Pro-Ears hearing protection deal for TBN members

[blurrybill]

Mark,

Just ordered mine today. Got the discount and they should be shipped right away. Will let you know how they work for me. Really won't know much until tractor arrives about Memorial Day weekend.

Bill

 

[dmccarty]

BlurryBill,

I ordered the pair that will allow me to listen to the radio. It was
shipped on 4/30,Tuesday, from PA and got to me Saturday, 5/4.

We got a good rain on Saturday, which we needed, but that kept
me from working with the new ear protection. I have to box blade
the road and that seems to be noisier than using the rotary cutter. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to put these things to the test.

I did put them on while in the house. It really cranked up what I
heard from the TV and my familie's talking. There was SOMETHING
missing from what I was hearing. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I asked John when I placed my order how many he had sold and he
said six. I don't know if that was all the Pro-Ears or just the model
I ordered.

The Pro Ears are well built.

As soon as I get some tractor time I'll write up what I think...

Later...
Dan McCarty

 

[MChalkley]

Bill & Dan,

I'll be interested in hearing how they work for you.

I've found that it's awfully easy to take them for granted. My wife says I sure make a lot more noise when I'm working with them on... /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I guess she's right, because I notice that I'll just throw a chain in the FEL bucket when I'm standing right in front of it, whack on something with a hammer really hard, stuff like that... Anyway, keep us posted!

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Mark:
I found that mine were set with the jumpers in the medium setting, so I moved them to high. I am pleased with them generally, although they aren't as comfortable as I'd like. There is some pressure from the foam battery covers that I haven't yet solved. It is minor, but noticeable.
I heard my neighbor's joiner running, so I offered him the Pro Ears. He decided that it was more polite to ask me to get him a set than just to keep mine and lock me out. They are perfect for that use, since you don't hear the howl, but can hear the progress of cutting your wood.
I borrowed the dB meter, but won't be able to test anything until this weekend.

 

[MChalkley]

Charlie - <font color=blue>I heard my neighbor's joiner running, so I offered him the Pro Ears. He decided that it was more polite to ask me to get him a set than just to keep mine and lock me out.</font color=blue> /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif He sounds like an unusually polite neighbor...

I think I've now got mine on the high setting now, too, though it may be on medium - I'll have to check. I tried setting the doubling jumper at the very top, but it was just too much for use on the equipment - I was hearing all kinds of weird stuff - 'bout drove me crazy. I'm still interested in hearing (sorry) whether your being able to hear normal conversation while using the PT improved when you switched it to high, when you get a chance to check. My EF probably makes less noise, but on my last project the group of folks who were so impressed when they were playing around with them kept messing with me to test them. As I would go by, they would be talking to one another saying stuff like "I wish he knew how to run that machine - he just knows enough to be dangerous." "What's that, engine oil running out of the bottom of his tractor?", stuff like that, just to see if I could hear them - and I always could, unfortunately. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Mark:
My son and I did about two minutes' worth of testing, where he sat on the running machine at about half throttle and I talked to him. The Pro Ears certainly improved his ability to hear me talk, but I still had to raise my voice. Where I could barely hear him without the muffs, he could clearly hear me with them.
I hope to do a better planned series of tests this weekend, but if it's like the past one, other jobs - and preparation for a Monday trial - will probably interfere once again.
Incidentally, I assume you haven't come across the W.R. Long solenoid valve. If your place is like ours, such things are only found while looking for something else. I did a little hoe and 4 n 1work over the weekend which once again demonstrated that I need to modify the system to get the hoe curl and bucket open and closing on the joystick. It may be, however, that I'd be better off leaving it as is and blaming the clumsiness on the controls rather than my ineptitude.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Did some testing with dB meter. On the seat, my PowerTrac 1845 is about 88 dB at idle under roof, about the same at medium throttle on the road, and 96 dB mowing brush with the rough cut mower at full throttle. It was 92 to 94 dB 20 feet away while mowing - any direction. (94 consistently on right, where exhaust aims.)
Pro Ears made sound easy to take. I can understand things said in a bit above normal voice 20 feet away if I turn the volume up pretty high.
The Pro Ears are definitely keepers. Either they are getting slightly more comfortable or I'm getting more used to them. Clearing brush and poison ivy off a steep hill today, I could easily forget I had them on. Of course, it's easy not to think about noise when you are sliding sideways toward a tree, wondering if you'll end up hung with the trunk between front and rear wheels. (It never felt unstable; I just repeatedly went beyond where I had enough traction to hold the hill. This time, I didn't get in any situations that required outside help.)
It was in the 80s today and the ProEars were hot, but not as bad as I expected. Not really comfortable, but tonight I can hear - and have no new tinnitus.

 

[dmccarty]

Well, I finally was able to wear/use my Pro Ears while working this weekend.
I got the Diminsion 2's so I could listen to the raidio while working.

