Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Difference

Must be his first marriage.

 

I've got a HF welding helmet with a large viewing port ,I've had this helmet for 5
or 6 years, had no problems with it. I've had to replace the battery about once a year
but I've never seen these large port helmets again. Has any one else ever had one?

................Jack

 

Nope, and what she doesn't know won't hurt me.

Had to do some TIG yesterday so broke out the flame helmet, seems to be OK.

 

I bought a Speedglass when they came out.It is still going strong after years of use.It does take a battery,thats the only drawback I have had with it.I keep a spare battery now.
I have a H F one that works ok too,the tint works off the arc making it handy sometimes.I use it in place's where I might damage my speedglass one or for something quick as it hangs on the welder.


Miller has a nice one too....

Steve

 

She just wants you to look good while you are doing what you do.
Give her a big hug and kiss and tell her thank you.

Things go easier for you when you want.

 

I have a Hobart I bought at Tractor Supply. A little pricey, but a damn fine helmet.

 

usefull thread, because i'm looking for a new welding helmet. I have a lincoln ultrashade and it was great for a loong time!! But now it's slow to darkn. I set it in the sun shine coming thru the window to "charge" it up and it works great. Soo, whats the fix for this style helmet??

 

Just remember when your being "CHEAP" eyeballs are not on any buying list that Ive ever seen; I dont like the "AUTOS" Id rather flip my hood

 

I'm on my second Speedglass helmet and can't complain. The price might seem a bit high,but it sure is cheaper than loosing your eyesight. Also helped with reducing neck problems by not having to drop the helmet all day. Just my 2 cents.

 

I have a Pro Star from Praxair,,made in USA, was about $160.00 up here 10 years ago. No problems with helmut or my eyes. I would not trust my vision to a cheap offshore helmut.

 

When I can't see as well in my Speedglass, a new clear lens fixes it. Speedglass all the way for me.

 

I bought a Speedglass from Cyberweld about the time 3-M started selling them. Mine was made in Sweden. At first I didn't think it was fast enough. I sent the lens unit back, they sent me a new one. It worked great for about a year, went slow again. I sent it to a 3-m facility in Iowa for testing. They sent it back....all tests were good. It just didn't seem fast enough. It has 2 light sensors, I learned not to block the arc to one with my gloved hand.

Just FYI, you can test the speed with a TV remote. Put the helmet on and aim the remote at the lens..click

 

Good tip on the TV remote! Speaking of TVs, I'd be surprised if the electronics in most helmets aren't made offshore. Not to say that some aren't better quality than others.

 

Well, My Optrel was made in Switzerland. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat, if there were anything wrong with this one.

Might just buy an e680, 'cause I can:

http://optrel.com/index.php?id=14&L=1

 

I bought a Jackson when they first came out, pricey back then over $200 if memory serves me safety was my first concern.... was getting tired of flashing mysef.... and sometime being out of position to flip the helmet...took me a while to stop trying to flip the mask but ended up likeing it, bought a new Miller (wide screen) on a promo like that too but, i still lean to my old jackson a bit more

 

So my ProStar auto helmet that served me well for 10 years lost the auto darkening 3 times today,,,each time half way through long weld. It is a solar operated auto darkening and I'm thinking the solar can no longer keep up,,Hope Praxair has replacement parts still.

 

Yeah, maybe?
You are less than 2 feet away from a source of battery supply.
Maybe it's dirty? Maybe you blocked the sensor? Maybe its reached the end of its useful life?

 

Nothing lasts forever.

 

Speedglas for me.

 

thanks guys for your input.....

 

As I said, I love the Optrel. One thing that can be annoying is that a forklift with a strobe light 50 yards away will cause it to darken for an instant. I've been considering the e680 with the powered air respirator on it. It's over $1,000 but what are a set of lungs worth?

 

I tried a cheapy like HF's (Princess Auto up here) and I put it away and went back to my manual #13 after 2 welds. Bought a Hobart and I love it.... I've had it for 2 yrs and haven't done anything but keep it warm in winter. Freezing temps are hard on some batteries. Do your eyes a favor and get decent protection. Saying your just a hobby welder is like being a little bit pregnant... it's the same light you're looking at.

 

What did you not like about the HF? Visions? Reliability? There must be about a billion guys in China using them.

I put a gold lens in my manual helmet after reading some other HAMB threads, I do see better with it and use most of the time. A friend of mine has a Speedglass I'll be trying soon and comparing to my HF.

 

I was seeing a noticeable flash as the lens darkened... I don't get that from the Hobart. I would say it was just too slow in darkening the lens. I didn't use it long enough to check for reliability.