I was given an old one by a buddy, and I really like it VS my old "flip down". However, I can not see what I am welding! It has a setting range numbered from 9 to 13, but that doesn't seem to make any difference. I did not get a manual, so don't really know what the setting mean. There is a small label that mentions a battery, and I don't know where the battery is. What exactly does the battery do? If it was dead, would he lens still darken? How can I "lighten" it up a little? Thanks guys
What brand of helmet do you have? Can you take a picture of the inside of it to show the controls? Should be easy to walk you through it. Also, if the shield on the outside is burnt up/scratched/dirty, get a new one, they're real cheap and they really help make things easier to see, those are meant to be replaced.
Your not saying anything about brand or model so I can only make general comments but usually the range is for the level of filtering or darkness and for arc, mig, or tig you want to be around 10. If your trying to use it for gas welding or cutting, you're using the wrong helmet and lens. Difference between 9-13 is pretty slight. The battery powers/ controls the auto darkening lens. If the battery was dead (again, usually), the lens would NOT darken. Not sure what you mean when you say "can't see what your welding". The lens should be clear before it senses the arc. then it should switch to 9 or whatever the setting is. Usually the problem with older/ cheaper a.d. lenses or dead batteries is that they stop switching and your eyes suffer from arc flash but that doesn't sound like the issue here. -Steve
Do you know who the manufacturer is? Does your buddy remember where he bought it? I have a cheapie from HF that I use on an 11 setting with a MIG. Works great. The manual says its solar powered with a non replaceable battery assist - life expectancy is 6 years. It functions in light mode and then darkens up on sensing the arc. Hope that helps..
Stop by your local welding shop and they will shop you how to change the battery. Adjust the shade setting to suit your personal preference. I keep mine set on 10. The greatest thing to happen to welding in the past 25 yrs IMO.
I can't tell you much about them, but I've used a light to help me see through the lens while under a car before I start welding. It helps me out a lot.
Should be a thumb slide possibly 2 with a watch bat underneth it. The jackson I had when the bat died I couldnt see even a glow thru it.
Be very careful when using a self darkening helmet. Make damn sure that the sensor can see the arc. Not just your eyes. Years ago, I was using one of these and got terrible weld flash. The issue was that the sensor was a little solar panel that was mounted above the viewing lens. I was welding out of position and had to crouch down, just enough, to see the arc. What I did'nt realize was the sensor could not see the arc. It was mere seconds after I started the bead that I could tell something was wrong. To late. Damage done. Just be careful.
Can't help you with what it is. But, the origination is interesting, the technology came from the cockpit windows of nuclear weapon carrying aircraft. The auto darkening was to prevent eye damage to the crews.
I was a Tig welder for 40 years. Tried the auto darkening when they came out and could not get used to it. I guess this old dog could not learn new tricks
My experience is that some have a solar panel that charges the battery. If the helmet is stored in the dark, the battery may be too weak to activate the auto darkening lens. Try testing the lens operation before welding - put the helmet on and look at a bright light or twords the sun.
Mine started acting funny today, I switched to a gold lens non auto - much better visibility. Now I can see how shitty I weld while it's actually happening.
I modified mine with an external battery holder so it uses a CR2354 coin battery. I realized the battery would go dead after 1-2 years whether I used the helmet or not, so I modified mine with an on/off switch
I've used the Harbor Freight $59 helmets for years. They worked fine for occaisional usage and were cheap enough to throw out if they flaked out. They have a knob on the left temple with a range of darkness from 9-13, though it isn't very accurate or adjustable. I tended to run it all the way down so I could see what I was doing. Heavy use meant some soreness of the eyes. When I decided to go into fabrication full time, the first thing I did was order a new Miller X series. It's fully adjustable in several modes. Weld as you would expect, Cut with a fixed darkness you select, and Grind which is only as dark as the filter, unless you specify darker. I weld at 10, Cut with torch or plasma at 5 or 6, and grind at the 3 provided by the filter. The fourth mode on the helmet is called X mode. The helmet has 4 light sensors to minimize chances of flashing yourself due to shadows across the sensors. In the event that you are welding in a cage or chassis with obstructions that still create a problem, you can put the filter in X mode. Now it will sense the magnetic field of the weld arc, and activate regardless or shadows on the sensors. HUGE benefit when you need it. So, for hobby use, I can testify to the usefulness of the cheapos, but with the risk of some pain. For more frequent use, spend some money. $279 is not too much to insure your vision. You won't regret buying a nice helmet after you use one.
