# Ear Muffs



## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

Anyone wearing hearing protection muffs or listening to tunes or the radio while blowing that snow?

These are what I use https://www.amazon.com/3M-WorkTunes...1&keywords=3M+Ear+muffs&qid=1607709728&sr=8-8 and enjoy the radio while protecting my hearing and keeping my ears warm. I am a ball-cap wearer and feel naked without one. With Muffs, I can wear my ball-cap, keep ears warm and even duck some of that blow-back snow by tilting my hat down. I wish I would have bought the Bluetooth version of these but I wasn't thinking.

What do you use for tunes, hearing protection and to keep your ears warm?


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

Doofy said:


> Anyone wearing hearing protection muffs or listening to tunes or the radio while blowing that snow?
> 
> These are what I use https://www.amazon.com/3M-WorkTunes...1&keywords=3M+Ear+muffs&qid=1607709728&sr=8-8 and enjoy the radio while protecting my hearing and keeping my ears warm. I am a ball-cap wearer and feel naked without one. With Muffs, I can wear my ball-cap, keep ears warm and even duck some of that blow-back snow by tilting my hat down. I wish I would have bought the Bluetooth version of these but I wasn't thinking.
> 
> What do you use for tunes, hearing protection and to keep your ears warm?


I sing aloud for tunes. It also entertains the neighbors. They had never heard of Buckcherry before....they were impressed I knew all the words! 'Brooklyn!'
To protect my snowblower, I wear nothing that will interfere with me being able to hear every little noise that bugger makes as it churns out the snow.There are many times I've read on this site about folks not hearing a disastrous condition in development due to 'hearing protection'. 
I wear a hat and hood to keep my ears warm.


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## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

Yes to hearing protection, no to music.


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## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

> There are many times I've read on this site about folks not hearing a disastrous condition in development due to 'hearing protection'.


Once you damage your hearing, How you going to hear those destructive noises anyway?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

A helmet liner, a pair of sound muff protectors, topped with a visor beanie ... like the following.

Not only head, which is a must, but anything to keep warm in winter is all about layers.

N-FERNO BY ERGODYNE Winter Liner, Universal, Hook-and-Loop Adjustment Type, Black, Covers Head, Mouth - 55JF10|6878 - Grainger

Uline Earmuffs - Lime S-20706LIME - Uline

Decky Beanies GI Jeep Caps Hats Visor Ski Thick Warm Winter Skully Unisex | eBay


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

i use ear protection. the same ones i use for my chainsaw.

no to music. ear protection just muffles the sound but you can still perhaps hear strange noises coming from blower or an approaching car/truck/plow etc.

Its best also to have reflective clothing, light , and be constantly aware of your surroundings.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

orangputeh said:


> i use ear protection. the same ones i use for my chainsaw.
> 
> no to music. ear protection just muffles the sound but you can still perhaps hear strange noises coming from blower or an approaching car/truck/plow etc.
> 
> Its best also to have reflective clothing, light , and be constantly aware of your surroundings.


Good advise. I installed some cheap strobe lights on my riding snowblower for when I am up by the highway blowing. I also added tail lights and marker lights and even replaced the headlight bulbs with leds.


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## aa335 (Jan 21, 2020)

I use earmuffs with 28-32db noise attenuation whenever I operate any small engine equipment. That includes pressure washers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, snowblowers, lawnmowers. I can't slow down or stop the deterioration of my eyesight, but I can prevent hearing damage.


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## aa335 (Jan 21, 2020)

orangputeh said:


> i use ear protection. the same ones i use for my chainsaw.
> 
> no to music. ear protection just muffles the sound but you can still perhaps hear strange noises coming from blower or an approaching car/truck/plow etc.
> 
> Its best also to have reflective clothing, light , and be constantly aware of your surroundings.


Call me paranoid but during snowblowing, I only get on the street when there is no cars around me. With all the reflective clothing and blinking lights, that is no match for a driver distracted with a smart phone. That and a 5000 pound SUV isn't going to stop in time.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

It took me a good 60 years to train myself to wear hearing and eye protection every time I should be. I almost waited to long.

Even back in the early 70s during my time working on KC130s, hearing and eye protections weren't stressed at all. It should have been mandatory. We and VA are now paying the price for that.


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## RAOUL225 (Jan 24, 2020)

I could get hit by the snow plow if I don't hear it coming.I don't wear ear protection for that reason.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

RAOUL225 said:


> I could get hit by the snow plow if I don't hear it coming.I don't wear ear protection for that reason.


