Addressing questions about respirators...

[Mark Pruitt]

...It might be helpful if some observations, good and bad, could be shared in a single place about the options that are "out there" for consideration. The two main contenders of the "helmet" type seem to be the Triton (http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=192501&Category_Code) and the Trend; (http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=197290&Category_Code) there are probably others that I need to know about. Other options include This (http://www.grizzly.com/products/H6175) device and This (http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=196690&Category_Code) one.

It appears that the Triton would give the most for the money, inasmuch as it affords hearing protection as well as respiratory and face protection. But I could be missing something. True, the piece that fits on your belt could be an inconvenience. But the thing is a hundred bucks less than Trend's.

As for the others, they look rather uncomfortable. But I have no experience with either one personally.

I would love to hear some observations from Creekers who are using any of these (or other) protective devices.

TIA,

Mark

edit: I meant to add, there may be a review somewhere; if anyone has a reference for it, it would save a lot of "digging" time.

[Mark Cothren]

Mark, my experience is limited to Trend. I like it a lot and my only complaint is the battery packs that come with it don't hold a charge very long. That being said, I know a few guys who have built their own packs and have great luck with them as far as how long they hold their charge.

Oh yeah, there is one other thing I don't like about it... it keeps gettin' in my way when I'm trying to scratch my nose or blow dust off of something...:cool:

[Bernie Weishapl]

Mark I bought my Trend from Enviro Safety Products. Their unit is around $239 in fact mine today with shipping was $249. Extra battery was $32. I went with Trend because it moves more air than the others. In fact there was a negitive review I read about the Triton that it doesn't move enough air, is hot, is heavy and hearing protection leaves a lot to be desired. I talked with a lot of turners before I bought and all said that the Trend worked the best and all said if you wear glasses it blows air across your forehead and sweat doesn't get in your eyes or on your glasses. After my bout with dust in my lungs because the paper mask respirator didn't keep it out very well and spending 4 times the cost of the Trend on Doctors calls I won't worry about price.

[Reed Gray]

I have one of the old 3M masks with battery opperated fan and filter. It works well, but like I have heard about almost all of them, they are too heavy for all day use, and sometimes when the sanding pile is too darn high, I do spend a day or 3 sanding. One friend has an opperating room mask, kind of like Tyvek with a plastic viewing space and a ventilator with filter. Very light weight. I have an extra snoring machine (CPAP) that I want to turn into the filter and air supply for a mask, and it will plug into the wall. I just can't find the proper mask for it. The CPAP machine definately moves enough air, and the medical profession can't sell used ones, so there should be a lot of them out there somewhere.
robo hippy

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark...........If you have a Woodcraft or other supply place near by ...go try them both! I went to Woodcraft in Spokane and spent a couple of hours trying the Triton, the Trend and a couple of other respirators they had. The Trend Airshield was the most expensive and I bought it. The Triton with the hose...........I'm sure I'd be hanging that hose everytime I turned around....PUN INTENDED but meant literally! In the end, I felt most comfortable with the Trend.

[Bill Boehme]

During one of our recent club meetings, I demo'ed the 3M Airstream AS400 and another member demo'ed the Triton. He said that he liked the Triton for dust protection and that it was light enough, but that it was a bit cumbersome and did not have enough air flow to be comfortable in Texas during the summer. The Airstream is, as most of you know, in the price stratosphere (because it is targeted at industrial use primarily in mines), but all other aspects are wonderful -- as you would expect from a pricey piece of gear. The air flow is around double that of the Trend at 10 CFM, it is lightweight and comfortable, and it has a HEPA filter. Neither the Triton nor Trend have HEPA filters that meet OSHA requirements for industrial use.

Bill

[Claude Arragon]

I have tired plenty (too many) protections.
Now that I use the Airshield from trend I cannot do without it.
True, I never used ear protection as my lathes do not make noise, and all the aspirators for shaving and dust are located outside.

[Jim Becker]

Not having tried the others, I can't comment on them specifically, but I do like my Trend. I actually wear it! It's comfortable, stays "clear" and adds a bit of safety factor at times when I used to shed the full face shield for comfort. Like any of the powered units, there is a bit of noise the compromises the "shop tunes", but it's not loud or objectionable.

[Claude Arragon]

Jim
I do enjoy my Trend Airshield too.
I am not at all bothered by the wizz of the ventilator, and indeed, the shield is so clear... Just great

[Mark Pruitt]

Thanks for all the comments so far. This is all helpful. I also found that Ken had asked a very similar question recently and his (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=40557) post (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=40557) provided some additional helpful comments.