Here is a quick review.

When I first got the Pro Ears I noticed how much they weigh. I figured they
would be very tiresome after a few hours.... I had to take off the backhoe,
put on the 3PH, mount the MX-6 rotary cutter, use it for 6-7 hours, take off
the cutter and put on the box blade. Running the MX-6 is the most noisy
work I do with the tractor. The engine RPMs are really up there on the JD4700
when mowing.

Taking off the backhoe takes some time I think I have finally figured out the
most effiecient ways to get the thing on and off at this point. It would be
easier if I had a flat concrete pad to set the JD48 down onto but I don't. I do
the use the Tiltmeter to get me pretty close. I wore the Pro Ears the entire
time I was working to get the backhoe off the tractor. I did take them off
when I was putting on the 3PH. But when I was putting on the MX-6 I wore
the Pro Ears. It took me a good 30 minutes to get the cutter hooked up.
A slight slope caused me some problems... /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

I then mowed for a good 6 hours.

I hooked the Pro Ears up to my cheap radio and was able to listen
to it without any problem's what so every while mowing grass, rocks,
and some saplings. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I was very impressed.

The Pro Ears have two volume controls, one for each ear. This is
very nice. After awhile I got tired of listening to the tractor noise
so I turned them down.

The Pro Ears are much better hearing protection than the inserts
I normally use. When mowing I would put on better ear protection
but in my usuall operation I would just use the inserts. With the
Pro Ears I can listen to things if I want. If I get tired of listening
I just turn off the Pro Ears. With only a few hours of seat time
I'm not totally convinced but I think the ability to tune out the
tractor drone cut down on operator fatigue.

When I was putting on and taking off the MX-6 as well as the
box blade I wore the Pro Ears. While the Pro Ears are heavy I
never tired of wearing them. I figured they would be to tight but
they are not at least for me. The tightness just seems right. I
got smacked a few times by branches but the Pro Ears stayed on.
Even with the heavy labor of getting the attachments on/off the
Pro Ears where not noticable, other than cutting down on the
engine noise.

I did have a neighbor talk to me while I was on the running
tractor. Unfortunately it was not a long conversation to really
try out the Pro Ears. I think I understood him without a problem.
Or to put it another way, I understood what he was staying
without straining.

The bottom line is that the Pro Ears work. They allow me to
listen to the radio which keeps me from getting tired. I think
I can hear people talking to me. They are comfortable. It was
warm but not really hot the day I used them. They might not
be as comfortable on the summer days but time will tell.

Later...
Dan

 

[MChalkley]

Charlie -

I haven't found the W.R. Long valve yet, but don't give up quite yet, if you can wait a little longer - I've got some more stuff in another location I'm going to check...

<font color=blue>96 dB mowing brush</font color=blue> Ouch! That's pretty loud. I haven't had a chance to check mine with the meter yet, but I plan to.

<font color=blue>Pro Ears made sound easy to take. I can understand things said in a bit above normal voice 20 feet away if I turn the volume up pretty high.</font color=blue> That sounds about right, from my experience, too. They seem to increase the sensitivity of my ears, though - everytime I forget to put them on when I'm working around the equipment, I just about scare myself to death with some noise that's a whole lot louder than I expect it to be... /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

<font color=blue>The Pro Ears are definitely keepers.</font color=blue> I'm glad you like them - I'd sure hate to think I steered you wrong in parting with your brass. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

<font color=blue>Either they are getting slightly more comfortable or I'm getting more used to them.</font color=blue> Probably about 50% of each. I've noticed that mine seem to have loosened just a bit, making them a bit more comfortable...

<font color=blue>Not really comfortable, but tonight I can hear - and have no new tinnitus.</font color=blue> Yeah, I guess that about sums it up - I'd rather not have to wear them at all, but it's nicer to be able to hear when you're done.

 

[MChalkley]

Dan,

<font color=blue>The bottom line is that the Pro Ears work. They allow me to
listen to the radio which keeps me from getting tired. I think
I can hear people talking to me. They are comfortable. It was
warm but not really hot the day I used them. They might not
be as comfortable on the summer days but time will tell.</font color=blue>

Thanks for the detailed review - and I thought mine was comprehensive... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif As I said to Charlie, I'm glad you don't think I gave you a bum steer - I admit they're pretty expensive for ear protection. But then again, it's hard to put a price on the value of ear protection - and it's impossible to put a value on being able to hear safety-related sounds at the same time, in my opinion. I've never been willing to wear ear-plugs, passive muffs, or standard noise reduction muffs, either, for that matter, because I wasn't willing to give up being able to hear the other sounds. So these are the best of both worlds - I'm tickled to death with them so far. And, as your preliminary evidence also indicates, I'm pretty sure I tire a lot less with them on, which also has to contribute to safety, too.