Need a favor from a GG6 owner that has a decibel meter app

[Coach Steve]

Sorry for the delayed replies.
I didn't realize the site was still having issues with notifications of new responses.

My reading was 89-90db from 6" on speed 6 so I guess, it was just my imagination playing tricks on me about the increased sound. If nothing else, maybe this thread will be helpful for others who have the same concerns about the loudness of their machines.

Thanks to everyone who replied. It's encouraging to hear that the level of sound is consistent across the board. I'll just have to get used to wearing ear plugs when I'm using it.

The bummer about it is that I live in Arizona and I switch to working nights in early May. The longer vehicles and taller profile trucks don't fit in my garage but it wasn't a problem because I could work outside when needed because my other DA's were quiet enough that it didn't matter. I love the power of the GG6 just wish it would have been engineered to be quieter.

Thanks again!

[DaveT435]

If the HF is like a Prius, my GG6 sounds like a Chevy 427 with no exhaust system. seriously, it's loud enouggh that I wear ear plugs when I'm using it. The thing is, it wasn't this loud when I first started using it about 6 mos. ago. There wasn't a gradual increase in sound. It was like one day it was what I considered to be appropriate for the power it has and the next time I used it it was noticeably louder. Nothing has changed performance-wise. The thing that concerns me is most of the noise is coming from the gears rather than the electric motor.
I'll shoot a quick video and upload it so others can understand what I mean by the gears making most of the noise.

You might try changing the grease. Eldorado did you change the grease in the HF unit? I know that was a recommended mod for that machine.

[Eldorado2k]

You might try changing the grease. Eldorado did you change the grease in the HF unit? I know that was a recommended mod for that machine.

Nope, I planned to do it once, but I ended up stripping all the screws trying to get it open.. Probably better off because with my luck I would've messed something up. Lol

Thing runs perfect though. I love that polisher.


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[Desertnate]

I've always worn hearing protection when running my DA's and now it seems that step is justified based on what has been found here. I can't imagine my HF DA being much quieter, especially when working in an enclosed garage.

Isn't 85dB the point where hearing damage can start to occur?

[kevincwelch]

Isn't 85dB the point where hearing damage can start to occur?

It depends on many factors. There are genetic predispositions. There are other occupational and noise exposures. There are times and duration of other noise exposures. Many factors, including age.

However, I will say this. This is based on our own research and is part of OSHA guidelines.

At 90dB, an employer is recommended to expose an employee to no more than 8 hours of noise at this level and develop a monitoring program. I recommend that anyone who does this full time assess the emissions of their instrumentation (polishers, compressors, impact wrenches, etc.). Minimizing noise exposure with breaks and with use of PPE (personal protection equipment) is advised -- either around-the-ear protection or intra-aural protection (ear buds).

Ear PPE does have a rating system. Each type of device has a noise reduction rating. For example, a simple foam ear plug may have a NRR of 22 dB. This does not mean that your exposure is reduced by 22 dB. There actually is a formula (NRR-7)/2. So, that 22 dB NRR plug actually brings your exposure down by only by 7.5 dB. The higher the NRR, the more protection. You can increase your protection by wearing ear buds/plugs/inserts and by wearing over the ear protection and you get a calculated sum of the total protection, but again, it's formula-based, but oddly not one that you would predict. An ear plug with a rating of 22 and a ear muff with a rating of 15 doesn't give you a total NRR of 37. Instead, it is 27 (22+5).

So, PPE is always a good idea when using the polishers and compressors. I'd recommend ear plugs with a high NRR. For example, these ear plugs have a NRR of 32, which is pretty good. You can improve your protection by wearing some high NRR ear muffs as well.

I also notice that a lot of you in videos have music blasting and/or wear head buds (presumably listening to music). You have to be careful, because the audio buds may cancel some air/conductive sound pressure, but not bone conduction sound pressure. Also, many people have the volume up too loud anyway when listening to music.

Hearing loss is a disease of age and time, but younger people are experiencing it more and more prematurely.

EDIT: AG also sells NRR 30 dB plugs -- good rating.

[FlyinLow]

Hear, hear! ( literally!)
Dealing with USMC hearing conservation program for long time, have to remember that this thought process should apply to everything we do. Kevin, thank you so much for an excellent posting.

[Desertnate]

Thank you, Kevin. I always wear ear plugs when polishing or mowing the lawn. However, I always just grabbed whatever cheap plugs I could find at the hardware store. Now I'll pay a little more attention.

[Coach Steve]

Yeah, the GG6 is definitely a beast and a loud one at that. I guess I was just so used to my HF DA's and my 7424XP and even my Ryobi rotary being so quiet that I just kinda figured all of them were on the quieter side. The thing that's sorta strange is that there isn't a whole lot more vibration you'd expect to have with the increased amperage of the GG6.

Someone mentioned replacing the grease in the HF DA...
I've done all the mods to both of my HF's and then some and I agree, I can't imagine it being any quieter. The trade-off there though is that it's only so many amps (can't remember at the moment) and it can only do so much. The cutting power of the GG6 is insane! The cutting abilities of a yellow LC pad are increased exponentially when driven by the GG6 compared to the HF. And forget about any kind of performance if you've got a 6" Buff n Shine MF pad on the HF. It might be turning but it's not doing anything BUT turning. LOL!

Ear protection is always a good idea, absolutely. The task I absolutely won't do without my ear buds in is blowing a vehicle after washing. It's not the blower motor, it's the super shrill noise that is created when you hit a crevice or a valley. It creates a very loud deafening whistle that comes without warning and having experienced it enough times to know, I can tell you that it physically hurts when it happens.

When I first started out I was younger, much younger, and like most 20-something's, I thought I was bullet-proof. Eye and ear protection was for sissy's (sissies...?) !! Now that I'm 50 I'm wiser (hopefully, much wiser) and I don't take any chances. I take PPE pretty seriously but perhaps not serious enough. I don't wear a back brace, although I probably should given the amount of time I spend bent over and/or compromising my back muscles. I do have a hot tub though and there are some days that I don't know what I'd do without it.
I never use to wear knee pads but since I started wearing them, my knee caps thank me! LOL!
It's seriously a wonder we don't hear more horror stories of fellow detailers having "trench foot" or some other wet-foot related disease. I honestly don't know how you guys in the colder states... (Okay, that's pretty much ALL of them compared to Arizona...) deal with wet feet and wet hands when it's cold outside. It was 91° here today. I actually turned on the AC in the garage this afternoon!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread. Lots of good info to take away from here.

Coach

[Ceerokz]

lol I wear knee pads too. I hope I'm not the only one here that wear rubber boots when washing cars.

[kevincwelch]

lol I wear knee pads too. I hope I'm not the only one here that wear rubber boots when washing cars.

Don't wear any knee pads, but foam pads sure are strewn about the place for when I'm kneeling down!