Customer Reviews

Peltor WorkTunes AM/FM Radio Headset with 22 dB Reduction Hearing Protector #90545

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I originally became interested in these ear muffs for my wood shop after seeing nearly every landscaper in the world wearing them. Pros - Excellent noise protection, good sound, very comfortable, easy to use, great battery life, good construction. Cons - No markings on radio dial, reception could be a tad bit better.

As for the cons, the lack of markings actually isn't that big of a deal after a few minutes of use. You simply start at one end of the dial and finding your favorite stations becomes easy. I quickly developed a feel for how far to turn the dial to my favorite AM or FM stations. Another reviewer mentioned that these muffs don't receive FM stereo. They certainly do, but only if the station is strong enough and tuned in.

My other ear protection setup is a Sangean AM/FM/TV/Weather pocket radio or a scanner, and a $... set of professional grade David Clark earmuffs with speakers. Keeping in mind that this is about a $... setup, I still prefer the DC muffs for race tracks. However, the cord can get in the way while working in the shop or in the yard, and the radio needs to go somewhere. The Peltor does an excellent job, considering it's 1/3 of the price. As for blocking external noise, the Peltor muffs are as good as the David Clark units.

Overall this unit is comfortable enough for all-day use, I now wear them while mowing and snowblowing, as well as in the shop. I am happy enough with mine that I bought a pair for my father-in law. Over the six months I've had mine, they've been dropped, wet, frozen and heated, and they have held up well. We use non-radio equipped Peltor muffs where I work, they have proven to be very durable over the years.

This would seem like an easy thing to make....
This unit was feable straight from the box only one side/speaker worked the other was about 1/4 the volume and there's no balance adjustment.
It didn't pull in FM stations as well as my other radios
The company web site is lacking and support is canned i.e. go visit a dealer for info.
Wait until someone builds a better one.
Or use small earbud phones w/an iPod or whatever and wear a regular headset over it to keep out the noise.
I returned the one I bought.

They say that the best hearing protector is the one that you wear. This is a wearable hearing protector. It really does cut the sound down 25dB and the radio works fine. In fact, the radio has better selectivity and sound than does a Sony headset radio (without hearing protection) that I bought a few years ago. At least as important, the thing is comfortable.

I use it while mowing and running a very noisy chipper-shredder. Being able to listen to Click and Clack makes the job much more tolerable. My only complaint is that after after an hour or so your ears get hot, sweaty, and itchy. But there's no way out of that problem with a hearing protector that works by forming a nearly airtight seal around your ears. Some day when I'm rich I'll by a more comfortable, noise cancelling headset but for now they cost a lot more than $...

I use many power tools around the house, therefore am always looking for convenient hearing protection. I saw these on sale & decided to try them. Like another reviewer experienced, I opened the box and observed a detached earmuff cover. It is a simple cover with 3 clips and retains a generous piece of foam. I carefully re-secured the cover and it has stayed in place. I use the headset with power blowers, vacuums, mowers, chainsaws, etc, and really enjoy them! They do a good job of silencing the noise, they are comfortable for hours at a time, and the audio quality is very good. I find myself using them when I am not using power tools as well! I would like to see a digital tuner on them, but then they would probably be too expensive. They don't have a tuner dial either, probably for cost control, so I just marked my favorite stations on the knob & backplate with a paintstick. Overall, I really like them and recommend them to friends and family.

I am a residential builder working solo. My problem is that the construction site had become an isolated cultural vacuum. I see walkers/joggers with light weight headsets but could not find them in retail. I have tried standard headphones but the tether is not appropriate for a work environment. I recently got the AOSafety labeled Pelter Worktunes (Model 22, not 90545). This definitely solves the original problem and makes the day much more enjoyable. The phones are reasonably light weight and seem to be constructed well of durable materials. Audio level does not crank up very loud, but is acceptable and safe. Other observation is that, since they are worn continuously, sweat and heat is a slight problem. My negative impression is with the tuning. I am amazed that we can still buy a radio with analog tuning control. This is sensitive and imprecise. Please give me an up/down button to lock in the stations. And one picky point...it isn't clear which side is left and right. Even the merchandising photos aren't consistent. My overall impression is positive. The product is a worthwhile purchase.

