If you wonder why lawn mowers are so loud, you are at the right place. In this article, we explain why the lawn mowers produce so much noise and how to diminish this type of loudness. When mowing, make sure you always use proper hearing protection.
Why are lawn mowers so loud?
Lawn mowers are so loud because the internal parts are making a lot of noise. The mufflers that are installed onto most lawn mower engines are absorptive mufflers. This type of muffler creates a minimal amount of restriction in the gas flow, which is suitable for power.
However, it makes a lot of noise. It is possible to reduce this kind of noise, but it would create a change in the cost and power of a mower. For these reasons, the manufacturers decide to keep the level up to 95dcb, which is an official noise level target for mowers.
Mufflers can get hot quickly, and these are suffering from corrosion and cracking. Baffles that are inside the muffler sometimes break free and cause a metallic sound. This may be the cause of the noise of your lawn mower. At the same time, muffler gaskets can be a source of the noise.
These are metallic pieces that stand between the engine and the muffler. The primary purpose of these parts is to make a seal, and if they break, you can hear the sound and notice the gas coming out.
It is recommended to check these parts occasionally and see if these are placed correctly. If only one part of the mower is broken, you can hear the annoying sounds, and your mower can be in danger to suffer from a bigger problem.
What else creates the loudness?
Blades create a lot of noise as well. Most lawn mowers have two or three blades that cut the air at more than 200 mph, which is very effective for the functionality of the mower, but these blades make much noise. To diminish this noise, you can remove the deck to coat the underside by using the truck bed liner. This will help in reducing the noise and protecting against corrosion.
Engines are another source of loudness in lawn mowers. Crankshaft, valves, and the fan can make a noticeable noise. You should check and adjust valve lash each year to ensure optimum performance. There are also essential factors that affect the engine in a large amount, like the oil quality. When the oil is old, it may affect the sound of the engine. Check the performance of the engine every season to ensure the effectiveness of the engine.
When it comes to the engine fan, it needs to be well maintained to stay cool. Its main role is to cool down the engine, and you can lower the loudness of the fan by putting the self-adhesive bitumen where the hood's underside is placed. This will help reduce the noisy effect of the fan.
Other parts of the lawn mower like deck linkages, levers, body panels, and seat and hood rubber stops need attention as well. Greasing and spraying these parts will help reduce noise in the days to come.
How to get a quieter lawn mower?
Most lawn mowers have absorptive mufflers that are very noisy and very basic in functioning. These mufflers usually come with a spark catcher. It represents the mesh screen that holds the sparks that go out from the engine. Absorptive mufflers are fitted to most engines of lawn mowers. These mufflers make slight restrictions to the gas flow. This is why the noise is huge when it comes to these mowers.
The other type of muffler is a reflective muffler or resonator. These mufflers use clever engineering to reduce the noise and push the sound waves through the baffles in the chambers where the noise is reduced. The bad side of these mufflers is the flow restriction of the gases, which creates the back pressure. As a result, the engine's performance is reduced.
Usually, the vibrations that come from engines and blades produce large consequences to the overall mower quality. Over time, the mower parts become more sensitive to these vibrations, and your mower starts to have problems. If you want to prevent the mower's loudness, it is good to have frequent checkouts and spraying methods. This will prevent the mower from having a loud sound, and your mower will be more efficient in the long run.
The easiest alternative for a quiet lawn mower is getting an battery powered mower. Check out our reviews on electric zero turns and electric push mowers.
Wrapping It Up
We hope we answered the question “why are lawn mowers so loud?” Let us know in the comments how you prevent the mower's loudness!
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