Airshield pro.

[screwpainting]

It looks like this may be the best solution to my dust/hay fever/allergy problems which have just flared up horrendously.
I have a beard, a large garden full of trees and a workshop in the garden with an area outside that I do all my main cutting in.

I just bought a Titon hedge trimmer on a pole and a titan chainsaw thing on a pole to clear a load of overgrown laurel and general hedging. I have to say I am very impressed with both of these and had a great day on Sunday terminating stuff, but, I paid the price on Monday for being outdoors with all the tree pollen around at the moment.

So, I have dust and pollen problems, general woodworking in and outside my workshop and maintaining and enjoying my garden in the various hay fever seasons.

Does anyone who uses an air shield pro think that it would help with the hay fever/pollen problems along with improving my existing minimal dust control? I like the fact that you can walk around with this electronic filter thing on, even though I worry I will feel a prat with it on my bonce while say, cutting the grass.

What I would like to know is...

What accessories would you buy with the basic unit for my best use, spare batteries and filters etc.

Do you think it will really help with the hay fever symptoms when working in the garden for long periods.

Plus any buying advice you may have or better alternatives.

Help!

Steve.

 

[Duncan A]

Personally, I find the Trend a bit too heavy for it to remain stable on my head - and I would think this would be even more so when tilting your head back to look upwards. The JSP/Axy helmet may be more stable although I haven't tried it myself.

Or, spend loads more money and get a respirator with battery belt pack and a hood or a helmet.
Examples:
This http://www.screwfix.com/p/3m-versaflo-p ... -kit/55842
with this http://www.screwfix.com/p/3m-versaflo-s ... -m-l/5633h

or
This http://www.arco.co.uk/products/1C9301?s=1
with this http://www.arco.co.uk/products/1C6200?s=1

Possibly also look at Scott or other JSP products; loads of stuff out there. Arco usually let you try stuff on if they've got it in stock.
Duncan

 

[Lons]

I use the trend at my lathe and it is definitely heavy. Haven't used it outside though.

Not sure a beard helps your problem as I guess it will hold any pollen settling on it and keep it close to your nose and mouth.

 

[screwpainting]

That's the trouble, you can't try them before you buy them and they are so much money. I have to do something, I cant work in dust in my workshop and I cant work outside now the pollen season has arrived. Good point about the beard, that's why I thought the full face trend would be the right thing to go for and £200/250.00 is about as much as i can afford at the moment.

 

[MikeJhn]

I wear mine all the time when machining in the workshop, I don't find it heavy, but prior to retiring I got used to wearing a safety helmet, I would suggest you can get used to anything if you have to, I am a hay fever sufferer as well, though not as bad as your description, the Airshield Pro definitely works, after using it inspecting the filters shows pollen on the outside, but not on the inside, the flow of cold air over the face is a bonus in summer.

As to accessories:
Get the plastic rip offs for the face shield to prevent scratching I would think this would be essential if pruning trees wearing it.
I have not bothered with a spare battery as I find I don't work that long, a four hour stint is sufficient for me and the battery has never needed a re-charge after two periods, so it looks as though its good for eight hours.
The purpose made Ear defenders are also a worthwhile accessory.

I understand the beard comment, normal nose and mouth respirators will not seal against them.

The local kids think I look like the "Alien" but I have no comments from my Sigourney Weaver. LOL

Mike

EDIT: this on e-bay at the moment: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TREND-AIRSHIE ... SwhcJWQSsK good value at £155.00

And this one has the ear defenders already: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trend-airshie ... SwjMJXC9kX at £120.00

 

[Rhossydd]

Have a look at the Axminster evolution axminster-apf-10-evolution-powered-respirator-t95938.html I've found it excellent for woodturning and other dusty uses in my workshop.

 

[AJB Temple]

Having looked at the reviews of the Trend Pro (quite negative by and large) I have just today ordered the Axminster version. If you get asthma, hayfever, etc then woodwork can be miserable at this time of year so I finally bit the bullet on one of these as I am sick of face masks misting up my glasses. Will be interesting to see how it performs - I shall report back.

 

[MikeJhn]

Interesting, it seems the difference between the two is TH1P or TH2P, these are the leakage tests carried out on the units:
Axminster Evolution has a designation of TH1P which is a leakage of 10%
Trend Airshield Pro has a designation of TH2P which is a leakage of 2%

This made interesting reading: http://www.quest42.co.uk/woodwork/respi ... rators.pdf its conclusion was for the Trend Airshield against the Power Cap IP.

Mike

 

[Graham Orm]

I've never used one but when looking at them in the past, the negative I saw re the Trend is that they are noisy compared to the competition.

Also! Will the filter work on pollen??

 

[Rhossydd]

Will the filter work on pollen??

That will depend on the pollen, but a lot is relatively large particles similar to fine saw dust.

Ultimately it's a question of how far do you want/need to go. http://www.arco.co.uk/products/17A0300?s=1 maybe too far ?

 

[AJB Temple]

The review above (Mike's post) is from 2008 and both models have been superseded since then.

