Auto-darkening helmet

[TractorGuy]

I know this is a month old but I will cast another vote for the HF helmet. Mine is several years old and continues to work flawlessly. They tried to sell me a service contract to cover the "expensive" battery but I figured if the battery cost that much I would just buy another helmet. The level of darkness and the response time are both adjustable on the one I bought.

 

[MFWD]

Hello,
I know this thread is about auto-darkening helmets and I thought about buying one many times. However, I guess I am just too "old school" for one. First, I don't like helmets that you put on your head. My helmet has a handle on the front of it that you can hold with one hand. That leaves the other hand to weld with. When I weld, I do it on my garage apron outside and many times it is cold and I have a hat on. I find that I can set the helmet down quickly, out of the way, when I am done running a weld and I don't have to fool around with an annoying helmet bouncing around on my head. I'm curious if anyone else works this way.

MFWD

 

[Doofy]

My welds are like my mind...they wander. I enjoy my auto darkening hood and there is some improvement but I still can't see all that great. The helmet keeps the sparks off my sparsely populated head though.

 

[Big Barn]

Hello,
I know this thread is about auto-darkening helmets and I thought about buying one many times. However, I guess I am just too "old school" for one. First, I don't like helmets that you put on your head. My helmet has a handle on the front of it that you can hold with one hand. That leaves the other hand to weld with. When I weld, I do it on my garage apron outside and many times it is cold and I have a hat on. I find that I can set the helmet down quickly, out of the way, when I am done running a weld and I don't have to fool around with an annoying helmet bouncing around on my head. I'm curious if anyone else works this way.

MFWD

I do. Most EVERYTHING annoys me these days INCLUDING helmets. If I'm just tacking up an assembly I will just hold the helmet with one hand. The helmet in the flipped up position is also annoying.

Problem is most times I NEED the use of my NONwelding hand to brace my other hand. (Or hold a part to be tacked.)

You would probably LIKE the auto dark feature. Try retrofitting your hand held mask with a new lens.

 

[dragoneggs]

My welds are like my mind...they wander. I enjoy my auto darkening hood and there is some improvement but I still can't see all that great. The helmet keeps the sparks off my sparsely populated head though.

Doofy, I can't resist due to your handle, but I assume you are talking about your hair?

I am a novice and I need my other hand to help position and guide my bead. I can barely weld with two hands so thinking of welding with one is out of the question. I picked up welding again after learning in college 35years ago. The auto-darkening and super lightweight helmets were one of the reasons it makes it more pleasurable to me. I was struggling with wearing readers under the hood but when I got a cheater lens that snapped in to the helmet it instantly made me happier as I didn't have to hassle with putting on additional stuff on my head. Now (and maybe I should patent this design) someone should add a lightweight respirator that easily seals to your mouth/nose when you nod your head to drop the hood. :cool2:

 

[Doofy]

Doofy, I can't resist due to your handle, but I assume you are talking about your hair?

I am a novice and I need my other hand to help position and guide my bead. I can barely weld with two hands so thinking of welding with one is out of the question. I picked up welding again after learning in college 35years ago. The auto-darkening and super lightweight helmets were one of the reasons it makes it more pleasurable to me. I was struggling with wearing readers under the hood but when I got a cheater lens that snapped in to the helmet it instantly made me happier as I didn't have to hassle with putting on additional stuff on my head. Now (and maybe I should patent this design) someone should add a lightweight respirator that easily seals to your mouth/nose when you nod your head to drop the hood. :cool2:

Yep, hair is getting pretty thin. A cheater lens, now that is an idea worth considering. I wear progressive lenses and have a really hard time focusing.

My biggest problem is light coming in the back of the hood and glaring on the lens. I need to find some kind of flame resistant cloth to make some kind of light-blocking flaps.

Don't imagine I could manage a respirator. I get a little claustrophobic as it is and they always fog up my glasses. I also tend to burn lots of small holes in my sneakers. I'm afraid of what will happen if I should get a plasma cutter for Christmas.

