Saw Helmet

[Walkdog]

Easily 9 out of 10 pros in my area wear the Pfanner Protos.

I started with a Kask Super Plasma, but since picking up a Protos last winter, have yet to use the Kask once myself, only as a lender for new groundies or friends.

 

[AKTrailDog]

Walkdog- you wear the protos with the mesh screen or clear shield?

 

[Walkdog]

Walkdog- you wear the protos with the mesh screen or clear shield?

It only comes with a mesh screen, AFAIK, which is all I’d ever want to run spring/summer/fall because of the superior ventilation.

The clear shield on my Kask requires a lot of cleaning to maintain a good FOV, and the scratches it picks up are more visually distracting than the slight deformations the protos’s mesh visor gets from impacts. There are also few joys quite like trying to see through a clear shield covered in sap, sweat, and sawdust while operating equipment capable of maiming you in a split second...

Pfanner offers optional modular sunglasses that fold down if you need more protection.

 

[AKTrailDog]

They make a clear visor for the protos but I can't imagine it doesn't fog up. Hence why I prefer the half or 3/4 clear visor on the kask.
Plus having the unparallel powers from my beard, helps repell all insects, wood chips, sweat etc.

 

[Big_Eddy]

Before you buy, compare the noise reduction ratings of the muffs. Some are 20dB, some go up to 25dB. It makes a difference. The better helmets use standard muffs (3m/Peltor, MSA/Sordin)
Also check if there is a hygiene kit available to replace the pads. I just replaced the pads on my old Jonsered helmet (Sordin muffs) which I prefer over my new stihl helmet (Peltor)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[OddSawz]

I started with a cheap Oregon helmet combination. Typical construction-style hard hat with ear muffs and mesh face shield.

https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/helmet-combo/p/563474
It worked as designed, but extended wear was uncomfortable and hot.

Last year I found that some companies producing generic versions of the Kask Super Plasma and the Petzl Vertex. The prices were much lower. I snagged a Kask copy for about 50 bucks. It did not require additional adapters to attach ear muffs. The inner suspension/lining was good quality, Nice padding, and good ventilation. I added some Helberg 2c ear muffs and Helberg Visor/Visor carrier.

https://www.defendersafety.com/products/h1-ch-industrial-safety-helmet
https://www.defendersafety.com/products/h2-ch®-industrial-ansi-chin-strap-hard-hat
I also had purchased a true kask helmet, and it did not fit my head as well, so I stuck with the knockoff. It vents well and if things get a bit sweaty, the lining seems to hold the moisture rather than streaming down my face.

Still have the kask for sale if anyone is interested

 

[Ol' Brian]

Thanks for all the replies guys!

I ended picking up the Stihl "Helmet System for Forestry Use" 0000-886-0010 here locally from the local farm store which is a big Stihl dealer. Hopefully will get to try it out tomorrow.

Got the suspension adjusted to my noggin, and earmuffs set, and it's surprisingly comfortable once it's all "right".

 

[newforest]

I like my Husqy Technical quite a bit. It is vented, which is nice, and also comes with a neck apron when you purchase it. So no fooling with matching up an after-market version from some other manufacturer. The apron works perfectly - in both summer and winter you will want it on, and is also very nice during bug season. Though a running saw is the best bug repellent ever, you will appreciate a neck apron allowing you to make a fuel-up into a normal procedure rather than an audition for a NASCAR pit crew job. I will probably never wear a helmet without a neck apron ever again, and bought one for use with a regular cap for non saw-work during Deer Fly season.

I also find the Technical has the fullest wrap of the mesh visor compared to the cheaper models; I noticed the same thing with the Stihl Pro-Mark that I also have as a result of getting too far from home without my regular Husq Technical helmet. The differences in both of the Big 2 “pro” grade PPE line may seem small for the increased price, but when you wear them 40 hours a week the little things add up quickly.

The one thing I truly hate about the Pro Mark and the Technical is the black plastic ear muffs, which are incredibly stupid. Would you keep your beer in a black plastic cooler? Of course not. Black absorbs heat and the last thing I want on my pair of blood cooling radiators also known as my ears is a chunk of black plastic absorbing sunshine all day.

I wish Husqy and Stihl’s PPE product line managers had to move their desks out onto the lawn of their office park and then try to sit there and work all day wearing black ear muffs.

When I first started buying helmets with ear muffs, they were routinely orange in color and not as hot. Black might look “cool” but it most definitely isn’t.

And I firmly believe the temperature of a saw operator is an important safety concern. On a hot afternoon is when it is easier to get a little cranky and then a little looser with best safety technique. When you find the heat leading you to cuss out the wood you are cutting, its time to turn the saw off and take a break. This happens faster for me sometimes now that I have to wear those black earmuffs.

 

[pdqdl]

Most every brand name one is ok and usable. Can't say I've been unhappy with any of the half dozen or so I've had over the years. That said I just splurged for a Protos.

So how has it been working out for you?

Do they stand up to the test of time?