You can use a lower decibel attenuation pair that would still protect your hearing but allow you to still hear more.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

A toque (beanie) and parka hood.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

The Honda HSS1332AATD's GX390 is rated at 73dB and may be a bit less at the operator's position. I have not felt the need for hearing protection using it, but I do use muffs with the mowers, zeroturn, pressure washer, generators and wood chipper. The GX25 on my Mantis tiller is likewise so quiet that I don't need muffs, at least so far. I have three types of muffs: standard shooting-type muffs, noise-cancelling muffs with audio input, and wolf-ears with audio input and stereo microphones.


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## Miles (Sep 16, 2016)

I like these *3M PELTOR Optime 105 Earmuffs H10A, Over-the-Head*


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

working as a auto mechanic, driving loud hot rods, race boats, drag bikes and playing in a country rock band my ears were abused, now i can't wear enough protection plugs and muffs while running anything for me


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## aa335 (Jan 21, 2020)

At the risk of sounding gloomy, you can't protect what you already lost.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

aa335 said:


> At the risk of sounding gloomy, you can't protect what you already lost.


No, but you can help protect what's left.


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

My standard kit is a red watch cap and my Navy 9AN (commonly known as "Mickey Mouse Ears") from back in the day. Embarasses my wife which makes it all the more fun.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

I enjoy mortifying the wife also. Great fun...until they get even.


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## aa335 (Jan 21, 2020)

tabora said:


> wolf-ears with audio input and stereo microphones.





Clutch Cargo said:


> my Navy 9AN (commonly known as "Mickey Mouse Ears") from back in the day.


I am feeling millennial again and I have no idea what wolf-ears and Mickey Mouse ears are.


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## robs9 (Sep 5, 2018)

I just insert my moulded ear plugs. And then just pull my wool hat down. 

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

aa335 said:


> I am feeling millennial again and I have no idea what wolf-ears and Mickey Mouse ears are.


9AN/2 Mickey Mouse ears - you wear these on a carrier flight deck, for example:








Wolf Ears - you wear these when hunting and you can hear every tiny sound; if you shoot, they noise-cancel:


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## aa335 (Jan 21, 2020)

I didn't know wolf ears were such a thing. Thanks.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

aa335 said:


> I didn't know wolf ears were such a thing. Thanks.


They are really incredible out in the woods. You can hear birds moving their feet on branches 50 feet away, or mice scurrying. Squirrels sound like moose crashing through the leaves. And the stereo surround sound lets you immediately focus your vision on a sound.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

aa335 said:


> I am feeling millennial again and I have no idea what wolf-ears and Mickey Mouse ears are.


navy ear muffs we used when stationed on air craft carriers Ground Support Head Protection | David Clark Company | Worcester, MA


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

aa335 said:


> I am feeling millennial again and I have no idea what wolf-ears and Mickey Mouse ears are.


For your elucidation, in machinery spaces, we wore them sans head protection. Here are a couple more images. One of them by themselves, and one being worn by your basic run-of-the-mill snipe. Nope, that isn't me, but the outfit is familiar.


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## IDEngineer (Oct 16, 2018)

I have a set of custom-molded earplugs, originally obtained for skeet shooting, that I wear whenever working with any loud sources. This includes engines, yard equipment like weed whackers, pressure washers, basically anything. I'm hyper-careful about protecting my ears from sustained exposure to high volume sound.

I have a set of sound protective muffs that I use occasionally, but you can't be mindless about it. I discovered that on my loader-backhoe they actually allow a resonance to build up that is louder than not wearing anything at all! So I always wear the custom earplugs on that machine. The muffs do work fine on the Ariens snowblower so I'll do that once in a while to give my ear canals a break. The custom plugs go way into the ear canal - you sort of "screw" them into the ear because they follow the profile of your ears EXACTLY - and provide well over 30dB of isolation, but prolonged wearing gets a little tiresome.

That said, the custom molded earplugs are really the best answer for anything up to about three hours of continuous use. They are low profile (flush with your outer ears) yet provide the best isolation possible. Sounds actually get louder when I open my mouth because the sound can travel up my eustachian tubes, something you normally can't notice. They're that good.


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## LouC (Dec 5, 2016)

I have a set of Echo ear muffs that I wear with any of the 2 stroke equipment. The Toro/Suzuki is LOUD!!


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## ou2mame (Dec 23, 2019)

I have shooting ear protection that has has speakers and a mic.. I listen to podcasts or music over it. i can also hear any sound that's low enough to not hurt my ears, such as impending doom or whatever. You don't want hearing damage. You aren't immune to it. Once you damage your hearing and the tinnitus kicks in its too late. My grandfather had it really bad from wwii so I've always been pretty careful about my hearing. I find it astonishing that people don't take precautions.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

Most people never even think about their hearing until it is to late and the damage has already been done.

