Hello, I like all of the posts everyone does but have not seen this before. I'm not the brightest star in the sky and can't find the answer to this on the net.
What is the difference between the $50 auto-dark helmets and the $300 ones other than the flames or flags?
Thanks Marlin
The more expensive one should have better quality hardware and ease of adjustment but then again it may not. The more expensive one may have a broad range of shades say 5-14 instead of just 9-11 and it may have controls for sensitivity or whatever. It may darken faster.
Even the cheap ones will protect your eyes against ultra-violet if they should fail to darken. May be bright but it won't be ultra-violet - and that's a good thing. billh
Also the one with twice the viewing area cost twice as much. High priced helmets almost cost (within $100) as much as a low priced laptop and it doesn't even have a build-in mp3 player or a camera! Would be nice if it has an air filter so you could get close and not worry about breathing in all that junk.
"Marlin (N5XJD)" wrote: (clip) What is the difference between the $50 auto-dark helmets and the $300 ones other than the flames or flags? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Well, it's been about 65 to 70 years since I studied this, but I'll give it a try: $300 - $50 = $250 ;-)
About $250.
But, really. It just depends on the use. I have read guys who swear by the cheapies.
I had a NexGen, and loved it, but it was stolen. I will buy another. Or maybe, I might just try one of the cheapos and see if there is really any difference.
I know a lot of products that have brand names and designer logos are a lot higher priced than goods that are plain vanilla. And they are all equal in quality.
Steve
For the first four months my HF $49.95 worked fairly well then died( 90 day warranty). So I went and bought one with not just flames but a flaming skull. $230 and I love it. It has 4 sensors the HF has two which helps out with low power tigging. You can replace the batteries on the the Miller but not on the HF. I love a autodark helmet but just as happy with a standard helmet setup right. If you have the money and want a autodark spend the money and buy one with a better warranty (18 months on my Miller Big Window Elite). This is just one mans opinion and many here will disagree. Brent
I have had to go out into the Sanford Yard and do some welding the past few days. I have had to use my old Jackson hood.
I didn't realize how huge a difference the autodark hood makes.
I wear bifocals. They are photosensitive. When I am outdoors, they darken, and make it difficult to see with darkened glasses looking through a welding lens. Nodding the hood down increases the difficulty. Reaching and dropping the hood, holding the stinger, and holding the work with my third hand proves hazardous at best.
I can't wait to go buy another NexGen and Huntsman 951P hood.
I would have argued the value of autodark hoods before I owned one. I have welded for 31 years now. Today, I can't weld worth a damn without one. But then, that's just an old fart with failing vision talking.
YMMV
Steve, who is probably going to buy another NexGen within the month.
I will wait until my HF helmet breaks, and then will get something spendy, but definitely not a flaming skull.
i
"buke9" wrote: in message news:1hV9f.532160$xm3.323511@attbi_s21...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I'll bet Harbor Freight would have given you a new one if you talked to them nice.
When I bought my $49.95 helmet, I think I paid an extra $5 for an extended warranty. So far, though, it has worked just fine.
The cheap one that I returned Hello, I like all of the posts everyone does but have not
I bought a HF helet, but my eyes hurt after using it. I returned it and bought a Miller XLIx for $175 on eBay. Never had any eye problem again. The XLIx is more sensitive than the XLI, for lower power TIG welding.
However, every other member of my welding class bought the HF helmets, and all seem to like them.
So my suggestion is to try the HF out, and if it works for you, spend the money on steel.
BTW, my Miller didn't come with any flames or skulls, so I have had to add my own racing stickers - a Senna helmet, an NHRA oval, and a Team Penske. I also added a cheater lens so I can use it easier with my progressive glasses. Presbyopia...
You are aware that HF has a two year extended warranty for about $8 on their helmets, are you not? I had one fail after about a month, returned the electronics ..and while they gave me an odd look..gave me a new helmet, which has been working perfectly for well over a year now..and they extended the warranty from the day I got the replacement. When the guy asked where the rest of the helmet was...I told him that if I managed to bust the shell, or bust a strap, I would simply swap out the broken part with the one from the old carcass and not bother HF for warranty stuff. He then asked if Id like to check out some other warranty return helmets of the same models......now I have a near lifetime supply of plastic window covers. They simply dump em into the dumpster..sometimes smashing them..sometimes not, so it made no difference to the dude if I brought back the whole thing or not. Course..Ive been trading with him for years...so YMMV
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner
the main difference i found when looking for one was at how low of an amperage it would darken.