 

[Sawyer]

The Airshield works well for dust, maybe good for pollen too? Trouble is that it's horrible to wear - so horrible that I often just put up with the dust. The worst problem I have is that being heavy, it slops about, eg. when bending forward and most of the time rests annoyingly on the end of my nose. Attempts to avoid this by tightening up the swivel adjustment has caused the head band to break: which brings me to the next issue - the exorbitant price of Trend spares. I didn't buy the added ear defenders, due to their inflated price, but reviews suggest that they rubbish anyway.

PS. Recently looked for some lettering templates and thought that the Trend offering is grossly overpriced.

 

[MikeJhn]

The review above (Mike's post) is from 2008 and both models have been superseded since then.

Quite so, but as I said when I posted it, makes interesting reading and explains the difference between the TH1P and TH2P leakage tests.

mike

 

[AJB Temple]

Mike. Please forgive my ignorance as I have zero experience of these things. Axminster say this:

"This positive pressure powered respirator eliminates the drawbacks encountered with standard negative pressure face masks. The motor unit blows filtered air down over your face at a rate of 160L/min. Fatigue caused by having to suck through a filter is no longer a problem; breathing is normal and comfortable. The air exiting around the sides and bottom of the mask is at slightly higher pressure than that outside, so forms a most effective seal. Beards are not a problem. If you wear glasses, these will not fog or mist up as you breathe out."

This suggests to me that leakage is not the issue as is seems to be creating a positive air barrier to dust getting in: like a curtain of air? I may well have misunderstood this and would like to understand how these things work.

I do have dust extraction in my shop anyway, (about to be upgraded) but it is not great when sanding on a lathe and I had the mother of asthma attacks last week when sanding green mould off a very large aluminium disk with a hand held palm sander. That was in fact my trigger to buy the mask.

 

[CHJ]

This suggests to me that leakage is not the issue as is seems to be creating a positive air barrier to dust getting in: like a curtain of air? I may well have misunderstood this and would like to understand how these things work.
.

Because the Mask-Face seal is limited and the airflow is aimed at providing filtered air at a little above normal breathing requirements Taking a Deep Breath or being subjected to a forceful dust stream as opposed to just atmospheric suspension there is a greater risk of dust being ingested via the side of the mask.

Hence the Specification difference between various Turbo Hood Masks, based on the expected % inwards leakage of contaminants. This is totally independent of the Filter performance a Fine (P3) filter on a TH1 Hood is unlikely to provide P3 filtering

EN 12941:1998 Powered filtering device with helmet / hood
TH - turbo hood 1, 2 or 3 - inward leakage class (10%, 2% or 0.2%)
P - for use against particles + S or SL - use against solids only or solids and liquids.

 

[Rhossydd]

Chas describes the issue correctly, but one needs to consider how much importance this specification detail has to the overall benefit of the system in real world use.

Yes, you could get greater ingress with the Powercap, if you take big inward breaths or if you're subject to dust being blown at the seals of the visor. It's quite possible that these situations won't occur frequently, if at all.
That small risk of possible ingress then has to be balanced with the net gains of a system that might be more comfortable and convenient to wear and, hence, used more frequently.

 

[CHJ]

...one needs to consider how much importance this specification detail has to the overall benefit of the system in real world use.
...

Very much so, a lot depends upon what your normal work tasks are.

I still use my old (no longer available) 3M dustmaster.

All I can say is that when I started using it, it was a significant improvement in personal (lack of) reaction to several tasks that I used to get using my Older Trend Mask (which I still have with some spare filters and use for debris control rather than sanding, sawing MDF etc. )
I am a mind to say that a considerable percentage of that improvement was from the fact that the filter unit is behind me and not at the front of the face where maximum dust and wood volatiles are produced. (strong Curries and Egg consumption excepted) although the airflow is higher than a Power Cap or the new Trend for that matter and I suspect it is still a match for a P3 filter.

 

[AJB Temple]

part of the reason why I chose the Axi mask is that numerous reviews on-line rated it as comfortable to wear - and the Trend one much less so. Safety equipment which is comfortable to use is much more likely to get used (by me anyway) and as it seemed to be a big potential improvement over doing nothing, it seemed worth a punt.

I have used industrial filter masks (provided free by my brother) but they mist my glasses up, giving me the choice of either see or breathe. I find that seeing is quite crucial when using sharp tools ;-)

 

[screwpainting]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I'm still not 100% sure what to go for but the airshield is the most likely at the moment based mainly on what MikeJhn said in his reply, I just have to get used to the wearing one. I think what puts me off is the size and look of these things and never having worn headgear before, feeling a bit self conscious if I'm honest. I've been offered nice sounding one on here for £100.00 second hand so may take up that offer I think.

 

[DiscoStu]

The positive pressure on the Axy option is 160l/m? That's huge, I cant see a big gulp of air being a problem. To give you an idea when hospitals put people on Oxygen then tend to be around 2litres per minutes. I would think. It would be quite cooling in the summer as well.


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