Hearing Protection

[foggy1111]

I wish the hearing aid industry wasn't such a rip-off. There is no reason a pair of hearing aids should cost $6,000. To me the biggest expense should be the custom fit housing, and it shouldn't be that high. After all I can get a gold crown from my not cheap dentist for a grand. As for the electronics, there shouldn't be anything magic about that too, especially when one can buy a smart-phone for under $500 that does far more than hearing aids do.

Boy! do I ever agree with what you're saying here mjncad. I too think the hearing aid biz is a big rip off....and I sure got snookered when I bought mine. I really HATE hearing aids and don't wear mine enough. When I bought 'em....I owned a biz...and a big part of that biz was my communication (sales) at trade shows. The biz was doing very well....but I had some real problems with communicating with all the background noise at big trade shows (SHOT show) and such. So.....I went to buy the best......and feel I got snookered.

From what I have read....you can now buy very good hearing aids at places like Costco for a lot less money. Of course things improve every year....and it seems prices are coming down.....but new and innovative products (such as I bought at the time) always cost allot. I am due for some new aids (one is shot) and keep putting it off......as I don't want to be snookered again.....and aids don't do much for my tinnitus other than "mask" the ringing (boiling teapot) sound. My tinnitus was a big factor in selling my biz a few years before I had planned to.

WEAR YOUR HEARING PROTECTION !!!

 

[larryccf]

Boy! do I ever agree with what you're saying here mjncad. I too think the hearing aid biz is a big rip off....and I sure got snookered when I bought mine. I really HATE hearing aids and don't wear mine enough. When I bought 'em....I owned a biz...and a big part of that biz was my communication (sales) at trade shows. The biz was doing very well....but I had some real problems with communicating with all the background noise at big trade shows (SHOT show) and such. So.....I went to buy the best......and feel I got snookered.......

WEAR YOUR HEARING PROTECTION !!!

that makes two of us that exhibits at SHOT - and agree on the rip off opinion on hearing aids - that's what kept me from buying em

 

[Maine_Polack]

Just a note on how I started wearing ear protection. Never wore anything till I retired. Started tinkering with metal fabrication etc. Purchased cheeep Chineeseeeee grinders. Those grinders more than screamed They really grabbed my attention. They were so loud that after using, even for a short time, my hearing felt "different". So I soon started using muffs, or plugs for all loud stuff, and continue to do so.

 

[RollingsFarms]

For a few years now, I've been wearing noise reduction headphones. My first pair was the first generation Peltor Worktunes. Funny, they didn't work nearly as well after passing through the under side of a bush hog So, next was a set of the digital tuned Peltors. MUCH better! And then a vendor I buy from gave me a pair of the Husquvarna digital tuned headphones. They seem to FIT better, which in turn provides a better seal to my size 2 big head. End result? Quieter. I swap back and forth from time to time as they'll get uncomfortable after a few days of continuous wearing.

I've already suffered a significant loss of hearing from (a) loud stereos, (b) exposure to weapons fire while in the military, and (c) 6 decades of being around loud tractors. I'm hoping to "cut my losses" so to speak. But....No need to wear a hearing aid just yet. Lack of good hearing has added YEARS to my marriage!

that's the funniest thing i've heard in awhile!! thanks, Mr. Bill, i needed that!

 

[Q-Saw]

I used to work with a sign language interpreter, and she said that exposure to excessive sound levels takes about 20 years to show up as hearing loss. So, in other words, the tinnitus and hearing loss I'm experiencing now is (primarily) a result of the many (loud) live music concerts I went to in my late teens and early 20's. She also told me that any time your ears are ringing from exposure to noise (loud concert, gunfire, etc.), you have most likely caused permanent hearing damage.

That's why hearing loss is so insidious: you don't notice the effect for about twenty years, and by then it's too late.

I think the next generation may have a worse problem with the proliferation of I-Pods and those cars that shake from the booming music as they go down the street.

My wife and I have about 6 of the Peltor Work Tunes units and love them. We keep them by the door at the house as well as at the cabin, and I usually have a pair in my truck. I just got a pair of the digital ones because they have a jack for an MP3 player - I'm very happy with them.

We always use these when on the tractor or when using any power equipment. My wife even uses hers when gardening - no distractions, and she enjoys the music.

As stated before, the foam plugs are some of the best in terms of sound level attenuation. But, in my experience, most people do not install them properly, and that reduces their effectiveness considerably. I also never cared to roll them in my grimy fingers and then shove them in my ear.

For ear plugs, I prefer the AirSoft plugs from Howard Leight with a cord and a snap-shut plastic case. They are made of silicone, so they are comfortable and they clean up well with a bit of dish soap. With the cord, I can hang them around my neck when not in use. My guess is that they will last just short of forever. I bought a box of 50, and put several in each of my tool boxes (chainsaw box, circular saw, grinder, router, etc.). I do the same thing with safety glasses.

I bought some pretty fancy hearing protectors from Peltor that had communications radios built in. I thought they would be great to use while running my sawmill so I could communicate more effectively with my helpers. Ultimately, however, I thought they didn't work very well at all; and at about $500 for each set I was very disappointed. Needless to say, they went back to the vendor. If anyone has tried these units with better results, I'd be interested in hearing about (no pun intended) how you like them and what application you use them for. The good folks at Peltor told me I must have gotten some "bad" units, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of trying out more of them. I figured the technology just hadn't matured enough yet.

I'm sorry for the long post, but this is obviously a subject that I feel strongly about.

- Marty

 

[smfcpacfp]

I use ear muffs in my Kubota cab and when doing loud things (mowing, chain saw) I wear ear plugs and muffs. I only wish these were available and required when I ran an air hammer and flat track raced motorcycles as a young man (now 62).

I always wear ear protection now to protect what I have left.

 

[Etch]

I use the foam ear plugs when I'm on the tractor for extended periods of time like when I'm shredding. I have a Mahindra 3525, which is a 3 cylinder and they tend to be louder than the 4 cylinder models.

Definitely helps cut down on the cringing when I hit rocks..lol

 

[mjncad]

Does anyone have any experience with this product? Home (SensGard)

I sure like the trim design compared to traditional muffs.

 

[alchemysa]

Does anyone have any experience with this product? Home (SensGard)

I sure like the trim design compared to traditional muffs.

I've got a similar pair, from the hardware store for $6 or $9. (I cant remember exactly). I like them a lot. They are my favorites for sure. I'll get a couple more pairs. They seem to give as good protection as the less heavy duty full earmuffs. They are very comfortable. I often forget I'm wearing them. They don't interfere with glasses either.

Funny enough Ive got them around my neck right now. I forgot I had them on when I was drilling an hour ago.)

 

[willfick]

I've got a similar pair, from the hardware store for $6 or $9. (I cant remember exactly). I like them a lot. They are my favorites for sure. I'll get a couple more pairs. They seem to give as good protection as the less heavy duty full earmuffs. They are very comfortable. I often forget I'm wearing them. They don't interfere with glasses either.

Funny enough Ive got them around my neck right now. I forgot I had them on when I was drilling an hour ago.)

We have some that look like that here at the paper mill; some people really like them. I'm satisfied with "the baffle kind that are attached with a string." We have the rubber ones; I hadn't heard about a silicone model. They must do ok protection-wise; our safety guys are pretty fierce about PPE and I do as well on the annual hearing check as I did twenty years ago.
I wear them at home when I'm running any of the two-cycle stuff or the old diesel backhoe. The Honda push mower whispers and the Farmall H purrs.
Wm