Auto Darkening Welding Helmets

[centex]

I bought an auto-darkening helmet when they first came out and so it was very expensive - $450 - compared to what they cost today. I would make sure I got a good one that darkens fast. I bought mine for TIG welding and since it cost so much I don't use it for stick or MIG welding because I don't want to get the spatter on it. Like others have said, once you use one you will not want to use anything else.

 

[Tractors4u]

As expensive as they are it is a good idea to get a clear lens cover to go over the actual tinted lens. When the tinted lens gets too scratched up or gets covered up with spatter you just throw it away and get a new clear lens.

 

[GaryM]

I bought one from Harbor Freight that adjusts from shade 9-13. When not activated it's a shade 3. It has a battery, but charges the battery with a solar panel. It came with some replacement lenses for both inside and out. I paid $159 and consider it money well spent.

I've seen it on sale in their catalog rcently for $110 or so.

Here it is http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=39310

 

[njrqs]

OK

So how do they work so fast???

 

[Inspector507]

TBone,
I picked up a Craftsman MIG welder when one of the local stores was closing. Figured it would give me something the play around with while I learn to weld (one of these days). Anyway, my brother thought I needed a helmet an Atuo Darkening helmet. I was using the little shield you get with the welder. Trouble is you gotta hold it up to your face. Well, the helmet is wonderful. Did I say how wonderful it is?? It works on 2 AAA size batteries. It's wonderful.

 

[rf33]

Hi Mike,

I think that on your helmet, you just need to push on the front lens at the top a little, and it will push the button for you. That is the way mine works anyways. It would get a little tedious to have to take the thing apart every time you wanted to weld.

 

[centex]

As expensive as they are it is a good idea to get a clear lens cover to go over the actual
tinted lens. When the tinted lens gets too scratched up or gets covered up with spatter
you just throw it away and get a new clear lens.

I have the lens covers but I didn't trust them. I don't have a problem with the regular helmets for stick and mig welding as I have a free hand if needed to lower the helmit. It was with TIG welding where both hands were tied up that I could not use a regular helmet. My dad would flick his head to lower his helmet but I just could never get my helmets adjusted so that they would stay up when I wanted and drop with a minor flick of the head. I would have to give it a couple of big flicks and one of my hands would move. The other feature of the auto-darkening helmet that I needed for TIG was the adjustable filter for the wide range of welding currents I use with it. BTW my dad claimed he used a small Millermatic wire feed welder on sheet metal without a helmet by keeping the torch close to the work and using it to hide the welding flash from his eyes. I thought he was dumb for doing this but he worked until he was 75 and never had any problem with his eyes. I wonder if anyone else has seen this before.

One other thing I did not mention is the batteries in the auto-darkening helmets. Mine uses a special (meaning hard to find and expensive) battery. I think the current ones use standard batteries. I would stay away from the ones that use special batteries like mine. They last a long time but go out at the most inconvenient times and you can't run down to the local convience store and pick one up.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Morning Don,

I've been in quite a few situations where guys either mig without a hood or just just dark glasses. Doing the old set the mig gun and then go by ear for the pass.

My favorite I believe is the Master or something like that from Jackson. I have four hoods, all of them quick change (auto darkening). But the favorite is lighter, has more options, and will allow me to weld, torch, or grind by just pushing a button.

The weld button activates the other buttons for duration, initialization, and degree of shade. I got it set for ten and then the rest of them are just in the middle, not too much of a techie. The torch button turns the lens to a shade five. This is also the setting I use to torch with the plasma. The grind button turns the lense clear so the hood effectively becomes a face shield.

Yesterday when Ron was here he used the Jackson with just the insert. It's got the push button like one of the posters talked about. What I do with it because the button is hard to activate with the plastic lense cover is put a finger on the inside of the lense and another on the outside of the lense over the on switch. I try to make them touch and like magic I've got a working quick change. The hood Ron used is the only one without a cheater in it. (Cheaters are magnifying lenses you can mount in your hood if you're like me and need that extra little bit of help).

I put off going to quick change for many years. But then when I got one I couldn't live without one now. The biggest reason was the cost. Back then they were even more expensive than they are now. But I did some work for a mechanic at his home. After he paid my bill he handed me a hundred dollar bill and thanked me all over again. I took that as a message from the welding god that I should buy myself a quick change. I haven't looked back.

 

[bgott]

I went looking for some technical info for these things last night and the most I could come up with is that the auto darkening lens is an LCD with a light sensor and circuitry. I guess they work at the speed of light! One interesting thing I found out, the navy did a cost/benefit analysis and one of the benefits was less cervical injuries. I guess a lot of welders screw their backs and necks up flipping their heads to drop the hood. They also cited improved welds and a few other good things.

 

[BBearden]

no hood

W_Harv,

Your comment about old timers not using a hood reminded me of working as a helper in oil field contruction in East Texas. I would regularly see welders start a root stringer with a small p5 rod and lift their hoods and finish the weld. This was 100% xray too. Pretty cool.