Now that I could go for. Hook up my helmet to my computer, download a few tunes, and enjoy while welding.
I want one with defroster. I have to weld outdoors and it fogs up in the Autumn chill. Any ideas?
Regards,
Boris Mohar
Got Knock? - see: Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs (among other things)
LOL! Nice touch!
There was a product called Anti-Fog from Arlington, Texas years ago. Great for mirrors in steamy showers or prevent fogging up car windshields. It list the contents as tallow-coconut, powered soap and glycerin. Works pretty good except you have to clean and reapply often.
Quality: The more you pay, the better the build quality, fit, finish, performance you get.
How much quality you need for the type of welding you do is something for you to determine. Your best bet would be to go to a trade show or to some large retail place where you can touch/feel/test the differences between the low end, mid range, and high end helmets.
Things to look for:
Head Band / Sweat Band - Low end: Nylon/Plastic, no padding, crude head size adjustment mechanism Mid range: Non-removable padding, veneer headsize adjustment High end: Removable, washable, replacable padding, high quality head size adjustment hardware, adjust while wearing helmet. If you have a skin problem on your forehead, you will appreciate the high end helmet with its removable, washable padding. If you wear your helmet eight hours per day for several consecutive days in a row, you will appreciate the extra padding -- it means no splitting headaches at the end of the day. If you are a hobby weldor who wears a helmet for 15 minutes per week, you most likely have no clue what I am talking about.
Helmet shell - Pick the helmet up and try to flex it. Low end: Helmet shape deforms like a Halloween mask Mid range: Helmet shape is much stiffer with some deformation High end: Helmet is stiff with very little or no deformation
Fit/Finish - Pick the helmet up and shake it vigorously. Low end: The auto-dark lens cartridge is most likely loose in its mount and rattles. If you shake too vigorously, the auto-dark lens cartridge will fall out and shatter on the floor while the horrified sales droid looks on. Been there, done that. Mid range: The auto-dark lens cartridge does not rattle when the helmet is shaken vigorously but, that may be because it already fell out during the flex test of the helmet shell described above. The implication of this during use is that if the helmet is not grabbed directly below the chin so that deformation is symetrical when flipping it up, the helmet may flex and distort its shape enough to cause the auto-dark cartridge to fall out from its mount and to shatter and break when it hits the floor, leaving you helmetless in the middle of a job. Been there, done that. High end: The auto-dark lens cartridge neither rattles in its mount nor falls out, even when the helmet is dropped or kicked.
Auto-Dark Cartridge - Low end: 2 sensors, may not darken uniformly, may fail to work at temperatures below 40 Deg. F. (Personal experience) Mid range: 2 sensors, darkens uniformly, works in temperatures down to freezing. (Personal experience) Hi end: 4 sensors, darkens uniformly, works in temperatures well below freezing. (Personal experience) The more sensors, the less chance that the cartridge will fail to darken due to a sensor being obscured by work.
I have not had much success with the low end helmets. Over a six month period that I've tried them, I've had enough low end helmets fail on me for one reason or another to more than pay for couple of good mid range helmets.
I've had good success with a mid range helmet in the form of a Swiss made Optrel Miraplus
The reader must bear in mind that the foregoing applies to the conditions I weld under. The criteria I use to select a helmet described herein is tailored to satisfy my welding requirments. The conditions that someone else welds under may be entirely different, in which case, none of this may be applicable to them.
Furthermore, commercial welding requires productivity. To save time and increase my productivity, I perhaps do not handle my helmets as gently as a hobby weldor would. Handled with care, a low end helmet might have a service life longer than an abused mid range helmet in my application.
A hobby weldor can wait until the weather changes more to his liking, while I, as a commercial weldor, have to get a job done according to some production schedule, no matter what the temperature. Obviously, those who live in temperate climates, have no need to worry about whether or not their auto-dark helmet will darken in sub-freezing temperatures.
The bottom line is that the more you pay, the better the quality of helmet you will get. Whether or not the extra quality is worth the extra money for your particular application and the conditions you weld under is something entirely up to you to determine.
If you place a low end, a mid range, and high end -- all three helmets side by side, ranging in price from $50 to $450, and the only differences you see are in the price tags, then the helmet for you is the one with the lowest price tag.
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