Cub Cadet 1046 noise question

[speedbump]

I have owned the 1046 rider for a couple of years now and was wondering if there is anyone out there who has figured out a way to make the mower quieter. I believe that if I did not wear ear protection I would go deaf. Any suggestions? Is there a silencer out there that works for lawn tractors?

[LwnmwnMan2]

Head over to Fleet Farm, Northern Tool, Wal-Mart, Menards and get yourself a set of WorkTunes.

They're a headphone / radio combination. The new ones will be digital tuning with an MP3 adapter.

[john.wells]

Most of the time the most noise created is from the deck when the blades are activated and not the engine. Either way, it always a good idea to wear some hearing protection, even if you do find some way of silencing the equipment. You will thank yourself later in life, just ask anyone who needs hearing aids. I'll jump off of the soapbox now and tell you that there may be some sort of muffler that can help silence your engine, but any practical decibel reduction will require an abnormally large muffler. What kind of blades are you using? A high-lift or mulching type blade will create more vacuum noises. Consider a good standard blade (which has a low pitch at the bend) for normal cutting, while only using the high lift for bagging. Are your belts in good condition? A good quality belt can make a difference in noise. For what it's worth, don't be shy to spend some money for a good belt. Make sure your blades are properly sharpened, too. They don't need a razors edge, on the contrary, a good sharpening job has about a 32nd of an inch edge (it won't dull as quickly with this edge). All of these factors can add up to a lot of noise. For what it is worth, the design of the deck alone can create a ton of noise due to its shape and gage of metal. Hope this helps.

[straydog]

Head over to Fleet Farm, Northern Tool, Wal-Mart, Menards and get yourself a set of WorkTunes.

They're a headphone / radio combination. The new ones will be digital tuning with an MP3 adapter.

I'll second that.