How loud is a lawn mower is a question of worry, because the chore has to be done, but the noise is excessive. Remember that these machines are so loud that their loudness can adversely affect our hearing. Over time people have developed their liking for their lawns and want at least the best equipment in the market.
This leads us to the most important question of how loud can these machines be? Keep reading this article, as we explain briefly about the ways and reasons that they can be loud, and how you can protect yourself.
Contents
How Loud Is A Lawn Mower?
A lawn mower is usually 85 to 95 decibels loud, the sound level varies from one type to the other, but this is the sound level that your average gas-powered mower produces. Which means that it is quite loud, if you try to keep it going for too long.
The sound is measured in decibels, and to put it in simple words, a decibel is used to measure the intensity of sound. Its scale is logarithmic, meaning ten decibels represent ten times loudness. For instance an average, an old-school mower produces ninety-five decibels, which is the same as zero turn mower decibels.
A decibel level begins from zero, the gentlest sound a human ear can hear, just like a normal conversations are at sixty decibels. Sounds above eighty-five decibels can cause chronic hearing loss if your ears are exposed to them for more than two hours. But this does not stop here; noise levels of a hundred decibels or more can cause hearing loss on the spot.
– Above Average Sound Meter
If you have to yell to convey your message to the other person, it is way too loud where you are standing. With advanced technology, plenty of applications are available to measure the intensity of loud noises.
A few also have a lawn mower sound description for your ease. A traditional way of knowing if this much loud is too loud is a sound meter.
How Loud Are Different Lawn Mower Types?
The different types of lawn mowers have different loudness levels, such as the electric lawn mower is the one that is more gentle with its noise level, then comes the gas lawn mower with its noise, and lastly, the riding lawn mower is one of the loudest ones.
– Gas Lawn Mower
This mower is the second loudest of all the lawnmowers. On average, it is eighty-five decibels loud. But keep this from making you comfortable around a functioning mower for up to two hours.
The main reason why a regular mower makes so much noise is because of the blades. Most mowers have two to three blades that cut debris while remaining in the air. So make sure you slowly and gradually lower your mower’s deck to the lawn. You should also make sure that your mower’s deck belt is tight enough.
– Electric Lawn Mower
Electric lawn mowers are the quietest of all. They produce only seventy-five decibels which is enough to make anyone in the surroundings feel uncomfortable. It is very unlikely for seventy-five decibels to affect your hearing.
– Riding Lawn Mower
This mower is the loudest of the three. A tractor without a cab produces one hundred and two decibels. You can only stand next to it for up to four minutes without damaging your hearing. However, a tractor with a cab produces ninety-two decibels which can be tolerated for one and a half hours and not more. It has the same noise level and produces decibels as a tractor with a cab.
Although a normal brick wall can reduce only up to forty decibels of sound, therefore, the noise made when you mow your lawn must keep your neighbors on their toes. The market is flooded with different types of lawnmowers, and to know a lawn mower sound frequency.
What Causes a Lawn Mower to Be Loud?
The lawn mower to be loud is caused by the blades being less sharp, and how loose the bolts and screws are on the machine. Another reason could also be the old muffler, and how old your machine has gotten.
Keeping a regular check on your mowers will help in protecting your hearing in the longer run. To ensure that it is in good condition, make sure you lubricate it often and tick off all the noise-reducing strategies listed by the manufacturer.
– Unsharpened Blades
The first step towards achieving your quiet mower is ensuring that its blades are sharp. Dull blades are a lot more work as they mean more work for the engine, which leads to more loud noise. They will make the machine lose its flexibility and the blades doing the job will not enhance the mechanism, but will point out about something going wrong.
– Loosen Bolts and Screws
Make sure that all the screws and bolts of your mower are tight and in place, for which you will need access to the machine’s internal components. If this is lacking, and you have loose bolts and screws then it is simple to say that these are the first and most common cause of the nerve-wrenching mower noise.
They will be squeaking and making excessively loud noise while they function.
– Having an Old Muffler
If your muffler has come to the stage where it is making too much noise, it is time to replace it, because the old one will do the job with hardship. All you must do is loosen the exhaust pipe and get rid of the exhaust. Now, unfasten the bolts one at a time to release the muffler.
To confirm if the muffler is no longer needed, check thoroughly if it has any cracks. Also, check if the gasket seal has a leakage. You can use a self-adhesive gap sealer to seal the hairline cracks. The ultimate solution is to replace the old muffler with a new one. Installing a replacement gasket is good if your previous gasket seal leaks.
– The Age of the Machine
The age of the machine also plays a vital role in the noise and how much it is being becoming an exhaustion when you are using it. If you have ever received a lawn mower noise complaint, it is a sign to switch to a battery-driven mower.