The concerns raised about the hose on the Triton seem very applicable to me, given my propensity for getting cords, hoses, etc. snagged.:o I could probably trip over the air if I tried hard enough.:rolleyes: :p

My current protection is to use THIS (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=75491-000000429-95070-10000&lpage=none) mask in conjunction with a "regular" face shield. The obvious benefit of the Trend is that it combines the two functions in a single unit. Additionally, some have indicated that the Trend provides a sensation of air being blown across the face--a welcome feature during the summer season I would think! I do wonder if the very same feature could cause discomfort during the cold months. Judging from the fact that some of you who sing its praises live in areas where winter is colder than it is here, I tend to think that that is not a great concern.

I am almost to the point of concluding that the Trend is the way to go. With the dust mask I presently use being re-usable and costing five bucks, I'd go through about two years of using them before approaching the cost of the Trend. Thinking about it in those kind of terms helps to alleviate the concern over its price. In two years it will have paid for itself and everythig after that is icing on the cake.:D

Thanks again for the comments.

Mark

[Jim Underwood]

Dunno if it's too late to post, but here's my two cents on the Triton.

I bought one used from fellow turner who bought it used from Woodcraft. Looked like very few hours on it, and I got it for about half the going rate.

So that's why I use a Triton. I didn't do a bunch of research on it...

As for the face protection, it looks very substantial, the only problem I have with it is the distortion.

The ear protection might be a bit over kill unless you're running a chainsaw, as well as the hard hat. I've not used this unit all day, but it might be a bit heavy after several hours.

The respirator works, but I'm wishing for a little stronger airflow. If you look at the specs it's about half the airflow of the Trend. It seems a bit anemic, but then a stronger one might be annoying..

I don't notice the hose at all when turning, because I place the battery pack on my belt at the rear, and run the hose up my back.

All in all, I like it though. I don't feel as nervous when turning big stuff, or spalted stuff now.

[Michael Armstrong]

I just spent the day turning and wearing my Triton. I don't even notice it. The newer hoses really make a difference. Yes the air flow could be a bit better but if you change the bottom filter regularly it really isn't a problem. It can be a bit warm on those sticky humid days but that just means a few minutes break and some ice water to cool off. Just remember that if you wear the unit at the very back then you might just be subjecting yourself to a direct flow of your personal exhaust right into the helmet!

I highly recommend some form of power respirator. They are much more effective than the passive kind.

Michael

[Blake McCully]

Mark,
When I had my bout with cocobolo last spring I bought a Triton as soon as I came home from the hospital. I used it faithfully for a few months, but many of the distractions noted by the others, including the distortion that Jim brought up, caused me to use it less and less. After breaking the hose twice, it's sitting on my bench gathering dust. I use a respirator that I got a Lowes, change the filters regularly and use my face shield. I did try the Trend for a short bit at Louisville and was really impressed with the amount of air flow. That was my second beef with the Triton, the first being the distortion. I feel that it is bad enough to possibly be even dangerous, I don't know but it was extremely distracting and took a lot of pleasure out of my lathe time.

I will be getting a Trend as soon as my penny jar fills up.

Hope you find what works for you.

[James Duxbury]

Mark,

$250.00? Wow! I use the Resp-O-Rator. It has HEPA filters, costs under $50.00 and works great with a full face shield or even a welding helmet. www.duxterity.com (http://www.duxterity.com/) Many of these power face shield things have pre filters and fine dust filters that are expensive and who knows what they actually filter out. You have to know in microns what a filter does and its efficiency. What is a fine dust filter? HEPA is the best particulate dust filter you can buy. It is over 99.97% efficient at 0.3 microns. The Resp-O-Rator also works all day, every day and I don’t have to charge those expensive little batteries the day before either.

You could buy 5 of these, be better protected, have money left over, and almost save the $50.00 every filter change. A new set of Resp-O-Rator HEPA filters costs about $8.00 and they last because they are located behind your head out of most of the dust.

It looks different because it is.

More than anything---What ever kind of protection you use---Wear your respirator until you get out of the shop or the air has been completely cleared by filtration or ventilation. Don’t turn the lathe off and take off the respirator. You even see this done on TV. That is often the time of the highest concentration of dust.

[Bill Boehme]

I don't think that the Resp-O-Rator is for everyone. Breathing through my mouth gives me a dry mouth and a sore throat.

Bill

[Mark Pruitt]

I don't think that the Resp-O-Rator is for everyone. Breathing through my mouth gives me a dry mouth and a sore throat.

Bill
....and it looks very, very uncomfortable. Maybe I'm just associating it too closely with what I often see in the Critical Care Units where I work.

