Which welding helment should I get?

I got one on eBay for $39 plus shipping. It works pretty well, although I haven't tried the $200 ones to see the difference. It sure goes dark quickly! I'm using it for TIG, and I see no flash at all. It seems to ignore the glow of the HF corona before the real arc starts, and then I'm blind for a second or so until the Tungsten heats up and illuminates the area.

Mine has a big radio-style knob on the left temple area, for the darkness control. This gets bumped nearly every time I close the hood. I probably will have to tape the knob at the right setting. So, that is one thing you might look for, is one that has a darkness setting that will stay put.

Jon

I'm with Glenn. I have welded since 1974, and the biggest improvement was when I went from the small lens to a 4x5. Lots better. I used to have an opinion of those who used the autodark helmets. It was not very good. But then, I got bifocals. Still, I welded with cheapy plastic glasses under the hood.

Then I got a NexGen EQC for a decent price. I absolutely love it. You can start an arc EXACTLY where you want, you don't move when you nod your head, and you don't have to raise the hood between arcs. I was thoroughly sold on autodark.

I am welding a pair of wrought iron gates today. I noticed my red Jackson

4x5 hood sitting there forlornly on the shelf, covered so much in dust you can barely tell it is red.

My advice .................... spend the money and never look back. DON'T buy anything that has dials, but only pushbuttons. Expect to spend $$$, but expect to have the best, and benefit by doing better work, and to produce more in the same amount of time.

If you are going to do any amount of welding at all, buy the best you can afford in equipment. It don't make a lot of difference in gloves, grinding wheels, and the like, but in hardware, buy to last and buy so you don't outgrow it in a year. Cheap stuff ain't good and good stuff ain't cheap.

Steve

The big lens auto-dark is the only way to go---but if you're into bi or tri-focals

DEF> Do those $50 auto-darkening ones on Ebay work well, or should I spend

For what it's worth, I wondered the same thing. I bought one of each of the auto helmets Harbor Freight stocks and tried them all (six or seven of them). In my case I needed something for low amp tig welding and figured none of them would do it well but wanted to try them out anyway.

Hoping to find a diamond in the rough but nope, none of them worked right. Some would trigger, sometimes; others wouldn't even trigger with the sensitivity turned all the way up. The ones that would trigger went clear intermittently during the weld. No good.

As far as speed goes, the advertised darkening speeds seemed to have little bearing on reality.

Why did I go to the trouble to test them all you ask? Honestly, so I could post here and save someone else the trouble of guessing whether they would work. For mig or stick they might all be fine but not for tig.

hth, StaticsJason

requirements

I use the dollar store specials. I wear bifocals, but am lucky enough for both of my eyes to be the same. For a buck, you can't beat them.

Steve

Ya pays ya money and ya takes ya chances...........................

I hate buying something, then finding out that I needed the better gizmo, then having to go buy the better gizmo anyway. And trying to get half of what I paid for the cheepie.

Steve

I agree with Jerry about the glasses. Trying to get the right part of your bifocals lined up is a pain, especially with cutting goggles. I need too much correction anymore for the diopter add in lenses.

I bought the Nexgen EQC. They're worth it.

Pete Keillor

Thanks for checking it out. I am due for a new helmet, sounds like I should visit my welding store, not Harbor Freight.

Richard

Statics wrote:

Just another two pennies here. When I was learning to weld, the light came on when I started looking at the puddle. There was so much going on to watch that I didn't know this. Then an instructor that used to be in the Navy said, "Watch me, and watch the puddle" as he welded uphill with 7018. He said, "it's all in being able to see the puddle." That helped me jump ahead in learning. But seeing the puddle has its ins and outs. Vision ...... can you really see it clearly. And shade ....... do you have the right shade to see the puddle clearly, but not a lot of the surroundings. With an autodark, you can easily go up or down a shade in seconds where changing plates in a hood takes a lot longer.

My NexGen EQC is about as slick as it gets. I like it even better than a gold lens, and I never thought I would say that about anything.