I have owned this Pelto AM/FM WorkTunes for about two years now. Here's my experiences.

PROS:
I use NiMH AA batteries (I highly rcommend the Power 2000 NiHM AA, which is sold by J&R Music), which last a looooong time, and I find the headset very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. And it does a good job of reducing noise levels. I still grab them whenever I need to do any job that's noisy (lawn mower, circular saw, leaf blower, etc.).

CONS:
These cons are more like minor complaints.

The volume and tuning knobs are too similar in size, shape and location - both on the left ear muff - for new owners not to get them mixed up. It takes lots of trial-and-error before you learn which is which. The volume knob is slightly smaller and located below the tuning knob. And they stick straight out from the earmuffs to the sides, so if I happen to turn my head and bang them against something I find that I have suddenly changed the volume or frequency.

I do agree with other posters that the reception could be better - I sometimes lose reception simply by bending over or tilting my head, although I find that poor reception often is caused by weak batteries. I had a problem with the power switch not working, and I took it apart to find that a small piece of metal in the power button had worked loose - maybe from the last time I dropped the unit. I was able to repair it with a dab of silicone rubber and haven't had any problems since.

As I've been getting older, now 36, I am beginning to notice that noises bother the heck out of me more. This year the noise of my riding lawnmower was driving me insane as allergies are extremely bad this year as well. I asked my wife to buy this for me for father's day. It works great, I no longer am bothered by the noise of the riding mower or push mower. The only complaint is that the tuning knob is to small and that it is hard to fine tune in a station. Also, once a station is tuned in, it gradually fades out, and you have to retune. But this is better than nothing. And hopefully, I am saving my hearing with its usage.

These hearing protectors work well at noise reduction, but the radio is awful. It is very difficult to turn on the radio. Once you get it to turn on the reception is terrible. Local radio stations fade in and out while walking around my shop. The unit is useless when mowing the yard; I could only receive one radio station. In the same application my Sony Walkman works well. My solution to listening to the radio while mowing was to use ear buds with my Walkman radio under my regular hearing protectors. I thought this unit would eliminate the cords and "what to do with the Walkman unit". I never did get the unit to switch from FM to AM and back. I'll be donating these to Goodwill.

Hi,
I received these last christmas as a gift, and usually do not write reviews on products, but these headphones are AWESOME!
I do all kinds of yardwork and it blocks out ALL the noise that is there but still lets you comfortable listen to AM/FM radio!
I actually do MORE yardwork than I ever did before becuase of these suckers, and it also blocks out noise from your nagging wife and child when you are doing work inside and just want to not hear anything...
Great for landlords.. Sorry tenants, Can't hear you, Im listening to Michael Savage baby!

Great product!

I had high hopes for this product. I read the negative reviews and, I don't know, hoped the people writing them were wrong - deliberately deceiving us?

In truth, they hit the mark. The hearing protectors proper, as you might imagine with Peltor, are great. The FM radio circuit is bad. Really bad. Signal reception is poor (and I'm in an urban area) despite multiple locations tested. The tuning wheel is very sensitive - it takes very little (a good sneeze?) to lose your station, if you could ever find it in the first place. Sometimes the signal will be lost and a good smack to the ear that houses the circuit is necessary to tune it back in.

And don't even THINK about trying to pickup an FM modulated signal such as one from a portable satellite receiver. With distances of only 15 feet it is unworkable (turn your head and the signal's gone).

In practice, I use these as passive hearing protectors - with the radio turned OFF. Occasionally, if I'm willing to entertain the static and crosstalk from other stations, I'll tune in NPR for a short time.

Peltor was unresponsive to my complaint about this unit.

Resist the urge, and invest in something that's well made if/when it finally comes to market.