You would be very surprised at the different levels of protection required against seemingly similar decibel sources. Last summer my 21HP V-twin Poulan lawn tractor, which I loved, finally gave up the ghost and I went looking for a replacement. I loved the Poulan because of its more-than-enough horsepower, smoothness of operation, and relatively low noise level when mowing. I needed a replacement immediately (I've got a BIG yard!) and found a near-new Craftsman with less than 50 hrs. on it with a brand new 18.5 HP single cylinder Briggs & Stratton replacement engine (the previous owner let it run out of oil and it seized). The first thing I noticed about the B&S was how LOUD it was in comparison to the Poulan twin, the second thing is the vibration, which is considerable when compared to the smoothness of the Poulan twin. I find that I need to wear my molded ear plugs I had fit for shooting and a pair of heavy interior-foamed earmuffs I use for my chainsaw over them to sufficiently dampen the noise when mowing. Reminds me of starting up a cold Norton Manx, both in noise and vibration level!
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