Auto Darkening Welding helmet questions.

Hey guys I am looking at buying one of those auto darkening welding helmets and the ones at Harbor Freight seem pretty cheap has anyone used them and do they work well?

If not what specs should I look for in a good helmet.

Thanks
Adam

 

i bought one like a year ago i weld like once twice a week and it works totally fine for me ( although ive never used an expensive one) but the auto darkening totally takes your welding skills up a level total improvement

 

This is the one i've got...optrel ...and I like it...I only have one complaint... if your head gets too close to your work the solar panel is shaded out and it doesn't work...so you get flashed. you get flashed through a light shade...but it still will give you light dots in your vision. Alot like a flash bulb used to.

I don't know about a harbor freight welding helmet....they may be fine...but....you only have one set of eyes.

 

I bought the one they have for about $125. It worked good for about 2 years, then the darkening adjustment quit working. It darkens only to the lowest setting, which I didn't notice till I was seeing spots. I'll probably by a good Jackson this time.

 

I've wanted an auto darkening helmet for years and with the recommendation from a couple other guys, my wife got me one for Christmas. She paid about $150 for it. It works great and it sure did help my welding skills. These guys recommended not to get one of the cheapest ones ($75), but they didn't say why.

 

If you weld a lot don't go cheap on auto darkening. The cheap ones are a bit slow, and after a time you'll hurt your eyes. It's only a split second but enough to do damage. If you only weld once in a while the cheeper ones should be ok or so I've heard...

 

Just my opinion....isn't your eyesight worth more than the $50 a Harbor Freight cheapie will cost? I'm savin for a Miller or Jackson. It'll be worth it in the long run.

 

I've got the Harbor Freight cheapy and for the little I've done so far it works OK. I hear from others that they are pretty fragile in that if you drop it once it's shot.

 

Not sure that any "auto dark" is fast enough. Sort of like the goggles they used to give B52 pilots that were suppossed to drop "the bomb". Where when and if they witnessed an atomic bomb on the horizon, they were suppossed to be protected from the flash. If that's true, why were they also given an eye patch to wear at the same time? Obvioulsy it's because the auto dark feature does not get dark fast enough, thereby requiring the eye patch to save at least one eye. Who really knows?

 

I DO NOT like my HF autodarkening helmet. Mainly because its constantly to dark (not when welding) and I have to flip the helmet up to really see/focus on my work. Sort of like wearing lightly tinted sunglasses all the time. My brother bought a real good/expensive one and it is clear (not when welding) and I can see through it just fine. IMHO

 

Because they didn't know why. No matter where you buy them, what they cost, the technology is the same, and 99% of them are all made by Chinese slave-labor anyhow......

 

I have a really cheap one. It was given to me by a friend. It also has a plastic magnifying lens behind the auto-darkening screen which helps me (four eyes) see the joint better. My only complaint is that when welding aluminum, it gets light too quickly after getting off the pedal. This leaves a very bright weld, so I close my eyes for a couple of seconds before looking at the weld. Newer helmets may have a delay before lightening to address this problem. Some helmets have two sensors to auto-darken in case one is blocked by something in your structure in front of one of the sensors.

 

go try on the harbor freight cheapo one then go try on a Miller. you'll buy the Miller. Way more adjustable, higher quality, but most importantly its about 243509287206 times more comfortable. The smallest window they have is plenty big. Its about $230.

 

I paid over $230.00 for my Jackson and my kid bought his $59.00 one at Harbor Freight and they both equally well.

 

Uhhhhh.. bullshit, the Miller and the Speedglass and others are much better quality, and your eyes are worth it. Don't skimp. There is a definate lag to the Harbor Freight ones, especially when compared with the better brand name ones. One of the local welding supply houses even bought one to show people side by side. The technology may be the same by definition but the application of that technology is definately not...

You should be able to get a Miller for around $110...
http://www.toolking.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=11898

And just FYI http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/jan2002/collision.cfm

 

They work great if you are not welding next to someone else,like in a factory,the other persons welding will flash you. people come in for interveiws carring the auto dark helmets and by time there test is over they are rubbing there eyes,and looking at thier helmet like W.T.F, I like the ones with the chin strap that opens the lens with the movement with your jaw. But don't chew gum while welding.

 

Thanks for the replys guys sounds like we could have a long debate on the advantages of these. I have still not decided but I better look up the specs on a few of them.

 

Things you definitely want -> multiple sensors - at least 2 preferably 4.

Adustable shade.

Delay - very nice to have.

Quality - you only get one set of eyes......

 

I got the cheap-o from Eastwood. I like it, works great and no problems. I wish it was more comfortable on my pinhead though. I will save up and get a Miller next time. I like the fact that most of the parts are replaceable in the higher-end helmets, whereas the cheaper ones seem to be almost disposable.
Tito

 

I use a Jackson EQC everyday, and have nothing but good words for them. As far as the HF cheapies go, I have used one, one time, and will never do it again. The response, darkening, and overall quality, is poor.

You can pick up a good helmet, for under $200.00, and it is well worth it.

just my 2 cents

 

I've used the Harbor Freight ones and they're OK but they're not as nice as a good one, I have a Speedglas personally and I'd never get anything else.

This is a great opportunity to shop eBay for a used helmet. You can buy used Speedglas helmets on eBay for the same price as an HF jobby and you'll be much happier with it.

And it really does make welding a shitload easier and safer. The old style helmets tempt you just to close your eyes for tacking which is dangerous, with an auto-darkener you don't need to do that. Plus, it's so much easier to line up your parts and your welder with the helmet down rather than flipping it down and losing your place. You'll be glad you bought one, I can't weld worth shit without it, and I have a college degree in welding/metal fab.

 

HF has a couple differnt auto darkening helmets. I bought their "nicest" one. It was on sale for about $100. I have used it for 2 1/2 years now. Its gotten dropped, smacked, hit, etc. It still works great. It has mutiple sensors, and adjusts to how dark you want.

But, they are so much nicer to use than a regular helmet.

 

I have a lincoln. I like it. A lot of the cheaper one if the mask twists a little the lens will fall out and proably hit the ground and break then you have a 50 dollar piece of plastic. Buy a good one.

 

I bought a kickass Huntsman about 2 years ago but my backup is a cheapy (hobart). I don't mind the Hobart except that it's not adjustable, only has 2 sensors and, worst of all, the battery is sealed inside the case and the only way to charge it is to leave it out in the sun. The instructions say that it's supposed to charge off the arc but after 12 hours of work the thing is just about ready to die. I've had it die on me before and it goes light without warning - gettin flashed with those monster industrisal welders SUCKS ASS . My opinion? - cheapy or not, stay away from the 'solar powered' shit and get one with a replaceable battery