How noisy are your tools?

[Anonymous]

Hi all

I recently started to design and build a fine (1um) dust extractor project and in the thread, one member asked about the fan noise.

Well, I got my trusty Noise Level Meter out and took a few reference readings which I have posted here to help people when considering tools - noise can be an important criterion when purchasing power tools!!

Well here goes. All measured on dB(A) scale as this most accurately reflects the way our ears detect sound waves.
Decibel scale is not linear and conversion from linear value to dB is dB = 20 Log(value); so 2 = 6dB, 10 = 20dB, 100 = 40dB etc.

NOTE it takes a 3dB increase for the sound pressure to register as being twice as loud to humans. 1dB is the smallest change we can perceive and 3dB is the change exhibited by a doubling of power in an audio amp. (a 100W amp is 3dB louder than a 50W amp)

I measuree all of them at about 1.5m distance

Here are the results - hope they are interesting and useful:

Background (in workshop with nothing running) 31dB
Dyson DC04 vacuum (reference noise) 87dB
Hair dryer 78dB

4" Charnwood extractor - single motor 73dB
Mitre saw (Rexon) 103dB LOUD!!!!!!
Kity 419 86dB (98dB when cutting wood)
Porter Cable 7529 router 95.2dB (quiet router)
Trend T5 Router 99dB
12" Charnwood disc sander 68.5dB
Pillar drill 68dB with no cutting
Shop vacuum (performace power £35) 83dB
Bandsaw 74dB (cutting 98dB)
Grindstone running 70dB
Battery drill (18V Ryobi) 86dB
SIP P/T 84dB (planing 98dB)
Triton Router 102.7dB on bench
Dewalt 625 Router 102.6dB
SIP sliding compound mitre saw 103dB


Here is how I tested

Cheers

Tony

 

[johnelliott]

What was the measuring distance, Tony? Difficult to tell from the pic.

Interesting topic, this. I always wear ear defenders ( a really good pair, heavy and close fitting) for virtually all machine use except my Trend and Axminster vacuums. I particulalry dislike the high pitched noise that brush motors produce, and am appalled when I see people using such machinery with no hearing protection.

Jonn

 

[Anonymous]

Hi John

The picture is really for reference - didn't use this set-up. The distance does not matter particularly in an enclosed space such as a workshop but I measured all tools in the same way

Noise level meter held at waist height, clear of any obstruction and 0.5m away form device under test.

Cheers

Tony

PS here are siome typical sound levels dB(A)

30m from jet aircraft 140
Threshold of pain 130
Chainsaw 110
Disco 100
Kerbside of busy road 80
Conversational speech 60

 

[Adam]

Threshold of pain 130
Disco 100

I don't think so :wink: , I've been to a few clubs were A) The music has been painful, and B) worse than the sound is the low frequency rumble vibrating your internal organs until you feel sick. Makes me wonder how much damage I did to myself - I recollect having ears that "ring" all the next day. Thankfully, I'm passed that now, and just ruin my hearing via noisy power tools!

Adam

 

[Pete W]

Tony, thanks very much for this. Interesting and useful info.

What's most interesting is that your numbers pretty much confirm my own (unscientific) prejudices about different machines. Based on your numbers, I'd say my own tolerance level is about 90-ish dB.

I'm somewhat surprised by the big difference in your bandsaw, though. Mine doesn't seem to become quite so dramatically louder when cutting wood.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Tony

Thank you for the information. I have found this so interesting.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Anonymous]

Pete, when cutting wood on the bandsaw for the test, I pushed really quite hard against the blade with 155mm tall beech that I was resawing. I find it does get quite loud when reasonable (too much??) force is applied to the blade.

Cheers

Tony

 

[Neil]

Very interesting, Tony. The biggest surprise to me is that the cordless drill is relatively loud - in fact I'm really surprised that it is virtually as loud as a Dyson.

I wish I had a noise level meter to test a few things for comparison...

NeilCFD

 

[Pete W]

Pete, when cutting wood on the bandsaw for the test, I pushed really quite hard against the blade with 155mm tall beech that I was resawing.

