Welding PAPR's

[MarkG]

I'm looking for the opinions of career welders who use PAPR's with their helmets. Please only comment on the models you have personally used and on the job-----not just occasional 'hobby use'.

I haven't used more than a dual cartridge respirator for protection occasionally in the past, but that can get a little uncomfortable during a full work shift and was looking at the PAPRs as an option.

It seems there are SOME versions that are made mostly for 'comfort' (a fan, basically) but don't do much for actually filtering or providing clean (or cleaner) air.

MIG welding mild steel, no localized fume extraction is used or possible from what I see at the company. (a potential employer I visited recently)

Thanks

 

[bdbecker]

I don't personally use them, but anywhere stainless gets welded at our company, the guys wear 3M Versaflo systems. We run Speedglas hoods, so it helps keep everything standard. As far as quality goes, they seem to be very durable. Not cheap, but when dealing with hexavalent chromium, is there really a price you can put on safety?

 

[speed bump]

We have a couple Miller's at work and the guys seem to like them well enough.

 

[tarmy]

I was getting headaches...only hobby welding. Got this, expensive but worth every penny for me.

 

[rlitman]

I don't personally use them, but anywhere stainless gets welded at our company, the guys wear 3M Versaflo systems. We run Speedglas hoods, so it helps keep everything standard. As far as quality goes, they seem to be very durable. Not cheap, but when dealing with hexavalent chromium, is there really a price you can put on safety?

I was getting headaches...only hobby welding. Got this, expensive but worth every penny for me.

You're talking about the same system. Versaflo is the hood end, and Adflo is the respirator end. They're the best welding respirator system out there.

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media...op-with-speedglas-welding-shield-brochure.pdf

 

[MarkG]

Thanks, all! I have been leaning towards the 3M/Speedglas system mostly because of their known quality. Saving a few bucks doesn't matter when it comes to protecting my lungs. That's how I'm looking at it anyway.

 

[MarkG]

I was getting headaches...only hobby welding. Got this, expensive but worth every penny for me.

Do they still make that hood? The 3M PAPR models I've seen have a hardhat built in, which I don't want!

 

[Com_VC]

That's the old style

Newer one to replace that is 9100XXi FX AIR

or now there is a new model that just came out last year G5-01

If you want hardhat 9100XXi MP

 

[king nero]

Another professional here, another vote for the 3M range. Get the brochure, see the vast amount of different solutions.
Additional advantage: you can place different filters in there, depending on what you want to do. Active carbon canisters are an option. Most of the other types of filters are "merely" particle filters.
Downside: the protective sheets in front of the darkening cassette are pricey. Not a big deal if you're only using GTAW, but overhead MMA is another situation.

Shop around, 3M does not sell directly to end users (unless you're a big client), so everything goes through at least another party. Price differences of 100% are not uncommon - dealerships take advantage of the fact that they're known as "the best" and will often only offer very cheap helmets as an alternative, forcing you to go to the high $ options if you want something decent...

 

[MarkG]

Thanks for the replies and clarification----I was hoping to find a PAPR version withOUT the hardhat and without the additional grinding shield. Looking around, it looked like this model is what I want. It's not clear from the description if there is a separate grinding sheild in this model----I don't think there is, so this is pretty much what I'm looking for if that's the case: https://www.craigmoreonline.com/3m-...MIjbmml82Z6gIVT9bACh07zQUXEAQYASABEgKkCfD_BwE

 

[tarmy]

Go online and check out Cyberweld...they have great pricing and have been great to deal with...

 

[MarkG]

Go online and check out Cyberweld...they have great pricing and have been great to deal with...

