Ear protection question when using routers:

[Louis Brandt]

I have a router table, and I want to get a good router for it. I must admit that I’ve never used a router, but my real question isn’t about what router to buy, but rather what do you recommend for good ear protection? I understand that routers generate a lot more noise than either of my other power tools (a RAS and a CMS), so can anyone recommend the type (brand, model?) of ear protection that I’d need when doing a lot of routing? I'm assuming that most or all of you do use some type of ear protection when routing.
Louis

[Brian Smith3]

I have a set of these and they work just great. Esp needed with the portable planer. Please buy through SMC.;)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4113Z2V0VAL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Peltor-Professional-Canceling-Earmuff-H10A/dp/B00009LI4K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1216318604&sr=8-1

[Lee Schierer]

There are a number of good brans out there. Do a google search for ear protection or sound attenuators and you will find lots of sources. Most sporting goods stores, industrial safety suppliers and woodworking stores carry a variety of models. Get one that feels comfortable to you and you will tend to wear it more often.

[Frank Drew]

Louis,

I can't give you any brand specific advice -- Brian's recommendation seems a good deal -- but I can say that I would never use a table saw, router, planer, jointer when face planing, chain saw, skilsaw, etc. without ear protection. Essential gear, IMO.

[Steve Perez]

I think its both a big deal and not a big deal. :confused: Its a big deal in that YES please do wear ear protection. But its not a big deal in that any reasonable ear protection from a woodworkers supply will do. As far as routers, my largest under the hood is Big Red (Milwaukee's 3.5 HP) and sometimes when I loose my ear protection I resort to stuffing (with great care) dampened tissue paper. Sounds gross but it takes only a second and it works so well I cant even hear the Sargeant yelling at me. :D Point is: anything is better than nothing.

I'm a router guy and I ussually wear something like these though:http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=31211&cat=1,42207

Of greater importance of course is dust protection. To my knowledge prolonged exposure to dust doesn't cause ear cancer (not a joke and should also be taken seriously).

[Mark Patoka]

I just use the simple foam ear plugs or a regular set of muffs and they seem more than adequate to reduce the noise to acceptable levels.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have a pack of ear plugs that come in soft and medium (Purple and Orange). Work great.

[David G Baker]

As has been written "the foam ear plugs work great". They are cheap, are readily available and don't make your ears sweat like crazy.

[Peter Quadarella]

For shooting I am very particular about using the best ear protection I can find. For woodworking, I don't find it as crucial - any set of muffs or plugs should lower the noise to an acceptable level.

[Kevin Davis]

Wood Magazine did a nice article called Understanding Shop Noise, July 2008 issue, that also made some recommendations. They did recommend the Peltor Optime H10A. I bought a pair and love them. Very comfortable and reduced the noise by 29 decibels but their study found the cheap old foam plugs inserted correctly in your ear provided 35-45 decibel reduction!

[Roger Warford]

I use plugs similar to the ones Steve pointed out. They are cheap enough that I keep a few extra pair on hand to give to friends that may drop by the shop from time to time.

[David G Baker]

If you still smoke, cigarette filters will work in a pinch. I used them in the Army when hearing protection wasn't available.

[Kevin Arceneaux]

The foam plugs are the biggest bang for the buck. They work like a champ and are not a pain to wear like muffs. When buying for my crews I prefer the Moldex or the Howard Leight. Buy in bulk, they are NOT reuseable. Also do not put them in too far. I had to use my multi-tool to get them out of a workers ear one day.

My experience with the Peltor muffs has been very disappointing. They did not fit most of the guys right and when they did they did not work up to snuff. (NOTE: We were pile driving 50' metal pilings and the noise was over 130 db's. They had to use both the plugs and the muffs.) I replaced them with Bilsom muffs and all were happy with them.

