Hi, New to welding for about a year now I got a bog standard cheapo helmet [filter shade 10] with my 150amp MIG welder. Fine, but it wasn't easy getting things going. Then I bought a cheapo auto-darkening. Great, problem solved. But today I was patching a hole in the sill of a mate's car and having real problems getting a decent straight weld along the edge of the plate I was attaching to the car. On reflection, and it occured to me that I couldn't really see what I was doing! Got home and tried the old discarded standard helmet, and by magic I could see what I was doing again!! Different world. I can't justify the money for a decent auto mask, so, I think from now on, I'm back to the basic #10 lens and a 500w halogen lamp to get me started.
Nothing much here, just needed to say it.
Cheers Garry