Alternatives to the Trend Airshield Pro

[Dan Case LR]

I'm seriously considering a combination PAPR/IP faceshield like the Trend Airshield Pro. However, there are a few things about the Trend I find difficult to stomach. Are there any other viable options at a comparable price point?

There's one unit I've found that's particularly interesting, the Axminster APF10, made in the UK by JSP Ltd:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-apf-10-evolution-powered-respirator-101809

JSP sells it as the Powercap:

https://www.jsp.co.uk/link/en/respiratory-protection/powercap-powered-air-respirator/powercap-powered-air-units/a/?parm=NOM041%20%20%20%20%20aeadac&cat=JSP


There's a lot to like about these. It's lighter than the Trend, uses Lithium Ion batteries and comes with a smart charger. The downside is that as far as I can tell, they're only available from the UK. I buy electronic parts from Europe all the time and I've got no problem buying from Axminster, but supplies and support can get messy when there's no US-based presence. Anyone know of a source in North America?

I've looked at the 3M PAPR units, but they're more than I can afford. And I'd really prefer something self-contained.

Suggestions, anyone?

Thanks!

D.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

There is the 3-M system though as with most 3-M products the quality is high and so is the price. http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/3m-airstream-papr-powered-respirator.html

[Roger Chandler]

I like the looks of the Powercap you linked to.....I wonder however, since it comes from the UK, how pricey and how convenient getting repacement filters would be?

[John Grace]

Depending on your personal comfort level, consider posting a 'looking to buy' message on the classifieds here. That's where I found mine for about 60% of new and haven't had a problem with it though I did buy a Tencharger 'smart charger' on-line for about $8 or so. I've seen others post asking for one and it seems there's almost always one available from someone who doesn't care for the weight, moving on from turning, or knows someone etc. Either way, whichever of the 'powered' systems you go with you'll be glad you did. I used a very high end paper respirator and face shield for a couple of years but couldn't believe the difference in air quality once I got my Trend. Took a bit of fiddling to get it seated on my noggin correctly but it has definitely been worth it. Good luck...

[Dwight Rutherford]

Products made for use in England are run on 230 volts ,wouldn't this be problamitic for use in the US?

[Mike Furness]

How about this one from Axminster?
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-apf-10-evolution-powered-respirator-101809

[Dan Case LR]

How about this one from Axminster?
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-apf-10-evolution-powered-respirator-101809


That's the same one I mentioned in the original post.

D.

[Dan Case LR]

Products made for use in England are run on 230 volts ,wouldn't this be problamitic for use in the US?

The JSP/Axminster unit comes with an international power supply with interchangeable plugs. Just snap off the UK plug, snap on the US plug, and you're good-to-go.

D.

[Dan Case LR]

I like the looks of the Powercap you linked to.....I wonder however, since it comes from the UK, how pricey and how convenient getting repacement filters would be?


I received a quote from Axminster overnight. My quote request included:

1 AFP-10 Evolution Powered Respirator
1 Spares Pack (one pair of filter cartridges, ten prefilter pads, 10 peel-off visor overlays)
1 pack of 10 prefilter pads

Including shipping to Arkansas, at today's exchange rate the total quote is $348.62. Not bad at all!

As far as replacement filters go, it's likely that there's a filter cartridge available in the US that will fit--it uses a pretty standard looking turn-lock style. The prefilter pads look very standard, and that's the part you need to change most often. Worst case is ordering from Axminster periodically, and their prices are quite good for this unit's supplies compared to the Trend Airshield Pro. The filters, for example, are about half the price of the Trend replacements.

D.

[David Delo]

If my arithmetic is correct, looks like the shipping charge was 42 bucks & change. Maybe that's good but sounds a little bit high to me. If I was in the market, sounds like a good alternative. Only downside I see is a replacement or extra battery is $110.00 at current exchange rates.

[Roger Chandler]

Dan, when/if you get this Powercap PAPR, how about posting a review for us. I use the Trend Airshield Pro, and like it pretty good, and have gotten a smart charger rigged up for the batteries. I do find the replacement filters a bit pricey, but we only get one pair of lungs, so.......

I am interested in your perceptions, especially the comfort over time, the amount of air flow, and I do like the idea of Lithium Ion batteries instead of Ni-cad.

[Dan Case LR]

If my arithmetic is correct, looks like the shipping charge was 42 bucks & change. Maybe that's good but sounds a little bit high to me. If I was in the market, sounds like a good alternative. Only downside I see is a replacement or extra battery is $110.00 at current exchange rates.

The shipping is definitely not a bargain, but when you consider that it's shipping via air from the UK, it's not outrageous. I've done enough international shipping that I didn't flinch. If you look at the overall price, it's not a bad deal compared with other options. That said, I wish there were a distributor on our side of the pond.

The battery is actually a little less expensive, $92.18 according to Axminster's site when using USD as the currency selection. That's not cheap, but not horribly out of line with comparable (custom) Lithium Ion batteries. That said, I'm not thinking of buying a spare up front. With a smart charger, you can leave the thing on the charger indefinitely without damage, so the only serious need for a second battery is if you're turning for over 8 hours at a time--which I'm not.

