Chain Saw sound level test

[OldJack]

I measured the sound level of my 3 saws today with an old Radio Shack sound level meter. The saws are a Worx 303.1 corded electric, a Stihl MS170 and a Dolmar 5105. Both the gassers are stock and the 5105 has the catalytic muffler. I was cutting on a "sawbuck" standing up with the sound meter on a tripod about a foot to the right and a foot ahead of my right shoulder.

The wood is 6" diameter dry DED (Dutch Elm Disease) Elm which is about the hardest wood you can find around here. I used it because it was handy and slow enough to saw that I had time to read the meter. The sound level could vary almost 5 db A depending on how I held the saw. It was loudest at the start with the saw reved up and held a bit over the far side of the wood. It was reading quieter at the bottom of the cut with the saw held level to keep the chain off the sawbuck and further from the meter.

Results: Worx - about 80 db A
Stihl - about 90 db A
Dolmar - about 100 db A

I cut 5 or 6 cookies with each saw. The Worx chain was chattering which it wasn't doing in softer Manitoba Maple (Box Elder). I think the rakers are a bit too low. It's the standard Oregon S57 91PX chain.

As usual, more research is needed. Suggestions?

 

[idiotwithasaw]

Yeah, they're not loud enuf!!

 

[Brewz]

Open up the mufflers to get better flow.

I would love to know the SPL of my 066.
It is offensively loud with the baffle gone, 3 big open ports and a Vstack + K&N channeling noise from the bottom of the motor as well.

I need ear muffs over ear plugs but she goes like stink

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

So that electric model was in the ballpark of a gas saw which I believe that model isn't the quietest gas saw available. I'm betting there are louder electric saws than the model used in the test.

 

[Brewz]

I would say a better test would be to mount the microphone on your shoulder or chest to get a better base line reading of the noils levels the user is subjected to.

Remember with SPL (sound pressure level) that every increase of 3dB is twice as loud, meaning that the MS170 was actually 3.3 times louder or 330% louder

 

[CR888]

Electric saws can be louder than many would guess. I sure was surprised when I went over a neighbours plug in 240v electric saw......it screamed.

 

[OldJack]

I would say a better test would be to mount the microphone on your shoulder or chest to get a better base line reading of the noils levels the user is subjected to.

Remember with SPL (sound pressure level) that every increase of 3dB is twice as loud, meaning that the MS170 was actually 3.3 times louder or 330% louder

Good idea, except that the sound meter is all one piece and I'll have to think of a way to body mount it and still read the meter. Anyhow, I'll make some more runs when it's convenient and try a few different setups.

 

[LionHo]

Hi...have you had a job hinge on the decibel level of your saw? A winery accepted my quote for a one day carving demo but they're having trouble getting permission from the city. It seems the city want's to know the decibel level of my saws at a distance of 50'. Actually they want them to be 50db at 50' which I believe is BELOW normal speech levels.

pcb assemblies

 

[Dub11]

Hi...have you had a job hinge on the decibel level of your saw? A winery accepted my quote for a one day carving demo but they're having trouble getting permission from the city. It seems the city want's to know the decibel level of my saws at a distance of 50'. Actually they want them to be 50db at 50' which I believe is BELOW normal speech levels.

Yeah that sounds like some BS.

 

[Wilhelm]

I got this little handy thing, can even mount to a camera tripod.
It measures in dBC though.



Nearly complete silence (to the human ear) is anywhere between 30-45dBC (as seen in the picture), car passing at least 30 meters from the house with one window open is 50-65dBC, normal volume speech with the meter held an arm length away to the front 55-75dBC.

I haven't had this thing out for play over a year, might as well start using it again.

 

[Larry B]

I would say a better test would be to mount the microphone on your shoulder or chest to get a better base line reading of the noils levels the user is subjected to.

Remember with SPL (sound pressure level) that every increase of 3dB is twice as loud, meaning that the MS170 was actually 3.3 times louder or 330% louder

Takin all the bolts out just to locktite em?

Actually an increase of 10dB will be twice as loud. It requires twice the energy to get a 3dB increase in sound. Say you have a certain amplifier a sound level at 1 watt of power to get a 3 dB sound level increase you need 2 watts. To get another 3 dB increase you need 4 watts to get 3dB more you need 8 watts and so on. A 3dB SPL increase is just noticeable 6dB increase will be half again as loud and 10dB will be twice as loud. The "A" means A weighted in respect to the fletcher munson equal loudness curves.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equ...sound_level_measurement_and_noise_measurement

Anyway. Hearing protection should always be used with about any small engine OPE

 

[sawfun]

I hear the E30 Stihl is a loud electric saw. My battery Makita saw is pretty quiet. Using Borla & Rewarder mufflers combined as well as helical cut gears in the blower, we were able to get a blown alcohol hemi down to 80 decibels at idle. Off idle was way over 100 though.