Step 1: look at the sun or a lightbulb and wave your hand. You should see it turn dark. If not replace the battery. If it still doesn't work it may be broken. Step 2: replace the clear plastic lenses front and rear. They do become opaque. They may look ok by normal light but the intense welding light lights up any imperfection by 10x What size is it? The normal 4.5x2.5 or one of the large windows? Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE smartphone
I have a Hobart auto dark. I sometime forget to turn the damn thing on. Still having issues seeing what I weld. Thinking about getting that little light that attaches to the tip on my MIG. I used to be a certified solder/ instructor for military application. Steady hands, coordination and great eyesight are a must. Looking at some of the images on the HAMB of good welding leave me scratching my head wondering if I'll ever be half as good.
Don't mean to hijack this thread, but kinda related. I recently noted that if I am using my TIG to do brazing, the auto darkening seems to oscillate or vary when some of the brass cooks off. What do you old heads do about that? Thanks.
Pass on an auto darkening helmet.... NO matter how fast they are, they'll never be faster than light... and over time it'll kill your eyes and cause major damage!!!
Auto darkening helmets provide uv protection even when not activated. Do some research before spewing a bunch of nonsense. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
At work we use 3m speed glass helmets , and they work fantastic. If the battery does it stays dark. Welding 8+ hours a day five days a week, I've only changed two batteries in five years. It has a feature where it shuts it self off automatically after I think a half hour if you don't strike an arc to save battery life. I keep mine set at 10 and have no problem seeing. It's worth spending the money to buy a good one. I used a friends harbor freight pos for a couple hours at home one day and it was so slow to darken my eyes were sore after two hours. Buy a good one!
This is not true.. they block all harmful rays all the time. When not dark it's like staring into a halogen light.. unpleasant and you'll see spots for awhile but not harmful. Just walking outside during a sunny day is still brighter Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE smartphone
If you're TIG welding...and can afford it...get an OPTREL! (Built in "solar charger") You only get one set of eyes...& I was told this was the best on the market 10 years ago....but that was 10 years ago. I'm sure Miller, ESAB etc are much better today. ....My OPTREL still works great! Aloha Tommy
On my helmet the battery was not removable, or at least not intended to be. I had to break the visor thing open to get to it. I soldered a few wires to it so I could use an external battery. That worked although the battery went dead after 1-2 years, so I made a switch on it, and a battery holder so the battery can easily be replaced. Hope this helps.
OPTREL ROCKS! The batteries finally died on my Optrel Satelite ... over 10 years later! I E-mailed the Factory... They said "We've had problems with the batteries not being replaceable, The Satelite was replaced with the E-series 5 years ago, since you're a current Optrel owner, buy an E-series helmet, send us the invoice and we'll send you a $100 check! (E-series batteries are replaceable) Ordered one today $335.99 HOW'S THAT FOR STANDING BUY YOUR STUFF! No! I don't work for Optrel or anything.. Just figured you can share GOOD vendors...not just the bad ones! Aloha T
Those of you using the cheapy HF auto-darkening helmet..... Please check to see if there is any safety standard sticker of certification on the helmet. Does the pamphlet that comes in the box offer any information as to certification or reaction time to welding arc? Yeah, I didn't think so. Here in the frozen north we have our own HF known as Princess Auto. They too, sell a $59 auto darkening helmet (with flames). It is crap. The reaction time will hurt your eyes over time. I suspect the HF one is the same crap. One pair of eyes per customer... Use at your discretion.
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