We never wore hearing protection at the rifle range while in boot camp or around our aircraft either (KC-130s). Hunting, shooting, heavy equipment, mowing, chainsaws, garden equipment, garage work and every other loud noise just didn't register as being dangerous. 

Hearing loss creeps up on us slowly as we age and by the time you notice the decline it's to late and time for hearing aids, if you are lucky.


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## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

I already have hearing aids, and when it picks up loud noises, it brings down the sound quite a bit. On top of that I will wear my bomber hat with the flaps down. I will them put a hoodie up over that, so that cuts the sound quite a bit for me. Maybe not as well as proper hearing protection would though.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

kd8tzc said:


> I already have hearing aids, and when it picks up loud noises, it brings down the sound quite a bit. On top of that I will wear my bomber hat with the flaps down. I will them put a hoodie up over that, so that cuts the sound quite a bit for me. Maybe not as well as proper hearing protection would though.


I was stupid as a young man for not protecting my hearing and vision. I tuned my chainsaws by how much my eardrums vibrated. Dumb, dumb.


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## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

Doofy said:


> I was stupid as a young man for not protecting my hearing and vision. I tuned my chainsaws by how much my eardrums vibrated. Dumb, dumb.


Me too... I used to blast Van Hallen with the tiny ear buds when they first came out. What really killed my hearing though was when I was 10. I went to wild west show on vacation (this was back in the day before they really thought about ear protection). Anyhow, this dude jumped off a roof right next to me, and fired a shotgun (blanks) about 3 feet from my left ear. He was behind me to my left and his shotgun was pointing across the street and not right at me, but WOW!!! My ears were ringing and in pain for days after that. I was afraid to tell my aunt and uncle for fear I woudl get in trouble for screwing up the vacation. I have had ringing in that ear ever since. Take care of them now while you have them. When I mow the lawn with the tractor, I put the hearing protection over the ears. This is mostly because I can Bluetooth music to my hearing aids (best headset you can find really) and the hearing protection over my ears deadens the sound of the mower so I can hear the music better and don't have to turn it up.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

kd8tzc said:


> Me too... I used to blast Van Hallen with the tiny ear buds when they first came out. What really killed my hearing though was when I was 10. I went to wild west show on vacation (this was back in the day before they really thought about ear protection). Anyhow, this dude jumped off a roof right next to me, and fired a shotgun (blanks) about 3 feet from my left ear. He was behind me to my left and his shotgun was pointing across the street and not right at me, but WOW!!! My ears were ringing and in pain for days after that. I was afraid to tell my aunt and uncle for fear I woudl get in trouble for screwing up the vacation. I have had ringing in that ear ever since. Take care of them now while you have them. When I mow the lawn with the tractor, I put the hearing protection over the ears. This is mostly because I can Bluetooth music to my hearing aids (best headset you can find really) and the hearing protection over my ears deadens the sound of the mower so I can hear the music better and don't have to turn it up.


I'm not sure how to determine the best hearing protection. You need to attenuate loud noises but you also need to be able to hear for safety reasons.

Electronic Muffs or an assortment of different decibel level Muffs? Inquiring minds want to know (and understand).


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## slingshot (Feb 8, 2011)

Doofy said:


> Anyone wearing hearing protection muffs or listening to tunes or the radio while blowing that snow?
> 
> These are what I use https://www.amazon.com/3M-WorkTunes...1&keywords=3M+Ear+muffs&qid=1607709728&sr=8-8 and enjoy the radio while protecting my hearing and keeping my ears warm. I am a ball-cap wearer and feel naked without one. With Muffs, I can wear my ball-cap, keep ears warm and even duck some of that blow-back snow by tilting my hat down. I wish I would have bought the Bluetooth version of these but I wasn't thinking.
> 
> What do you use for tunes, hearing protection and to keep your ears warm?


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## slingshot (Feb 8, 2011)

I have early stage ALS, and my coordination is affected. With that being said, I can still blow snow on level surfaces using the blower as a motorized walker!
...and the reason for posting here, is that I also use my skiing helmet that has ear warming flaps in case I happen to fall. The ear flaps do a good job at deadening the sound of the motor. Not as good as dedicated ear protection, but not bad.


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

I'm impressed that you are kicking that snows butt still. I enjoy the radio while blowing snow rather than listening to the drone of the engine. I can still hear what the engine is doing though. The cold and the engine drone almost puts me to sleep so radio keeps me awake.