Here is a little fact - 95% of the earplugs have a higher noise reduction than muffs. Most muffs are in the upper 20's and plugs are in the lower 30's.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I use the cheap foam plugs all the time. I get them from HF in large lots and they are dirt cheap. If I feel the need, it put on a pair of muffs over the plugs. I use them with the lawnmower too--make the noise bearable and keep the dust out of the ear.:cool:

[glenn bradley]

I have a couple pair of the Peltors. Their great. I like them better than ear plugs which is what I always used since they block so well. I started to have trouble with my ears or I would still use them. The Peltors block almost as well and they are no problem over my Rx shop glasses.

[Peter Quinn]

At the shop where I work we are required to wear hearing protection, and often eye protection where applicable. All employees are tested annually for hearing loss as part of the company safety program. They stock several different types of foam plugs in different degrees of stiffness which all seem to provide about the same level of protection, and ear muffs are available, though they seem to provide slightly less protection.

It seems plugs vrs muffs is a personal comfort choice and a matter of work habits. Guys on jobs where the protection is needed off and on all day for short intervals seem to prefer the muffs for convenience and comfort, those on continuous run machines or in a room where at least one machine is always on seem to prefer plugs. I for one find muffs with safety glasses to be a very uncomfortable situation, perhaps due to the shape of my head? I get head aches quickly with muffs. Some guys have sensitive ears and complain of immediate pain using plugs which expand a bit in the ear opening. They seem to prefer muffs.

I recommend you look for good muffs or plugs with at least 33 decibel reduction capability. Perhaps try a few different plugs as each style seems to fit a bit differently, and each users ear shape is unique. Some may be more comfortable for you than others. Same goes for muffs. They are more expensive initially so a good test fit is in order.

FYI there is no router operation and few power tools in the shop whose noise generation falls within safe levels, so if you consider your hearing important definitely use protection. Even your average shop vac is well above safe noise levels. When my boss is yelling at me I find the combination of both muffs and plugs simultaneously seems to effectively cancel the irritation.:D

[Steve Nouis]

I just about wear Peltors all the time in the shop, and a dust mask. Steve

[Tom Esh]

As others have noted the Peltors are nice - very comfortable and effective. (Sears sells them too.) However those big muffs do tend to be warm, so in hot weather I use these more often:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=53610&cat=1,42207
Despite their silly looks, they work surprisingly well. Apparently there's more than meets the eye in the design of those hollow red plastic parts.

[Wayne Cannon]

The ear muffs are quick and foolproof. The ear plugs can provide slightly better protection, but the last I read, the vast majority of users don't use them correctly and get far less protection than they expect. The biggest issue is in prepping them sufficiently that they insert far enough into the ear to get the good protection they are capable of.

I use both. For muffs, I prefer the Peltors for comfort over any of the less expensive brands I've tried. I do prefer the "behind-the-neck" model -- it's more comfortable, plus it doesn't interfere with the headband of a face shield or with a air-filtration helmet/face-shield. Mine have a thin nylon strap that goes over the top of my head that I don't see in this photo.

http://www.lawlorsafety.ca/_client/img/products/77/image_1.jpg

[Joe Jensen]

I use something like this. Mine was made by Bilsom, bought 15 years ago. I had a friend get hit in the face by a kickback off the saw. He was wearing safety glasses and muffs. He ended up with a partially detatched retina. Bought the helmet the next day. Looks funky, but it's easy.

[Frank Drew]

Even your average shop vac is well above safe noise levels.

My p.o.s. Grainger shop vac was one of my most annoyingly loud machines; one of the many reasons I hated it, but you gotta have a shop vac.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

For shooting I am very particular about using the best ear protection I can find. For woodworking, I don't find it as crucial - any set of muffs or plugs should lower the noise to an acceptable level.

When I have a really wide board on a jointer ( 12" or so) the thing can make such a horrific BLATTING that it literally sets up a painful vibration in my ears. It's worse than any shooting I've done even in my "private range" in the cellar.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I had tubes in my ears when I was 12, and had a pair of custom molded plugs made. I wore those for years, until the dog got a hold of them, and then she ate them. I had another pair made after that, and have not regretted it. I use them for woodworking, chain sawing/splitting, pistol/rifle shooting, and going to concerts and they have never failed me.

