# What muffler maximum quietness.



## Dix (May 8, 2019)

I have a Ford 3000 with a round muffller. Standard tractor type, not a cherry bomb. I was wondering if I replaced it with one with an oval cross section, would that make it quieter. Also thought of adding a smaller muffler above the current one. My tractor isn't any louder than others, but even though I wear headphones the sound gets to me after a while and I would like to protect my hearing as much as possible. Any thoughts /recommendations would be appreciated.


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## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

You need to look at the height of a double stack muffler. A better option may be to extend the pipe end up and away with s 45 deg arrangement. Also, try using a set of the soft foam ear plugs. Under the head phones. Makesba world of difference.


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## Dix (May 8, 2019)

I have tried using ear plugs with the headphones, but the type of headphones I use have a radio in them and with the earplugs in I can't hear it. So, I thought making the tractor quieter would be the way to go.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

Dix said:


> I have tried using ear plugs with the headphones, but the type of headphones I use have a radio in them and with the earplugs in I can't hear it. So, I thought making the tractor quieter would be the way to go.


Dix,

I looked at a Ford 3000 back in 2013, but it too ran loud and was in poor shape. So, I passed on it. The front axle from what I was told is weak for this type of tractor. There are options to beef it up or swap another Ford 1000 series front axle onto it.

Does your Ford 3000 have the 2 speed PTO? If so, are the PTO speeds for the machines variable with engine speed? If it is variable based on engine speed, is it possible to run the tractor at a lower speed and have the 1,000rpm PTO actually spin around 500rpm instead? This may help your ears too!

My Yanmar (aka John Deere like JD850) has the multi-speed PTO with variable output as it's tied to the engine speed. I love this ability. I can run the tractor at an easy 1400rpm and still have a selector to reach the 500 to 540 PTO RPMs as needed. Sure beats running the machine at 2600rpms just to run the PTO.

Ed is correct, an exhaust pipe that is higher than your head by another 2FT would really lower the dBa of exhaust noise. See this Ford example.










IF you want a better muffler, you will need to look at on-road trucking. Donaldson has these 3 offerings that are very much the same cylinder shape like our tractors. The Better and Best are the ideal ones to have. The Good is the same aftermarket junk on the market no matter who offers it for our tractors.


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## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

If yo.u are really ambitious, you can go the old route and run the exhaust down and under the tractor to exit out the rear past the axle. Will result in a substantial noise reduction


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

I guess the muffler noise is dominant on a gas tractor, but I find the 1000-series diesels (specially the 3-cylinders) so noisy from the engine (the sharp knocking), that a muffler modification would not make any difference.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

Hacke said:


> I guess the muffler noise is dominant on a gas tractor, but I find the 1000-series diesels (specially the 3-cylinders) so noisy from the engine (the sharp knocking), that a muffler modification would not make any difference.


My neighbor has the Ford (Shibaura) 1500 2-cly diesel. It's loud. I can hear it easy at over 2,000FT away. He can't hear my Yanmar though, unless I'm up at the road mowing. 

Wonder if the Donaldson mufflers would help any.


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## GreenerDays (Apr 3, 2020)

Don't take my amateur advise for anything near of a doctor's - and possibly not advised but in a 12" x 6 x 6 muffler I have recently inserted 3 pads of stainless steel wool scowering pads stretched out (thicker strains - and make sure it's stainless steel) into the opening and it quieted it down significantly. 
Seems like not enough to effect back pressure, engine performance seems the same and a nice db drop. But yeah also go with the up and away option.
PS - your choice but I wouldn't play the radio while driving. might strain your hearing. good luck.


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