Power tools are noisy. They can be unpleasant to listen to at best, and at worst they can lead to permanent hearing loss. My hearing has always been pretty good, and I find loud noises painful, so I always put on hearing protectors before I fire up a table saw, bandsaw, shop vac, router, sander, or any other noisy power tool. While foam plugs have good ratings, reducing the sound by 29 to 32 dB, they take time to insert in the ear canals. Muffs are more convenient to put on a moment before I turn on a machine.For many years I’ve been using AO Safety WorkTunes muffs with a 22 dB noise reduction rating and a built-in AM/FM radio. They have worked well, but they were getting rather beat-up, and I finally got fed up with the painfully loud squeal of the low-battery warning signal.The 3M WorkTunes have been a pleasing upgrade from my old muffs. They have a 24-dB noise reduction rating and comfortable pads that provide a good seal around my ears. The headband has a soft pad at the top; it’s removable, a nice feature if you like to wear a baseball cap and don’t want that button on top pressed against your skull. The left cup houses the two AA batteries that power the unit. There is an optional lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged while installed in the WorkTunes by way of a common micro-USB cable.
Read this article now for Free!
Enter your email address to finish reading this article now.
— OR —
Subscribe now for $29.99 a year! You'll have access to our new issues as they are published, and access to our entire archive of back issues, starting with our inaugural issue in September 2014. Subscribers can also post unlimited classified ads. This is an extraordinary value!
I’ve owned a pair of these for a couple of years. All of the things Mr. Cunningham has said reflect my experiences with them. I would like to add some additional feedback about a few things that could use improvement or things to watch out for.
The large rotating dial that selects stations, etc. is easily bumped when you reach overhead; my shoulder will knock it and change stations or skip through podcasts. This is a bit annoying. My solution was to put some painter’s tape on it. Another minor peeve is that when the battery gets low you are reminded every two or three minutes. In practice, I’ve found I often have an hour or more remaining with a low battery so the persistent warning is a bit alarmist for such a low-stakes concern.
Finally, small parts come off this thing right away. The small foam piece at the top center of the headband popped right out and doesn’t like to stay put. Might be a boon if you wear a ball cap because the small button on your hat gets pushed into your head by it. The little rubber plug that covers the USB port fell right out and is god knows where. Probably deep in the bowels of my dust-collection system. The wire that connects the two speakers has pulled out of its strain relief grommet and the two strands are exposed. Just a matter of time before they are damaged.
Despite those deficiencies, which I think are objectionable on a $70 pair of headphones, my overall experience with the has been positive, especially since they drown out the numerous radios playing different stations on the jobsite where I work.