That was my first thought, since I've bought a lot of stuff from them, but oddly, they sell some 3M stuff, but not the actual welding hoods! (at least not that they show on their website!) :S

 

[Com_VC]

Thanks for the replies and clarification----I was hoping to find a PAPR version withOUT the hardhat and without the additional grinding shield. Looking around, it looked like this model is what I want. It's not clear from the description if there is a separate grinding sheild in this model----I don't think there is, so this is pretty much what I'm looking for if that's the case: https://www.craigmoreonline.com/3m-...MIjbmml82Z6gIVT9bACh07zQUXEAQYASABEgKkCfD_BwE

No separate grinding shield, there is a grind mode built into the lense though if you need to grind with it.

 

[EPA7]

I hope this fits within the thread...

I'm considering getting a PAPR for primarily 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 complaints with it not being flippable?) 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?

 

[BigMike782]

https://cleanspacetechnology.com/us/
Less than half of a traditional PAPR and not tied to a specific helmet, food for thought.

 

[EPA7]

https://cleanspacetechnology.com/us/
Less than half of a traditional PAPR and not tied to a specific helmet, food for thought.

Very interesting. Looks like they repurposed CPAP technology?

Thanks.

 

[welderjosh]

If you are by chance going to use it on a mine site then I think the only one that is MSHA compliant is the 3m one.

 

[EPA7]

If you are by chance going to use it on a mine site then I think the only one that is MSHA compliant is the 3m one.

I'm just using it in my hobby woodworking/metalworking shop.

 

[rvieceli]

www.weldersupply.com carries the 3M Speedglas PAPR line

 

[Hobb]

I am just a hobby welder but bit the bullet and bought the 3m 9100xxi forced air with grind shield or I think that's the model number. It matches the 1st picture above. I love it. My wife insisted if I wanted to learn welding I needed to be safe so I bought that mask. It's comfortable but be warned a bit heavy when you first start wearing it. My neck was sore a time or 2 getting used to it. Battery life is solid and the overall fit is comfortable to the point I forget about the belt and hose.
I recommend it if you can afford it.

 

[EPA7]

I am just a hobby welder but bit the bullet and bought the 3m 9100xxi forced air with grind shield or I think that's the model number. It matches the 1st picture above. I love it. My wife insisted if I wanted to learn welding I needed to be safe so I bought that mask. It's comfortable but be warned a bit heavy when you first start wearing it. My neck was sore a time or 2 getting used to it. Battery life is solid and the overall fit is comfortable to the point I forget about the belt and hose.
I recommend it if you can afford it.

That's the feedback I was looking for. Do you know if the welding portion can be removed to just use it as a grinding shield? How much have you used it for just grinding or dust protection?

Thanks!

 

[Com_VC]

Why would you want to remove the welding portion of it? Just flip it up when you want to grind for better view.

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[EPA7]

Why would you want to remove the welding portion of it? Just flip it up when you want to grind for better view.

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I mostly want it for grinding and woodworking, so don’t need the welding filter most of the time. Figured removing the welding filter would reduce quite a bit of weight.

 

[Com_VC]

Would be a lot cheaper to just buy one designed for grinding if you don't plan to use it for welding. 3M will have grinding only shields available.

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[EPA7]

Would be a lot cheaper to just buy one designed for grinding if you don't plan to use it for welding. 3M will have grinding only shields available.

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I suppose the dust-only shield is cheaper (~$1000 vs. $1400 for the welding version), but I like the idea of having fume protection when I weld--I just don't do all that much of it. I also like the idea of have particulate protection when I do woodwork or grind cobalt tool bits.

I can certainly flip up the weld lens, just thought it might be a little more comfortable to use if the weld lens could be removed when not welding.

 

[Com_VC]

Technically you can remove it but it's not really designed to be removed all the time. I only removed mine once to replace a broken pivot spring.

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[Com_VC]

I guess you could remove the actual auto darkening weld lense and leave the pivot section in place. That would only take about a minute to do.

I just flip mine up.

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[EPA7]

I guess you could remove the actual auto darkening weld lense and leave the pivot section in place. That would only take about a minute to do.

I just flip mine up.

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That's good info. Thanks.