Hearing Protection

[Devin Lamb]

Heya All. I'm looking for some pretty specific hearing protection for the shop. I would like a set of earmuffs with built in noise cancelling, as well as stereo blue tooth, so I can connect to my phone and listen to music / podcasts. Be nice to be able to notice the phone ringing too. Anyone seen anything like that?

Thanks

[brian c miller]

Yepper, get a handplane and ditch the ear muffs. You can listen to all the music you want.

Otherwise get out your wallet:

http://www.amazon.com/Peltor-MT53H7AWS2-Headband-Bluetooth-Headset/dp/B0017YO5WC


seems hit or miss on the phone pairing.

[Dan Rude]

I have the ones sold at Rockler http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11119 They work fairly well and I can hear the phone or the kids. You just have to remember to turn them off or the batteries will need to be replaced.
Dan

[Dave Zellers]

I'm sorry- what did you say? Speak up!

Why do you need bearing protection?

[Erik Stol]

Hi devon,

I am using the earmuffs from Peltor, the ones marked with 2 dots. they work very well.

About listening to the radio: In my understanding, when working with highspeed rotary equipement, like TS and routers, you should be focussed on what you are doing down there with that piece of wood and your hand in the close proximity of flesh eating teeth.

That nice song from the Eagles or Radar love (i am dutch) you can listen to that far better on the couch.

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on the Peltor.
I use these in my shop. I have a secondary set that came with my chainsaw, and the Peltors offer better isolation.

Listening to music while gluing up, or assembling parts is pleasant.
Listening to music while operating power equipment is a poor shop practice.

Power tools are much more dangerous when you're tired, distracted, or both.

[Peter Quinn]

I'm with Erik on this one. I have purposefully avoided mp3 headphones in the shop because it detracts too much from my focus. Plus, the noises that do transmit to your ears when using a tool can provide important feedback on a given operations safety and quality. You learn to hear the proper note of a saw blade or router bit and you learn to hear quite quickly when something is going not quite right. With the noise cancelling stereo music headphones, you get less no info. Plus the noise reduction pretty poor on that set relative to the 33dba reduction on the pair I use now.

[Ed Hazel]

I have looked on a few occasions for a blue tooth and radio muffs with no luck.
They do make muffs with noise canceling/radio and an input jack so you can plug in your phone so you can hear the ringer and or a MP3 player.

I do not think listening to music is that bad in a shop. I always have the radio on in the car while driving? I have worked in many shops that have a radio going all the time. You might not want to be changing stations with one hand and running a power tool with the other.

That being said if I am concentrating on what I am doing I am not listening to the music anyways so why bother.

[Devin Lamb]

Thanks All! I know all to well the dangers of being distracted while using the sharp high speed stuff, I'm still recovering from a three finger ts blade strike. I guess what I'm looking for is a one stop solution for the shop. If I'm using the ts, jointer, ect I want the hearing protection. If I have 6 hours of sanding ahead of me I definitely want the distraction. I realise I could just buy a blue tooth stereo headphone set, have separate hearing protection, well you get the picture. I just would like an all in one solution, even though I may only use one part of the solution at a time. I will take a serious look at those suggestions though, Thanks!

[Erik France]

I haven't seen a bluetooth set of noise canceling ear protection. It is something I would like to have as well.

I too like using my phone for music, be it playing from the memory card, my collection on my server, or Pandora. I usually hook it up to my stereo in the shop. I use my Worktunes for hearing protection. Unless I use the headset cord with the headphones It's either radio or quiet. I don't like using the cord at all. I intend to pick up a good FM transmitter someday, then I will be able to tune in whatever I have playing on the phone and/or stereo on my worktunes. When I take them off I'll still be able to hear it over the stereo.

I've been considering hooking up a bluetooth capable car stereo in the shop. it would take up less space than my Tuner now plus add MP3 cd capability and loose the cable to my phone.

[Devin Lamb]

Erik, I'm with you on the cord thing. I have tried it using earbuds, both in the shop, and out on job site and can't stand the cord, to say nothing of the potential dangers. I hadn't thought of using a FM transmitter and something like Worktunes. Good idea thanks!

[Erik France]

I'll use earbuds sometimes, usually when doing yardwork, but I still hate the cord. One thing I did to help with the cord for the earbuds was to attach them to an eyeglass lanyard. The tension from the cord was always pulling them from my ears. The lanyard hooks onto the seperate wires about midway and supports the cord from my neck.

[Kent Chasson]

As for the Rockler style, we used to refer to those as "head clamps". If you decide to go this route and you will be wearing them for hours at a time, go for the Peltors. They are the most comfortable ones I've seen.

[Glen Butler]

I am in the same situation. At work I need to hear what is going on but need hearing protection and I want to listen to the radio (usually talk radio). I use regular foam earplugs, cutting one of them so it fits in my ear far enough that an earbud can fit as well. The cord runs through my shirt to avoid tangling. Sometimes I need tweezers or something to get to the earplug, but overall its the best solution I have found. As far as the phone, it just goes along with being able to hear whats going on, I just use a loud ringer.

[Bill White]

Peltor here as well. Use 'em in shop and when using yard equipment.
I get distracted by radio/music/phone enough without adding that to shop time.
Bill