Respirator or Dust Mask for Orbital Sanding?

Hey guys, I've been using a cheap dust mask when sanding MDF with my random orbital sander, but I'm getting worried about the fine dust. Should I upgrade to a half-face respirator? What do you all use?

Definitely go with a respirator, man. Those paper masks don't seal well and let fine dust through. I use a 3M 6000 series with P100 filters. It's not that expensive and your lungs will thank you later. MDF dust is nasty stuff.

Tim545 is right. I've been in the trade 40+ years and wish I'd used better protection earlier. Get a respirator with replaceable cartridges. Also, hook up a vac to your sander if you can – that makes a huge difference in airborne dust.

Thanks for the advice. I'll grab a 3M respirator this weekend. Do you guys bother with full-face or is half-face enough for sanding?

Half-face is fine for sanding. Full-face is more for spraying finishes or working with chemicals that irritate eyes. Just make sure you get the right filters for particulates (P100) and not just organic vapors.