mine has been continuous for about 15 years--a result of the music buz. I used custom plugs for about the last 10 of those years.
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 | Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2003-03-10 50866
I think it does depend on the tractor. My 750 was far louder than my 955. I am not sure there is a direct age correlation as I would think my old MF 65 is quieter than the rest. ....
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| dcsmith01
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 25 ohio
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2003-03-10 50868
I used to use protection on my old machine(L175) while brush hogging. I no longer need to with my B7500. I do not know why other than it is quieter. ....
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| drgavin
Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 19 Minnesota/Western Wisc.
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2003-03-10 50880
Got a new 3010 and i wear ear protection if i'm working more than 1/2 hr at a time.keep 'em right on the support bar. ....
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| JackHerr
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 46 SE PA
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2003-03-10 50900
Yes, I use ear protection every time I mow. Mowing becomes more relaxing with ear protection. Besides, I can hear my cell phone ring when I'm protected! ....
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| zedosix
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 23 Ontario, Canada
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2003-03-10 50904
This morning I had a chance to test drive an L3130. Not at all noisy like the B7800. I thought the motors were identical? ....
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| zedosix
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 23 Ontario, Canada
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2003-03-10 50912
I stand corrected. The B7800 is a 4 cylinder. The 3130 is a 3 cylinder. ....
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| rbarker
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 6 Massachusetts
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2003-03-10 50926
Haven't picked up my new Kubota yet but I wear hearing protection when mowing with my Wheel Horse and bagger. I expect I will probably do the same with the BX2200. ....
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 | BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 649 Central West Virginia 
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2003-03-11 50945
I had a set of custom earplugs made by an audiologist. They are easier to insert than the foam plugs and offer similar noise reduction. Muffs are probably the most convenient, but they were bothersome when shooting my target rifle, and safety glasses prevent a proper seal. Now I use the custom plugs always when using a chainsaw, chop saw and angle grinder in the shop, and even the shop vac. After thinking about it, I'm going to start wearing them on the tractor. I remember when I first started wearing plugs when riding a motorcycle, it made the trips a lot more pleasant.
Bill ....
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| DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-03-11 50948
I have been putting off getting custom ear plugs made for years. Sure makes a lot of sense to have some, especially for the shooting perspective. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-03-11 50960
Bill & Mark: The custom plugs I have are a mineral-fiber type. I have a 15db cut version and there were 20db cut versions available. I think the cheap foam types as well as the muffs have greater db cuts and actually provide greater protection than many custom types.
The thing about the custom types I have is that the db cut is very linear across audio frequencies whereas cheap foam types sop up the higher frequencies and change how things sound. I needed the linear cuts for my live sound engineering work but cheap plugs probably protect better. Frequencies around 2.5K do a lot of the hearing damage and the foam plugs attenuate those ranges more than my custom plugs. Basically, it's really good to have a lot of attenuation around 2.5K unless you really need to hear those frequencies as I did. I still use my custom rather than chainsaw muffs on the tractor because I can't stand the muddy sound that foam plugs give.
Anyway, I wouldn't assume that a custom plug provides better protection just because it costs more. By the same token, all custom plugs very likely aren't like my mineral fiber type. Modern hearing aids have response curves that are fitted to an individual's hearing so I imagine that custom plugs can be made that can have custom attenuation curves. An audiologist would know about such things.
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| ChesapekeBoy
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 9 Ft Atkinson, IA
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2003-03-11 50973
I wear my muffs whenever I am mowing... I don't when I am moving snow, though... I am not on the tractor as long and I have a stocking cap on.... ....
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| Patrick C
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2003-03-21 51583
Never run a mower or tractor without ear protection. Most of us old farmers can't hear out of our left ear from sitting on a tractor and looking back.
Also another lesson that I learned the hard way. Wear eye protection because a small stick kicked out of a mower deck bounced off a tree can put numerous stiches in across your face. Also it will reduce your allergies. ....
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| Morgan
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 126 Albany, NY
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2003-03-21 51588
What? What did you say? ....
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| Morgan
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 126 Albany, NY
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2003-03-21 51589
As far as the poll goes, I never wear ear protection on the Kubota or when I use a chain saw. The only thing that gets me is the wood chipper, but even then I don't wear protection. Eye protection, yes, but not ear.
The only time I need ear protection is when Neil Young comes on the radio, or Michael Bolton or Whitney Houston. YECH! Then, I need the best ear plugs possible. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-03-22 51597
The trouble with hearing damage is that you don't know you're being gotten till you've been got.
The results when you've been got are: Not saying much when out with friends in crowded restaurants 'cause you're catching about every forth word. If somebody says something to you, you end up cocking your head towards them and looking sort of like a chicken on a bug. I did most of the damage to my hearing in the music buz and I did use protection during the last part of it. Basically, you don't know it's happening till it done unless you get tested regularly.
There is a macho attitude that sometimes prevails and to the eventual detriment of the holder. I was doing sound for a rock band's reunion party. They weren't exactly young rockers either. So, the singer is strutting his stuff during sound check and in response to something said replies 'Far as I'm concerned anybody who says it's too loud is just too old to be here.' That sort of attitude eventually leaves quite a few of us either looking like big bird a lot or turning ourselves into strong silent types.
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