Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
First off, this helmet looks very cool. You can buy it in a number of different color schemes. I bought the orange and gray one. It is streamlined, for its size, and covers more of your head than the usual suspects. As you put it on, you may think, "Man, this feels like I'm putting on a football helmet." OK, once it's on, you need to work towards adjusting it. I received no instructions with my helmet but I did find pictures, online, so I took it from there. Take it back off. The inner support system adjusts from the rear, but you need to play around with it to figure it out. There is an outer, color-coordinated clip that snaps back and then you snap the inner back support piece forward. Then you can slide the support bands in and out. Once you get the fit you want, you snap the clips back in place, bearing in mind that when you put the helmet on your head, the back clip should be open. Once on, you snap that clip closed and it tightens the band a bit. The chin strap has webbing that adjusts from buckles deep inside the helmet, and they were tough to get to. Maybe I missed something, but I had to really dig in to get the strap where I wanted it. Then I had to cut and melt the webbing ends to keep the extra-long strap ends out of my eyes. Putting on the screened face guard was also tough to figure out, for me. Looking at pictures, I got it, but you need to line up the arms, with the mounting holes, in just the right position or they won't snap onto the inside posts. For me, the best feature: This helmet has integral earmuffs that slide UNDER the helmet. Too cool, as I see it. When you need them, you slide them forward and push, slightly, and they sock up to your ears. You can adjust the tightness with two inset plastic screw heads. As one who is trying to preserve what little hearing I still have, I can't stress how much this influenced me to pop the big bucks for this helmet. One weird thing: The inner protection, on the top underside of the helmet, is this very rigid honeycomb material. I would imagine that if you got hit on the head hard enough to break the outer shell, this honeycomb stuff would lacerate the hell out of your scalp. At that point, however, I think a lacerated scalp would be the least of your worries.
OK, The Test: I was aloft about six hours, yesterday. This helmet stayed reasonably cool, in 78 degree weather, and the muffs did as well as any other hearing protection I've ever used. I will use my yellow foam insertable plugs, along with the muffs, when I gun my MS 460, next time. I really liked the screen, too. It was nice to not get branches in the face in the twiggy oak I was in. The screen worked well. During cuts, I did wear the protective glasses that came with the helmet. The temples didn't seem to effect the muffs, as they were very thin. The glasses, two pairs, were nothing special, FWIW. They are your run of the mill eye protection glasses.
Final rating: I'd give this helmet 4.5/5. It's a bit pricey, to my mind, but I don't regret buying it.
OK, The Test: I was aloft about six hours, yesterday. This helmet stayed reasonably cool, in 78 degree weather, and the muffs did as well as any other hearing protection I've ever used. I will use my yellow foam insertable plugs, along with the muffs, when I gun my MS 460, next time. I really liked the screen, too. It was nice to not get branches in the face in the twiggy oak I was in. The screen worked well. During cuts, I did wear the protective glasses that came with the helmet. The temples didn't seem to effect the muffs, as they were very thin. The glasses, two pairs, were nothing special, FWIW. They are your run of the mill eye protection glasses.
Final rating: I'd give this helmet 4.5/5. It's a bit pricey, to my mind, but I don't regret buying it.
