feedback on HF AD welding helmet

[Dargo]

Tractors and welders always seem to get together sooner or later...

Especially if I use the tractor

And, yes, I do think my dad has said that I can indeed break an anvil with a rubber mallet

 

[Soundguy]

I think i remember seeing a 'must have' tool list for owning a tractor.

It was something like:

BFH ( big ******* hammer )
pry bar
hot wrench ( smoke wrench, blue wrench, gas axe, torch.. etc.. )
and a welder.

I agree.. seems like once you have owned and used a tractor for any length of time.. you eventually need something welded...

Soundguy

 

[joes_427_vette]

I just picked one up today. They had the 99 dollar one on special for 50. I will try it out when I get a chance to see if it fills the bill. One thing I don't understand is why there would be a adjustment for the shade darkening time. I would think it should change within hundreds of a second to avoid a flash. Flipping the helmet up and down is old school. If this one does not work out I will be a Miller helmet owner.

 

[MossRoad]

I don't think there is an adjustment for the time it takes to darken.

I think the adjustments are for the brightness of the flash that it takes to turn on the darkening, how long it stays dark after the flash stops, and the darkness of the shade... 9-13.

 

[Tom_Veatch]

Have a question for you guys that have the HF AD helmet. But first, a word about my welding experience. About 40 years ago I took one welding lab class in college. We did a little hands on with Arc (stick) and oxy-acetylene. That was the last time I'd touched a welding machine of any kind until I got a small Campbell-Hausfeld MIG unit a few days ago. 110v 20amp input, max 85amp output (I think). And one of those Harbor Freight Auto-Darkening helmets. As you can see, I'm a real expert in this field so please take that into account.

I've been playing with some pieces of steel scrap - all less than 1/8" thick - and .035 flux core (no gas), all available heat settings, and wire feed speeds all over the map.

I'm not sure the helmet is working correctly. It is supposed to be adjustable from level 9 to 13 but if there is any difference, it is very subtle.

So, the question really is - what sort of difference should I expect to see between a setting of 9 and 13? A distinct and apparent difference in the light level, or something much more subtle. Even at the 9 setting, about all I see is the bright spot of the arc itself - no weld puddle or much of anything else in the field. Same thing at 13. Makes it mighty difficult to lay a bead anywhere close to where it's wanted.

Could the extra smoke and spatter from flux core wire be obscuring the field that much. I have some gas (75/25) and solid wire, but haven't played with that yet.

 

[Maine_Polack]

Tom_Veatch:

On my HF AD helmet, I have to keep the setting below 10 or I too cannot see anything but a flash. Just figured it was not quite right, and am Ok with it. Yours sounds like the settings are off even more and needs to be returned. Just my guess.

 

[Soundguy]

Hmm... I've not used my AD helmet with my 70a campbel hausfield (stick).. but have used it with my hobart 235a stickmate.

When welding this weekend, and alst week, i burned a bunch of 1/8 and 3/32 rods on 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, and 1/2' materials... mostly using 6011rod. Amp ranges in the 90-110 range mostly. A shade of 13 makes it where i can only see the arc itself. A shade of 9 makes it where i can see the entire work. Shade 11 helmet lets me see the arc, and puddle, and about an half inch fore and aft of the arc.

Not sure that helps you any. However.. i did set my helmet out in the sun for an hour while i was setting up my parts and pieces, in case that made a difference. I'm not sure if it truly has a rechargeable battery.. or merly a backup battery, and is straight solar.. etc.

Soundguy

 

[Spark_man]

I just got one last week and had to play with is some this weekend just to see how it worked. I was very happy with it so far - at least using the tombstone welder. It behaves just about as Soundguy just said. I have a little CH flux core welder also, but didn't think about trying that - I really only use that for tacking up pieces I plan on stick welding. I'll have to give it a shot and see how that works. I'd be pretty surprised if it didn't work with the little welder because it even goes dark if I look directly at one of my fluorescent shop lights and they aren't that bright at all.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

.. i did set my helmet out in the sun for an hour while i was setting up my parts and pieces, in case that made a difference. I'm not sure if it truly has a rechargeable battery.. or merly a backup battery, and is straight solar.. etc.

I have to ask...

Doesn't the light from welding in and of itself provide more than enough light to power the little solar panel on the helmet? Would it help to put it in actual sunlight to recharge the battery?

 

[Soundguy]

It's my 'guess' that the light from the arc is what provides energy to the solar cell during welding, and that ambient light and the battery int he helmet are what initially provide power to the lense when the arc first starts up.

I can't remember if it was in the manual, or if someone mentione dit.. but I rememebr reading or being told that advice.. that is.. to leave it out in strong light a few minutes before use.

I don't know that it really does help it or not though.... Depends on if the batteries are rechargeable.. or if there is a capacitor that can charge up in the circuit prior to welding..

soundguy