Hmmmm - I guess that's a pretty stiff test; much tougher than anything I've done with my saw. I imagine that would account for a lot of noise.

One thing I've noticed with various tools is the effect of longer workpieces. Since they tend to vibrate more, they act like sounding boards and amplify the noise quite a bit.

 

[Anonymous]

>> Disco 100

I question this figure too. I suffer from mild tinnitus. I say mild because sometimes I don't notice it. I know exactly when it started - one night in a disco more years ago than I care to remember. One day, nothing. One night a very noisy disco. Next Day, tinnitus, :x and I've had it ever since.

It gets set off by loud music in the home (which is annoying because I love those classic rock tracks!), and my palm sander. Don't know why the latter - must be some frequency it emits. I have a Porter Cable 5". The Bosch 1/3 sheet sander is fine, as it the Craftsman belt sander even though it is incredibly noisy from the gears. Just the Porter Cable. One day I'll try some else's of another make!

One thing - I used chipboard for the roof of my workshop (the building was derelict when I bought the place and I had to put a new roof on) and that is about to be covered with a thick layer of polystyrene insulation. Wonder if that'll help quieten the shop down a bit? The bare walls don't help, but lots of things are hung on them -- I'll have to put up some thick dust sheets, too, to see if that makes a difference. It'll certainly help with ease of shop cleanup as well

 

[Anonymous]

I recently purchased a new Fein shop vacuum because the noise level of my old ShopVac brand was so loud. I wish I had done this long ago. The old one sounded very similar to a B-52 at take-off (although at over 20 years old it still sucked very well). The difference in noise between the two vacuums is like night and day.

 

[Midnight]

After a week with nothing but hand planes breakin the quiet in the shop, today was a shock to the system. Router, shop vac and DC all running at the same time.... mannnnnn that gets loooongggg in a hurry....

 

[ydb1md]

Hi all


NOTE it takes a 10dB increase for the sound pressure to register as being twice as loud to humans. 1dB is the smallest change we can perceive and 3dB is the change exhibited by a doubling of power in an audio amp. (a 100W amp is 3dB louder than a 50W amp)

Actually, a 3db increase is perceived as a doubling of the sound level. It takes a 10x increase in the power output of an audio amp to double the sound level.

An interesting poll would be to find out what everyone uses for hearing protection.

 

[Gill]

Hi Tony

I'd be interested to learn how your scrollsaw fares noise-wise. I couldn't find it in your list.

Gill

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Tony

I'd be interested to learn how your scrollsaw fares noise-wise. I couldn't find it in your list.

Gill

I shall test it very soon

Also a few other tools that have hit the workshop since I did this round of tests

 

[brocher]

As a new member, I am really pleased to see attention being given to noise on workshops. I have worked with power tools for many years and have always worn ear defenders whenever I use any power tool anywhere! I also have tinnitus and wearing ear protection is the only way I can enjoy working with wood. I am amazed when I watch TV programmes and see no obvious ear protection being worn (if they are using ear plugs then the presenters should say so and why!). It appears that more attention is paid to dust but not too noise. Why?

 

[Anonymous]

Why?

mainly size and cost. Series wound DC motors (Brushed motors) as used in most hand-held power tools have HUGE startup torque and high power for small size because of their electrical connection between rotor and stator. Induction motors (quiet) are massive and very heavy by comparison for the same output power and so not at all suited to hand-held use.

There are constant developments in the area of induction type motors and new and exotic materials are used to bring down weight and size for a given power, however, these materials cost loads and so are prohibitive for hand-held powertools at this time

 

[ike]

Hi Brocher. I'm not sure where power and torque comes in, but I've noticed that power tool documentation now has to state noise levels. As to why noise protection isn't mentioned by presenters more often - simple ignorance perhaps? . Interesting point though.

cheers,

Ike

 

[Anonymous]

Hi all

Added two new machines to the list today: Dewalt 625 Router, SIP sliding compound mitre saw

 

[RogerS]

Tony

Have you measured your Charnwood Dust Extractor?

Roger