3M 6000 Series Full Facepiece Reusable Respirator

I bought this face shield/respirator for bowl turning. It is an excellent piece of equipment. Nice clear vision with no fogging! No breathing in dust. It is especially great at keeping dust out of my eyes!

We ordered "hers" (6800 medium) and "his" (6900 large) full-face protective masks after a lot of research. To save customers a lot of legwork, here is the info. you need: #1 Having had experience with half masks and goggles, it is a no-brainer to go with the full mask. Not only are your eyes as important as your lungs, but reading the specifics on particulates protection, the full mask gives 5 times more protection. That’s according to 3M. Properly fitted and with the proper filter, there are no odors entering the mask. #2 These masks are sized by series number to fit your face. And they do fit your face! Very comfortable, have a great seal, and do not fog-period. We found that initially fitting the mask, the two straps are adjusted over the top of the head to seal the forehead area. The two at the jaw are then adjusted to seal the lower face. Once done, the easy release lower tabs can be released and the mask removed over the top of the head. But always make sure the mask fits properly before entering the area. #3 These masks do NOT come with filters. For your particular application, type in "3M 6000 series face mask" which takes you to the 3M site with a complete user manual, safety instructions, and specifics for filters applicable to your needs. This is clear and concise information worth a few minutes of reading time. Don’t fudge here, if you need two different styles of filters, get them up front. We are talking about your health. The second critical point is to make certain that the filters seat and twist in until you hear a click. The round pink fiber filters may give you the most concern, but with care, they are pretty sturdy and will seat. #4 3M offers for about $25.00 a 25 pack of face-shield protectors that statically adhere to the face shield. One sample comes with the mask. Having tried it, they are worth the investment. There is no difference in vision when they are applied. The mask itself is not cheap and will last a very long time. A replacement lens is about $25. If you are working in any type of environment that will coat the lens or flying debris , most often the conditions you will be working in, it is economic sense to use them.

I've purchased two of these over the past few years to help with hobbies and house remodeling. They are very versatile when paired with the appropriate filter for what you are doing. I used them while blade smithing/metal sanding, wood sanding, fiberglass boat making, using chemicals/epoxy/strong paint pretty much anything where vapors or particulates are involved. They are comfortable enough for extended wear and I've worn them for upwards of 5 hours and still felt reasonably comfortable. I seal check mine each time I use them and after that I've had no issue during use. Maintenance wise they do need replacement valves, head straps, and of course filters as needed, but these are very solid and I feel safe using them for what I do.

This mask just saved me. I was turning a segmented bowl on my lathe and the bowl broke apart. The mask took the brunt of the large piece that flew towards my face. I felt the impact, but was not injured. Without this mask I would have been hit just below my left eye, quite possibly injuring my eye and breaking my eye socket. I always have the 3M 2091 P100 Particulate Filters attached. Together they make woodturning enjoyable. My vision is not obstructed in any way. The mask is lightweight and fits snugly. The filters allow me to breathe and there is no condensation build up in the mask.

UPDATE: I'm raising my rating to four stars. The problem I experienced with the bottom strap loosening was caused by one of the fastening brackets becoming misaligned. Fixing it was incredibly simple, as is most operations with this mask. I'm leaving my rating at four, instead of rating it as five, because I really think the instructions for this mask should include precautions and steps for periodically examining each of the mechanical components for proper operation. The mask itself is great, but the instructions for using and maintaining it could be described a little better. UPDATE: I'm dropping my rating to three stars. As great as this mask is, after approximately fifty hours of use, one of the bottom tightening straps now loosens automatically and immediately as soon as I tighten it. That's exactly what I DON'T WANT to happen when I'm working with hazardous materials. Worse yet, I didn't discover this problem until several hours into one particularly messy (and unhealthy) job. Who knows if micro-particles of dangerous elements seeped into my mask during that instance. I'm torn as to whether I should buy another mask of the same model, or if I should try a different model or manufacturer. 10 uses for a $110 respirator is a bit expensive. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I've used half-mask respirators with safety goggles to perform lead, mold, and dust remediation and MAN: full-mask respirators are A MILLION TIMES BETTER! The half-mask respirators or goggles would always end up giving me headaches or skin irritation after a few hours, and leave my face etched with deep red imprints for several hours after removing the equipment. No such problems with full-mask respirators. This respirator in particular was VERY comfortable, and never fogged up. I've used it for 10 hours at a stretch, and never once felt out of breath or excessively sweaty in it, even when I used it in an attic in 90 degree weather. It is also extremely easy to adjust the straps to tighten or loosen the respirator. I was particularly impressed that I could dismantle the entire respirator into several separate pieces that could be easily cleaned and reassembled. I have a feeling this respirator will last a long time. AN IMPORTANT CAVEAT: the seal around your face, specifically near your temples, can become temporarily compromised if you make certain facial gestures, such as furrowing your brows, or looking over your shoulder and straining to see something out of your field of view. It's just a natural fact that as you contort your face muscles into different positions, it might raise the mask slightly so that the seal is broken and air leaks in to the face mask, especially around the temples. Note that you MUST perform a fit test to make sure that the seal is formed properly whenever you put this (or any) respirator on. Make sure you get the right size, and that you adjust the straps properly. In my experience, the broken seal did not leak air into the respirator itself; just near my eyes. You should not use this (or any similarly-rated) respirator for working with toxic gases or such.

I am wearing this mask while wading amongst the blown fibreglass insulation inside my attic. A regular mouth+nose respirator is what I used in the past, but this full face unit keeps the loose fibres from getting into my eyes. I wear it in combination with a full Tyvek suit, and will have it on when I blow fresh fibreglass in after finishing attic repairs. I use it with the 2097 particulate filters and it works very well. No fogging, not too bulky. I also got a set of organic vapour filters for use with wood finishes and paints. Excellent product, a bit expensive but worth every penny. The mask I received included one 3M Faceshield Cover to guard against scratches. It doesn't seem to interfere with vision, so I ordered a pack of 10 more for when that one eventually gets scuffed up or painted over.

This thing is great. I do a lot of work with toxic chemicals and VOC so this is a must. It’s worked exactly like it should. It’s fairly comfortable and fits me well. I got it on sale so the price was more reasonable when I purchased it.

Bought this to use at work (I am a doctor) when PPE levels were very low in the UK. Thankfully I never needed to use it at work but do use it in the house renovation i am now doing. Very comfortable and of high quality. Mine was shipped from the US. All the reviewers complaining it does not come with filters are ridiculous. Of course you have to buy these separately and there are many different options depending on what you are exposing yourself to. For glasses wearers 3M do sell something which allows you to modify the mask for glass wearing - I didn't need this. Overrall, high quality long-lasting piece of PPE. Would highly. recommend.

I wear this when doing yard work - completely eliminates seasonal allergies ! And now It’s good for the grocery store or subway. Inhaled air first comes into sealed viewing chamber then exhaled air goes out directly from mouth & nose chamber, meaning zero fogging and always clean interior. Filters sold separately - don’t forget those !

I was looking for a good quality Respirator... yes this is on the expensive side; however it is a safety device. Very high-quality material easy to adjust and the fit is great.. when you read "it's just like the 3M Respirator".... well then just buy the 3M!