Quietest 30hp Tractor

[Anonymous Poster]

Hello, I have developed a hearing sensitivity and want to purchase the quietest 30HP tractor possible. I do wear ear muffs and plugs. My old JD 850 would put out 100dbs of nosie...way too much. Does anybody have any recommendations on the quietest 30hp tractor. Thanks for your help. gm1

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I don't think there is such a thing as a 'quiet' diesel, but I've been very happy with the amount and quality of the noise from my John Deere 4310 compared to other tractors I've used. The exhaust is directed out the front about as far from the operator as it can be. Also remember that many attachments (like mowers) can make quite a bit of noise as well.

 

[Egon]

Perhaps there are better quality muffs than what we normally wear.

There are some here who should be familiar with what is worn around aircraft.

Egon

 

[Spencer]

Noise was a big factor in why I chose my New Holland TC33d over the Kubota L3010. Even thought the Kubota's rated PTO RPM's were lower than the New Hollands the New Holland was still easier on my ears.

 

[DocHeb]

You might want to check out a Mark Chalkley thread for <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=safety&Number=132514&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1>Pro Ears</A>. If they're good enough for him, I'm sure you'd be satisfied.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, I can tell you, it isn't a Power Trac /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

You are wise to wear hearing protection.

 

[ronjhall]

gm1
When I was shopping for my tractor I thought the NH line was one of the quietest. But I remember all the tractors that I looked at with a salesman had to be shut off in order to hear him talk unless they were yelling.
I would consider looking at some high quality ear protection as others have suggested.
When using most PTO operated attachments, more noise comes from them running than the tractor.

 

[Mrwurm]

When you say '30 hp tractor' are you referring to the NH TC30, JD790, and Kubota L3000DT ? Or is the 30hp reference approximate. Of the three 30hp machines mentioned, the NH has an underhood muffler with the exhaust coming out near the front end near the axle. This changes the sound dynamic, though I am not sure if this is a plus or minus. The JD790 has a stack that comes out through the top of the hood. Not sure about the Kubota.

 

[Woodbeef]

Hhmmmm.......maybe someone needs to set-up unbiased testing for these CUTs. It could be based on Nebraska/OECD type of tests.

 

[Von]

Jerry, Don't forget the Kubota B2910 and the new B7800. They are both 30 HP, And have the under the hood muffler system.

 

[Darren]

If the ear plugs aren't working for you, I'm guessing you're not putting them in properly. I've seen people stick them in their ears without rolling them first. They won't work unless they're inserted well into the ear canal. Only the very end should be sticking out.

Roll them between your fingers to reduce the diameter then put them INTO the ear canal as far as comfortable. They'll then expand, fill the canal and greatly moderate the sound. Walmart carrys flesh colored ones in the pharmacy area that I believe provide a 29dB attenuation.

That's as good or better than most ear muffs. Using plugs and muffs together doesn't combine to reduce the sound level. The sound attenuation will only be as great as the highest attentuation rating of the devices taken separately. Personally, I haven't found ear muffs to be as effective as properly worn ear plugs.

The issue of which tractor is quietest is moot if only you the operator are concerned and you properly wear ear plugs. I use the same ear plugs when running my Ford 5600 (no muffler) or using a jackhammer. The ear plugs work great. I'm always surprised at how loud normal sounds seem when I remove the ear plugs after I'm finished.

If you install the earplugs properly you'll find loud noises aren't no matter how sensitive you think your ears are.

 

[frank_f15]

i think DARREN: post says it pretty well, propper fitting ear protection is most important. have u tried operating the machines u are thinking of buying? differnt folks hear different pitches, differently, what sounds loud to me, might not be loud to u ie. a low pitch sound @ a certin dec. might not bother you, but the same dec. at a higher pitch might. does that make sense?

 

[rjp444us]

Instead of the expense of a new tractor why don't you try these http://www.elvex.com/com-muffs.htm.We use these everyday at work the noise cancling ones that is we also have the Bose hearing protection as well. A lot cheaper then a new tractor!

 

[cpicton1]

For hearing protection I wear earmuffs. The ones I use are AOSafety Peltor 90545 WorkTunes. They have a built in AM/FM radio tuner and a volume control limit of 82 decibels. They work well using my small tractor or my chainsaws or any other tool that makes noise. I can keep up on the news & tunes while I work. They are available at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.amazon.com>http://www.amazon.com</A> on sell for $59.99 with free shipping. They may not be for everybody but I sure like them. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Just do a search on Amazon for <font color=blue>Peltor 90545 WorkTunes</font color=blue>.

 

[dhvd79a]

I wish I had access to the article that one of the gun magazines printed several years ago.

They conducted a scientific study using many types of earplugs and earmuffs. Properly fitted earmuffs always provided better protection that properly fitted earplugs. As I recall it had something to do with the coverage of the earmuffs lowering bone transmitted noise that the earplugs are not capable of blocking.

I have tried both for shooting and prefer the muffs so I use the muffs on my tractor.

Dave

 

[ebeacham]

I agree, Go and buy some quality shooting ear muffs and use those.