Loomis
Active Member
I wanted to post these to give everyone an idea of face masks. If you have to go buy one due to Ebola or Flu you will know a little to make a good decision on what to buy.
The first one is used for Industrial purpose. It has a filter R53HE-P100. It is a half face mask with adjustable straps which makes it very comfortable to wear. It weighs 1 lb. 7.7 .oz (672g). I see people buying extra filters but inside there are small rubber dam that controls the intake and exhaust valves, these are the ones you really need to buy extra of. They don't last that long. There are medical respirators but this is close to what they look like. This is a very old one as you can see.
This one below is a Dental mask it's only purpose is to stop splashes. It might be good on a windy day to filter out big dust particles being blown around a parking lot. Other than that they don't filter out germs. It will say so on the box.
This one below is an all purpose mask that you can pick up anywhere. They are dust masks. I think I rank these as one step above nothing. They are hot. You also get to breathe in most of what you just exhaled which breaks the seal. They are hard to breathe thru. They are 3M Aseptex Molded Surgical Mask to reduce exposure to blood and body fluids. They are NOT rated N95.
The last one I am currently testing. It is a 3M 8511 N95 NIOSH TC-84A-1299. What I like about this is that it has an exhalation valve which is very comfortable. But I also notice that the rubber bands that go around the back of your head are tight and can give you a headache very quickly. The fit is very good. I will be testing this as time goes on.
I've tried to give you some idea of the different types of masks. If you know more than me please add to it. This is just a rough idea.
The first one is used for Industrial purpose. It has a filter R53HE-P100. It is a half face mask with adjustable straps which makes it very comfortable to wear. It weighs 1 lb. 7.7 .oz (672g). I see people buying extra filters but inside there are small rubber dam that controls the intake and exhaust valves, these are the ones you really need to buy extra of. They don't last that long. There are medical respirators but this is close to what they look like. This is a very old one as you can see.
This one below is a Dental mask it's only purpose is to stop splashes. It might be good on a windy day to filter out big dust particles being blown around a parking lot. Other than that they don't filter out germs. It will say so on the box.
This one below is an all purpose mask that you can pick up anywhere. They are dust masks. I think I rank these as one step above nothing. They are hot. You also get to breathe in most of what you just exhaled which breaks the seal. They are hard to breathe thru. They are 3M Aseptex Molded Surgical Mask to reduce exposure to blood and body fluids. They are NOT rated N95.
The last one I am currently testing. It is a 3M 8511 N95 NIOSH TC-84A-1299. What I like about this is that it has an exhalation valve which is very comfortable. But I also notice that the rubber bands that go around the back of your head are tight and can give you a headache very quickly. The fit is very good. I will be testing this as time goes on.
I've tried to give you some idea of the different types of masks. If you know more than me please add to it. This is just a rough idea.