Ear protection while using small engines.

[hotspur]

Looking for a pair of good ear muffs for general use in the workshop and while using small engine machines in garden.

Any suggestions? Also ear muff/face protection/hat all in one unit.I have seen the face protection/ear muff ones,not sure if they make ones with hat as well.

Thanks for any pointers.

[Big Shed]

I use this with my chainsaw and brushcutter

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HUSQVARNA-Functional-Forest-Helmet-Essential-product-for-the-CHAINSAW-user-/121338391332?hash=item1c4054eb24

[RoyG]

Looking for a pair of good ear muffs for general use in the workshop and while using small engine machines in garden.

Any suggestions? Also ear muff/face protection/hat all in one unit.I have seen the face protection/ear muff ones,not sure if they make ones with hat as well.

Thanks for any pointers.
361254
Is this the sort of thing you're after ? It would be a lot cooler than wearing one of those plastic hard hats that have the ear protectors built in. Our local council outdoors workers use them when they're doing stuff that doesn't require hard hat protection.

https://www.cancercouncilshop.org.au/browse.asp?ContainerID=mens-hats-ultimate-outdoor-workers-cool-hat1

Regards,

RoyG

[BobL]

I have a several bits of kit including the Stihl hardhat/muff visor common and a Triton hardhard/muff/shield with air pump for use with dusty timber, but my standard wear consists of

Armadillo full face shield
and
Peltor H10B behind the head muffs

The behind the neck band of the Muffs clips nicely over the back of the Armadillo head band and they hold each other onto my head when you bend over etc.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=348876&stc=1


The face shield in this picture is not an Armadillo but a similar one from Mitre 10.
The adjustment knob on the headband behind the head is in the same place as the Armadillo

The Peltor H10 series are amongst the most effective around so they are very good for chainsaw work. Some might say even too effective so they can even be disorienting so depending on what you are doing you can probably get away with something less and lighter.

[hotspur]

Thanks everyone for helpful pointers.

[hotspur]

just ordered one of the cancer council hats,that allows ear muffs to be worn.Thanks

[HUON]

Have you seen these advertised in " Aust Wood Review", Reptiler Eye Muffs? (www.eyemuffs.com (http://www.eyemuffs.com) )

[BobL]

Have you seen these advertised in " Aust Wood Review", Reptiler Eye Muffs? (www.eyemuffs.com (http://www.eyemuffs.com) )

Theres a fair bit of emphasis on colours but obviously they never asked anyone about eye and ear protection priority

In my shed I use
- eye protection without ear protection about ~80% of the time (lathes, drill press, sanders),
- eye protection and ear protection about ~20% of the time (angle grinder, grinder, table saw, chainsaw)
- ear protection without eye protection <1% of the time (in fact I can't think of the last time I did this)

using a fixed combo means you can't swap between HD and LD ear and eye protection.

I rarely use eye glasses and prefer a full face shield anyway.

BTW, never buy ear muff from anyone that does not publish a full frequency SPL absorption response.

[HUON]

Fair comment,Bob, now we know what suits you . I'm just putting out another option, take it or leave it.

[hotspur]

Thanks all,I have one of the hats now that was mentioned that can allow use of ear muffs. What is a reasonable brand/price for some ear muffs,need to get another reasonable set.

[soundman]

A hell of a lot of people neglect ear protection when using small engines and other light machinery.

I am over 50 and at least part of my living, I depend on my hearing ...... my hearing has deteriorated very little since I was 20 ..... BECAUSE I wear ear protection when it is appropriate and always have.

Seems that a large portion of society consider significant hearing loss as part of ageing ...... it does not have to be so for the vast majority.

Very mild reduction in hearing IS inevitable, but by far the majority of so called age related hearing loss is due to injury.

As fas as ear muffs are concrened, I believe there is one good choice and that is Peltor ..... they make a good range and they are in general far more comfortable that every other brand I have every tried.

The important thing is to have muffs suitable for the job at hand ..... I own about 6 pairs of muffs, in 4 different styles.

By far the most frequently used are a light pair with fairly low attenuation ...... I wear those in situations where the need, many would be considered marginal ....... the reason they get worn so much is that they are well tolerated ....... they are light comfortable and I can still hear whatever else is going on around me and have a normal conversation with them on...I have worn these 8 to 10 hours a day day after day .... and they don't bother me.

The heavier muffs I use when the noise levels are higher ....... I have a pair of H10s....possibly the highest attenuation muff on the market....... I will only wear them in high noise situations, because they are heavy, intrusive and realy effect awareness of what is going on arround ..... I have worn these 8 to 10 hours a day, but the whole experence is not pleasant.

all but one pair of my muffs have behind the head bands and I frequently wear them with hats and various face shields.

Buy appropriate good quality hearing protection, because it will do the job and you will wear it because it is comfortable.

cheers

[BobL]

As Soundman says hearing loss with age is inevitable but good ear protection will makes a difference to the extent of the losses.

When I was 40 I had my hearing tested and I was found to be "legally deaf".
May hearing was below average for my age across all frequencies and well below average for some specific frequencies, which the audiologist immediately attributed to exposure to loud music.
This is consistent with what I used to do - i.e. sit in front of the speakers at rock concerts.

Since then I gave up on the rock concerts and in noisy environments such as workshops etc use I have been wearing the best possible hearing protection - this included for very loud noises (e.g. chainsaws), ear plugs as well as ear muffs.
When I had my hearing tested recently I was found to be average for my age except for the same specific frequency losses where I am still below average.
Unfortunately these frequencies are those that make it difficult to sometimes understand what people are saying.

[Bob38S]

+++ for the Peltor earmuffs.

I use the behind the head type which allows me to also wear a broad brimmed hat. Have 3 pairs, 2 in the shed and 1 for the ride on mower, whipper snipper, blower,hedger.

Approx $50 but also has spares available, eg cushions and foam inserts. If earmuffs are not to your liking the consider ear plugs, no, not the flimsy foam disposable type but those available from Earmold. These are actually moulded to your own ears and are individual as well as unique - used by a lot of shooters etc.

[cava]

Perhaps overkill, but I use earplugs and Peltor H10B ear muffs at the same time. It really does make a difference over just one or the other!

[HUON]

Yes , Bob, I've got a pair of those ear moulded plugs ( they're actually colour coded, port and starboard). I didn't believe them at first when they said you could hold a conversation with someone while most of the machinery noise was blocked out, I do now. You need to keep your ears clean before you push them in.