I am curious to know what a pro welding helmet favorite is. Be it the brand name, warranty, durability etc. All likes and dislikes. I am searching for a pro recommendation. I recently purchased from ebay an auto dimming helmet. very nice for the money. did what it says it would. I did not find a brand name however, and ebay stores are like toilet paper. what is a brand that will have a warranty and parts etc that is reputable in a business that isn't going to end all of a sudden? thanks for reply. The type of welding I am doing is mig.
I'm a Hornell Speedglas fan. I don't believe in skimping on a welding helmet. I bought my Speedglas XL back in '98 and it's still going strong. They don't make that model anymore (more's the pity) but Speedglas appears to me to be a very stable and reliable company.
I've been using the Huntsman Auto View for about 7 years, I've been very happy with it. Recently, it stopped working, as a result of having fallen to the floor one too many times. I tried a co-worker's Speedglas fixed 10 shade, I really did not care for the way the helmet fit, it left my ears exposed, and the curved front cover is harder to get and not as cheap as the standard flat plate on the Huntsman. The beauty of the Huntsman units is that they are drop in replacements for any large window helmet, vary shade 9-13, adj sensitivity, adjust delay to clear, and all the plastic covers are stock items both inside and outside. And I found a replacement on e-bay brand new for less than $100.
Remember what you asked for, a professionals opinion on a welding helmet, and a pro uses a pro helmet...
there are a couple of things to consider when getting a auto lense helmet, and there are differances, for example the speedglass helmets are light weight and work well, they have the ability to attach air filtration that can get air from a belt pack or shop air... depending on the model, they go down to shade 9 and sensitivity control for light conditions... the down side of the speed glass is it only has two sensors, and when doing fine work, sometimes the senser is not in view and the lense cuts in and out...
The huntsman and Jackson helmets use the the NexGen lense, a very good lense that has four sensers, and sensitivity control with EQC that helps maintain proper operation in areas with high electrical interferance... (they also have a cheaper EQC model (not the NexGen) that does not have four sensors but you get what you pay for)...
I have one SpeedGlass 2000x, one 2009x one Huntsman, and two Jackson Halo-X helmets, the Halo-X's are my choice... I TIG 8hrs a day and they are light weight...
You using MIG may be better off with a Huntsman, altho it is a relativly heavy helmet...
another thing to consider since you use MIG, if you use the Jackson or Huntsman, they will both accept a glass protective lense if you like them, I use glass in both my Huntsman and Jacksons because they don't scratch like the plastic....
ALL welding causes damage to the eyes over time. Safety equipment is to only LESSEN that damage, and none completely prevents it. The quality of safety equipment you select can offer you differing degrees of safety.
I'm not saying that the fifty dollar helmet causes ocular damage. In some areas, it is not as good as a more expensive one. Areas such as response time, number of shades, sturdiness and construction of the headband, materials used to make the helmet, etc.
Steve, with all due respect, I am looking for something more substantial than a subjective analysis. Do you have any facts to back up your claims?
You can disregard the sturdiness of the headband, or the number of shades; I am concerned with your claim that:
1.) Welding causes eye damage regardless of the helmet, and
2.) Cheap fifty dollar HF helmets cause more ocular damage than expensive helmets, within their shade range.
A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
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