Welding Helmet Recommendations

[LEPage]

Lincoln Supervisability fixed lense in the shade of your choice, properly installed in the helmet of your choice. Less than $5. And by far the best welding lense. Save the hundreds of dollars for toys for your CTD.

 

[Grunt]

Ryan



Check out aglevtech for info on the speed of different Lincoln hoods

 

[Grunt]

and this one for Hobart hoods

 

[Matt400]

Those are some great links, if I were to buy one to get away from the flip up I would look for:

• Shade Control
  
• Low battery warning
  
• multiple photo sensors
  

They all seem to switch pretty fast, Shade control would be nice to tune in what you like. Low battery warning seems important cuz I don't think I would feel comfortable trusting the batteries to switch without pulling them and testing. Multiple sensors make good sense because if you block one then another acts as a back up.



I don't see any helmets advertising all 3 of these features.

 

[Nate]

I don't have hard data, but I'm not a lab or something doing testing. I'm just relaying info that I was told from other peoples experiences.



It could be that your just paying for the name with a Miller, etc helmet, but giving Harbor Freights history with tool quality, I really can't say that for sure. My Dad used to buy tools from them, and after a while realized it wasn't me and my brother abusing his stuff, but that the tools were junk.



If your just doing hobby welding, I don't think you'll have a problem. To be honest I would get a non auto dark helmet as a back up though. The auto darks don't work in all spots since there's a sensor that has to "see" the arc. If your welding in a cramped spot, it won't always dim.

So you have no data, no facts, and no experience with HF welding helmets? I certainly respect your opinion, but I wish you'd have pointed that out earlier - I assumed you had direct experience with HF welding helmets. Please don't misunderstand my typing here - I know you have more expertise than me in this area, I'm just trying to understand what sort of danger I'm putting myself in at this point. I mean you absolutely no disrespect.



I have trouble understanding how I can be getting flashed by a helmet with 1/25000 response time because it's a HF but Miller XLi's get 1/16000 response time and they don't flash the user? Or are Miller XLi owners constantly getting flashed by their helmets? Or is HF outright lying about their response time?



Judging strictly by the numbers, the HF helmet is safer than the Miller XLi at roughly 1/3 the cost. Now I assume that the XLi has features on it that make it a superior helmet in some way (at least I hope so for 3 times the cost), but I don't think it is any safer in terms of flash danger than the $60 HF el-cheapo (unless HF is simply lying).



Believe me - I know most of what HF sells is bad stuff. Ordinarily the only things I will buy from them are consumables like latex gloves and paintbrushes. But in this case I cannot find one single documented case of anyone being harmed in any way by using a HF welding helmet. The closest I can find are vague references to "itchy" or "irritated" eyes after using the helmet 1 time (after which the subject immediately tosses the helmet and buys a name-brand only to discover a lack of discomfort - nevermind the fact that the irritated eyes could have been caused by something other than the helmet).



-Ryan

 

[nickleinonen]

If your welding in a cramped spot, it won't always dim.

the auto dimming one i have at home [first gen jackson i think ~10 years old] has done that to me several times when mig welding in a bad spot. but it works pretty most of the time, and being it is one of the first self dimming ones around, the habour freight ones gotta be on par with it or better as the newer tech stuff has come along

 

[Jeff_K]

I have 2 HF el cheapo's and they work fine for MIG welding. I have used them for over a year (each) and have never been flashed. When I started TIG welding though, they were not sensitive enough in the low amps and I was getting flashed all the time. I picked up a Miller Big Window Elite and couldn't be happier. It is a much nicer helmet all the way around. I use the Miller for TIG welding and Plasma cutting (because when it is off it is shade 4 or 5). The only thing with the Miller is you have to remember to turn it on. The HF helmets are always on.

 

[Nate]

I didn't realize your supposed to wear a welding helmet with Plaz. I normally just wear safety glasses... Whoops!

 

[rbattelle]

Well, after several years using my Harbor Freight el-cheapo (I am so ashamed), I finally got a new Hobart XVS!



Now, I know it's not a professional grade piece of equipment, but I think we can agree it's a step up from Harbor Freight. And it's made in Korea (hopefully South! ), which I think is better than China.



I must say, however, I have no specific complaints about the HF helmet. It never flashed me, and it still works perfectly.



The Hobart hood is larger than the HF, and has more fit adjustments. I'm hoping it will work better with my respirator.



Ryan

 

[Dieselnut59]

I have a Jackson solar/battery powered auto shade helmet. It is the premium one, made in USA. I bought it when I bought my Miler diesel welding machine. I wanted the best of the best and this is what my welding/machine shop buddies recommended. It is flawless. Only time it will ever briefly "flash' you is if there is a partial obstruction between your arc and the sensor. This thing has all sorts of settings for darkness, sensitivity and delay time. It is also the most comfortable to wear. I have done quite a lot of welding with it (all stick) and love it. It was NOT cheap, but then again, I do not like to buy cheap products, especially when I depend on them. I would highly recommend the premium Jackson auto-shade helmet.

 

[champspa]

have a Jackson auto and two harbor freight the Jackson has a button to turn it on and goes off if not used in a given period of time, hence once in a while I get flashed. the cheap one doesn't have a switch to turn on , it's always on , and has a variable darking knob but needs a piece of tape to keep it in the same place . you pick, 350 for one 60 for the others
both are good . one I get flashed with sometimes. P. S. on an auto dark if you get your stinger between you and the light your auto will go off and give you a flash before it comes back on.

 

[Dieselnut59]

My Jackson was about $250 because I bought my $7600 welding machine from the same supply house. I have been "flashed" a few times but never have had burning eyes since getting this good helmet. I have had the "sand in eyes" feeling before and it is MISERABLE! I was using a cheapie fixed shade helmet with a cheapie buzz box welder.

When it comes to buying anything, it is up to your on discretion but I have found that in most cases you get what you pay for. I like to buy made in USA whenever possible (lord knows our country needs all the help we can offer!) and I also like to buy middle to upper quality/price items. I have NEVER had a regret. I am considering a second welding helmet for the company shop and it will be another Jackson unit. I have not researched the "second generation" Jackson but I do not see how one could be much better than the unit I have. If I have to buy a foreign made one, it will be as someone mentioned above, from a country like South Korea (or Germany or Japan), but NOT china!

 

[Dieselnut59]

This is the one I have.



Jackson Safety - Product Group

 

[sarj]

I've used a Hornell Speedglas for the last 12 years. I couldn't find a fault with it if I thought about it til Sunday.