Another thing worthy of noting: On their website (http://www.trendairshield.com/approvals.html), the Trend folks state "This unit does not carry any respiratory approvals for sales in North America and Canada." Direct quote. That makes me rethink this whole issue and I wonder if what I'm now using may in fact be the most healthy solution.
Mark

[Bill Boehme]

......... the Trend folks state "This unit does not carry any respiratory approvals for sales in North America and Canada."............

I agonized a long time about which PAPR to get since the 3M respirators are so expensive compared to the Trend and Triton units. In the end, I went with the 3M Airstream (AS400) because I am probably more sensitive to wood dust than most other people. This may be the result of not using any respiratory protection for my first year of turning and using every tool as a scraper. Even the high dollar paper masks (with face seals and exhaust vents) were not adequate. The rubber ones with the cannisters that made me look like an insect mutation were good, but too uncomfortable in warm weather and led to fogging up both my glasses and face shield. Also, I could not get my glasses to comfortbly fit with any of the negative pressure masks. In spite of the high price tag, I am now glad that I went with the Airstream because of the great air flow, HEPA filter protection, and comfort that it has. Optional ear muffs can be installed on the Airstream, but the folks at Airware America recommended just using either the foam EAR plugs or the Peltor shooting muffs that have the behind-the-neck band.

Bill

[Bill Grumbine]

Mark, I've had my air helmet for over eight years now. The current version is the Airstream 400 by 3M. As Bill mentions, it is very pricey, but when you amortize that price over the useful life of the unit, and consider the benefit of owning it, it makes it a little easier to justify. I know full well that does not make it any easier to afford, but it is not something that is going to wear out anytime soon. I have had to replace parts on mine, the most expensive being the batteries. I ended up rebuilding them myself for a while, but last year 3M came out with a new battery system that is supposed to be new and improved. Other parts replaced are filters, the face shield, and some seals.

Overall, it has proven to be very durable and comfortable, even when worn for hours at a time. It has also saved me many thousands of dollars in reconstructive surgery, not to mention pain and suffering. :cool:

Good luck with your search, since I assume that whatever you buy, you may have to buy two. ;)

Bill

[Brad Schmid]

I'm with Bill & Bill on this. I've had an AS400 for a couple years now. It addresses all the shortcomings mentioned in the previous posts and I can wear it comfortably for 6-8 hrs at a time. Yeah, it's a bit tough to swallow the purchase price, but it was less than my yearly medical deductable. And like Mr Grumbine, it's probably saved me a few trips to the ER from large flying chunks of bark and whatnot.

Good luck.

[Martin Braun]

... He said that he liked the Triton for dust protection and that it was light enough, but that it was a bit cumbersome and did not have enough air flow to be comfortable in Texas during the summer. The Airstream is, as most of you know, in the price stratosphere (because it is targeted at industrial use primarily in mines), but all other aspects are wonderful --...

Bill

Bill - how hot does it get by you? Do you think the Airstream would work in 110' heat? I have a 3M half mask with P100 cartridges that I wear so I can wipe my eyes, etc.

[Bill Boehme]

Bill - how hot does it get by you? Do you think the Airstream would work in 110' heat? I have a 3M half mask with P100 cartridges that I wear so I can wipe my eyes, etc.
I think it mainly depends upon the humidity where you live. Here in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, the humidity this summer has been a real killer plus lots of days over 100 degrees. When the humidity is extremely high, no amount of wind is going to make you feel cool, but I would estimate that the 10 CFM airflow while wearing the helmet is roughly equivalent to or sometimes slightly better than being in the same environment without being encumbered by a helmet as far as cooling is concerned. I suspect, that the results might be a bit better in Arizona where the humidity is not so bad. If I used nothing other than a simple face shield in this hot humid weather, both the face shield and my glasses would fog up rather quickly. So, for me, the Airstream not only takes care of the air quality problem, but also the fogging problem.

Bill

[James Duxbury]

....and it looks very, very uncomfortable. Maybe I'm just associating it too closely with what I often see in the Critical Care Units where I work.

Another thing worthy of noting: On their website (http://www.trendairshield.com/approvals.html), the Trend folks state "This unit does not carry any respiratory approvals for sales in North America and Canada." Direct quote. That makes me rethink this whole issue and I wonder if what I'm now using may in fact be the most healthy solution.
Mark

It does look different. Since most of the weight of the Resp-O-Rator is resting on your shoulders it is very comfortable.

As far as mouth breathing, when your body starts to do work it needs oxygen and your mouth automatically becomes the main airway. These Resp-O-Rators hang around your neck. Just drop it out of your mouth, take a drink and it is ready to go.

More than anything, I wanted to say if you use one of these very much the Resp-O-Rator will save you the $50.00 in the first 6 months between batteries and filters plus it has better filters. HEPA is as good as it gets.