Air fed mask. What do i need?

[Tombodge]

I really need to get myself air fed mask. Ive had a stabbing head ace for two days now and i think its from welding or grinding fumes/ dust.

Ive looked around and read some posts but there seems to be so many different options. P3 seems to pop up alot.

Ive got a 8" extractor with a 8" flexible ducting pipe with magnets on the end which i stick 5/10 inchs away from what I'm welding.. Vented strated outside.

What kind of mask do i need? Ive got a beard. I weld mostly mild steel with a gasless welder. Grinding flapper discs. Grinding wheels. I also have a CNC machine so cut alot of sheet plywood ect out.

Im looking for something that will protect me from welding fumes. Metal wood grinding dust. i spray with rattle cans... is that a different mask all together. Im abit lost to what i need and what filters it needs.

I like the idea of the jsr infinity power caps as i can just pop it on. Ive also seen an ESAB unit which is the right sort of price at around £600... but im unsure if that will protect me against all the other work i do. Welding makes up probably only 30% of the work i need a respirator for

 

[Robert.]

I use an esab , I just recently upgraded to the newer lipo battery pack . Reasons I like the esab , double filter , one cartridge , one outer pre filter . The prefilters are cheap and come in packs of mutipuls , they are also just a square of filter material that gets locked in place by the outer cover . So you could buy any sheet of filter material that filters whatever you need it to filter and cut to size . The inner filters last for ages , I can't even remember when I last changed that . Although I dont do nearly as much manual work as I used to these days , for the elements of price , comfort and adaptability of filter from all the demonstrated units I had ..I chose Esab. And I chose Esab for everyone,no complaints from any of the guys yet . I think I bought 8 units in total .the only weakness is the hose connections , do em up once , wrap them up in strong tape , and never touch them again haha .

 

[James1979]

I second ESAB for pretty much the same reasons as Robert.

There are a variety of screens, some of which may suit your needs better than his or mine (sentinel) if you do less welding than other work. I'd look at the flip front one, I think it's a G30? Big clear window and the welding screen lifts right up

I've bought a Universal grinding visor which will fit on the esab air fed pipe. It's not here yet so time will tell what it's like.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I have got some esab ones here for a fair bit less than 600 if you want one

 

[Munkul]

3rd the Esab PAPR system. It's a really nicely designed product, I have a PAPR fed sentinel for batch TIG work and I like it a lot - also been using it recently for welding galv, worked a treat.

The only one that's better IMO is the 3M adflo - it's actually quite a bit superior than everything else on the market, and it's what our lads at work use. Not cheap though!

I quite like the air pipe connections, only problem I've had is with the O ring perishing - I put a new one on.

I keep looking at buying a G30 air hood, with a clear inner screen and a shade 8 outer, for grinding and plasma cutting, but I can't justify the price for what I do... @James1979 I'm interested in your universal screen, where did you buy it?

 

[James1979]

@Munkul i am in exactly the same boat as you.
It’s this one https://www.wellyweld.com/products/universal-grinding-visor-prepared-for-air-(papr)-73931.aspx which I’m told fit’s the esab pipe

 

[Munkul]

@Munkul i am in exactly the same boat as you.
It’s this one https://www.wellyweld.com/products/universal-grinding-visor-prepared-for-air-(papr)-73931.aspx which I’m told fit’s the esab pipe

nice
Still really tempted by the ESAB one for more than 2x the price... simply for the idea of flip down shade for plasma

 

[Brad93]

Speedglas 9100 FX with an Adflo.

It’s the industry standard and nigh on indestructible. I’ve just done a week in a furnace, and mine is absolutely bartered.

but it still runs and puts in a full 8 hours welding time on a 12 hour shift off the Hd battery. That’s with an odour filter too.

 

[Tombodge]

So the ESAB will do everything... including the ply and MDF dust..

Which filters do i need.. or is there only the one type and they cover everything.

Is it quick to switch from welding to a standard shield

 

[Tombodge]

I have got some esab ones here for a fair bit less than 600 if you want one

Are they brand new?

 

[hotponyshoes]

Are they brand new?

New but been knocking about in the back of the reps car for a while so scratched up.
I can have a look when I get back from work and let you know what's there if you like.

 

[Robert.]

So the ESAB will do everything... including the ply and MDF dust..

Which filters do i need.. or is there only the one type and they cover everything.

Is it quick to switch from welding to a standard shield

That depends on which head piece you buy with it . Mine is welding oriented so it's not got a totally clear option . You would want to look at the list of options available and choose the shield best suited for your use ...flip up probably being your best option .

 

[Tombodge]

New but been knocking about in the back of the reps car for a while so scratched up.
I can have a look when I get back from work and let you know what's there if you like.

Yes please PM me prices and what you have

 

[andyinv]

Has anyone tried these? Welding and grinding PAPR sounds pretty useful and am quite tempted - my JSP filter of course is only of much use for grinding, and the motor is on the way out. Am looking for something that's decent for general metalwork prep (eg sanding paint off a car wing), and thought the ESAB or XR940 would do well there too?

https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/xr940a-air-fed-welding-mask

 

[Brad93]

Has anyone tried these? Welding and grinding PAPR sounds pretty useful and am quite tempted - my JSP filter of course is only of much use for grinding, and the motor is on the way out. Am looking for something that's decent for general metalwork prep (eg sanding paint off a car wing), and thought the ESAB or XR940 would do well there too?

https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/xr940a-air-fed-welding-mask

Again that’s a mask where you need to change a setting or press a button to put the filter into Grind mode. So it will be Green whilst you’re grinding.

Speedglas FX is the only decent helmet on the market that flips up. Both Lincoln and ESAB (Both made by Tecman in Taiwan) Have tried to copy it, along with a few others.

 

[Brad93]

You’ve got to consider the availability of spares, consumables and the longevity of those spares. If you’re buying a £600-1200 helmet, in two years time you don’t want to be replacing it because the company has pulled the spares.

With the Speedglas you can walk in any BOC and most of the welding suppliers in this country and get spare lenses. Batteries you can usually have next day along with filters.

 

[andyinv]

You’ve got to consider the availability of spares, consumables and the longevity of those spares. If you’re buying a £600-1200 helmet, in two years time you don’t want to be replacing it because the company has pulled the spares.

With the Speedglas you can walk in any BOC and most of the welding suppliers in this country and get spare lenses. Batteries you can usually have next day along with filters.

Thanks Brad, great advice. Will look into them. Little disconcerting only a single online retailer lists the XR950A, and they're not even on the Parweld site...

 

[hotponyshoes]

Like what Brad says, the only decent flip up option at the moment is the 9100fx.
Esab do the g30/g50? but it's a horrible clunky bit of kit. Neither a lot of good as a welding mask or a grinding mask.

If the wellyweld one takes the esab hose I would get one of those for that price and a dedicated esab welding helmet/blower. You could use the grind mode on the helmet for quick jobs or just swap to the full mask for longer grinding jobs. Esab hoses are bayonet 1/4 turn so would be quick to swap the helmets over.

 

[andyinv]

Well I just got lucky... Local guy selling a weltek navitek S4 brand new, still got the seals on, and a 9100fx (helmet only, no PAPR but it fits the weltek one) for £280 the pair.

Quite delighted... Just to try them out next! (Once I've let them sit about to flush all the covids out, of course )

 

[Munkul]

nicely done! As Brad says, nothing else comes even remotely close to the 9100fx for usability and durabilty etc.