I'm NOT a fan of MIG welding, and got a chance to try it again today. Are all welding helmet lenses the same, or should they be matched to the weldor's vision level. The one I used has a battery powered auto darkening deal. My left eye still has a bright spot in my field of vision. Just tried to tac weld some sheetmetal. Gave up on the helmet and did the OCC closed eyes method. I've NEVER seen a MIG puddle, maybe it has been the helmet all this time. Is the MIG flash BRIGHTER than Gas ot TIG? Bob
my problem with the auto dark helmets is that no matter how fast they are- they are to slow, and after a day of welding I would still end up with arc flash...so it may not be your lens shade, but that first flash over and over....I got rid of my auto and use my old fashion fiber huntsman.........love that helmet
THANKS! There is an old helmet in the shop and I'll give it a try. Used to Heli Arc aluminum bodywork and loved it, MIG it a totaly different deal, I'll never understand or master. Bob
Hmmmmm..........Spend money on the right gear now......or spend a lifetime of money on vision aids/vision replacement accessories..... You're right....it's a very difficult and confusing choice
I splurged and bought a miller auto darkening helmet last year. I for one love it. I like not having to worry about "losing my spot" when I flip my head to get the helmet to come down or when I can't because of limited space it's not an issue. Set it up to the quickest reaction time. I still close my eye when I first pull the trigger as a precaution. You don't have to though. There's a test button and a low battery indicator, shades from 8-13 I believe. Batteries are expensive $12 or so but, they last quite a while. I only mig though. I don't know if the helmet is good for other welding. Either way, I recommend throwing that helmet you used away and get a quality auto helmet or a conventional one with proper shade.
cheap helmets absolutely suck. Get a decent one and not a cheapy. Miller, speedglass, etc. Your eyes are worth it. If you get it from an actual welding supply house the guys would be happy to go over it with you and make sure it's setup correctly.
Ive used an "auto" of various makes for many years......wouldnt go back for nuthin.....especially when your up under some rod out of position.....I started out worried about the time frame for the auto to kick in, but after alot of research and using name brand (ie. Miller) stuff, Ive never had any issues......
i own a miller auto dark since 2004. it is now starting to act up. but when it works it works great. weld all day with no red spots, no welder flash, no nothin. im gona get it fixed or get another one.
I'm taking some welding courses in college (kicking ass too) and some of the students use the auto-dark helmet. For the most part, they like them. I like my old fashioned helmet and locating the initial bead doesn't seem to be an issue with me. I've thought about getting an auto-dark and I probably will for the times I need it for a tight space. But I'm not racing out to pick one up at this time. My thought on some hi-tech stuff is, am I finding an excuse to use it because it's new or do I really need it. Non-darkening helmets have been used forever and now, all of a sudden, welders can't see where to place the initial bead? Or have older welders just dealt with the slight inconveience? Perhaps a little bit of both. My fear would be the battery running down in mid use.
I would not blame the helmet for one eye. Your right eye is looking through the same lens. If you can TIG weld you can MIG weld. It's just learning how to adjust the settings on the machine. Like everything new it might take some practice.
Sounds like it never changed to shaded. Throw it in the trash. I have a cheaper model but it works. I thought you were going to have been welding "as seen on tv" style. Im glad you at least used a hood.
One thing I do when using an auto dark helmet is right before I pull the trigger is to close my eyes for a moment so I don't see the initial arc flash, it does help from getting "flashed". If I were you I'd go see an eye doctor especially sine your having trouble with the one eye.
I had similar problems. My helmet has a solar-charged battery, and I have to leave it out in the sun for a while before I use it. It also charges from the arc as I'm using it. They also have magnifying lenses that you can buy at any welding supply. They're similar to reading glasses, 150 diopter, 200, etc. Prior to using the magnifying lenses, whenever I used my helmet, the plain lens would affect the focus of my eyeglasses. The magnifier solved that.
With Mig I've found that I need the area I am welding in well lit or I have trouble seeing what I am doing. As far as getting a flash, I'd make sure that there wasn't any light leaking around the lens as it sits in the helmet. I've suspected that my cheapie auto dark might have a small light leak on one side.
I was the victim of this. My batteries failed. Two days off hell. I couldn't wear my contacts. It felt like someone dumped sand and Tabasco in my eyes. The only cure for the pain was to use an old farmers trick. I filled an eye dropper with MILK and each time they started to burn again, the milk made it all better. Now I go outside and look at the Sun with the helmet on to make sure it changes.
I'm considering one of these Accu-Strike helmets. They seem pretty badass and the few guys I know that have them freakin love em.
Bob, your eye lids do not block uv light, it is just skin and can burn easily. as said the darkest shade you can work with, and a good helmet. have your eyes checked, you don't want to be the guy who shows up to the halloween party every year dressed as a pirate.
Use auto dark with shade 10 and never had a problem...my old manual helmit gave me weld flash and didn't know why...I'm pretty careful about that and if you have ever had weld flash (feels like someone pouring sand in your eye) you be careful too Anyway I found a chip out of the edge of the shade and was enough to give me the flash....I check my helmet now before I weld!!
A good quality auto darkening helmet will NOT give you flash burn even if the lense doesn't darken. They are required to protect from UV even without the shade coming on. You will still have the effect of a bright light shining in your eye but there will be no UV damage. Cheap helmets may be a different story. They still face the same requirements but how knows if they actually live up to them or not or not.
im not doubting you but i would think if my batteries failed and the lense wasnt dark enough i wouldnt weld long enough to burn my eyes,but thats me. i also wear a dark shirt if possible. the light will reflect off a white t shirt and suntan your face and eyes as well. you surely get what you pay for.i wouldnt even consider using junk from harbor freight. buy a 3m speedglas and you will never use anything else.
We had a guy working with us last summer, he bought a new helmet, tried it for a day without turning it on.........out for a week! You should be able to hold the helmet to a light and it will on on.
again. anybody that welds for a living or even has the tiniest of a clue would know there is a problem and the lense is not dark enough. this is what gives the helmet a bad name after the guy badmouths the helmet which in reality is his own stupidity. a friend of mine bought a new miller helmet a few years ago. i tried it and told him there was a problem. it got dark but like a shade 7 or 8, never to a 10 or 11. but what do i know, ive only laid down about a million pounds of wire. must be ok hes only spent a few days with his eyes watering.
Exactly ! This thread is full of " the blind leading the flashed" 100% of this nervousness can be put to rest by a decent quality pair of safety glasses that are UV rated. No "flash burns, you may see the light and a spot but you won't have the classic sand in your eyes flash burn. You'll need to wear them over your eyes, they don't work on your forhead or on the table. Did I need to say that last part ? Really
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