lloyd Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 And they don't protect you for shucks, Memo. Buy the best respirator you can afford -- it will last 5-10 years of regular duty. Ordinary 'particulate' filters for even the high-end masks are low-priced, and last a long time in pyro duty, especially if you apply 'socks' over the filter cans. Only the 'fume' filters are expensive. Do your health a favor, bud. Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I agree with Lloyd. The painters kind simply isn't good enough.I used em for what you suppose they are made for, painting, and i was picking acrylic paint out with my nose-hair for days after.Get a good quality respirator, and the particle filter you get with it should last for years.B! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memo Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 just to be clear, I am not talking about the crappy paper filters, these are cloth and fiber about a 1/2 inch thick, no black boggers. memo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I just got another 3M mask from Home Depot for work and the new headgear sucks mightily. You must hold the mask against your face while simultaneously hooking 2 straps behind your head.I ain't got 3 hands so... If it's anything like mine was, there is a trick to it. The one I used had a set of straps that went around your neck area, and another that hooked behind my head. I never really unhooked them or loosened them. The bands were stretchy enough to do the job without loosening or taking them off. The trick to getting them on easily is to put it over your head with the bottom strap around your neck, and then bring it up over your face and situate the one around the back of my head. It was easy enough to adjust them once roughly in place. I generally kept organic filters on my mask, with those dust sock pre-filters. They worked well. Since I used them primarily for particulates, I used the filters long past their organic vapor usefulness. I'd replace them when I could start smelling isopropanol through. This is well past the usefulness, but worked for me since I don't really work with organics very often. To really retain the organic filtration capability, you need to store them sealed up anyway which I didn't The pre-filters are cheap though, so I replaced them whenever they looked dirty, every month or two depending on how much I used them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMarine Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 (edited) Mumbles, the old mask I have I'd like the one you described. These newer headsets just have a hook and eye type deal on the lower portion that goes around your neck. The entire elastic assembly slides up and down through the front of the mask and pops loose as soon as you remove it. This mask, once donned, is much easier to adjust and seat on your face though. I get the cartridges through my job so I go all out for the multipurpose ones with strap on pre-filters. Mine come with a discard date so I rotate then out more often than is probably necessary. Sometimes at work I won't use one for 2 months but still do my scheduled filter changes. Edited January 6, 2016 by OldMarine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starxplor Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Must be nice to get the cartrdges through your job, all I have available here(hospital) are the little paper masks, heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schroedinger Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Well a pair of 3M activated carbon filters costs about 50 cents per month if you use them according to the dates printed on them. So nothing to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starxplor Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Well a pair of 3M activated carbon filters costs about 50 cents per month if you use them according to the dates printed on them. So nothing to worry about. How long should something like the below link, roughly 10 USD for the pair, be useful? I was assuming I would need a couple to a few pairs per year, 3-6 month lifespan? https://www.jendcosafety.com/msa-advantage-p100-filter-2-pack-815369/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Looks like particle filters. They have no "use by" date, so it's just a matter of how much particles they are exposed to. A prefilter sock / pad helps a lot.B! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starxplor Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Looks like particle filters. They have no "use by" date, so it's just a matter of how much particles they are exposed to. A prefilter sock / pad helps a lot.B! Something like this combo?http://www.coopersafety.com/product/msa-advantage-n95-respirator-prefilters-1286.aspxhttp://www.coopersafety.com/product/msa-advantage-n95-prefilter-covers-2-pack-1287.aspx Thanks, everyone, for all the info. I have never had to use a full respirator so I am trying to soak all this up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMarine Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 The particle filters last much longer than those for solvents etc.. I usually only worry about changing those when airflow begins to be restricted. The main thing is to buy a mask that is comfortable enough you'll actually wear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Something like this combo? What ever fits the respirator you end up going with. They all do the same job, clear out the big stuff, so the particle filter only has to deal with the small stuff.B! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Remember that ANY mask is better than no mask, pick one then maybe chose a better one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Having an umbrella is better than no parachute where your life may be involved its better to spend a bit extra on the right kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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