Author	[Modern View]
Lanse 10-18-2012 20:40:18 209.251.8.126 Report to Moderator	TOTALLY WORTH IT. Thats my review in three words... I got a 3M 7502 from Ebay for under $18, and picked up two sets of filters for it too ($7 a pair)... I wish I'd bought this thing years ago, up until now I'd been using a plain jane painting resperator. They were big and bulky and wouldnt fit under a welding helmet, and plus plasma and grinding dust would fill up those expensive filters too dang fast (however, I've been known to blow them out with compressed air... Dont tell OSHA :P ). I decided to get something better, and Im sure glad I did. The 3M has a very nice fit and feel too it, and as advertized, fits under any of my welding hoods with zero issues. Up until now, I'd been plasma cutting with aforementioned painting resperator and a pair of burn goggles with a shade 8 lens, and now I can put that shade 8 in a nice hood and be protected from sparks/flying globs of metal/etc and not have my face get fried. I tried it out the other day and it was like I'd died and gone to welding heaven, SO much better. Im glad I have this thing, no more black boogers, sore throat (from plasma dust), or feeling like a cigarette filter. The video here tells more about all this... All I can say, is if you want to spend a few bucks on something that can make your life in the shop a little better, I highly recommend this unit. Its the best thing since the noise-canceling earbuds like Im always listening to music with as Im grinding, etc IMHO. Stay safe out there, guys :) Audio/Video clip:video1 [Reply]   [No Email]
Rick54 10-20-2012 07:31:44 209.152.112.184 Report to Moderator	Re: Finally got a real Welding Respirator in reply to Lanse, 10-18-2012 20:40:18   congrats on the mask been trying to tell you that,weld fumes are no fun and will get you. I have completely given welding up after all these years,basically my welder quit is not orth fixing and desire not there any more . I have for sale if interested a complete fresh air powered weld helmet syatem, runs off 220 volts has its own air pump and several feet of hose. [Reply]  [No Email]
David G 10-19-2012 19:13:36 205.215.206.18 Report to Moderator	Re: Finally got a real Welding Respirator in reply to Lanse, 10-18-2012 20:40:18   That is great news, think safety while you are young. I finally got a breathing air system for painting, and it is also great not to wheeze all night from the fumes. [Reply]  [No Email]
flambeauone 10-19-2012 05:41:40 173.154.8.120 Report to Moderator	Re: Finally got a real Welding Respirator in reply to Lanse, 10-18-2012 20:40:18   Im glad you got yourself a respirator you can live with. Uncomfortable ones in my experience rarely get used. If you think thats welding heaven try yourself a fresh air hood. Theyre pretty sweet for being under a hood all day. Its like having a filtered breeze on your face. Kinda pricey though the ones we use are Adflo they work great. I see alot of younger guys with earbuds welding. In my opinion thats not a good thing to do you already have a hood over your head. [Reply]  [No Email]
NCWayne 10-18-2012 23:41:05 69.40.232.132 Report to Moderator	Re: Finally got a real Welding Respirator in reply to Lanse, 10-18-2012 20:40:18   Lance, congrats on the respirator. Keep yourself healthy and you just might live forever... That said, I can understand using hearing protection, but you say your wearing 'noise canceling' earbuds and listening to music on them at the same time. Personally I can't see where that is safe. Having the 'buds' in your ears, and having music being pumped into your ear at the same time seems like it would keep out alot of important outside sounds. Maybe it's not so important when your alone, in your own shop, but what happens when someone else comes in and you don't hear them and know they are there? In a shop environment where others are definately present it would definately be something I consider unsafe. In the field, increase the unsafe factor at least ten fold. I say this based on experience. I often work alone, and have had people 'sneak' up on me over the years when I was concentrating hard on something even when it was quite, but it was more likely to happen when there was too much noise to hear them. Fortunatly I never hurt anyone but there were times when I''ve turned around with a torch in my hand, reached to hang a stinger with a hot rod in it, shifted a grinder and threw sparks directly at them, etc, etc, and came close to hitting, or with the sparks actually did hit, the person because "they weren't supposed there"...and..."I was supposed to be alone".... In a shop environment, where you know there are others present, it can be even worse. When someone else is moving a part, swinging something on a crane and needing to go overhead, etc, etc, and let their intentions be known verbally, it can put you in an unsafe place if you fail to hear them because of the earbuds and the music. In the field being able to hear what is going on around you is even more important. One moving machine can not only ruin your day, it can kill you, and that's just the start of the hazards in the field. Personally I credit the fact I am alive to being able to hear a 'pop' and having the sense to know said 'pop' meant something wasn't right, and to run just before a 10,000 pound, plus, track frame jumped up and hit the side of the machine right were my head had been a split secomd before... Had I been wearing ear buds, and had music being 'pumped into my ears' I probably wouldn't be here today. Maybe I'm not understanding things exactly right, and am being over cautious, or whatever, and I hope so. If not, nix the earbud music for a plain old radio to provide the background entertainment, and if you feel you need hearing protection, find something that will allow you to hear without putting 'good noise' (ie music) into your ear that just might be keeping other, more important noises out......... [Reply]  [No Email]
Lanse 10-19-2012 11:27:42 209.251.8.126 Report to Moderator	Re: Finally got a real Welding Respirator in reply to NCWayne, 10-18-2012 23:41:05   Hmmmmm something to think about for sure... IDK, I don't really work with anyone else 90+% of the time, but still. Good to know. I won't be listening to music whenever Im working around other people, thanks for the life lesson there :) [Reply]  [No Email]