Heavy Industry PAPR Kit – TR-300N+ HIK

I bought this unit because I work in very high dust environments. Such as: residential demolition, wood working, HVAC, welding, concrete mixing, mortar mixing... I have terribly bad allergies and I am constantly exposed to large amounts of fine particulate, which are hazardous over long term exposure. The unit is just as simple to use and more comfortable than the standard 3m full face respirator. I chose to upgrade, because I perspire a lot while working in general and even more when wearing the full face respirator. This unit when you start it up and then put it on according the manual, eliminates labored breathing, one way flaps getting stuck and provides great airflow across your face. I am 6’ 1” tall and the hose doesn’t put any tension while bending down or squatting. The battery charged with in about an hour or so. The filter is solid and relatively easy to change. My only recommendation is to get a hard hat liner and consider purchasing the backpack accessory for this, so it doesn’t cause the all to common plumbers crack. Otherwise, 3M has done a great job on designing this product.

Using mask while working in dusty or hazardous condition is not pleasant. All non-powered mask restricts the airflow and becomes uncomfortably hot while prolonged use, so I often took the risk to go maskless. After having bad allergy after doing a wood project, I realized my lung is not a replaceable part and invested on Versaflo. Boy, it is the very best one can have, the constant filtered airflow in the helmet keeps the breathing effort normal as well as keeps the head cool and visor from misting. The air pipe goes from the back of the helmet to the waist pack so there is complete unobstructed view. The only downside is the helmet weight, which is worn like a cap so all the weight ill be carried by the neck muscle, which may be an issue is someone has neck pain or spondylitis. May be in future, 3M may come up with a design where helmet weight can be supported by the shoulder, that will make it even better.

Like many others I purchased this to use during wood turning. Turns out I use it every time I'm in the shop. Whether using the table saw or bench grinder, I have this on. I believe these units have gone up in price as everything else as to when I purchased it. The battery lasts as long as I want to stay in the shop (8-9 hours) and only takes about 1-2 hour to fully charge it up again. Be careful to not use compressed air to clean out the filters, it will rip holes in the filter, instead I just went to using a shop vac to suction it out. This helmet is very comfortable and not too heavy after hours of use. Every wood worker should invest in this unit.

So far, I used it once and worked great. Everything was included in the package which surprised me for an Amazon purchase of respirator. The only thing maybe was that the head spacer did not have glue to stick to helmet. Other than that works great.

The Versaflo works great. It grants a level of comfort and freedom that no other solutions have provided me. I have a beard and a big nose and nothing else would seal against my face without causing my eye protection to fog up. The helmet has a lot of adjustability for a comfortable fit. I figured I'd be replacing the belt, but it isn't just a cheap throwaway; and the width helps keep it in place without needing to go that extra hole. My frustration has come with the hearing protection. 3M has a wide selection of hard hat mountable earmuffs with NRR between 20 and 30 dB. Unfortunately, mounting to the M-300 series helmet requires screw mounting, not the insertable clip. This means that the highest level of protection (X5 at 31dB) will not work with this helmet. I verified this by calling 3M (after I ordered the X5 and amazon sent me used ones). The M-985 earmuffs are the only model that fits the M-300 helmet, which are only rated at 24dB and are waaaay more expensive than all the rest. The only difference is a small clip. The s/s wire attaches to the earcup the same, the round screw bezel that holds the wires to the attachement clip is also the same. Other earmuffs LOOK like they have screw mount clips, but they won't work. I really wanted the Bluetooth version that is for sale from a handful of different "companies", but they won't work either. 3M failed with the hearing protection. If I bought both pair, I could use the mount from the extremely overpriced (but less protective) set designed for this helmet, and the ear cups from the reasonably priced (highest protection level) set and make this work in minutes. So, I'll be returning the $40 (31dB) set for the $70 (24dB) set with the little screw mounting clip that might be worth $3/pair, but not $70. This is infuriating.

I purchased this item to work around treating potato seed pieces with dust and liquid seed piece treatments. I like the unit better than the standard particle/dust mask with a face shield. There is no pressure around the mouth like you experience with a particle mask. The air flow in the hood is cool and that is a nice benefit from using this unit. I also haven't had my glasses fog up on me at all while using the unit. It is a great protection tool when working around dusty environments.

I developed allergies to the oak wood dust in my shop. Developed a severe cough when working. This unit fixed the problem. If I go into my shop and will create dust, I put this on. NO MORE COUGHING. I absolutely love it. It is EXPENSIVE. It is 3M. It WORKS. Rather spend the money on this than on doctor visits for coughing.

Came complete and well packaged. Took an hour to top off the battery, tested for six hours at home and going grocery shopping lots of looks but was comfortable and cool no fogging my glasses. recharge took less than 2 hours. Only downside is the belt. I have a 44 inch waist and I had one hole left to use. Good news any dress belt or cowboy belt less than 2 inch wide will fit through the belt loops on the pump. Had plenty of charge left on the battery, I only need it to go out for groceries so it will serve my purpose.