auto darkening helmets

[Red Horse]

Any opinions out there? seems like your choice is a cheapie for 25 bucks or 245 bucks on the other end. I have an inexpensive Miller that aI think I paid under 40 bucks for about 5 years ago but I think the solar activated battery is getting tired-time to upgrade.

 

[Shaneard]

I have 2 Speedglas brands, they have been great! You get what you pay for with a welding helmet.

 

[k0ua]

Any opinions out there? seems like your choice is a cheapie for 25 bucks or 245 bucks on the other end. I have an inexpensive Miller that aI think I paid under 40 bucks for about 5 years ago but I think the solar activated battery is getting tired-time to upgrade.

Most solar powered auto darkening helmets have a coin cell style battery on the circuit board also. This will likely be soldered in. Take it apart and take a look. On my northern helmet I could not readily find a replacement for the batteries on the board so I added a couple of 2 AAA cell battery holders to the inside of the helmet, and now I won't have any trouble finding batteries. The original batteries lasted about that 5 years, but I stored the helmet in the dark which may have contributed to the battery death. You can read about it here if you are interested.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/356651-look-what-i-picked-up.html?highlight=

 

[woodlandfarms]

Any opinions. Bwhahahahahahaha.......

Had the cheapy HF for many years, didn't mind it. Wife surprised me with the Lincoln Vikin 3350 and it is a night an day difference for MY use (my use). It has a large screen, about 4", and I can adjust it to be lighter (won't darken as much) as the HF. Worth the $219 for a guy who weld 6 times a year, doubt it but I am super happy.

If I was a pro, I am sure the advantages of this type of helmet would make it worth the money.

 

[Fallon]

I upgraded from the $40 Northern Tool to a $200 Miller a while back. Never had a problem with the cheap Northern & would highly recommend it to anybody. The Miller is a bit more comfortable,has more sensitivity & sensors. Not sure it minimizes the amount I get flashed though.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Any opinions out there? seems like your choice is a cheapie for 25 bucks or 245 bucks on the other end.

Old adages hold true. You get what you pay for, but a $100.00 increase buys more "better" at the low end than $100.00 increase buys at the high end. When I bought my Arc One some years ago the reaction time spec for cheapie HF or NH helmets was an order of magnitude longer than for the >$100.00 helmets (1/2000 sec vs 1/18000 sec). As an amateur who has difficulty striking an arc, I probably have as many flash cycles as a pro who welds all day.

 

[PILOON]

Yep they operate on 3 volt cells that may or may not recharge themselves.

I test my helmet by simply flicking a lighter in front of my face. A pass is an instant darkening so I'm then good to go.

 

[Clay45]

I have two. One from Northern Tool a few years ago and one from Harbor Freight a year or so newer. (blue flame) Both work great and the HF blue flame model uses an inside lens clip that can be ever so gently lifted enough to retain a cheater lens for tired eyes.

 

[mmancuso13]

I have the $40 HF model, (Chicago tools makes it I think?) anyway it works well for me. Yes you can spend $$$ more but IMHO you only buy larger window size and maybe quicker response times. He Lincoln models are sweet but I don't do anywhere enough welding to justify...

 

[yomax4]

Part of what you pay for in an auto hood is how light the shade gets when not welding. Higher end hoods can be shade 1 or 2 and less cost can be 3 or 4. not a huge deal but the light state is nicer when it's a lower number. Less flip up with the hood when positioning. Switching speed is part of the price as well as replaceable batteries. Solar powered are good but you're lucky to get 5-6 years outta one. Balance all of that with how obtainable and what cost the outside clear lenses are. Some are $3 each where others are 30 cents.

 

[k0ua]

There are other things to keep in mind when selecting auto-darkening helmets, such as how many sensors does the helmet have. Most cheapies like my Northern Tool, only have 2 sensors. That works fine until you are working around a structure you are building like tubing or something that blocks the line of sight of the sensor from the arc flash and then the helmet fails to switch to dark. The more expensive helmets will have 4 sensors spaced out round the view area so that the chances that one of the sensors will detect the arc are greater.

Another feature is "grind mode" so the the helmet will not falsely switch to dark when you grind and make those bright little sparks. My cheapie helmet does not have this so therefore you cannot continue to leave the helmet down while grinding.

These are just little things, but they do increase the productivity of the welder and these features are worth the money to many professional users.

 

[orezok]

I've been using a Striker helmet from Usaweld for about 5 years and I like it a lot. Good clear view, I've dropped it one too many times and the lens is now damaged. I just ordered a new one Striker Supreme Welding Helmet, Welding Gun Accessories, Metal Working, Welder Supplies | USAWeld.com
For $99 free shipping no tax. Check out the specs.

 

[k0ua]

I've been using a Striker helmet from Usaweld for about 5 years and I like it a lot. Good clear view, I've dropped it one too many times and the lens is now damaged. I just ordered a new one Striker Supreme Welding Helmet, Welding Gun Accessories, Metal Working, Welder Supplies | USAWeld.com
For $99 free shipping no tax. Check out the specs.

I finally looked at the banner of your avatar and nearly fell out of my chair laughing. :thumbsup:

 

[05rammer]

The difference between 2 and 4 sensors is worth the money

 

[hosspuller]

I too, had a HF autodark helmet. The batteries gave out. I bought a Miller (Digital Elite) with the electronic sensor. Using TIG the HF helmet didn't always switch. The electronic sensor detects the arc as well as the flash. It's much more reliable. The downside to the Miller besides the $$, is the weight. The large window makes the helmet front heavy.

After getting the Miller, I took the HF apart... replaced the battery with a CR2032. Now I have two auto helmets.

 

[BeezFun]

I had an offbrand named Antra that was cheap and worked pretty well, but the sensors were often blocked by whatever I was trying to weld. So I bought a Digital Elite and use it in Xmode which detects the EMF from the arc. I've never been flashed since I bought it. It's also easy to change the settings like shade#. My other helmet had such tiny controls I could barely read them even with a flashlight. The Digital has a nice readout that is easy to see.

 

[STx]

I have a Weldcote analog helmet that I've been really happy with. It has replaceable batteries, uses the standard 4.5" plastic covers and has a larger viewing window than some of the other helmets. It's middle of the road on cost and after a year of use with an average of 20ish hours a week of hood time, it's still going strong.

Weldcote Metals DIGITAL Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet - Sh 9-13 - KLEARVIEW PLUS - Mig Welding Equipment - Amazon.com

 

[TMGT]

I like my Viking 3350, I decided my eyes are worth the money, especially after getting flashed one too many times by a cheap helmet.

 

[Texasmark]

I use the solar cheap ones from HF. Work fine for me including usage with my MIG.... Just tweak the response time knob.

 

[Gary Fowler]

My only complaint with the HF AD helmets is lack of grinder mode. I would love to use it to grind with, but it darkens with the sparks so I have to use a clear face shield. I don't think the AD response time is a big issue (1800th of a sec vs 2500 or 5000 sec) since the lens protects you from UV even when not darkened. SO if you strike an arc 1800 times (not very likely)in a day and get 1 sec of flash which is protected from UV it isn't an issue with damage to the eye.
The other factor is the battery life and ability to replace it. As others have said, it isn't easy to replace the battery in the cheap hoods and maybe not easy to replace in the expensive hoods either. I haven't looked at them in 20 years since I bought an expensive Speed Glass lens. I am happy with my $29 HF hood which is all any home owner welder should ever need. Sure the lack of Grinder phase is a PIA but with a $15 grinding face shield it is overcome.