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

_I could get hit by the snow plow if I don't hear it coming.I don't wear ear protection for that reason._

Yep, same reason Harley Riders don't wear helmets (I use twist in plugs and the right ones that fit are very good and you can wear any cap).. 

Good laugh, you can hear a plow approach over the blower noise! Each to his own of course.

I too have serious (severe) hearing loss. Anyone who thinks its a no big deal has not suffered from not being able to enjoy an evening with friends who you can't hear talking. A big part of your world goes out the window. Yea my wife can raise her voice but ..... hearing loss sucks, seriously sucks and I am not a social person. 

I did start wearing muffs about 5 years into my work career in the 70s. But there was a fair amount of chainsaw work and shooting before that. Muffs and survyeing don't go together well. 

The last 20 years I doubled up plugs and muffs (worked around diesel generators a whole lot). Might have helped but its continued to get worse and worse . 

How bad would it be if I had taken no precautions? Don't want to think about it.

Hearing aids can only help severe loss some, you never get back to normal. 

I did the best I could with what was available and no focus on hearing protection. Still was not enough. If you are younger you really do not want to go there.


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

_I also use my skiing helmet that has ear warming flaps in case I happen to fall. _

Good idea. 

They laughed at me when I suggested climber helmets for workign in steel structure.

We had fall harness but no head protection. Swinging back and forth getting your head pounded seemed like a bad idea (I am a cycle and bike rider).


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

Years of turbo-prop engines, chainsaws, hot rods, shooting, wood working and automotive tools all have contributed to hearing decline. Can't go back but can sure try preserving what is left.

Yes, you still need to be able to hear what is going on around you for obvious reasons but you can still protect your hearing while doing that. I have several pair of Muffs with varying degrees of attenuation. I try to wear what is best for the task at hand. Even the foam ear plugs are great for a lot of activities.

In all fairness, I have never tried the electronic muffs but have heard good things.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

I've been using some 33dB plugs, supplemented by similar-capability muffs. I grew up with those tan Navy flight-deck cans, but they are not currently rated for use near gas turbine engines. They work OK but without a rating they don't get used in any industrial spaces. The muffs I use now have a 34dB rating printed on them, but it turns out that there's no such thing as a rating better than about 31dB in that style. The 33dB plugs with the 34dB muffs together are about 35dB total, depending on how you do your calculations, which is pretty quiet in most use including OPE engines. Certainly no library-quiet but still pretty good. 

I play with combustion management and tuning on large frame gas turbines once in a while, but seldom stand near them; all that stuff gets done on a PC terminal well away from the engine. These days the projects are almost all remedial, so duties that require up-close attention have been done already.

FWIW, after the typical earlier years with loud music and loud exhausts, I had a revelation in my early 20's working on loud industrial packing equipment. I was just out of school, green and wet behind the ears, and the guys who had been doing it a while all had hearing issues. "You get deaf to it after a while..." and they were living proof. Fifteen years of that with constant earmuffs, a few 2-stroke race bikes and cars, always with earplugs, and on to 20+ years of power plant controls, still with double protection. Last hearing test showed 20% loss, typical for someone a third my age.

I just treated myself to a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds wit bluetooth. I've used Bose noise-cancelling headsets for a long time while working indoors in the plants, so these will get the test with the muffs to see if the are sufficient. They should be fine for the snowblower, so I can hear my phone ping incoming messages.


One BIL is really seriously HOH. He worked in a post office sorting facility for a couple decades. Finally, while he was trying to get super-powerful aides fitted, the audiologist asked him what kind of ear protection he wears at work. He told her he just turns his aides off, and that got him a lecture. Wear muffs over them.

If you already have hearing loss and think the noises aren't too loud, you still need good hearing protection. Protect what you have left!


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## Doofy (Dec 6, 2020)

Totally Agree! Protect the hearing you have left. I just hope the ringing in my ears stops before I am deaf.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

My tinnitus is slight, and usually is of no concern ... from years of not wearing proper ear protection.

I agree, try to preserve your hearing, or remaining hearing, with a good pair of ear muff style ...

JMHO


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## Huntergreen (Sep 24, 2017)

Clutch Cargo said:


> My standard kit is a red watch cap and my Navy 9AN (commonly known as "Mickey Mouse Ears") from back in the day. Embarasses my wife which makes it all the more fun.


Were you on a carrier ?


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

[


Huntergreen said:


> Were you on a carrier ?


there's a few in here that were, CVAN/CVN-65 AO-squadron Ordnance Technician


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Huntergreen said:


> Were you on a carrier?


Nope, I was a switch hitter. Merchant Mariner and Naval Reserve Officer. Civilian time on tankers and navy time on gator freighters, FFs and CGs.


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