Hearing protection around the farm

[Doublebit]

Gentlemen,
What do you use to protect your hearing when working with gasoline powered equipment around your place? I'm talking about tractors, chain saws, weed wackers, etc. Muffs cause extreme sweating for me. I had a pair of rubber earplugs connected by a string that were ok but lost them. They would frequently shift and require re-setting. Is there anything better out there?

LT

 

[6518John]

We use the Harbor Freight $3.99 el cheapo’s because it is so easy to tear them up working on equipment—running grinders, getting under equipment with impact tool etc. I like the push-in ear plugs too. We keep a bag of the disposal, soft 3-M’s too.

 

[Jst1mr]

I have always found the soft foam plugs work fine - they do not shift around like the rubber ones when you sweat (and I do - lots!). I only wear muffs when I need double protection when shooting. If you use the foam plugs, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS - I have seen many people just prop them in the ear canal entrance, where they provide basically zero protection. Some people like the plugs that are mounted on a band that goes under your chin, like a doctor's stethoscope, but they are too tight for me.

By the way, congrats for even considering the question. So many people would never consider shooting without ear protection, yet never wear protection for mowing, blowing, chainsawing, tilling etc etc. The world is a different place when your hearing is gone.

 

[kthom]

Ive got a set of ear plugs that are mounted on a slim orange plastic loop that fits around the top of my head or behind my neck, which is where I normally wear them since I wear a hat most of the time. The ear plugs are large enough so that they do not fit inside the ear canal, just in the depression of my ear in that area. Perhaps these do not give as much reduction in sound as some, but they work well for me. I sweat too much to wear a set of muffs for the purpose you describe, these are easy to pop away from my ear, and they will hand around my neck if both sides are popped out of my ears. If you've ever seen a Hitchcock 45 video on U-Tube, mine look just like the ones he wears in his videos while shooting. Can't remember the brand name of them, but I really like them. In fact, I really need to get me another pair. Mine could stand replacement!

 

[Rustyt1953]

Howard Leight:

 

[Golddollar]

By the way, congrats for even considering the question. So many people would never consider shooting without ear protection, yet never wear protection for mowing, blowing, chainsawing, tilling etc etc. The world is a different place when your hearing is gone.

Thank you for spreading the word. I had a dedicated set of muffs that hung on my mower handle. I didn't think that the mower noise was as harmful as gunshots, but why take the chance when the protection was already in the house?

 

[arjay]

I like the rubber ones on a string from Walmart,can't get the foam ones to seat properly in one ear.Too bad I didn't start using them at work years ago! Power tools will kill your hearing eventually

 

[ExRanger714]

++on avoiding deafness related dementia!

I leave a pair on the steering wheel of the mower.

I'm also plugs and muffs on pinned and recessed.

My wife asked why my right ear was so much worse than my left and I stuck my left index finger in my left ear and made like I was shooting a pistol with the other.

 

[fiasconva]

I started using either the rubber or foam a few years ago. Never even thought about it before so I don't know how much hearing damage has already been done. I have bought the Harbor Freight cheapo muffs for the louder tools like the leaf blower and chain saw and they seem to work fine. I can deal with the sweating as long as I wipe them down frequently.

 

[rustythread]

I keep a pair of good muffs on the tractor steering wheel, one on the mower steering wheel , and one on the handle of the chipper-shredder. For chainsawing, I have a Bilsom hard hat with attached face shield and ear muffs. My hearing has been going downhill ever since Army basic training, and I'm hanging on to what's left as hard aas I can. Sweat? Yeah, but that washes off.

 

[kthom]

Howard Leight:

Them's the one's, Rusty. These are a lot more comfortable for me than ear plugs and are easier to remove to talk or otherwise when the noisy device isn't running. Mine have been very durable and have been on duty for a very long time. I've also used them at the range.

 

[chief38]

I carry Howard Leight Maxi Plugs (33dB NR) every where I go!. I have a few pair in my cars, on my Motorcycle, in my jacket pockets (for concerts, weddings, partys, etc.) and keep some in the work shop, shed and garage too. I buy them in the 200 set pack and they last a while.

When at the Range, they are ALWAYS under my Ear Muffs for extra protection. When using air tools, power tools, or anything that makes noise such as lawn tools I wear them. I just wish I had done this 30 years earlier!!!!!

 

[kthom]

chief,
That's for sure the best policy at the range! At the time I used the HL's pictured above at the range, they were a significant improvement over what I had been using at the range for several years previously! These days, after the horse has left the corral, I close the gate as securely as I possibly can, especially at the range! My many years of riding motorcycles did not help. Even with a helmet on, the wind noise was killer on all day rides!! Hated the ear plugs under the helmet cause I could hear anything much. These days, I can't hear anything much anywhere! Too soon old, too late smart!!

 

[cndrdk]

I'm with kthom, "too soon old, too late smart". I now use (and have for quite some time) foam earplugs ANYTIME using lawn mower, chainsaw, string trimmer, etc.
My hearing loss started about 35 years ago when 2 other police officers and I were returning from a stakeout and driving down a lone country highway. A skunk appears in the middle of the road so officer driving turns car sideways in road to my side as I'm sitting in the rear seat. They both holler "shoot him" while they're covering their ears. I roll down the window and fire one shot from inside the car with my 66 2.5". Big flash and smell of burning hair (think I singed my nose hairs) and I haven't heard much since.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

We had half a dozen of the hard earmuffs around the farm. We wore them for shooting and mowing

Ivan

 

[BAM-BAM]

Muffs with a built in AM/FM radio..........

 

[16thVACav]

3M soft foam plugs - 30 NRR

 

[Frank46]

Since my high frequency hearing went south long time ago always wear ear muffs when using chain saw,trimmer or gasoline powered tool and especially my riding lawn mower or diesel Kubota tractor. Too many years around electric fuel oil pumps, gas turbine compressor, and 5"54 guns on my ship. Company supplied ear protection plainly stunk. Used to get yelled at when I started using my shooting ear muffs as the noise reduction ratio was way better than what the company supplied. Frank

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I wear hearing protection for any power tools-even the vacuum cleaner.
I found some flanged ear plugs, they take some effort to install-and to remove. And work fine. Great for removing earwax ! I know about the sweating.

 

[ky wonder]

HUH! WHAT DID YOU SAY?