 

[stuckmotor]

I have a HF one. It hangs on the tank valve on my mig welder. When I touch the mig wire to the steel without pulling the trigger it makes a small spark that's just enough to force the lens to darken. It's probably 10 years old now and has never failed to work. The biggest issue with it is the protective lens is plastic so splatter does stick to it on occasion and when it gets covered in smoke and dust if you are not very careful you will scratch it. Those scratches take their toll making the puddle harder to see. Now that I'm getting older and my eyes need a little help I'll probably replace it with something nicer with a thinker plastic protector lens (or glass) so I can just replace the glass at will. I'm also going to get something that I can use a cheater lens with.

I had a glass lens once. Spatter runied it after night or two of stick welding. Plastic works much better for me. I replace the plastic ones every so often.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yep, hair is getting pretty thin. A cheater lens, now that is an idea worth considering. I wear progressive lenses and have a really hard time focusing.

My biggest problem is light coming in the back of the hood and glaring on the lens. I need to find some kind of flame resistant cloth to make some kind of light-blocking flaps.

Don't imagine I could manage a respirator. I get a little claustrophobic as it is and they always fog up my glasses. I also tend to burn lots of small holes in my sneakers. I'm afraid of what will happen if I should get a plasma cutter for Christmas.

Progressives for me too... highly recommend the cheaters. I have the cheapest Miller auto-darkening (paid $99 I think) and they are good enough for my occasional use. Yeah a bigger viewing panel would be good but it means more $$$. A plasma cutter was my Christmas gift last Christmas. Man they are fun! Changes things. Don't need a helmet for that... just some decent goggles. Definitely wear a thin beanie then.

 

[Doofy]

Progressives for me too... highly recommend the cheaters. I have the cheapest Miller auto-darkening (paid $99 I think) and they are good enough for my occasional use. Yeah a bigger viewing panel would be good but it means more $$$. A plasma cutter was my Christmas gift last Christmas. Man they are fun! Changes things. Don't need a helmet for that... just some decent goggles. Definitely wear a thin beanie then.

Nice emoji! Does resemble me. I don't think my hood is set up for cheater lenses so I may have to upgrade.

 

[timswi]

Bought a large window auto-darkening helmet from Lowes..Should have done this years ago. I migged with an old school small window helmet and a hand held...Neither allowed for the flexibility that the auto does. Had it for a couple of years and has worked flawlessly.

 

[fatjay]

I have 2 harbor freight auto dark helmets, and I love them. When I welded 15-20 years ago, those things were priced as though they were made out of gold, so I didn't have one. 15 years of not welding, I got back into it a year ago, and picked up the first helmet for $35 on sale. No batteries, variable darkness, 2 sensativity settings, variable response time to dark, and easily adjustable by turning a locking knob in the back. I bought a second for a friend who wanted to watch me weld, and if the first one ever went bad.

As far as hours of use I've gone through 3 spools of wire so far, so it's worked for at least that long.

I tried to watch the eclipse last summer through it, normal sun is bright enough to trip the tinting, but during the eclipse it didn't receive enough "light" to trigger the tint.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have 2 harbor freight auto dark helmets, and I love them. When I welded 15-20 years ago, those things were priced as though they were made out of gold, so I didn't have one. 15 years of not welding, I got back into it a year ago, and picked up the first helmet for $35 on sale. No batteries, variable darkness, 2 sensativity settings, variable response time to dark, and easily adjustable by turning a locking knob in the back. I bought a second for a friend who wanted to watch me weld, and if the first one ever went bad.

As far as hours of use I've gone through 3 spools of wire so far, so it's worked for at least that long.

I tried to watch the eclipse last summer through it, normal sun is bright enough to trip the tinting, but during the eclipse it didn't receive enough "light" to trigger the tint.

I had bad luck right out of the box with the HF auto dark I bought. The adjustable shade control didn't seem to work. Returned it (decided not to exchange it) and bought the cheapest Miller. Works much better... glad I upgraded.

 

[jrdepew]

I have the auto darkening helmet from Northern Tool. It worked very well for MIG and Stick welding. I recently got a tig and was doing some lower amp stuff (<50A), and kept getting flashed. I tried cleaning the helmet and adjusting the sensitivity, but was still getting the occasional flash.

The headgear was total junk on this helmet in my opinion, and did not last long, even though I don't weld all that much. I had taken apart an old fixed shade helmet and adapted the headgear over. It was muuuuch better. When the auto lens stated to flash me, I put the headgear back on the fixed helmet to finish the project. Let's just say I will never go back to a fixed lens, but I will keep it around for emergencies. Being a hobby welder without a ton of hood time, the auto lens improves my welding and I get the project done much much faster. This is especially true when I am tacking stuff together. No more flipping the hood, zap, flip, move, flip, zap, etc. Just..zap, move, zap, move, etc.

