Respirators

[Paul Zerjay]

Doctor says its time to upgrade from the old cannister type respirator I have been using. My budgets going to limit me to either Trend or Triton. I've researched both and they seem to compare pretty equally to each other. The Trend seems a little top heavy to me. On the other hand the Triton looks to be a little bulky with the hose. The Triton is $80 cheaper than the Trend, so thats a factor as well. I know alot of guys use the Trend, but is it that much better than the Triton? To me, the shroud on the Triton just seems more effective than the face mask only of the Trend. I've not had the opportunity to try out either of these for fit or comfort. Anyone got an opinion?
Paul

[Mark Pruitt]

Anyone got an opinion?
Paul
Oh yeah, there's tons of those floating around here!:D If you'll do a search for "trend" and "triton" you'll find lots of stuff discussed in the past. I don't own either one, as neither is NIOSH certified, but they both have evoked much praise in this forum. Seems the Trend gives better CFM but its batteries' time per charge have proven inadequate for some. There is a "fix" for that but someone else will have to explain the details. Best price on a Trend seems to be from EnviroSafety Products (http://envirosafetyproducts.com/product/trend_airshield_trend_air_shield).

Personally I prefer to use a N100_Respirator (http://envirosafetyproducts.com/product/3M_8233_N100_Respirator), though some claim that it doesn't afford adequate protection. The problem for me with a helmet type "active" respirator is that to get one that is NIOSH certified you have to be ready to shell out some $800 or so and buy a 3M. I'd love to have one of those, but I'm not made of $$.

[Lars A Stole]

I used to have a Triton. I now use an airstream. I agree with you that the shroud on the triton is very effective.

There are downsides to the triton, however. The shroud gets very dusty and often I would get dust all over my shirt whenever I put it on. Because of this, I noticed that I stopped using it regularly for "short" dust-creating jobs and as a result my allergies started to bother me again. Also, I really didn't like the ear muffs. When I am going to wear ear protection, I much prefer ear plugs. When I would wear the Triton I would often feel a bit closed off from the environment around me. End of story, I didn't use it as much as I should.

Fortunately, I noticed a beat-up Racal (now 3M Airstream) on ebay which I got for $135! I spent $20 for a replacement visor and it works great. It is immensely better than the Triton. It is more convenient to put on and comfortable to wear. You can actually forget that you have an airstream on after you have used it a few times. You will probably never forget that you have the Triton on. Can't speak for the Trend.

Perhaps you should consider watching ebay for a while to see if a used racal/airstream comes up for bidding. Saving money on an airtrend or triton isn't "saving money" if you don't use it.

[Tony De Masi]

I can only comment on the Triton as that is what I use. At first look it would certianly appear that the Triton would be cumbersome to use, but I don't find that to be the case at all. I also don't experience that "closed in" feeling as some have expressed. I find this to be an invaluable piece of equipment. Some have jokingly commented about the use of this on those "not so fresh days", because of the placement of the filter system. Okay, so move the filter to your off hand side, not big deal there. If you consider that with one piece of equipment you are protecting your eyesight, hearing, and breathing, ya just can't go wrong.

Tony

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use the Trend bought directly from the company for $232 plus shipping. There is no dust inside period. This is all I have used for a year and love it. So can't comment on the others. I tried the Triton on and didn't like it at all. Just my $1.298.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Paul, I have the Trend and use it for all my woodworking. It works, is fairly comfortable and have actually gotten to the point that I forget that I have it on. There are a couple of fixes out there for battery packs - so if you do get pick up a Trend, save yourself some money and make your own.

[Jim Becker]

Neither the Trend or the Triton are "respirators". If your doctor is saying you need more protection than the canisters, you need a "real" NIOSH approved face mask system, such as the 3M. The "two Ts" are nice for nuisance dust "protection" as well as projectile safety, but are not going to help much if your lungs need real help. (I own the Trend and enjoy it, BTW)

[Charles McKinley]

I have nothing but good things to say about my Airstream. I agree that $800 is a LOT of money. That amount might cover an eight hour stay in the hospital. If you are having breathing problems stop generating dust or get a REAL respirator.

I have terrible allergies to grass and I can even run a weed eater using the Airstream. Without it I don't sleep for 2 or 3 nights because I'm so stuffed up.

The other plus to the Airstream is the OSHA approved hard hat.

[Neal Addy]

I can only speak for the Trend. It's actually pretty light. I forget that I have it on. I've been really happy with it. Can't even smell the wood when I'm wearing it (I do miss that).

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Paul.............I would highly recommend you go to some business and try on the ones you are considering. I went to a local Woodcraft (if you can call 110 miles away local) and tried on everything they had before I bought one. The one I bought, I bought because it felt most comfortable and suited my needs most. If you buy one and find you can't stand to wear it, it'll probably not get used. JMHO!