PAPR's, who's using one around the shop?

[lilscorpion]

Ok, timely topic maybe - PAPR's (powered air-purifying respirator's).

One of the challenges in filtering air coming into your body, when using masks, is getting them to seal around your face. If you're like me, you have some facial hair that makes obtaining that seal challenging.

PAPR is a game changer really and flips the paradigm - you don't need a seal, because the inside of the mask space is filled with air. More or less, everything inside the mask around your face is pumped full of air by an external filtered air supply. Such devices are used in metal fabrication and wood working industries to protect those who spend many hours in environments where there's hazardous breathing conditions.

Has anyone purchased one for use either in industry our around the shop? Any experience with 3M products like the 3M Versaflow TR-300N?

TIA

 

[mautotech]

One of my welding helmets is a 3M ADFLO PAPR and it is BY FAR my favorite welding helmet. It blows cool air across your head and face while welding and the lens flips up to expose a clear grinding face shield that is still sealed using the PAPR. I use the particulate filter and the optional organic vapor/acid gas filter and actually use this setup for lots of stuff other than welding.
If the Versaflow is anything like the ADFLO, it is awesome.

 

[lilscorpion]

One of my welding helmets is a 3M ADFLO PAPR and it is BY FAR my favorite welding helmet. It blows cool air across your head and face while welding and the lens flips up to expose a clear grinding face shield that is still sealed using the PAPR. I use the particulate filter and the optional organic vapor/acid gas filter and actually use this setup for lots of stuff other than welding.
If the Versaflow is anything like the ADFLO, it is awesome.

Sweet, excellent feedback. I was hoping the air flow would keep it cooler under the helmet. I’ll have to look at the Adflow. Was hoping that 3m was using their brain and had multiple shield/helmet options for the same system. I’d really like to also be able to use it for welding (even though I don’t do it for hours anymore).

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Vinny]

Kind of. I used a 3M Speedglass mask for welding, which is a PAPR mask, but I have it hooked up to a supplied air compressor thing outside of my garage. It was a medical pump I bought many years ago. Have a few Bullard made masks I use for sandblasting and painting, also running off the pump.
I don't know, never got the warm feeling from the PAPR stuff that hooks to your belt. While it seems more convenient, being in a room full of toxins or such relying on a filter hooked to your belt just doesn't do it for me. Give me fresh air from outside the source!
On masks, though, the majority of the time I use a 3M full face respirator with P100 filters. This if for grinding, wood working, car work, etc. That mask has saved me from the potential of gnarly facial scars (or worse) so many times in my career.

 

[lilscorpion]

Kind of. I used a 3M Speedglass mask for welding, which is a PAPR mask, but I have it hooked up to a supplied air compressor thing outside of my garage. It was a medical pump I bought many years ago. Have a few Bullard made masks I use for sandblasting and painting, also running off the pump.
I don't know, never got the warm feeling from the PAPR stuff that hooks to your belt. While it seems more convenient, being in a room full of toxins or such relying on a filter hooked to your belt just doesn't do it for me. Give me fresh air from outside the source!
On masks, though, the majority of the time I use a 3M full face respirator with P100 filters. This if for grinding, wood working, car work, etc. That mask has saved me from the potential of gnarly facial scars (or worse) so many times in my career.

Your points make total sense and I really like the idea of having the fresh/filtered air pump outside the workspace. think I'll need to decide if my use-cases can all be supported by doing so. Originally I was thinking that it would also be nice to have the system be used on the move should the need arise. Not that the core intent is for situations like we're observing now with CoronaVirus but if I happen to have one that can be used in such situations, that would be a nice benefit. The 3M systems use the same core unite for multiple style helmet/masks. The only thing they don't currently have is a half mask which is a bummer.

Does your air system use a filter on the air that's pushed to the helmet?

 

[thecj3man]

I have spent the last few days with a 3m PAPR unit on at work. I had resisted using them before and always used a full face air purifying respirator. I have been inspecting a baghouse and associated duct work at a coal fired power house. It took some getting used to but I like it. I would wear one now in most situations.

 

[70staged]

I used to work on fiberglass wind turbine blades, still do part time. Anyway I have about 2 or 3 of them. 1 is a European one and won’t help you but that’s what I started with the other ones are a 3m and with the right filter, I have no issues with the hood. However with the hood it seals around your chin/neck but a tyvek suite only goes up so far so there is a small piece of skin that might get some fiberglass, I bought the attachment for mine to avoid this. So with the right filter, I was grinding and was smelling the fiberglass, something was wrong. Went outside to see and the type filter I had was correct for the job I was doing. Just smaller than we used. Well turns out that even though is screwed into the papr motor and looks like normal ones, and correct for application, it was wrong. FYI the filters we use are around $65 a piece where we get them.
Well can’t upload the photo. 3M Papr GVP

 

[Vinny]

Does your air system use a filter on the air that's pushed to the helmet?

