How loud is a tractor pull?
At a Wisconsin tractor pull, the average level during pulls was 108.6 dBA in the front viewing area and 99.7 dBA in the grandstand. The loudest readings reached 125 dBA at the front and 122.2 dBA in the grandstand.
- Level
- 99.7–108.6 dBAA-weighted sound level
- Daily limit
- 2 min 3 s a dayNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 14,622× energyabout 17.9× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Average levels during pulls at the 2016 Tomah Tractor Pull, Wisconsin, measured with a 3M sound level meter, slow response, A-weighted. Peak readings reached 122.2 dBA in the grandstand and 125 dBA in the front viewing area.
Researchers running a hearing loss prevention programme at the Tomah Tractor Pull measured sound levels with a slow-response, A-weighted sound level meter in 2016. During pulls the front viewing area averaged 108.6 dBA with a peak of 125 dBA, and the grandstand averaged 99.7 dBA with a peak of 122.2 dBA. Between pulls the front area dropped to an average of 80.9 dBA.
In the puller area, where machines are warmed up, engines averaged 103.8 dBA with a peak of 112 dBA. In 2015 a light tractor division reached 128 dBA in the front viewing area.
How long is safe?
NIOSH recommends no more than 2 min 3 s a day at 108.6 dBA (16 min at 99.7). OSHA's legal limit is 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.7 dBA | 16 min | 2 h 5 min | 5 min 9 s | 16 min |
| 108.6 dBA | 2 min 3 s | 36 min | 40 s | 2 min 6 s |
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.
Children
Children should wear earmuffs; front viewing areas averaged 108.6 dBA during pulls.
Protecting your hearing
Wear earplugs or earmuffs during pulls, and sit in the grandstand rather than at the front if you can; it averaged about 9 dB lower.
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).
- Drum kit (93.4–109.9 dBA): this has about 1.8× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Marching band (91.2–112.3 dBA): this has about 1.7× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Tank (moving) (96–117 dBA): it has about 1.7× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Piccolo (96–118 dBA): it has about 1.9× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 14,622× its energy and sounds about 17.9× as loud.
Questions
How loud is a tractor pull?
During pulls the front viewing area averaged 108.6 dBA and the grandstand 99.7 dBA, with peaks of 125 and 122.2 dBA.
Is it quieter in the grandstand?
Yes, by about 9 dB on average during pulls (99.7 versus 108.6 dBA).
Sources
- A Hearing Loss Prevention Outreach Program for Farmers and Motorsports Enthusiasts, Seminars in Hearing (2017). Supports: dB_high 108.6 dBA; peak 125.
During pulls, the average sound level in the front viewing area was 108.6 dBA, and the peak sound level was 125 dBA.
Checked 2026-11-03. - A Hearing Loss Prevention Outreach Program for Farmers and Motorsports Enthusiasts, Seminars in Hearing (2017). Supports: dB_low 99.7 dBA; peak 122.2.
During pulls, the average sound level in the grandstand was 99.7 dBA, and the peak sound level was 122.2 dBA.
Checked 2026-11-03. - A Hearing Loss Prevention Outreach Program for Farmers and Motorsports Enthusiasts, Seminars in Hearing (2017). Supports: between pulls 80.9 dBA.
In the front viewing area, the average ambient noise level was 80.9 dBA, and the peak ambient noise level was 87 dBA.
Checked 2026-11-03. - A Hearing Loss Prevention Outreach Program for Farmers and Motorsports Enthusiasts, Seminars in Hearing (2017). Supports: warm-up 103.8 dBA.
In the puller area during motor warm-up, the average sound level was 103.8 dBA, and the peak sound level was 112 dBA.
Checked 2026-11-03. - A Hearing Loss Prevention Outreach Program for Farmers and Motorsports Enthusiasts, Seminars in Hearing (2017). Supports: 128 dBA in 2015.
In 2015, the peak sound level in the light tractor division was 128 dBA in the front viewing area.
Checked 2026-11-03. - A Hearing Loss Prevention Outreach Program for Farmers and Motorsports Enthusiasts, Seminars in Hearing (2017). Supports: method.
sound level measurements were conducted using a 3M sound level meter using slow-response dBA weighting
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.