Mowing 1920 is SO LOUD…why?

[Danica]

Compared to my Tc40da my 1920 which has roughly the same engine (I think both are Shibs) the 1920 sounds like a Boeing 747. I mean even with ear plugs and headphones my ears were ringing for three days after brush hogging 4 acres. I’ve replaced the muffler to no avail.

Clearly the exhaust on the NH is ported down towards the ground and as shown the
Ford’s muffler is just a few feet from the operator.

This thing is going to drive me into early deafness.

Any suggestions?

 

[5030]

Flip it and point it down. My M9 open station has the optional down exhaust and it's really quiet. The other has a vertical stack and it's noiser.

 

[nyone]

It could be that the muffler is due to be replaced. The packing in them dont last for ever.

 

[Danica]

It could be that the muffler is due to be replaced. The packing in them dont last for ever.

Brand new. That was the first thing I thought besides the gasket between exhaust and muffler which is also new…

 

[JC-jetro]

Why don't ya put an elbow on the end facing away from you and the cab. That will reduce db at where the operator sits. That's easiest thing to try. Alternately, you can also make a home made muffler. Take same dia pipe same as exhaust pipe about 8" long, drill bunch of holes in it. Put a another larger dia pipe over it and fill the annular space with rock wool or some high temp insulation. That would act like a silencer , It's all about sound attenuation

 

[Danica]

Why don't ya put an elbow on the end facing away from you and the cab. That will reduce db at where the operator sits. That's easiest thing to try. alternately, you can also make an home made muffler. Take same dia pipe same as exhaust pipe about 8" long, drill bunch of holes in it. Put a another larger dia pipe over it and fill the annular space with rock wool or some high temp insulation. That would act like a silencer , It's all about sound attenuation

That actually makes sense and is essentially what NH did with the TC series. I will investigate. Thanks.

 

[5030]

Like I said a while back, a down pipe really makes a huge difference in noise, much like a turbo charger does.

 

[oldestgoat]

I found the same thing to be true between the 1620 and the tc33da. Anyone ever put an exhaust from a newer shibaura onto one of the older ones? I like the clean hood line without anything sticking up. The exhaust manifold and muffler seem to be one unit on the TC. I think they both share the n843 engine as well. Definitely wear earmuffs while mowing.

 

[Btown]

My Ford 1700 was much louder than my 1920. My 1920 still has the original exhaust.

 

[dieselscout80]

The TC mufflers are much larger (internal volume) than what is shown in the picture of the 1920 in question.

 

[JC-jetro]

Best Practice is to always using ear plugs on (expandable foam inserts.) anytime on the tractor. My Kubota is really very quiet in comparison to Ford 1700 but still I use ear plugs. I have used ear plugs even using shop vac or impact driver for many years and my audio test shows the good result.

 

[dieselscout80]

The TC mufflers are much larger than what is shown in the picture of the 1920 in question.

Plus the other factor is that the muffler is under the hood.

 

[oldestgoat]

If you could find a breaker that would sell you the parts from a TC30 at a reasonable cost. Looks to be the same layout as the 1520,1620,1720 tractors. Not sure about the 1920. I think that is a larger beast. Could tuck the exhaust under the hood. Looks like the main thing they moved is the air cleaner.

 

[Danica]

Best Practice is to always using ear plugs on (expandable foam inserts.) anytime on the tractor. My Kubota is really very quiet in comparison to Ford 1700 but still I use ear plugs. I have used ear plugs even using shop vac or impact driver for many years and my audio test shows the good result.

I use the foam one AND a $300 pair of head phone type protectors and ears still ring for three days after mowing for a few hours at 2500rpm.

 

[Danica]

If you could find a breaker that would sell you the parts from a TC30 at a reasonable cost. Looks to be the same layout as the 1520,1620,1720 tractors. Not sure about the 1920. I think that is a larger beast. Could tuck the exhaust under the hood. Looks like the main thing they moved is the air cleaner.

From ur pics it’s looks like a long shot but I may just call a dealer and see if they have any ideas. Clearly, porting it down like on the TCs has advantages including thee off chance disaster when the muffler cap accidentally gets stuck in the up position and it rains. Never happened but did have an ice storm lock it shut once and was very befuddled re why it wouldn’t start until I checked it. Whole tractor was encased in 1/8” ice. Always something…

 

[JC-jetro]

I use the foam one AND a $300 pair of head phone type protectors and ears still ring for three days after mowing for a few hours at 2500rpm.

Combined extendible foam ear plug insert along with ear muff should provide around 40 NRR (Noise Reduction Rating). it should work effectively as I can stand next to a huge 12 cylinder industrial engine generator very comfortably while at full load and screaming. Did you get a db rating about 3 to 6 feet away from the exhaust ? very curious to see what that number might be. OSHA's permissible exposure level is 90 dBa over 8 hr day.

 

[Danica]

Combined extendible foam ear plug insert along with ear muff should provide around 40 NRR (Noise Reduction Rating). it should work effectively as I can stand next to a huge 12 cylinder industrial engine generator very comfortably while at full load and screaming. Did you get a db rating about 3 to 6 feet away from the exhaust ? very curious to see what that number might be. OSHA's permissible exposure level is 90 dBa over 8 hr day.

Hmm, while we have a zillion tools, I don’t have anything to measure Db. I wonder it there’s an app for that

 

[jmc]

My former 1920 came with an exhaust extension above the muffler, maybe 10" long. Its tip curved to shoot the exhaust almost horizontally instead of straight up and it was rotated to shoot it forward. I might have a leftover extension around here from when I replaced the muffler.

That exhaust stack was a pain when mowing around all the trees so I asked the dealer to mount it horizontally. After he waded into it, he said he couldn't make it work. Might have interfered with the loader or something else.

I never thought much about the noise until I replaced it with a Kubota. It wasn't as loud inside the barn.

 

[jmc]

My former 1920 came with an exhaust extension above the muffler, maybe 10" long. Its tip curved to shoot the exhaust almost horizontally instead of straight up and it was rotated to shoot it forward. I might have a leftover extension around here from when I replaced the muffler.

That exhaust stack was a pain when mowing around all the trees so I asked the dealer to mount it horizontally. After he waded into it, he said he couldn't make it work. Might have interfered with the loader or something else.

I never thought much about the noise until I replaced it with a Kubota. It wasn't as loud inside the barn.

Here's the extension I mentioned, on someone else's tractor:

 

[JC-jetro]

Hmm, while we have a zillion tools, I don’t have anything to measure Db. I wonder it there’s an app for that

I don't use an app as I have a sound decibel meter that I use at work from time to time. There are certainly "sound level" or "sound meter" apps both for android and iphone. Just go to the app store and download a free one. It is not as accurate as dedicated unit but it is " good enough for government work",