Noise...

[Brains]

Using a cab-less classic for long periods is noisy! Ford 4000 is the tractor.

Without going down the ear muff route, does any body have any clever ways to reduce the noise.

special exhaust?

Re route exhaust to the rear?

The cab we removed from this said tractor only made it worse, and didn’t what to make a modern air tight/insulated cab as we mainly use in summer and also still want good access on and off.

 

[TripleSix]

A lot of noise on such a machine eminates from the engine and the transmission, rather than the exhaust.

Things I would do if wanting to quieten such a tractor -

Different exhaust silencer may help.

You could make a double silencer out of two standard exhausts.

Dynamat the underside of the bonnet and dashboard.

Soundproof/dynamat the top of the gearbox - you must check it's not going to get too hot though.

The cooling fan will make noise but I don't think replacement with an electric unit is wise.

Full insulated side panels below the bonnet would help, but be mindful of airflow.


Your other option if you can't cope is to buy something modern...

 

[essexpete]

Would not be more simple to use ear plugs?

 

[Pilgrimmick]

Bose noise reduction headphones, the noise reduction is on par with ear defenders and you can listen to your favoutite music at the same time.

 

[nuffield1060]

Bose noise reduction headphones, the noise reduction is on par with ear defenders and you can listen to your favoutite music at the same time.

I'll better that, Panasonic ones cost a lot less than Bose ones, less than a tenner and still very good sound quality even sitting on a tractor with a straight exhaust!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Bose noise reduction headphones, the noise reduction is on par with ear defenders and you can listen to your favourite music at the same time.

That's what I use, a side-by-side with a cab is quite noisy too, but I wear them a lot for the radio

I try to be mindful I can't sing as well as I think I do
..but very nice not to have ringing ears after and be up with the news

 

[Grouse]

Turbocharge it

 

[betweenthelines]

Talk to any farmer over 60 about how they used to cope.

But you'll have to shout!

Or use a flail hedge trimmer for a day-then you'll appreciate how quiet the tractor is the rest of the time.!!

 

[DeeGee]

We all used to drive these things without any ear defenders in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Spent hundreds of hours driving tractors without cabs and those with horrible metal weather cabs that amplified all sound superbly.

Not condoning it at all, rather the opposite, but I always use foam ear plugs now, even driving modern tractors, as it reduces the noise even further and make driving more comfortable.

Nobody thought about sound deadening it in those post war years, but I wish we had been able to use some sort of ear defenders when I was first driving Massey 35’s and Ford 3000’s!

 

[JWL]

Yep, I wished I'd have had a decent set of ear defenders back in the days of mowing with a 10' Vicon Olympus behind a 565 with the back window open and the side one with my hand holding down that over centre window stay when on the rougher ground trying to get some air flow through the cab. The days spent on the 185 with the Howard Rotorspreader and stretched chains knocking away, the hours spent grinding in the workshops, the various forage harvesters, the list goes on and on.
The tinitus I have now is just a constant white noise that often drowns out anything at the same pitch but is bloody annoying when it's quiet especially when it comes to trying to get to sleep

 

[smcapstick]

A lot of noise on such a machine eminates from the engine and the transmission, rather than the exhaust.

Things I would do if wanting to quieten such a tractor -

Different exhaust silencer may help.

You could make a double silencer out of two standard exhausts.

Dynamat the underside of the bonnet and dashboard.

Soundproof/dynamat the top of the gearbox - you must check it's not going to get too hot though.

The cooling fan will make noise but I don't think replacement with an electric unit is wise.

Full insulated side panels below the bonnet would help, but be mindful of airflow.


Your other option if you can't cope is to buy something modern...

This!

If noise isn’t your bag, you really have the wrong tractor. Three cylinder diesels are clattery by their very nature - if you want to quiet things down, a small four cylinder will be far better.

 

[v8willy]

Turbocharge it

Or a V8

 

[TripleSix]

Fit a Detroit V6.

Then you'll discover the real meaning of noise...