bogmonster
Established Member
Quick review - picked one up on evil bay for a good price. Hope I have my facts correct, please correct if you see any errors....
Marks out of 10:
Style: 0 - Lets face it you are going to look a complete dork in the gear. Chances of pulling in this are zero.
Comfort: 6 - The combined weight is about 2.5 kg so it is not light. The helmet as a little under 1 kg. I would have preferred a lighter helmet as I don't need the level of head protection it offers. It only just fits my big head of 61.5cm (stated size is 54cm to 61cm). I have worked for a whole day and it was OK. Much more comfortable than the Trend Airshield which has a helmet of a similar weight. The weight distribution is much better on this unit.
Noise: 5 - On it normal fan speed it is actually noisier than I expected. Quieter than the Trend but still a fair noise. The noise does not bother me.
Impact resistance: 7 - Ok, didn't actually test this but it has a proper hard hat (important for commercial site use but not important for me as a wood turner). The visor is EN166 medium velocity. It is a shame it is not rated for high velocity given the weight. As a wood turner I don't think this will be a big issue. The visor surround is very sturdy so I think it will give reasonable protection should I ever try to catch a bowl with my head.
Running costs: 7 - Consumables are very reasonably priced, certainly the particulate filters. Pre-filters can be fitted and this extends the life of the main filters. Yet to see how long they last but I think it will be a long time. As the filters start to clog the fan unit speeds up to maintain airflow. The fan unit will warn you if the airflow drops too low. Spare parts including batteries are eye wateringly expensive.... By contrast the Trend consumables are far more expensive and lack of pre-filters means the filters get clogged more quickly.
Charging: 10 - 80% charge in 30 mins, 100% in a couple of hours, trickle after that. Very fast charging and little risk of overcharging batteries.
Run time: 10 - 13 hours on normal fan speed is plenty for the most committed wood worker I would think. The battery in my unit is 3 years old but showed no signs of fading after 8 hours use.
Dust protection: 10 - Ok, this is the really important one. The unit is very highly rated with TH3P filters and to EN 12941 TH3 and with an assigned protection factor of 40. It achieves slightly better ratings than the similar style 3M helmet headtops M-106 and M-306 which have an assigned protection factor of 20. The M-406 has the same protection level but needs a shroud. The Trend airshield has TH2P filters and an assigned protection factor of 20 and the JSP Powercap Active has TH1P filters with an assigned protection factor of 10.
Value for money: 4 - This one is difficult, how much are new lungs? However it is really expensive - my setup would cost 984 pounds! OUCH! If you really want one, scour eBay as they do come up for very reasonable prices. Alternatively go for the much more common 3M units.
Summary, this is a top class piece of kit. I think I would have been happier with a different headtop, such as the SR540. I think there is a good chance I will wear this unlike the Trend that I just found too uncomfortable. The JSP is ok but the protection level is lower than much of the competition. If you can find one for a sensible price, go for it. Alternatively I don't think you can go far wrong with a 3M Versaflow. Choice between the Trend Airshield and the JSP Powercap is difficult. The better comfort of the JSP or the better protection of the Trend???? However if you can get a used Sunstrom or Versaflow for less than a new JSP / Airshield then I think that is a good way to go.
I may buy a lightweight headtop for sanding such as the SR520 for 80 pounds. Minimal impact resistance but safety glasses can be worn underneath.
Before I bought this I used a non-powered Trend Airace. Really like this but I often have a beard and that is not really any good. Also, sweaty and not really sure if it is working correctly.Still, better then nothing and cheap.
BM
Marks out of 10:
Style: 0 - Lets face it you are going to look a complete dork in the gear. Chances of pulling in this are zero.
Comfort: 6 - The combined weight is about 2.5 kg so it is not light. The helmet as a little under 1 kg. I would have preferred a lighter helmet as I don't need the level of head protection it offers. It only just fits my big head of 61.5cm (stated size is 54cm to 61cm). I have worked for a whole day and it was OK. Much more comfortable than the Trend Airshield which has a helmet of a similar weight. The weight distribution is much better on this unit.
Noise: 5 - On it normal fan speed it is actually noisier than I expected. Quieter than the Trend but still a fair noise. The noise does not bother me.
Impact resistance: 7 - Ok, didn't actually test this but it has a proper hard hat (important for commercial site use but not important for me as a wood turner). The visor is EN166 medium velocity. It is a shame it is not rated for high velocity given the weight. As a wood turner I don't think this will be a big issue. The visor surround is very sturdy so I think it will give reasonable protection should I ever try to catch a bowl with my head.
Running costs: 7 - Consumables are very reasonably priced, certainly the particulate filters. Pre-filters can be fitted and this extends the life of the main filters. Yet to see how long they last but I think it will be a long time. As the filters start to clog the fan unit speeds up to maintain airflow. The fan unit will warn you if the airflow drops too low. Spare parts including batteries are eye wateringly expensive.... By contrast the Trend consumables are far more expensive and lack of pre-filters means the filters get clogged more quickly.
Charging: 10 - 80% charge in 30 mins, 100% in a couple of hours, trickle after that. Very fast charging and little risk of overcharging batteries.
Run time: 10 - 13 hours on normal fan speed is plenty for the most committed wood worker I would think. The battery in my unit is 3 years old but showed no signs of fading after 8 hours use.
Dust protection: 10 - Ok, this is the really important one. The unit is very highly rated with TH3P filters and to EN 12941 TH3 and with an assigned protection factor of 40. It achieves slightly better ratings than the similar style 3M helmet headtops M-106 and M-306 which have an assigned protection factor of 20. The M-406 has the same protection level but needs a shroud. The Trend airshield has TH2P filters and an assigned protection factor of 20 and the JSP Powercap Active has TH1P filters with an assigned protection factor of 10.
Value for money: 4 - This one is difficult, how much are new lungs? However it is really expensive - my setup would cost 984 pounds! OUCH! If you really want one, scour eBay as they do come up for very reasonable prices. Alternatively go for the much more common 3M units.
Summary, this is a top class piece of kit. I think I would have been happier with a different headtop, such as the SR540. I think there is a good chance I will wear this unlike the Trend that I just found too uncomfortable. The JSP is ok but the protection level is lower than much of the competition. If you can find one for a sensible price, go for it. Alternatively I don't think you can go far wrong with a 3M Versaflow. Choice between the Trend Airshield and the JSP Powercap is difficult. The better comfort of the JSP or the better protection of the Trend???? However if you can get a used Sunstrom or Versaflow for less than a new JSP / Airshield then I think that is a good way to go.
I may buy a lightweight headtop for sanding such as the SR520 for 80 pounds. Minimal impact resistance but safety glasses can be worn underneath.
Before I bought this I used a non-powered Trend Airace. Really like this but I often have a beard and that is not really any good. Also, sweaty and not really sure if it is working correctly.Still, better then nothing and cheap.
BM