Nope. The pump is oilless. It's actually made for medical purposes to avoid contamination. Bought it off Craigslist many years ago. Bullard makes similar pumps, many others do to. As long as it's oilless, you should be good.
The 3M mask though came with a neat hookup that lets me control air temperature.

 

[trackwelder]

Started out with racal papr helmets in the late 90’s with the filters in the helmet with a small wire to a battery with a belt clip. 3m eventually bought them out and phased that style out. I really didn’t care for the style with the filters,fan, and batteries all on a belt unit. The last 3m setup I had was the Breath easy system. It worked great, I just don’t care for the hose and belt setup.

This is the one I really like.
https://shop.gentexcorp.com/pureflo-esm-papr-pf60-niosh-approved/

 

[lilscorpion]

Nope. The pump is oilless. It's actually made for medical purposes to avoid contamination. Bought it off Craigslist many years ago. Bullard makes similar pumps, many others do to. As long as it's oilless, you should be good.

The 3M mask though came with a neat hookup that lets me control air temperature.

That are sweet. They look like it would make you feel too heavy but I’ll bet they’re light. I like that they don’t have a belt component. I can see why users would be more inclined to use them without gripe.

 

[Steve_P]

I have one for painting. I can't remember the brand as it's been so long since I've bought it. Kind of a mom and pop creation, it's not 3M or Bullard. The pump is about the size of a football. Unfortunately I have a big nose and could not get a good seal with a charcoal respirator so I switched to a forced air hood. I like it. If you're painting, it's a PITA with the hose at first, but you get used to it and plan ahead on routing the hose. I find I'm much more relaxed with it than I was prior.

 

[EPA7]

I'm considering getting a PAPR for woodworking and grinding protection. I like the idea of getting one that also would work for welding even though I don't do that much welding. Lincoln, 3M, and Miller all make helmets that have flip-up welding filters with a large clear shield behind. Optrel doesn't seem to make anything like that. How would the Miller work with PAPR (seems like a PAPR would eliminate some of the headgear issues?) Does the welding lens come off the helmet to reduce weight if I mostly just use the shield?

Is the "clear" setting on the Optrel clear/big enough to be satisfactory for general face shield use?

Any suggestions/feedback would be appreciated.

 

[e36jon]

When I bought my current home, built in 1946, I decided buying a PAPR unit would be money well spent. I bought a 3M Versaflow unit (I can't find the model online anymore as I bought it 8 years ago.). It was money well spent. Beyond keeping the lead (From paint) and asbestos (From seemingly everything else. Tile? Really?) out of my lungs the bump-cap saved me stitches or worse on a regular basis. The best unanticipated benefit was the cooling effect of the air through the helmet. Right behind that is keeping the face-shield clear. The downside is that the system is heavy (Mine is NiCad battery based, and the filters/pump is really heavy as well.). I bought a suspender style tool-belt support rig that I could attach to the 3M belt and that really improved the comfort.

 

[EPA7]

E36,
Thanks. I've been looking at PAPRs for some time as I like wearing safety glasses, but really don't like wearing respirators as they often fog glasses. A buddy of mine got a Trend PAPR and liked it for woodworking, but it didn't hold up. He then scored a deal on a used 3M unit and raves about it.

When I saw the 3M SpeedGlas PAPR had a face shield AND an autodarkening welding helmet, all for a little more than the 3M PAPR I was very interested. Its pricetag, however, has been enough of a hurdle to keep me from pulling the trigger.

I've contacted 3M, Lincoln, and Miller to find out if the welding portion can be removed when not welding, but haven't gotten a response. From the pictures it looks like it should be removable, but I'd like to know before pulling the trigger.

 

[Al Borland]

Been using PAPRs for 30 years.
NOT for IDLH environments. (No spraying isocyanate hardener paints.)
Any full-face respirator will fog up. PAPRs are better, until the battery dies.
Lenses will scratch easily, as they are polycarbonate. Nuisance/problematic for eyeglasses, there are eyeglass inserts that you can get lenses made for, but getting the glasses aligned/spaced right every time you put the respirator on is a pain in the neck.
Great in dusty environments for keeping **** out of your eyes. (Fly ash in coal plants, for example.)

 

[rlitman]

I've purchased a 3M Safety 8511 Respirator and it works just as expected. This mask is actually comfortable and very breathable. I can bike with it and breathe quite hard before it becomes a hindrance. More importantly, the seal is very good regardless of face shape and that's important.

The seal is good on my face. On my older son, it's not so good, so we use the 8211 with him. That model has a foam gasket around the perimeter.