These mowers make less noise than regular gas mowers or a riding type of one.
How To Protect Ears From Damage When Mowing?
To protect ears from damage when mowing, you must wear some earplugs, and you can even go for canal caps. Some would even wear noise preventing earmuffs around their ears. This is because protection is important for the health of your hearing.
Ear protection is extremely important to prevent hearing damage. Hearing protection is characterized by its noise reduction rate in decibels. This range lies between zero and thirty-five decibels, and the ideal protecting range is twenty-five.
These reduction levels vary with the type of ear-protecting gear, in this case one of the protection is not working for you or is insufficient, you can always double up. There are many options to explore, but the best is the one that suits you the most.
– Earplugs
Foam earplugs are long and cylindrical earplugs are designed so that almost half of them are in your ear canal. These have an availability, that you can find in pharmacies, and they are relatively cheap, as they would protect you from harming your hearing ability, as they would seal off the canal by expanding when they enter it. These plugs are not expensive and disposable.
You need to ensure that you are placing them the right way; otherwise, they will fail to seal the canal and ultimately not work. They also tend to fall off now and then, causing you to stop in between your work and put them back on.
Another kind of earplug is reusable earplugs that often come with a wire so that you can hang them around your neck and roam around without the fear of losing them. They are washable. But it would help if you tried which size suits your ear the best. These plugs are tricky because you have to ensure they are always clean, which is quite a task when working outside.
Mowers can cause hearing loss, but the extent of damage depends on the number of decibels of sound reaching the ears. To elaborate further, anything louder than a hundred decibels causes hearing loss there and then. Always use ear-protecting equipment to save yourself from losing your hearing sense forever.
– Canal Caps
These caps are flexible at the tips that perform the function of a cap that plugs your ear canal. They stop right at the ear opening and do not extend to the canal, as it would protect you from different instances and harm in the longer run.
Therefore, they offer less protection than ear muffs or plugs. These caps are ideal when you frequently take the protection on and off.
– Earmuffs
Earmuffs are the easiest to use and clean. They fit almost everybody but can be heavy and hot at times. They go over the user’s head, thereby securing their place. They are the most common ear-protecting gears for gardeners because they are extremely easy to put on.
Basic earmuffs are budget-friendly that cut you off from the loud noise as long as you are not mowing frequently. It may be challenging to maintain a good seal when wearing sunglasses, to also protect your eyes from the sun.
You can opt for some premium quality earmuffs, but they are costly the reason why is that they offer far more protection to your ears than basic earmuffs. Such earmuffs are often bigger, which makes it easy for the user to carry around.
Work does not have to be boring all the time, sometimes you may have these Bluetooth powered earmuffs to protect the ears and entertain the users with music, so they can carry out their work and have fun simultaneously. They would be excellent at cancelling noise or even reducing the amount of noise that reaches to your ear drums.
FAQ
1. Which Lawn Mowing Machine Should I Buy?
This question is tricky as choosing a lawn mowing machine is rather subjective. Every machine comes with its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. The lawn mower decibels also play a part in determining which type of mower to decide. The best choice for you depends on how frequently you use it and your lawn area. For example, if you have a large-scale lawn, there is no better option than gas lawn mowing machines. Just refill the gas when the tank is empty. But it is comparatively louder than an electric mower.
2. How Loud Is a Chainsaw Compared to a Lawn Mower?
A chainsaw has a sound frequency of one hundred and nine decibels, even louder than the loudest lawn-mowing machine, the riding mower. Standing next to a running chainsaw without protecting your ears can cause hearing loss within a few minutes!
3. How Many Decibels Is a Car Compared to a Lawn Mowing Machine?
A passenger car has a sound frequency of seventy-seven decibels, almost the same sound frequency as an electric lawn mowing machine. This level of frequency is enough to make anyone feel discomfort.
Conclusion
Irrespective of the kind of machine, lawnmowers have a significant role in most of our lives. The interest in maintaining your lawn brings like-minded people together, forming a community where they share their experiences and knowledge. Through our article, you have understood why a lawn mowing machine is loud and its effects on our hearing ability, so let us sum up the reasons:
- Many lawnmowers have survived past their life expectancy because they share a sentimental bond with their owner.
- The rickety and dull blades cause a lot of work for the engine, which resultantly heats up and makes too much noise.
- The loose bolts, screws, and other internal components are a major cause of the loud noise.
The reasons for the noise are emerging with every passing day and with the emergence of new technology. So the best way to get to the root of the problem is to tick everything off the noise-causing list.
References
https://www.sc.edu/ehs/training/Noise/caps.htm
https://www.chem.purdue.edu/chemsafety/Training/PPETrain/dblevels.htm
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