I bit the bullet yesterday and ordered a Lincoln Viking 2450. It has 4 sensors for the auto darkening function, and is supposed to have incredible clarity. I was a first time buyer from WeldingsuppliesfromIOC.com and got 15 dollars off, and free shipping. Total bill was 185.00....which is a lot of money...but I hope it lasts many years, and won't flash me when I am doing low amp TIG.

 

[Evan03]

I take being able to see well while im welding seriously. I welded a alof with a fixed miller helmet then upgraded to a viking auto then to miller digital infinity and now a digital infinity with clear light lense
The progression in lense technology is amazing i can see impurities floating around in weld puddle with new clear light lense that ive never seen before.

I weld a fair amount at work and at home and one of the best investments ive made has been investing in good welding glass. Its been a long time since ive ran a bead and ran off course because i coudnt see where im going.

The detail of puddle wetting in through the clear lighg is crazy.
The Viking and other helmets also have comparable lenses.

Id almost get cheaper welder and good glass because i know i could lay down a good weld with peice of **** welder if i can see

 

[BrokenTrack]

When I welded full time (welder at a shipyard) I had a $400 auto helmet and it worked extremely well, but then I welded 8 hours a day too. Now that I am retired I have a harbor Freight Auto Helmet at home and it is plenty for what I need.

 

[lennyzx11]

I want to get a larger viewing area one. But for now, I've been using this one with 110 & 220 volt mig flux core and have to say it has been working flawlessly so far.
I was worried because it was the cheapest I'd found but no complaints so far with it.

Welding Helmet, Tacklife PAH01D Solar Power Auto Darkening Welding Helmet with Adjustable Shade Range DIN 9-13/Grind DIN 4 and 4 Premium Sensors, Highest Optical Class (1/1/1/1), High Impact Polyamide Welding Helmet, Tacklife PAH1D Solar Power Auto Darkening Welding Helmet with Adjustable Shade Range DIN 9-13/Grind DIN 4 and 4 Premium Sensors, Highest Optical Class (1/1/1/1), High Impact Polyamide - - Amazon.com

 

[dragoneggs]

When I welded full time (welder at a shipyard) I had a $400 auto helmet and it worked extremely well, but then I welded 8 hours a day too. Now that I am retired I have a harbor Freight Auto Helmet at home and it is plenty for what I need.

My HF helmet was defective. The adjustment feature didn't work

 

[Millalien]

I've got the HF $35 helmet as well and it doesn't seem like the adjustment feature really works. Also, I can't see ahead of the pool, and that's got me looking to spend more $$ for a helmet with better visibility. I've been able to get some stuff done with the HF helmet and could probably live with it, but it's a little frustrating.

 

[jgriffin1720]

I have a miller digital elite and a pipeliner with the digital lens like shieldarc uses. I use the digital elite for bench welding and fab work and the pipeliner for out of position work or when i know im going to be getting sparks or slag in my face. I tried a hf auto darkening hood once to do about 20 minutes of stick welding at a friend's house (he is only a hobbyist and it was a critical weld, he was nervous about doing it himself) and it killed my eyes. I have light blue eyes so I am more sensitive than some people will be. My opinion is for value, get a pipeliner.

 

[ArlyA]

Re: Auto-darkening helmet review

Ive been using this helmet and HF ones on and off since this post was made in December. I cringe whenever I don't have this Tacklife to use. Visibility between the two is black and white in difference.

With a little blizzard happening here the past two days, this afforded me time out of the field and back into the school shop. So this is a mini review of the Tacklife PAH03D welding helmet which this thread, impressed me to purchase.

I should have got a a better helmet years ago! Gee whiz, I can see again! The Tacklife PAH03D controls are very nice, easy to use and understand, plus the helmet is quite light. There is a slight green tint when the darkening is not engaged which does not bother me. The only thing I'm not impressed with, as another responder had mentioned, its head gear doesn't appear to be very durable. I'll agree but i don't do all that much welding anyway. I added decals to the helmet, so as kids don't use or run off with it.

Hope you guys enjoyed my amateur impressions.