D.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Looking at the Axminster one, I find it rather expensive, also the pre filters and filters as they are a consumable that keeps coming back, didn’t see a overlay for the shield.

Then one thing that I don’t like of the way it is laid out is the air intake right up front where there is more dust and wood particles than in the back where the intake is on my Trend Pro, I don’t think I would trade that one for the axminster one, just IMO.

[John K Jordan]

Suggestions, anyone?


Dan,

My suggestion is a little lower tech. I have a Trend but don't use it much. Instead, for sanding I reach for one of these 3M respirators, depending on whether I want the eye protection. The full face respirator uses the same pink P100 particulate filters as show on the 1/2 face model (or any other cartridge filters as desired).

348476 348477

I keep 4 or five of the 1/2 face models and two of the full face models. The filters are extremely good in removing fine dust. The full face model keeps dust out of the eyes. I don't know the impact rating, but it certainly looks sturdier than the Trend to me. As a bonus, it is great when I need to spray chemicals at the farm (with the appropriate cartridges) The 1/2 face model can be worn under a normal face shield. Light weight, easy to put on/off. I also use one when unloading and stacking hay.

JKJ

[Dan Case LR]

Looking at the Axminster one, I find it rather expensive, also the pre filters and filters as they are a consumable that keeps coming back, didn’t see a overlay for the shield.

Then one thing that I don’t like of the way it is laid out is the air intake right up front where there is more dust and wood particles than in the back where the intake is on my Trend Pro, I don’t think I would trade that one for the axminster one, just IMO.

Both have definite pros and cons.

The Axminster is substantially less than the Trend. Both units consume filters--have you priced a set of Trend filters? And Axminster does have a shield overlay.

I can see your point about the difference in air intake between the two. One big difference is that the Axminster only weighs 1.5 pounds, vs 2.2 pounds fro the Airshield Pro. Moving the motor and filters farther back would mess up the balance and require more weight added to the front to compensate.

An interesting note about filters: Trend uses a pair of mini-bag filters as the sole filtering element. Axminster's use of a more traditional filter with a prefilter is more efficient, and the pre-filter saves the more expensive main filter from dealing with larger particles. Those prefilters are fairly cheap, and can be cleaned and reused several times. That, and you're not locked into a single source for the prefilters.

There's a lot to like about both models. Frankly, if Trend announced today that they were upgrading to a Li-ion battery and smart charger, I'd likely buy the Airshield Pro just to bypass the potential hassle of dealing exclusively with overseas vendors. As it is, I'm still on the fence.

D.

[Robert Edington]

Amen, JKJ
I don't understand why folks buy electric respirators. Then they have to replace the batteries, charge them, and pay twice the price. I use the 3M full face you pictured. I think the model is 6800. It works perfectly. It way cheaper and has the same impact protection. The mask floats on your face and the seals are impact absorbing. Glasses are no problem under it. You can get P95 prefilters and you never really have to change the cartridges. It breathes easy. Cleans up with soap and water. I make my own faceshield protectors which stay on with scotch tape. I had my first one for 10 years. I just got a new one. The only thing wrong with the original was the headgear strap broke. For $120 you have all you need. I've been hit in the head twice by something off the lathe. The mask absorbed it and there was no damage to me or the mask.
RP

[Robert Edington]

I forgot to mention you can get prefilters and cartridges at Lowes. I looked on eBay. There are many there.
RP

[Ronald Blue]

The Trend Airshield Pro is $365 on Amazon Prime. That's only slightly more.

[Dan Case LR]

The Trend Airshield Pro is $365 on Amazon Prime. That's only slightly more.



However, the quoted price of the Axminster APF-10 includes extra supplies. The APF-10 alone (including shipping from the UK) is $300.74.

D.

[Ralph Lindberg]

The shipping is definitely not a bargain, but when you consider that it's shipping via air from the UK, it's not outrageous. I've done enough international shipping that I didn't flinch. If you look at the overall price, it's not a bad deal compared with other options. That said, I wish there were a distributor on our side of the pond.

..

D.

With the elimination of "surface" mail between the US and UK, air shipment is about the only option. It used to be that being items from Craft-Supplies UK was not too painful. But now the shipping is, painful.

[Ronald Blue]

It's totally your choice. I might point out that hearing protection can be incorporated into the Trend. I like my Airshield pro just fine.

[Dan Case LR]

FWIW, the Axminster has hearing protection available, too.

D.

[Mike Furness]

Sorry Dan never paid attention to the link. One of the members of our turning club bought one of these. He hasn't had a chance to use it yet. Seen it on the weekend when he brought it to the meeting. Looks like a nice unit.

[Dan Case LR]

Sorry Dan never paid attention to the link. One of the members of our turning club bought one of these. He hasn't had a chance to use it yet. Seen it on the weekend when he brought it to the meeting. Looks like a nice unit.


Did he buy it from Axminster in the UK, or did he find it somewhere else?

D.

[Ronald Blue]

But not incorporated into it.