They are somewhat expensive, but I think well worth the fact that they fit your ear better, and I think, stay in easier.

Doc

[Jim Becker]

I typically use a band with "jelly" tapered plugs for hearing protection in the shop. (and when mowing) On occasion, I'll use my Bose QC-II headset.

[Bruce Benjamin]

These from Harbor Freight have served me well for several years. You can't beat $3.00 either. I had an expensive set that the dog chewed up. These work just as well for me. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=43768

Bruce

[Ryan Sparreboom]

http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_disp/displ/prrfnbr/24306/sesent/00

These are hands down the best ear plugs ever. They fit so comfortably you can wear them all day and not notice. They block out all noise over 80db, and you can still hear conversation, or your music while working in the shop. I wear them for WWing and motorcycling and love 'em!
Best $10 ever spent on safety gear.

[Bruce Benjamin]

http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_disp/displ/prrfnbr/24306/sesent/00

These are hands down the best ear plugs ever. They fit so comfortably you can wear them all day and not notice. They block out all noise over 80db, and you can still hear conversation, or your music while working in the shop. I wear them for WWing and motorcycling and love 'em!
Best $10 ever spent on safety gear.

These look great but I'm not understanding their noise rating claims. They say:

16dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) for EP3 Sonic Defenders with stoppers in
19dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) for EP4 Sonic Defenders Plus with stoppers in
Lowers potentially dangerous noise levels above 80dB

The 16db and 19dB rating seems kind of low compared to other forms of hearing protection. They don't say that they block out all noise over 80dB. They say it will lower potentially dangerous noise levels above 80dB. I'll admit that I don't understand very much about how these ratings work so maybe if you or someone can explain how these would compare to some ear muffs that have a 30dB rating or some plugs that have a 40dB rating. My Dewalt 735 planer is really loud and I don't think I'd want to use hearing protection lower than the ear muffs I use now. But as I said, I don't really understand the ratings. If I could understand and believe that these will be sufficient for the loud noise of my planer I'll be very interested in buying them. Thanks for the link.

Bruce

[John Keeton]

I use them for woodworking, chain sawing/splitting, pistol/rifle shooting, and going to concerts and they have never failed me.Doc
Doc, of all the activities listed, the most dangerous is concerts - particularly country/western! My ears ring for 2 days after going. I think I have been to my last!

I have a set of shooting muffs I use (actually two of them - one stays with the mower for my wife and I to share) and they seem to be the most convenient. I agree that plugs are probably better, but too much hassle for me as I don't like anything unless a tool is on. Keep the radio on and enjoy the background.

[Burt Alcantara]

As a recreational shooter I use Howard Leight ear muffs and plugs. Their ear muffs are rated over 30db. Most of the time I opt for the MAX plugs, rated at 33db. If I need severe protection I use both.

The plugs can be reused a number of times. It's mostly a yuck factor. How much ear wax can you tolerate looking at and touching.

I bought a box a few years ago and still have a bunch. Cost about $20. Highly recommended.

Burt

[John Yogus]

[quote=Burt Alcantara;891973]As a recreational shooter I use Howard Leight ear muffs and plugs. Their ear muffs are rated over 30db. Most of the time I opt for the MAX plugs, rated at 33db. If I need severe protection I use both.

One word of caution. When wearing both, you don't get an added benefit of hearing protection. Rather than 63 db (30 db from muffs and 33 from plugs) which seems logical, it's actually only about a 5-7 db increase over the highest rated. So, you would have about a 38-40 db reduction. Still better than one alone. I used to think it was additive until I got into the safety profession.

On a side note, I prefer plugs to muffs. They are more comfortable for me and as stated previously, they generally offer greater protection.

[Robin Cruz]

I use the Harbor Freight ear protection for $2 on sale. I also have a very expensive set of ear muffs for shooting but the HF versions provide more attenuation and are move comfortable. It could be they have better attenuation at the higher frequencies that high speed rotating machines create. I have several so one is always nearby.