Hearing protection

[gsganzer]

I posted earlier about the custom molded Sensaphonics ear plugs. When I'm not wearing those, I use "No-Touch" corded earplugs.

3M No-touch ear plugs

They're a little pricier than some of the other foam earplugs, but what I like about them is you don't have to roll and compress. This is a big benefit for both hygiene and when your fingers are dirty.

 

[Grjfer]

I used 3M worktunes for years and was very pleased with them. They have AM/FM radio and Bluetooth so you can listen to media from your phone. The only shortcoming was that they had no microphone so you couldn't answer the phone and talk even if you heard the ringtone while using bluetooth, and, the bluetooth implementation for even hearing the ringtone was imprecise, sometimes you would hear it, sometimes not. This may be fixed in newer or different models, I don't know.

A couple of months ago I was mowing one of the pastures and a tree branch whipped the worktunes off my head and tossed them right under the brushhog...no more worktunes. I couldn't afford to replace them, but I kept an eye out for something cheaper. A month ago, I finally found a replacement for half the cost of the worktunes, "Rifleman - Bluetooth Communication Hearing Protection - Electronic Ear Muffs Bluetooth Technology Compatible - NRR 25 - Hearing Amplification and Protection -Black - RFCMBBX" at Amazon.com : Rifleman Bluetooth Communicator Electronic Ear Muffs, NRR 25 Hearing Amplification and Protection, Headset with Microphone, Perfect for Hunting, Shooting Ranges, & Gaming, Black : Sports & Outdoors

These things are actually superior to the worktunes in one way. The Bluetooth implementation is better in that it handles both calling and media well, and, it has a microphone. The noise cancelling isn't great, but if the phone rings I kill the tractor anyway, so no big deal. They do not have a radio tuner, but I seldom listen to music anyway, and if i do want to, my phone can feed programming to the headset better than a tuner could.

The Amazon link says they are "currently unavailable" and there is no price showing, but I think they were about $40. Don't know why they are unavailable, but they way things are these days other vendors might have them or selling the same product under a different name, I didn't research it.

Got a pair of these from Amazon a couple of weeks ago. Really liking them. Being able to hear and answer phone calls is awesome.

 

[rScotty]

A lot of people lose hearing and surprisingly little is known about preventing hearing loss.
If you have tinnitus, you have it. There are folk remedys but no medical cure.
The same story goes for hearing loss. You don't notice it until a certain point, and it doesn't return.

Bottom line: Any type of ear plug or headset or ear muffs are better than none. The less noise you hear, the longer your ears will last. The jury is still out on whether "noise canceling" is also "damage reducing".
There is no cure for tinnitus or for progressive deafness. It's common not to notice the damage until later in life

BTW, my family has always had sharp hearing even when old. Because I ignored the facts, I now have tinnitus and hearing loss. I'm the guy who says, "huh?"....because some sounds are just not there for me - so I hear OK but cannot follow some conversations. Not because of loudness but because of pitch. High sounds just aren't there. Hearing aids help. But they are not anything at all like natural hearing.

rScotty

 

[orangetree]

The jury is still out on whether "noise canceling" is also "damage reducing".

Yeah, these devices work by playing back the "same" sound, out of phase. Problem is it's not exactly the same, and it's not completely understood if & how that matters.

• a perfect inverted wave will certainly cancel -it just adds-, but these inverted (from the noise cancelling circuitry) is simply not a perfect reproduction
• nor is it a "point source", meaning the "canceling" will have some different effects depending on where in space it's measured (eg, different to different spots in tissues & surfaces inside your ear)

Both could, in theory, be resulting in significant acoustic energy in some places and/or circumstances.

I'd strongly recommend taking the "cautionary approach" here - not worth it ...

 

[RoyJackson]

I suggest you get real sound attenuators and forget about the noise cancelling or music.
The pair I got are very, similar to these:

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Earmuffs-Chartreuse-X4A/dp/B00CPCHADQ/ref=sr_1_36_sspa?crid=27WSOENU52UXP&keywords=sound+attenuation+ear+muffs&qid=1661379000&sprefix=sound+att%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-36-spons&psc=1

Pretty close to what we wore on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier during flight ops
I use 'em when I'm mowing or shooting

 

[Rockbadchild]

i have worked with a guy that was deaf, he ask his doctor why since he always wears ear plugs, the doctor said was your nose, eyes and mouth plugged as well ?? obviously the answer is no, there you go it’s all connected. Obviously hear plugs or hear muff help but you still can get deaf while wearing them. I just thought it was a interesting story…

I have wear my beats hear phones on my tractor before they canceled the noise pretty well but i haven’t done it too often, i fell like it gets noisy and annoying after a while … just regular earmuff for me..

 

[Herness]

Curious to try Sensaphonics ear plugs. Already few people mentioned those.
Maybe it is a little to late for me as i have already hearing aids staten island but would definitely order some for my family as i don't want to have the same troubles like i do. Better to be safe , right?

 

[lman]

I picked these up at Rural King.

Bluetooth Headset - 66049

Product Features: Bluetooth Wireless Technology Stereo AM/FM Headphone Radio Digital display screen Padded and adjustable headband MP3-ready line-in jack, with 3.5mm input cable Excellent seal

www.ruralking.com

 

[scootr]

If you don't like wearing noise cancelling devices you darn sure won't like wearing hearing aids. lol
I have a set of bose BT and noise cancellation. They work great. The Terex tractor is super loud.
I BT music from my phone while mowing. You can answer calls or not. The Kubota tractor is not nearly as loud.

 

[GeneV]

WHAT'S THIS HERE THREAD ABOUT?!! WAIT, WHAT?!! YOU GOTTA SPEAK UP SON, I CAN'T HEAR YA...TRACTOR DONE WRECKED ME HEARS!!!