[Dan Case LR]

Well, this is halfway embarrassing and the whole way annoying. After all this, the Axminster APF-10 Evolution is off-the-table.

After reading all the fine print in the quote, I had a couple of questions for Axminster. One question was never answered. The answer to the second was the deal-breaker.

The first question is: what's the quoted delivery time for this carrier? (Seems like a reasonable answer to me). I couldn't get an answer from Axminster on this simple query.

The second question is a little more complicated. The quote states: "Our carrier offers a DAP (Delivery At Place) service which means ALL duties and taxes, including admin fees, are payable by the receiver." That's pretty standard stuff for overseas shipments that need to clear US customs upon entry; the receiver (recipient) of the shipment is responsible for any duty or taxes charged upon entry, and most importers either have personnel at the port of entry or hire someone to represent them and get the shipment through customs. That would be the "admin fees" mentioned above. Again, pretty standard stuff.

In the case of shipments that clearly have no duties or taxes due, there are simplified processes designed to keep things moving. Most carriers have systems in place to handle those cases, such as the Polish company I've purchased electronic parts from several times. Those parts are not subject to duty, the carrier handles everything very efficiently, and flat-rate shipping to my door is $9.95 (USD).

The question I asked about this was: "In the case where there is clearly no duty or tax due, there is no admin fee -- correct?"

The answer was that yes, there would still be an admin fee, though the carrier wouldn't say how much. The Axminster export specialist said the admin fee is "usually 30-40 GBP (which converts to $40-50 USD). However, since the carrier wouldn't commit to what the fee is, they could charge anything they jolly well like and I'd be obligated to pay--BEFORE the shipment is released to me, like it or not.

Between the 42 GBP shipping charge and likely 40GBP (or more) "admin fee," the cost of getting the order ($297.16 without shipping) to my door is $102.66 OR MORE. And that's just too darn much.

It's truly unfortunate that Axminster doesn't have a better system in place for dealing with customers from the US. I've bought a lot of things from companies in the UK and Europe, and they knew how to make the ocean between us a non-factor. I hope Axminster gets to that place eventually, because they have some nice products (like the APF-10) I'd like to consider. But not when the delivery costs are usurious.

But with all that said, this isn't a totally sad story. My wife and I were talking about this last night and I explained the purpose of a PAPR unit and why it's a superior method for keeping sawdust out of the lungs. And she gets it. We talked about the different options still available, as well as the pros, cons and price of each option.

And it seems I'm getting a 3M Versaflo setup for Christmas. She says she wants to keep me breathing as long as possible, and thinks I'm worth the investment.

I suppose I should say, "Thanks, for the upgrade, Axminster." :)


D.

[Dan Case LR]

Just as a note to the curious, I took delivery today on a new-in-box 3M TR-300-LIK (the "Light Industry Kit") PAPR system. I snagged it on eBay for $800 with free shipping! it's just as advertised -- new, in box, unused, no problems. After all the research I've done, I believe this is a great option--and for $800 it's hard to say no!

Thanks!

D.

[Jonnie Crawford]

Both have definite pros and cons.

An interesting note about filters: Trend uses a pair of mini-bag filters as the sole filtering element. Axminster's use of a more traditional filter with a prefilter is more efficient, and the pre-filter saves the more expensive main filter from dealing with larger particles. Those prefilters are fairly cheap, and can be cleaned and reused several times. That, and you're not locked into a single source for the prefilters.

D.

DAN - hope you don't mind me commenting. I gather you've got a Versaflo; good news, as you may inadvertently have dodged a bullet of sorts...I have read all the comments, and a key point being missed (and not immediately evident from marketing information) is the APF10 offers significantly less protection than the Airshield Pro; they are not like-for-like.

EN12941:2008 is the harmonised European test standard for powered respirators, and rates products not by filter efficiency but by 'inward leakage'. That is because, on a complete respiratory headpiece, good filters are useless if other areas of the respirator let dust in. The ratings in that test are TH1, TH2 and TH3, and the differences are fairly huge: TH1 = 10% inward leakage, TH2 = 2%, and TH3 = 0.2%.

The Axminster APF10 Evolution carries the lowest rating, TH1P (P denoting they are Particle filters, not vapour). When you are comparing this with the Trend, you are comparing being left exposed to 10% of airborne dust, or 2%.

Some people think you can just swap out the filters for something better. You can't (I checked with the manufacturer when I owned one!). One issue is better filters would need more airflow, so a more powerful motor, better battery etc. But the bigger problem is you'll not improve the 'inward leakage' by upgrading the filter; in fact, you'd make it worse as the airflow would drop, so positive pressure keeping dust out drops, so inward leakage goes up even further.

Just wanted to add that for anyone coming across this thread as I did.

[Lamar Wright]

For those looking for a good half mask respirator look at the North 7700 Series. Covers dust to .2 micron and also mist and hazardous flumes. I have one and really like it.

[Joe Hummel]

Dan, if you are able to see this, I was wondering how the tr-300 worked out for you? Have you been happy with it and what are the pros and cons you have discovered? Given the much higher price do you still think it was the best way to go?