Auto-darkening welding helmets?

[Tags]

I do a fair amount of welding,mostly during the winter, and I've always wanted one of those auto darkening helmets,this leads me to my question.......are they good and worth the three hundred or so dollars that they sell for?Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated,especially before I shell out the duckets /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Inspector507]

Mine was no where near $300 but I love it. And yes it was worth getting.

 

[gerard]

I don't do a ton of welding but have used the regular ones and bought an auto darkening on sale for $149. Wouldn't be without it. One of those things you don't miss unless you've used one. (Kind of like using a faster computer and then using a slower one!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

 

[BILL_K]

I just bought onefrom Harbor Freight for $70.00 and I like
it so far. Thought that it was worth the 70 to find out/ plus if I findthat I do not wantit they will even pay the shipping for me to return it
Billk

 

[northcreek2624]

I have one made by Speed Glass(spelling?)and I love it,it's like having a third hand........Mike

 

[jhburke]

I bought a Jackson helmet about 4 years ago. I weld for my self and a few others so I am not a pro. I like it real well because as I only occasionly weld and it is one less thing to remember how to use. I have just bought another one for a spare. It doesn't use batterys as it is solar powered.

 

[Green_in_MI]

My auto-darkening helmet came with the welder Hobart 175 package I bought from TSC. Welder and auto darkening hood was a great deal bought together. If you are at all considering new or just more equipment that might be the way to go. Buy a new welder and get an auto-hood with it. Otherwise I have seen the auto hoods for less than $150. Shop around.

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

I too bought the hobart pkg at tsc. 2 years ago.....unbeknownst that my wife had purchased a $250.00 helmet for me at the local welding shop for christmas.......The hobart hood included with the deal on the welder is actually a better helmet than the $250 one she got me.........I'll never tell.......it's a need to know "guy" thing...........TOM

 

[frank_f15]

yep! they work fine. think u might want to check around on the price tho.$300 seems a bit high.

 

[Spencer]

I did spend around $300 on my helmet about 3 or 4 years ago. It allows you to adjust the shade from like 9 to 12 and it allows you to adjust the sensitivity. Mine uses a battery and I have had no problems with that. The only problem I have with it relates to the kind of welding I usually do. I tig weld on stainless steel sheet metal and at lower amperages the helmet flickers some. That is because the light given off from the torch is not bright enough or the sensor is obstructed by my hand(s). They do make helmets now especially for tig welding that have multiple sensors to correct this common problem. So if you or anybody else reading this is getting a helmet for tig welding just keep that in mind while you are shopping.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I bought one by Hobart for about half that at TSC. It's not only auto darkening, but adjustable from 9-13 also, I believe. Ironically, I got one with decals depicting an American Eagle and flag for a few dollars less than a plain black one (it must have been in stock before a price increase hit).

As to it being worth the money, I'd have to say it is. I've only used this so I have no comparison directly. I can tell you that some others in a welding class I took were not happy without one, though, and had a lot harder time starting their welds, etc., than I did.

The Hobart darkens in 1/11,000th of a second while the Jackson darkens in less than half that time (1/25,000th of a second). If the money is close, I'd probably go with the Jackson. If I'd known the difference when I was buying, I would have.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope this helps. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[GaryM]

I have one I bought at HF last year. I'd never go back!

I think I paid about $130.

 

[Tags]

This place,and the people that are here NEVER let me down,looks like I'm gonna start shoppin' for a new helmet!!

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I carry two of those three hundred plus helmets in a tool box on the truck. If one breaks I have a back up./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

You can buy just an insert for a regular helmet for about a hundred dollars. That's just fine.

But if you can get a Jackson Master. You can adjust till the cows come home. And what's really kewl, if you wear reading glasses like me, is you can use the same hood to grind, push the button "grind", the lense turns to clear. Or you can push the button "torch" and the lense turns to shade five for cutting.

I also have a Phantom. It's light and easy with all kinds of adjustments but you can't use the torch or grind with it. I have two other Jacksons at the shop with the inserts for visitors to use. That might tell you how much I'm into auto darkening hoods. I have them for visitors to use too!

 

[MDNick]

I am with everyone else here. I love mine, and would never go back. Mine was $279, I think. Yes, they make them cheaper. There are typically 2-3 things that affect their cost, shade adjustability, response time, and size. The cheap ones have about a 1"x3" or so window. Ain't much. Fine for straight on viewing, but if your upside down, inside a machine looking over your shoulder, that small window will present problems. I'd go with as a big a window as you can get, want, and afford. Fast response time is essential. Damage to the eye is cumulative. With a 1/25,000th response time, strike an arc 25 times, and 1 millisecond of light got through to your eye. The 1/11,000th scares me. The shade adjustability is nice if you're doing various types of welding, some put of more light than others. I only stick weld, I've set mine on 10 and left it alone. Most of the non-adjustables are shade 10.

Choices, choices, but definitely choose to get one.

Nick

 

[gmason]

well, maybe I'm the odd one here, I got one off ebay for about $80 to my door, and it is a little on the cheep side. Lightweight and a ~3"x2" viewer. It is adjustable on the outside of the helmet so that you can adjust it during the arc. It has a plastic outter view window that does get pitted over an extended time.

But for my useage, non professional, it's purhaps the 2nd best tool I've got. I've been able to strike the arc exactly where I need it to start and restarts are right on the money also. Mine is a 1/20,000 sec with no batteries to change.

BTW I also saw this same helmet at Agri-supply locally.