Trend air pro

[masonsailor2]

I have been searching the forum to see if there has ever been a discussion about these units. I got a face full of paduak dust three days ago in the shop and am paying the price right now. I have been looking at these units for a while now. Does anyone here have experience with them ? Very pricey but according to the reviews work quite well.
Paul

[roy_okc]

Paul,

While I don't have one (yet), I've heard a lot of good things from the local woodturning group members who have them.

[reible]

I have one on my list but not sure when I'll get it. Seems like it would really be a nice thing to have especially when it gets hot and sticky in the summer.

They do cost a lot. The mask I now use works but it is not all that conformable. It would be a really nice addition to the shop. Just trying to convince myself to spend the money.

Ed

[ChrisNeilan]

I have one and love it! Only problem I've had is the adjusting strap snapped. A phone call later, a free replacement was on the way. Great company.

[Mike907]

I have one and like it, too. I need reading glasses when I turn and with a dust mask there is inevitably some fogging. No fogging with the Airshield. It gets a little top heavy after a while and I have thought about the belt worn 3M models, but they are several times the price.

Mike

[masonsailor2]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Based on the positive response I picked one up at ROCKLER yesterday. It is charging now and I will road test it this afternoon after the madatory 24 charge period is up. I have done some serious thinking on the dust control situation in the shop and spent yesterday beginning to make changes. A lot of my work is done in Honduran mahogany and Paduak which are both sensitizers. I am hoping to only have to use the Trend Air when doing work that generates the high dust and with those woods but time will tell. The biggest change will be the filtration and also trying not to work so much with the doors shut. I have a very open shop when everything is opened up but lately due the temperatures I have been leaving things closed up. Big mistake. Low temp here is probably 50 so warmer clothes and leave shop open is the new order of the day. I am also bringing the filtration down to one micron or below with greater CFM.
Paul

[reible]

Please do give us your opinion after you get to use it a while. Like I said I want one but still have not spent the money.

Ed

[masonsailor2]

Well two full days of using the Trend Air mask and here is my opinion FWIW. Overall I really like it. It does the best job of dust protection I have ever experienced. Little or none in the nasal passages. No fogging of the glasses whatsoever. Visibility is excellent. I wore it with the Bose noise canceling earbuds which are my standard ear protection and the hum from the motor was barely there when the music was playing. Now for the cons which definitely do not outweigh the pros. The battery situation is not so good. They are NiMH batteries coupled with a substandard charger. They definitely give you more than 8 hours. More like 10-12. But you have to completely deplete NiMH batteries before recharging and it runs for another 2 hours finally depleting the battery. Then you have to charge it for 14 hours. That means a 24-26 hour cycle which doesn't make for great usability. A second battery with charger is over $100. The battery pack also adds to the weight which definitely takes a toll on your neck. It would be better if the battery was on a belt pack. My son the electronic genius in the family says he can use his 3D printer and modify it to a belt pack. We will see. Overall I like it a lot. It does what they say it's supposed to do. Today is another full day in the shop and I will be using it pretty much full time. I am cutting up Paduak and Peruvian walnut for a segmented turning.
Paul

[ChrisNeilan]

I'm glad you like it. I've had mine for two years now with no battery issue, and I don't completely discharge mine. NiMH batteries do not have the memory issue like NIcad's do, at least not to the same extent. If you turn everyday (I don't)., then I would look into a smart charger. There are several good videos online as how to adapt one to the Trend.

Chris

[masonsailor2]

Thanks Chris. The videos and adapting the smart charger may solve the problem just fine. I am just finishing up a long day in the shop and I wore it pretty much all day. It was a long day of making segmented rings etc. The trend air made it a much more pleasant day.
Paul