Steve

Well I had been kicking around what helmet I was going to buy and my choice was the Xli made and sold by Miller. It has all of the features, solar and battery powered, adjust senseing, shade, etc. It cost me $175 at the local welding supply store, and its been the greatest thing since sliced bread. I also installed some cheaters of

1.75mag, in it and I have not welded as good ini many years. I can actually see again and my welds are where I want them. I just finished building the wife a pretty fancy decorative iron trellis / arbor and that Helmet has earned its keep. I had bought 3 of the HF helmets previously to buying the miller Xli and all three of the HF left a lot to be desired. One never darkened up, and another would never lighten up after welding up some heavy steel at 200 amps...........The MIller weights 1.2 pounds, is not all that long or cumbersome and the price is reasonable.

Jacksons top me leave a lot to be desired with their headgear..........and I don't like their helmets fit.

Radnor is pretty decent and seems to provide a bit more viewing area, but again I did not like the fit and feel as much as the Miller Xli.

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Last weekend I bought one of the $49 HF specials for one of my customers. Guy is a Cambodian who has never welded before, and went out and bought a Miller Millermatic 135 to do minor guard repairs and whatnot around the shop. He called me and asked me to come down and teach him to weld ( who...me???).

When I got there, he was trying to run .02 wire..with no gas. I had to explain to him about gas vrs flux core, then go buy him a 10lb roll of flux core. He caught on very! quickly..and mentioned that it works much better now ....LOL Saturday last I went to HF and bought him a angle grinder, wire cup wheel, gloves, magnetic 45, yada yada..and the helmet.

Never having used one before..I had to try it out at home Saturday night...and Damn! Its a whole world of difference. It worked GREAT! I loved the big dimmer knob on the left temple. I tend to be very light sensitive and have a hard enough time seeing the puddle with my normal hood, and I was able to dial it around enough to find a happy medium where I actually could see my puddle. (this with my HF 11Ovt cheapy mig). It worked just as well with rod on my old Tombstone Lincoln as well. I even was able to weld some sheet metal that before I always burned holes in, because I couldnt judge my puddle and the heat.

I cant speak for tig, but for mig and rod..Im gonna have to get one soon. It was really nice. I paid the $5.95 for the two year warranty for him..shrug.. after all its HF..

I loaned a guy my 4x5 Jackson hood because it was so open at the sides that I was getting back scatter reflecting on the inside of the lens and I couldnt see dick. I had to put a towel over my head and down the back of my mask so I could use it..shrug..so I went back to my old and patched up small window mask. Something I didnt notice with the HF mask. Response time was very fast and I never did get Flashed.

I give it a thumbs up. But then..Im only a dauber.

Gunner

That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there. - George Orwell

I like the Korean-made "Chameleon" helmets at Harbor Freight (around $90 on sale, around $120 normally). I also have a Jackson Nexgen but prefer the Chameleon over it.

So how much to you want for one of those used HF hoods?

I only weld rod or mig (and poorly at that..sigh)

Gunner

That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there. - George Orwell

I saw the mention of Gold lenses. What does that do? Is there any advantage for mig/stick welding? I did a quick google search and the various sites claim something about it being easier to see your puddle.

Is it worth picking up a gold plated filter?

Gunner

That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there. - George Orwell

My vision is such that I have found that I can remove my glasses altogether and the focal distance is perfect for close up welding, especially Tig. I keep them in a metal cabinet next to the welding table when welding. I have to do the same thing when doing die repair, because the angles of sight needed are impossible with progressive lenses. I just use standard safety glasses then.

RJ

I imagine about any of them would work well enuf for either of those but I took them all back. Store manager said no problem, he wanted to know too. The advertising for one of the hoods even mentioned low power tig.

Partly I wanted a bulletproof 'excuse' to buy the Jackson Nexgen....called the Linweld welding store next door and asked what they could do to be more competitive with weldingmart.com ($288). I told him I would prefer to buy local, but the first price they quoted me was over a _hundred bucks_ higher than online. He sold it to me for $305 and change. Close enough for me and I could try it out in the store.

StaticsJason

You can buy prescription cheater lenses. You have to get the prescription from your optometrist, or optalmalogist.

JTMcC.