How loud is a petrol lawn mower?
Petrol push mowers measured 85.5 to 92.4 dBA and riding mowers 88.2 to 95.9 dBA at full throttle near the operator in a study of university groundskeepers. Fuel mowers averaged 91.4 dBA over real tasks in a 2025 landscaping study, and ASHA's chart lists a gas mower at 91 dBA.
- Level
- 85.5–95.9 dBAA-weighted sound level
- Daily limit
- 39 min a dayNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 661× energyabout 7.1× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Maximum levels at full throttle measured near the operator for push and riding mowers (85.5 to 95.9 dBA); mean task exposure for fuel mowers (91.4 dBA, mostly riding mowers); ASHA chart 91 dBA for a gas mower.
All eight riding mowers in the groundskeeper study exceeded 85 dBA, and riding-mower use was associated with high full-shift exposures. A NIOSH Science Blog summary of that work gives push mowers as 86 to 92 dBA and riding mowers as 88 to 96 dBA. The two commercial push mowers measured were a Toro 21-inch at 85.5 dBA and an Exmark 30-inch at 92.4 dBA.
In the 2025 field study, fuel-powered mowers, mostly riding mowers, had a mean task exposure of 91.4 dBA across 69 measurements.
How long is safe?
NIOSH recommends no more than 39 min a day at 95.9 dBA (7 h 8 min at 85.5). OSHA's legal limit is 3 h 32 min.
| Level | NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule) | OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule) | UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after | UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.5 dBA | 7 h 8 min | No limit | 2 h 15 min | 7 h 8 min |
| 95.9 dBA | 39 min | 3 h 32 min | 12 min | 39 min |
Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.
Protecting your hearing
Wear earmuffs or plugs when mowing with a petrol mower, especially a ride-on used for hours. A quieter model or a battery mower (about 82 dBA in one study) lowers exposure; short mowing sessions help.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Compared with sounds nearby
Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).
- Hammer drill (86–89 dBA): this has about 2.1× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Jet take-off (76.8–100.5 dBA max): this has about 1.6× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Spin class (88–97.5 dBA): it has about 1.6× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Loudest snore (world record) (93 dBA max): it has about 1.7× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 661× its energy and sounds about 7.1× as loud.
Questions
How many decibels is a lawn mower?
Petrol push mowers measured 85.5 to 92.4 dBA and riding mowers 88.2 to 95.9 dBA at full throttle near the operator.
Should I wear ear defenders to mow the lawn?
With a petrol mower, yes for anything but very short jobs: fuel mowers averaged 91.4 dBA over real mowing tasks.
Sources
- Assessment of Occupational Noise Exposure among Groundskeepers in North Carolina Public Universities, Environmental Health Insights (2016), open access via PMC. Supports: dB_low: push mower 85.5 dBA.
Toro Commercial 21″ 85.5
Checked 2026-11-03. - Assessment of Occupational Noise Exposure among Groundskeepers in North Carolina Public Universities, Environmental Health Insights (2016), open access via PMC. Supports: push mower 92.4 dBA.
Exmark Commercial 30″ 92.4
Checked 2026-11-03. - Assessment of Occupational Noise Exposure among Groundskeepers in North Carolina Public Universities, Environmental Health Insights (2016), open access via PMC. Supports: dB_high: riding mower 95.9 dBA.
All eight riding mowers have measured SPLs >85 dBA (88.2–95.9 dBA).
Checked 2026-11-03. - Assessment of Occupational Noise Exposure among Groundskeepers in North Carolina Public Universities, Environmental Health Insights (2016), open access via PMC. Supports: body: riding mowers and exposure.
Riding mower use was associated with high TWA noise exposures
Checked 2026-11-03. - Grounds for Change: Reducing Noise Exposure in Grounds Management Professionals - Part 1, NIOSH Science Blog, CDC (archived copy). Supports: body: push mower 86-92 dBA.
Push Mower 86-92
Checked 2026-11-03. - Grounds for Change: Reducing Noise Exposure in Grounds Management Professionals - Part 1, NIOSH Science Blog, CDC (archived copy). Supports: body: riding mower 88-96 dBA.
Riding Mower 88-96
Checked 2026-11-03. - Hazardous exposures and engineering controls in the landscaping services industry, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (2025), open access via PMC. Supports: body: fuel mower mean over 91 dBA.
Fuel-powered mowers (gas or diesel), in use at 7 of the 11 worksites, had a mean noise exposure of over 91 dBA ( n = 69).
Checked 2026-11-03. - Loud Noise Dangers (noise chart), asha.org public information page (credited to the Communication Health Support Association). Supports: 91 dBA gas mower.
91 dBA = subway, motorcycle, gas mower
Checked 2026-11-03.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.